Latest and greatest ear protection?

[Namrups]

So what are the latest and greatest ear protection suggestions. I'm looking for something I can use when by myself and also something that my daughter and I can use to communicate with each other. Does not need to be the same thing. Can be 2 different solutions.

[Jim1855]

I use the SureFire EarPro. Both for the car and shooting. They go in easily and are comfortable.

https://www.surefire.com/products/earpro/ep3-sonic-defenders/

I'll use in both ears if by myself. If driving with a passenger I've found the just plugging the outer ear, the one closest to the sidepipes, allows basic conversation. Passenger does the same, outside ear. But if going to run hard then both plugs should be used.

For most of my solo driving I use earbuds and a music source. Lots of music and audio books, lots of mile.
Something like these.
https://www.etymotic.com/product/er3xr-earphones/

I've never had an issue with Law Enforcement and using hearing protection.

Jim

[JohnK]

Before we get too far down a path here, I'm just going to say that earbuds are not hearing protection. Even ones with "active noise cancellation" like AirPods. They may make things seem quieter but if you care about protecting your hearing you'll use something with an NRR rating.

[GoDadGo]

Orange 3M Earplugs Work Just Fine!

https://www.amazon.com/3M-1100-Foam-Plugs-200-Pair/dp/B008MVYL7C/ref=asc_df_B008MVYL7C/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198076816763&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=854604875534064915&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=200556&hvtargid=pla-378796881093&th=1

[Jim1855]

Before we get too far down a path here, I'm just going to say that earbuds are not hearing protection. Even ones with "active noise cancellation" like AirPods. They may make things seem quieter but if you care about protecting your hearing you'll use something with an NRR rating.

Please review the Etyomic site. The ear buds I linked to can provide mid 30 Db noise reduction along with great audio reproduction.

I agree on the "active" units. Not the way to go.

Jim

[narly1]

Before we get too far down a path here, I'm just going to say that earbuds are not hearing protection. Even ones with "active noise cancellation" like AirPods. They may make things seem quieter but if you care about protecting your hearing you'll use something with an NRR rating.

Does such a thing even exist (meaning something that you can use for music & cockpit comms that also provides protection against high ambient noise levels)?

Earl

[Windsor]

Before we get too far down a path here, I'm just going to say that earbuds are not hearing protection. Even ones with "active noise cancellation" like AirPods. They may make things seem quieter but if you care about protecting your hearing you'll use something with an NRR rating.

Yup, ^^^ this.

Something like Etymotic ER20XS if you want audio in your ear along with proper noise reduction (edit: as Jim1855 already mentioned).

If you want over-the-ear, there are multiple solutions in the gun and also lawn-care worlds.

If you want over-the-ear hearing protection with a boom microphone, check out aviation headsets.

One note about over-the-ear: If you happen to be driving in a jurisdiction where cops write citations for "wearing headphones," over-the-ear headsets are guaranteed to get their attention.

[JeffP]

I just switched from the FFR pipes to the GasN Touring - Night and day difference... i'd start there.

[Tuftster]

I've been using Isotunes. Decent noise protection. I'll sometimes listen to music but phone calls are pretty one way (you can hear them but they can't really hear you). https://isotunes.com/collections/in-ear-hearing-protection

[Joel Hauser]

Hi Scott, I've been using the harbor freight earplugs, https://www.harborfreight.com/reusable-silicone-earplugs-50-pack-58455.html. Their cheap, comfortable, and work pretty well. Your daughter might no like the blue color. Be sure to follow the instruction on how to put them in your ear; you don't just stuff 'em in there. I generally only wear one in my left ear, which is where most the wind noise comes from. I find that in my roadster, the exhaust noise seems to be behind me; it is the wind noise that is the most bothersome from inside the car. I also added baffles inside my side pipes.
Joel

[mikeinatlanta]

I spent huge money on top of the line custom Pro Ears. Do not do what I did. They are junk.

[JohnK]

@Jim1855 - I agree about the Etymotic. They're one of the few earbuds that provide an NRR rating. The triple flange design definitely helps. I used them briefly when riding motorcycles, but they stuck out too far from my ears and were just too uncomfortable under a helmet. In a car they would provide good hearing protection.

