I work in a noisy cube farm that is often distracting. I've been unable to correct the noise problems at their sources and I don't want to wear headphones or earplugs, so it appears that using a white-noise generator is my other option (as recommended in this answer to a related question).

What do I need to know to effectively use such a device in my workplace? Does the type of noise matter? Does the type of sound produced by the generator matter -- steady hum versus varied (like a fountain), range, volume, etc? Is under my desk a good place to set it up? I haven't found any sources that discuss mitigation for different types of office noise.

I work in a noisy cube farm that is often distracting. I've been unable to correct the noise problems at their sources and I don't want to wear headphones or earplugs, so it appears that using a white-noise generator is my other option (as recommended in this answer to a related question).

What do I need to know to effectively use such a device in my workplace? Does the type of noise matter? Does the type of sound produced by the generator matter -- steady hum versus varied (like a fountain), range, volume, etc? Is under my desk a good place to set it up? I haven't found any sources that discuss mitigation for different types of office noise.

I work in a noisy cube farm that is often distracting. I've been unable to correct the noise problems at their sources and I don't want to wear headphones or earplugs, so it appears that using a white-noise generator is my other option (as recommended in this answer to a related question).

How does a Noise Generator work and what do I need to know to properly set one up in my office? Does the type of noise matter? Is under my desk a good place to set it up? I haven't found any sources that discuss mitigation for different types of office noise.

I work in a noisy cube farm that is often distracting. I've been unable to correct the noise problems at their sources and I don't want to wear headphones or earplugs, so it appears that using a white-noise generator is my other option (as recommended in this answer to a related question).

What do I need to know to effectively use such a device in my workplace? Does the type of noise matter? Does the type of sound produced by the generator matter -- steady hum versus varied (like a fountain), range, volume, etc? Is under my desk a good place to set it up? I haven't found any sources that discuss mitigation for different types of office noise.

I work in a noisy cube farm that is often distracting. I've been unable to correct the noise problems at their sources and I don't want to wear headphones or earplugs, so it appears that using a white-noise generator (under my desk, perhaps) is my other option (as recommended in this answer to a related question). This is not a duplicate of that question, which asks for general noise-mitigation strategies; this question is specifically about the use of white-noise generators.

If I don't want to wear headphones, is a white-noise generator my best bet for this type of environment? If so, what features are most important when choosing one? If there's a better option, what is it?

  Does the type of noise matter? The other question asked about in-person conversation; I find that speaker phones are actually worse for some reason. There's something about the acoustic properties of a speaker that's different from a live speaker. I haven't found any sources that discuss mitigation for different types of office noise.

I work in a noisy cube farm that is often distracting. I've been unable to correct the noise problems at their sources and I don't want to wear headphones or earplugs, so it appears that using a white-noise generator is my other option (as recommended in this answer to a related question).

How does a Noise Generator work and what do I need to know to properly set one up in my office? Does the type of noise matter? Is under my desk a good place to set it up? I haven't found any sources that discuss mitigation for different types of office noise.