# What's the best hearing protection



## Josey (Mar 14, 2007)

Can anyone tell me what the best hearing protection is? Do the amplifiers that cut out at a certain decibel work? I'd prefer something slim, but I need something that works the best. Thanks. --Josey


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## CLHC (Mar 14, 2007)

There's a lot of products out on the market for hearing protection. You may wish to check out Peltor, Wolf-Ears, Walker's Game Ear and the like with electronic protection. For simple plug ins, there's Moldex Fit To Be Tried.

Hope you find what you're looking for and Enjoy!

Safe Hearing! :wave:


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## PlayboyJoeShmoe (Mar 14, 2007)

I find it quite annoying that when I go shooting I can wear foamies AND over the ear muffs.

Then when I go into a freaking LOUD sawmill I can only wear foamies because of the hard hat!

I have an industrial sized box of Maxlite foamies and always have a pair in the truck!


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## Jumpmaster (Mar 14, 2007)

I had some custom ear-inc. ones made. They work great.

The Peltor ones are nice too, but I prefer the ear-inc. ones.

JM-99


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## EngrPaul (Mar 14, 2007)

:huh2:


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## cy (Mar 14, 2007)

I've got Peltor chainsaw helmet with built in ear muffs. Stihl and Husky also has chainsaw helmets. 

one of the most effective ear protection is custom molded ear plugs. 



PlayboyJoeShmoe said:


> I find it quite annoying that when I go shooting I can wear foamies AND over the ear muffs.
> 
> Then when I go into a freaking LOUD sawmill I can only wear foamies because of the hard hat!


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## supes (Mar 14, 2007)

I use Peltor's for the shooting range. Work good just wish they could fit in your ear or were smaller. 

Since I don't want to look like a dumbass with big earphones, I'm using Surefire Earpro EP3's for runs in the ambulance, when the sirens kick up. Just started to wear them. So far, they do lessen the sound but I can still hear close regular conversation.


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## Trashman (Mar 15, 2007)

Josey said:


> Can anyone tell me what the best hearing protection is? Do the amplifiers that cut out at a certain decibel work? I'd prefer something slim, but I need something that works the best. Thanks. --Josey




What do you need it for?


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## CM (Mar 15, 2007)

throwaway foam plugs covered by Peltors. The sound suppression is additive so you can probably get in excess of 50dB of protection with this "double condom" method :devil:


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## Jumpmaster (Mar 15, 2007)

EngrPaul said:


> :huh2:



In case that was directed at my post...
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=ear+inc

JM-99


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## Josey (Mar 15, 2007)

Thanks for the replies. I damaged my hearing a little in Vietnam, so I can't take much loud sound without my ears ringing. My girlfriend invited me to a "thrash" band, which she says is incredibly loud. She's the attraction, not the band, but I kind of don't want to wear huge muffs. But I also have a chain saw and do woodworking, and have to use muffs for that. And sometimes I target shoot.

The custom plugs are not a brand, but have to be made by a professional?

CM: Are you saying stuff two foam plugs into my ears? [sorry, I re-read your post and get it now.]


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## cy (Mar 15, 2007)

saw this first at a pistol shooting nationals in Tulsa. they were molding ear plugs on site. similar to this link

http://www.earinc.com/p1-nonelectronic-instamold.php

http://earplugstore.stores.yahoo.net/cusfitproc.html


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## Jumpmaster (Mar 15, 2007)

Yeah, at the ear-inc. website, you can see if there's a dealer near you. Mine were about $35, IIRC. They're great. All my buddies are jealous. They are very comfortable...sometimes, I sleep wearing them.

JM-99


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## ryball (Mar 16, 2007)

I have these...

http://www.ishot-inc.com/store2/product_info.php?cPath=25&products_id=44


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## Sigman (Mar 16, 2007)

The ear-inc folks are typically at most of the gunshows we have around my neck of the woods. That may be the case for you as well...again, finding a dealer near you will answer a lot of your questions.

I have the ear-inc plugs. I also have a set (need to find them) that were made (or sent out) by a hearing aid company in town. 

The ear-inc plugs are a bit firmer and though they are custom molded to my own ears - are not as comfortable as the others I have (made from a softer silicone type material)...I'll dig them out and try to get a brand name. 

OH, and the ones that I like most, have the valve inside that activates above a certain decibel level. I believe they cost 2-3x more than the ear-inc plugs though.


