It comes down to which frequencies get equal energy
White noise has equal energy at every frequency across the spectrum. Because human hearing is naturally more sensitive to higher frequencies, that even spread ends up sounding bright, hissy, almost like static — it's the "shhh" sound most people picture when they hear "white noise."
Pink noise has equal energy per octave instead of per frequency, which means energy rolls off gradually as pitch rises. The result sounds fuller and less harsh than white noise — closer to steady rainfall.
Brown noise (technically Brownian noise) rolls off even more steeply toward high frequencies, so it's dominated by deep, low-frequency energy. It sounds like a low rumble — a waterfall, distant thunder, or a jet engine heard from far away.
Which tends to suit what
- White noise is broad enough to mask sudden or variable background sounds effectively, but its brightness makes it tiring for some people over long stretches.
- Pink noise is often described as easier to listen to for longer periods, and is a common choice for both background focus sound and sleep.
- Brown noise has become popular specifically for sleep, and among people who find white noise too sharp — its low rumble reads as calming rather than alerting to a lot of ears.
Beyond the three classics
Broadband noise like white, pink, and brown covers the entire audible spectrum at once. Narrowband noise takes a different approach: a tight band of frequencies centered on one specific pitch, which is the standard way to mask a tone that sits at a known frequency rather than spreading energy across the whole spectrum. Notched noise is different again — it's broadband noise with a narrow gap cut out at a specific frequency, based on the theory that reducing stimulation at exactly your tinnitus pitch may support habituation over time, rather than simply covering the sound in the moment.
Tinnitune offers all five types — narrowband, white, pink, brown, and notched — as free masking options. (Notched music therapy, which applies that same notch filter to your own uploaded music instead of synthesized noise, is a separate Premium feature.)
Matching sound to your ear
Whichever type you land on, masking sound tends to work better when it's positioned relative to your actual tinnitus pitch rather than picked at random — narrowband and notched noise need a pitch to center or cut around, and even broadband white, pink, or brown noise blends more effectively once you know roughly where your tinnitus sits in the spectrum.