A lot of audio aficionados and even budding audiophiles are looking for sound proof headphones. These are headphone sets that block out the usual level of noise in your environment (or ambient noise). You know, these are sounds like the humming of your overhead flourescent light, the whir of your computer fan, or even the insistent tapping of the hammer of your next door neighbor.

Since these sounds around you can prevent you from fully enjoying the music you listen to, you will need to buy sound proof headphones.

Among the different sets of headphones are active noise cancelation units, and passive units. The active units have their own power supply, because of the higher requirements of the noise cancelation technology that these units employ. But don't worry, because "own power supply" translates to a couple of AA batteries.

Outside the headphones,  you will find a microphone which monitors the ambient noise. This noise is then channeled to an amplifier which creates an opposite, noise-canceling effect. Once this newly created "noise" enters your headphone, it cancels the sounds around you so you end up not hearing the ambient noise.

Sounds fantastic, right? Well, you get what you pay for because the premium technology comes with a price. Plus, you will need to budget for batteries on a regular basis. In spite of all that technological advancement, though, please remember to test the unit in the store first.

On the other hand, the passive sound proof headphones use sound absorbing or dampening technology. These materials shield your ears from external noises. As you can imagine, the ear cups will surround your ears completely.

While passive soundproof headphones are less expensive, they will feel heavy, and your fully-covered ears may feel tired (unless you find head phones which fit you well). You will also have to deal with sweaty ear cups, because the encompassing design of the head phones can completely cover your ears for extended amounts of time. Be warned, though: These headphones are huge, and may cause some kind of public disturbance if you decided to take a walk while wearing them.