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## wmirag (Mar 16, 2007)

If you REALLY don't want to hear a damned thing, use Mack's silicone earplugs. They completely cover the ear and only vibration of your head will come through to your ears. They are a pain to put on and take off. And they could be dangerous if you need to hear things at SOME level. But if you wanna be temporarily "deaf", these are for you.

W.


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## vtran96 (Mar 16, 2007)

CM said:


> throwaway foam plugs covered by Peltors. The sound suppression is additive so you can probably get in excess of 50dB of protection with this "double condom" method :devil:



+1, you asked for the best and I have to agree with CM. The electronic methods are nice since they amplify casual conversations but doubling up with muffs over plugs are about as good as your gonna get, short of not being in the area of the noise.


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## Jorge Banner (Mar 17, 2007)

> Do the amplifiers that cut out at a certain decibel work?


They work great. The place I need protection the most is on the shooting range. There, I use foamies and over them a “Silencio RangeSafe RSX-87”. Been shooting shotguns indoors without a problem. Now, I know my “Silencio” is a little old, but very effective. Not small, though. I can only imagine the excellent stuff you’ll be able to procure today. I would check the tactical units they are building for SWAT teams and the like. Probably quite small and at the same time, good quality.


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## cdf (Mar 19, 2007)

MSA electronic muff are the best i have ever worn , superior to the tactical Peltors . Not cheap but well worth it .

Chris


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## Uncle Bob (Mar 19, 2007)

I still have my Army issue rubber ear plugs from basic training at Fort Knox (1965) in their original plastic container. Still use them on the pistol range. A little soap and water and I think they'll last forever.


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## Calina (Mar 19, 2007)

The best protection is to stay away from the noise!

At the range, I use silicone plugs and Peltor muffs; even then when somebody wants to shoot 44 magnum next to me, I move away or I pack.

I mostly shoot 22 caliber but some partners prefer louder and bigger gun. I take pleasure in trying to put them all in the same hole, others seem to take pleasure in making the most noise.


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## Ken_McE (Mar 24, 2007)

There are a variety of new and used aviation headsets on eBay. Don't know how they compare with the other items in this thread. I have a pair of the Bose sound cancelling headsets, I find they give me a headache.


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## Sigman (Mar 24, 2007)

Ahhhhh, I found the paperwork for my favorite "plugs". They're "Hock's Noise-Breakers" made of medical grade silicone (the most comfortable & efficient "in the ear" plugs I've ever worn). Mine are the custom fit version.

They've got several different models - prowl around on their site & you can find a dealer near you if you are interested. They have several different models from "standard to custom fit". You can get their "standard" models with the "Noise-Breaker filter" for a more affordable price. 

Some may be fortunate enough to have their employer's safety department pay for them if required on the job.
_
Some info:_

_Some custom noise reduction plugs can cause an uncomfortable "plugged up" feeling. Our Breaker-Vented custom noise reduction plugs are made with a Hock's Noise Braker installed that lets the inner ear breathe and lets the wearer hear normal speech. In the presence of dangerously loud noise the Noise Braker acts to prevent hearing damage from extremely loud noises including gunfire, nail guns, concert music, wind noise on motorcycles and many noises commonly encountered in manufacturing environments._


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## CLHC (Mar 25, 2007)

Curious to know about them FoxEars by EarPro (SureFire aqcuired EarPro Communications) that SureFire has in their 2007 Catalog.

For those familiar with EarPro, they are an audiology products developer and maker of advanced technology hearing and communications products. According to the manufacturer; FoxEars use sophisticated technology to simultaneously provide hearing enhancement and hearing protection—ambient sounds are amplified while harmful high-decibel sounds are lowered to safer levels.

Getting smaller and alot more efficient these days as technology advances. . .


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## Robstorch (Mar 27, 2007)

I borrowed a friends pair of David Clark(aviation headset maker)ear muffs used when working around jet planes. Worked great while I was doing a lot of wood sanding.
I think you would look very strange wearing these at a concert tho...


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## coldsolderjoint (Mar 27, 2007)

cy said:


> I've got Peltor chainsaw helmet with built in ear muffs. Stihl and Husky also has chainsaw helmets.
> 
> one of the most effective ear protection is custom molded ear plugs.



+1, i find that I like muffs ALOT better then plugs, faster to put on and off for me too. At the steel mill, I have them on my helmet. 

I go shooting with muffs, for me, its alot more comfortable, but at a concert, I guess you have no choice but to wear plugs.