For motorcycle use I ended up having a pair of custom-molded earplug speakers (https://www.plugup.com/custom_made_earplug_speakers_stereo_earbudss_s/73.htm) made, and used them for years along with a Sena BT system for comms and phone pairing. That combo was awesome and I wish I could come up with something comparable when in the roadster. The Sena mesh network meant I could talk with anyone else that had a Sena unit (which was all of my riding buddies). Unfortunately, there's nothing in the Sena recreational line that has NRR-rated hearing protection, BT and mesh network comms. They do offer an industrial solution - the Tufftalk M (https://senaindustrial.com/collections/communication-headsets-with-hearing-protection/products/tufftalk-m?variant=32304361177139), that is rated for 26db NRR and has Bluetooth and mesh network capability. It would be a pretty good comms headset if you can get over the massive over-the-ear looks. I'm not convinced that the boom mic would perform well in a high wind environment, but I've never tried one. Personally, I think it's just too goofy-looking to want to wear it in the car and there's ZERO chance I could get my wife to wear one, so the whole comms thing goes out the window right there.

So, going back to the drawing board, I listed out what I wanted: 1) NRR-rated hearing protection, 2) BT pairing capability with a smartphone, 3) good quality microphone that's not affected by wind, 4) comms with a passenger. After much searching I think I've solved for 3 of the 4 requirements. I recently picked up an Iasus Stealth BT 5.0 wireless throat mic (https://iasus-concepts.com/wireless-headsets/stealth/). These are used a lot by paramedics, military, construction, etc. It can be configured a few different ways, and I opted for the 3.5mm headphone jack so I can use it with the custom-molded earplug speakers I already have. This combo gives me great hearing protection, BT pairing with my iPhone, and a microphone that's completely impervious to wind or engine noise. No comms, unfortunately. There is still a bit of a "dork" factor riding around with a throat mic on, but my personal assessment is that it's somewhat less dorky-looking than over-the-ear earmuff headphones, so there's that FWIW.

I don't have a lot of time yet on this setup so I'm not ready to give it a solid endorsement, but my testing so far is pretty encouraging. It's very comfortable, the BT capability works as advertised, and the mic is uncannily good at eliminating noise. I'm told my voice sounds a little different when talking over the phone with it, but clear. That's a function of where and how the throat mic picks up sound. Admittedly it's a little spendy, but I already had the custom molded earplugs so it was a bit less expensive than if I'd had to get those too.

For around town use and short drives I'll still probably stick with plain old foam earplugs, but for longer trips or any time I want music or phone/nav capability this seems like it will work pretty well.



https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=184008&d=1683169537

[Scowally]

I have used Bose noise canceling ear buds (?) for years and they have worked great. Certainly they do not block noise like earplugs do, but they are great if you want to listen to music while you’re driving for long distances (i.e. more than an hour). My EarPods are wired and not the wireless ones that other manufacturers have released. I have tried wireless earbuds from Bose and also from Apple, but neither of them worked as well as the wired Boses. I think it may be due to the fact that they are inserted into your ear canal, and it really does cut down the engine noise, and makes it a dull sound in the background. That being said, everyone has different size ears, so probably the best thing to do is use your Amazon account and a credit card in order two or three pairs and just try them out which will probably take a few weeks to do but then you’ll have your solution of a well fitting earbuds that cut down the engine noise and allow you to listen to music or radio while you’re driving your Cobra

[RBachman]

I use the Bose noise canceling ear buds. They help a lot, but are not mean for hearing protection. Still they do help IF they are properly inserted and properly fit. The NY Times published an article regarding this a few months back where several different ear buds. Here's a link: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/can-airpods-pro-protect-your-hearing/

[Gbeck]

Lightspeed Zulu ANR headset with Sigtronics intercom box. Find them at MyPilotStore.com

[narly1]

Has anybody tried these?:

https://goaxil.com/products/gx-extreme

UPDATE: I contacted AXIL and they say that you can only connect 1 pair at a time to a smartphone.

Earl