I've spent my entire career (admittedly a 4 1/2 year career) working in open plan offices and it's never really been an issue until now, but we've just moved to a new area and we get the coffee machine gossip, the personal phone calls, the "let's sit somewhere an collaborate" talking, on and on and on. I would like suggestions for noise-blocking devices that are comfortable over the course of a the workday. Or other suggestions to make my desk location less annoying.
I understand that noise-cancelling headphones are not particularly effective against people talking and that most of the benefit against voices is coming from the isolation, rather than the noise-cancelling. I have this fashionable set of hearing protection, which is reasonably effective, but kind of squeezes my head to an uncomfortable degree.
I know there are earplug headphones which are quite likely what I'm looking for, but I'm reluctant to spend the money on something without a replaceable cable.