Acoustic Sheep’s SleepPhone is a very comfortable pair of headphones that is multipurpose. For folks who like falling asleep to the soothing sound of music, it will not disturb the neighbours when the music player is at half volume. That is, when I’m sharing a hotel room with someone who prefers silence over leaving a radio on, this item does the job. For spaces like in college/university dorm-rooms where there’s always noise going on, this piece of essential gear can help filter out low-level sounds but not high-level chatter (or snoring bunk mates).
The sound quality is very nice and the sound produced by these speakers are more than capable of lulling even the beast in me asleep. I’m the type who does not fall asleep immediately when my head hits the pillow.
These headphones almost do an extra job of providing me a gentle filter. I bought this product in hopes they’ll provide me a level of sanity when I’m sharing a hotel room with friends at conventions. Everyone is prone to snoring and while I can handle bunking with sleepers who are light snorers, it’s those loud ones I have issues with. I cannot fall asleep when certain individuals snore like a chainsaw with a leaky tube. To hear that person sputter and spurt is jarring. I have even had my share of hearing wheezing bagpipes and wearing inexpensive earplugs do not work for me when I rely on an alarm to wake me up. When I do, I usually find one has popped out.
That’s when listening to regular sound or a boring lecture through these headphones become more than a godsend. But these headphones will not do the job of drowning out loud snorers even with the volume cranked up and that’s when leakage will occur — the speakers inside the fabric are omnidirectional and the sound is audible from a distance of 12′ away. The SleepPhones have the ability to filter out gentle snores but for loud ones, I wonder if using Bose‘s Quietcomfort line (designed for muting airplane engines) is better to use?
To discover that these speakers can handle higher volumes is great. Queen‘s Bohemian Rhapsody plays back quite well. The bass is not as soulful but when this product’s purpose is to help folks fall asleep, to hear lower frequencies at its fullest is not necessarily needed. The treble is decent and while Freddie Mercury‘s falsettos sound nearly perfect, the timbre from the high hats from drum solos are the tones that do not get heard. I’d say these headphones are comparable to brands like Panasonic.
When I do get a moment of peace in a hotel room (i.e. the roommates are away), they are functional and comfortable sleep masks. I can fall asleep during a warm day wearing them. Although I’ll be missing out on any activities from a convention as it’s in full swing, I fear that’s about the only way I find I can get some much-needed rest and relaxation — thankfully this company offers retail packages with soundtracks to put on my music player!
Technical Specifications
- 1/8” (3.5mm) standard stereo headphone mini-jack
- Speaker frequency: 20 Hz – 20 kHz
- Impedance: 32 Ω
- Cord length: 48” (120cm)
- Weight: 2 ounces
- Dimensions: 10 inches x 3 inches x 1/2 inch
- Fabric: SheepCloudTM 95% polyester, 5% spandex
Pros
- Adjustable speakers
- Available / Upgradable to in Bluetooth (Corded version measures 4 feet)
- Available in three sizes and in two fabric types
- Compatible with many music playing devices
Cons
- Sound leakage at higher volumes
- Not meant to be fully functional ear plugs