ear plugs, are proper ones worth it?

[Brettus]

I'm pondering getting a set of ear plugs made by ultimate ear or some other place at the show. Has anyone used them and are they significantly better than the disposable ones?

I currently use uvex comfortfit ones, I rather like them but am wondering if they will block even more sound, which would be nice.

Any thoughts? also curious about longevity of them, anyone used some for a long while?

[Quiff Wichard]

pardon ?

[Brettus]

pardon ?
Bah-Dum - Tssh! :)

[the_lone_wolf]

Yes, without a doubt...

www.ultimateear.com

:cool:


Edit to add: They block noticeably more noise than foam disposables, but you can still hear the lower frequency noises like traffic. Not sure about longevity but they're made of silicone so should probably last years

[jase_b]

ok this might just be me but why do you wanna block out sound for

[the_lone_wolf]

ok this might just be me but why do you wanna block out sound for

Because at motorway speeds the wind noise from riding a bike is enough to cause permanent hearing damage in around fifteen minutes...

[jase_b]

o erm what was that site called again?? lol cant you use earphones and play music instead??

[the_lone_wolf]

o erm what was that site called again?? lol cant you use earphones and play music instead??
Unless they block the wind noise you'll only be drowning out the noise with more noise

Foam plugs will do the job, and they're cheap and chearful, but the silicone ones are more comfy for me, and they're definitely able to block more noise, which I find helps me focus better when riding

[Nick_69]

Do they block out all the noise or just the wind, because the other day i was going down the motorway doing 85 and i had a cop car with blue on behind me and i cldnt here him, i was lucky he was on a call him place.

[Brettus]

the silicone ones are more comfy for me, and they're definitely able to block more noise, which I find helps me focus better when riding

Perfect, just the response I was hoping for, I like the disposables but was wondering if there was a superior solution as I like the lack of superfluous noise (obviously still get the important ones, or perhaps are just easier to concentrate on)

I remembered the name from last years show so was looking primarily at them as IIRC it is cheaper to get them done there.

[jase_b]

when i used to have my ear phones in before i had no wind nose at all cause they was inear earbud things reall soft and moulded to the shape of your ear and they got me to cornwall from westmidlands a few times even on a 125cbr down he a roads lol 7,1/2 hours lol

[Brettus]

Do they block out all the noise or just the wind, because the other day i was going down the motorway doing 85 and i had a cop car with blue on behind me and i cldnt here him, i was lucky he was on a call him place.

I'm guessing without plugs? if so then the wind noise probably overshadows anything else. I find picking out sirens (and blue lights oddly enough) much easier with ear plugs as you have much more concentration available.

works for me anyway.

[the_lone_wolf]

I remembered the name from last years show so was looking primarily at them as IIRC it is cheaper to get them done there.I can't see you regretting getting some, they're great...:cool:

[Essex of Essex]

I use ultimate ear custom plugs, and have a set with built in monitors for use with the autocom, they are much more effective than the foam plugs and more comfortable. I have an audiogram on a regular basis for my job and these help me ensure that my hearing is protected.

[maviczap]

Yep, I'm another convert to Ultimate ear plugs. Better noise reduction and much more comfortable.

If you can make it to the NEC, then they'll have a stand. They'll take the impression of your earole's and send you the plugs in a few weeks.

They'll be stands at the BMF rally in Peterborough on the 19th & 20th this month.

Otherwise arrange for a rep to visit you at home. Takes about 10mins to do, although you must ensure your lug'oles are clear of wax before the impression is taken

[Red Herring]

I do keep meaning to get some custom ones made but I've been using those universal foam or rubber ones for years and never heard any complaints.....

[skeetly]

eh?

[Stu]

I have Ultimate ear ones.
I don't find them any better than the pink & yellow foam ones at all. In fact I would say they aren't as good as brand new foam ones.
I had to get them fitted 3 different times, (which meant attending 3 different shows to meet up with them) the last 2 times with different helmets on. I'll admit they now fit me well, but you never have a problem with foam ones fitting.
So, only if they make financial sense over repeated buying foam ones IMO.

[Rob969]

I use normal foam disposable ones normally and have never had a problem, for longer rides i bought a pair of in ear headphones with foam ear pieces there maybe not quite as good as normal earplugs but close to it. makes a world of difference on trips up the motorway been able to listen to music whilst riding.

[yorkie_chris]

I've seen the term "monitors" bandied about, are these same as earphones or low quality sound or what?


Do they block out all the noise or just the wind, because the other day i was going down the motorway doing 85 and i had a cop car with blue on behind me and i cldnt here him, i was lucky he was on a call him place.

I can't hear a thing on the motorway either, wind noise and lots of induction noise. I tend to look in my mirrors to avoid this.

[Essex of Essex]

The monitors give better sound quality than the kit that comes with the i-pod and allow me to set a much lower volume on anything I run through the autocom, they also act as an ear plug.

