> Taking calls in open plan workspaces is so incredibly thoughtless to others working.

This is why that old, stuffy, sclerotic behemoth named IBM used to have individual offices with doors.

Funny that.

There often just isn't a choice. When I was shopping for co-working spaces I'd see tons of open plan space, with maybe 1 or 2 tiny phone closets for 50 - 100 people. They were always in constant use. I don't know why open offices don't set aside more space for private conversations when they need to happen.

Closed headphones do a better job, because a thick hunk of plastic doesn’t need to predict the incoming noise. I found HD-280 to be pretty comfortable.