Sounds in Public Places

[Tim Downie]

Sounds more like you were suffering from a simple middle ear pressure imbalance, when for some reason (perhaps a bit of a cold, blocked nose etc.) your ears couldn't "pop" or equalise the pressures properly.

Tim

[Rod]

I agree that is what it could appear to be. Seems unlikely to affect both of us at the same time. I do quite often have to do a valsalva but this was unlike unequalised pressure.

[Onetap]

Could be an active noise control system, one of these;

're appearing in a lot of buildings. I know diddley about them.

Or the white/pink noise masking system.