[trumpet]

I'm pondering getting a set of ear plugs made by ultimate ear or some other place at the show. Has anyone used them and are they significantly better than the disposable ones?

I currently use uvex comfortfit ones, I rather like them but am wondering if they will block even more sound, which would be nice.

Any thoughts? also curious about longevity of them, anyone used some for a long while?
Been using my custom ones for over twenty yrs,don't remember what they're made of.A bit loose now I think my ears are still growing.
Probably cheaper than twenty yrs of disposable ones.

[merlin427]

I've been using the yellow industrial EAR plugs for some years. A while agoI asked night shift pal of mine to get me a few packs from stores and leave them in my toolbox, got in next morning, opened my box and found every spare bit of space filled with ear plugs, must have been around 300 pairs. That was 15 years ago and I still have a few pairs left!

That all I've ever used and they do a great job. They keep the wind noise down but I find I can hear the engine and surrounding noise better (although I tend to use my eye's rather than ears to spot emergency vehicles!).

I've sometimes wondered about ear plugs which incorporate headphones, I may look into that.

[Rob969]

I've been using the yellow industrial EAR plugs for some years. A while agoI asked night shift pal of mine to get me a few packs from stores and leave them in my toolbox, got in next morning, opened my box and found every spare bit of space filled with ear plugs, must have been around 300 pairs. That was 15 years ago and I still have a few pairs left!

That all I've ever used and they do a great job. They keep the wind noise down but I find I can hear the engine and surrounding noise better (although I tend to use my eye's rather than ears to spot emergency vehicles!).

I've sometimes wondered about ear plugs which incorporate headphones, I may look into that.

I use the same when i'm just going out and about for a ride, as long as you put them in right i think their great like you say guts down on windnoise and such whilst still hearing the engine

[Mr Speirs]

I've seen the term "monitors" bandied about, are these same as earphones or low quality sound or what?


The term monitors comes from the audio/broadcast industry. IEM or In Ear Monitors are used to discreetly provide the performer or presenter with an audio feed without making any noise or it being audible to anyone else.

Most people that use these systems day in day out get custom moulds made and a set of Custom IEM's made. These are much much better audio quality wise than iPod or similar earphones and provide 26db of attenuation. I am actually in the process of getting some made myself but they aren't cheap. The ones I am getting cost £430 and whilst they are very very good, they are the bottom of the range ones of that particular manufacturer.

[Stu]

and provide 26db of attenuation.
So less than the 27-33 db that foam disposables are usually rated at.

[Mr Speirs]

Yes

[merlin427]

The term monitors comes from the audio/broadcast industry. IEM or In Ear Monitors are used to discreetly provide the performer or presenter with an audio feed without making any noise or it being audible to anyone else.

Most people that use these systems day in day out get custom moulds made and a set of Custom IEM's made. These are much much better audio quality wise than iPod or similar earphones and provide 26db of attenuation. I am actually in the process of getting some made myself but they aren't cheap. The ones I am getting cost £430 and whilst they are very very good, they are the bottom of the range ones of that particular manufacturer.

In that case I guess I'll not be bothering!

[Mr Speirs]

The £430 price tag is because they are the standard of quality required in the audio industry where as you can pick up custom in ear monitorr for around the £200.

You can also get custom ear plugs which attentuate evenly across the whole frequency range of hearing so you hear everything as clearly just 10 15 or 25db quieter. They come in at £191.

But for just custom silicone ear plugs they are around the £80 mark.

[custard]

another recommendation for ultimate ear monitor jobbies. would still have them if i had been a bit more careful and not pulled them apart!

fantastic sound quality and sound deadening. they do say that you have to replace them every few years as your ears do continue to grow.

[matt_rehm_hext]

Take it from me, someone who already has pretty bad tinnitus at the age of 22, get custom ear plugs, they are the best.

[Stu]

Take it from me, someone who already has pretty bad tinnitus at the age of 22, get custom ear plugs, they are the best.
You got tinnitus from only wearing disposable foam eaarplugs instead of customs? :shock:

[Brettus]

You got tinnitus from only wearing disposable foam eaarplugs instead of customs? :shock:

I assume given the wording

get custom ear plugs, they are the best.

That he's merely suggesting they are best. :)

lots more debate on this topic than I expected, by no means a clear line but you are looking pretty lonely on your side of it Stu. The majority seem to be for them* but I'm still undecided because of your experience Stu.

* = Other than those, like myself who use foam only and are happy with them.

I'm just wondering if they are a better option, guess I need to compare db blocking levels really for a scientific rating, if not particularly realistic.

[the_lone_wolf]

The majority seem to be for them* but I'm still undecided because of your experience Stu.

Stu's problems sound far more likely to have been caused by poor moulding than any fault with the product...