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## Josey (Apr 23, 2007)

Well, bummer. I bought some custom fitted plugs from Westone, which are supposed to block out most sound. They don't work very well. Unless I push on them hard, they block much less sound than my cheapest set of muffs. I can easily hear the TV without turning up the volume. And they are not comfortable to wear. They don't like to stay in tight. They're going in the trash. Total waste of $105.


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## Jumpmaster (Apr 23, 2007)

Sounds like whoever fitted you with them didn't know what they were doing. I know that if that had happened with my EAR-INC rep, he would have remade them at no additional cost.

JM-99



Josey said:


> Well, bummer. I bought some custom fitted plugs from Westone, which are supposed to block out most sound. They don't work very well. Unless I push on them hard, they block much less sound than my cheapest set of muffs. I can easily hear the TV without turning up the volume. And they are not comfortable to wear. They don't like to stay in tight. They're going in the trash. Total waste of $105.


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## gromit (Apr 25, 2007)

For a cheap available at most drug stores is the Howard Leight brand. Will help to cut down the noise. I find them very comfortable, compared to the foam orange types.


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## gromit (Apr 25, 2007)

Ken_McE said:


> There are a variety of new and used aviation headsets on eBay. Don't know how they compare with the other items in this thread. I have a pair of the Bose sound cancelling headsets, I find they give me a headache.



Bose is 1st of all a marketing company, technology 2nd.
You can almost always find something better and cheaper.


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## cedarcreek (Apr 25, 2007)

I'm no expert here, but...

The best single item I know is a foam earplug by Howard Leight, with 33db attenuation, although from looking at the link below, it appears EAR also has a 33dB plug, and at least one pair of (huge) ear muffs approaches that (but most muffs don't).

In general, the disposable foam plugs are the best thing you can use, if your interest is maximum sound suppression.
Scan this for typical ear plug effectiveness:
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/categories/safety/hearing-protection/earplugs

I've got two pairs of silicone ear mold plugs, and they're really nice, especially for long periods of wear, but they're not particularly effective---I'm thinking 22-25db or so. If that's all you need, they work great.

There are some ear muffs that provide attenuation as high as 32db or so, but they're very uncommon, and they're big and bulky.

Scan this for typical ear muff effectiveness:
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/categories/safety/hearing-protection/ear-muffs-and-accessories

A couple comments:

To get the disposable plugs to work, you've got to get them *in* your ear canal. I see people all the time with them just barely inserted, and I'm guessing it's (1) because they don't know, or (2) because they're just accepting less attenuation to improve communication or something. 

When you really need a lot of attenuation, sink the plugs in deep, and then use ear muffs too. I often use just a lightweight pair of earmuffs on top of the ear plugs, and it both works (about 50dB of attenuation), and is very comfortable.

Most plugs are bright-colored so supervisors can "check for compliance", but you can find some light brown plugs that are less visible to people around you. (If that matters to you. I like them on airplanes.)

I tend to buy a box of plugs from Grainger or Fastenal (or lots of places), and the yellow EAR plugs in a paper container are usually among the cheapest. I find those get hard before I'm done with the box---I take a lot longer to use my personal plugs than a typical industrial environment does. Because the hardening makes them less effective, I tend to pay more for plugs sealed in plastic bags.

My favorite plugs are Howard Leight "Max" (33dB) with the little plastic cord. If I don't want the cord for a specific use, I just cut it off. Usually I like the cord.

I prefer to just throw them away after one use, rather than having to clean reusable plugs. (My experience says you need to clean reusable ones more than most people think.)

I find the tapered or molded foam plugs a little nicer, but I most often use the "company-provided" yellow EAR non-tapered plugs. And they are perfectly adequate for 90% of my needs. 

Now, getting off subject, if you can get by with a little less attenuation, a lightweight pair of ear muffs is great, and you can more easily use iPod earbud headphones. That's what I now use most of the time.


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## shrap (Apr 26, 2007)

If you want ear protection while at a rock concert or some other venue where the quality of sound is important - try the Etymotic ER-20 earplugs. They're designed to dampen sound uniformly across all frequencies, so loud music sounds the same - just softer, unlike the foam plugs which muffle sound unevenly.

I've got two pair, and they work as advertised. I put on the plugs, then put headphones on top of the plugs, and the music sounds similar, not strange or distorted.


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## RedLED (Apr 26, 2007)

I have a US Navy issue pair of ear muffs used on the flight deck of carriers. They are big, but work very, very good.

They are easy to find, and not expensive.

Mine were given to me when I photographed an event on board a carrier years ago, and the XO told me to keep just them.


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