If you're not happy with what you get send it back and ask for it to be done properly, simples

Once they're correctly fitted, which for the vast majority of people means the first time, the custom moulds are far superior to disposable foam jobbies, fact...:cool:

[BBadger]

iv been thinking into this since i had a chat with them at boxhill.
Any ideas on how much the show ones are ?? £60 normal i think, but wondering if its worth the wait for only a little extra.

[Brettus]

iv been thinking into this since i had a chat with them at boxhill.
Any ideas on how much the show ones are ?? £60 normal i think, but wondering if its worth the wait for only a little extra.


I don't see them on the exhibitor list, there is a custom moulded ear protection but will see closer the time I guess. I'd say if you are pondering it it may well not be worth waiting, for me it just saves a bit of hassle and would be convenient as I'm there. will see anyhow.

[maviczap]

iv been thinking into this since i had a chat with them at boxhill.
Any ideas on how much the show ones are ?? £60 normal i think, but wondering if its worth the wait for only a little extra.

Ultimate ear protection £59 incl P&P at the NEC last year

[Brettus]

£77.50 is the cheapest on their site, sounds reasonable deal if the pricing is still the same

[Mr Speirs]

I'm just wondering if they are a better option, guess I need to compare db blocking levels really for a scientific rating, if not particularly realistic.

db attenuation measurements are innacurate as a single figure and not the best judgement on whether to buy or not.

I am with Stu on this one also, I don't think they are worth it. I use disposable foam ones and am perfectly happy with them and my livelihood depends on my hearing. They do what they are supposed to and protect my ears from hearing damage.

[AmigaNut]

I got some from Ultimate Ear and I am not impressed.
I hear more noise from them than the throw away ones.

I prefer the latter.

[Brettus]

Ah, there we go, the for and against got a lot more balanced (and a lot less useful in my ultimate decision doh!)

Maybe I'll just stick with what I've got then, considering I got a box of 200 pairs for £11 sometime last year and still have 2/3rds left it may be the way to go.

Another reason not to spend money is always good though :)

[matt_rehm_hext]

You got tinnitus from only wearing disposable foam eaarplugs instead of customs? :shock:

No? I didn't say that.

But custom moulded ones are far superior to all the foam ones I've tried. The best foam ones I've tried are Earsoft FX and they offer the most attenuation out of all the disposeables.

But spending £50-70 on a custom set to save your ears from irreversible hearing damage is a no-brainer for me.

[BBadger]

Ahh i just went to get the card and leaflet for the people i spoke to.
Clicky (http://www.justears.org)
just for ears, and they said £60, cant see much difference in how they are made and seem good enough with all the hearing aid stuff aswell, that being quite a high market and all.
investigation is the way forward i think.

Edit:
just realised they say surrey and sussex. So dont know if its useful to those further afield.

[philbut]

I use the earsoft FX too as they are the best disposibles about. they are great WHEN fitted properly and new. I tend to use them for longer than I should maybe, but particularly on longer stints (i days on end) I tend to forget to pack enough to use new every time. My lidi (Arai RX7) is really noisy on the motorway and I can't ride without some sort of ear protection. i've been looking at a set of moulded monitors to use with my Autocom but at £200 a go they best be bloody good! almost as cheap to buy another quieter lid!

[madness]

I used the pink and yellow disposable foam ones (Laserleights?). I get them free as we use them at work. They are comfortable and reduce noise well. Custom made plugs are probably better at reducing noise, but are considerably less hygienic. Sweat, wax, dead skin cells and dirt can lead to bacteria multiplying on an earplug and causing ear infections. Personally, I change my earplugs frequently. When I had to wear them at work I had a new pair at least once a day.

[the_lone_wolf]

Sweat, wax, dead skin cells and dirt can lead to bacteria multiplying on an earplug and causing ear infections.
:smt017

Yes, that's a noodle scratcher...

Of course you could always... I dunno... wash them?:rolleyes::p

[Stu]

I assume given the wording

Yes, But I don't believe it, hence inviting him to confirm.

That he's merely suggesting they are best. :)

lots more debate on this topic than I expected, by no means a clear line but you are looking pretty lonely on your side of it Stu. The majority seem to be for them* but I'm still undecided because of your experience Stu.

* = Other than those, like myself who use foam only and are happy with them.

I'm just wondering if they are a better option, guess I need to compare db blocking levels really for a scientific rating, if not particularly realistic.
I think I'm in the silent majority :p

I think people don't like to admit that after spending £59, £80, or whatever that something for £1* (although disposable) does as good or even a better job.

I am now perfectly happy with the fit of my customs & have no issues at all to complain about. I just don't hear them as any better or worse than disposables and just see it as a different way to pay. £1 a week* or £60 up front :smt102


*(or whatever you can find them for.)

[the_lone_wolf]

I think people don't like to admit that after spending £59, £80, or whatever that something for £1* (although disposable) does as good or even a better job.
Except they don't...;)

Not for me and plenty of others anyway, if you're custom moulded plugs aren't a big improvement over foam ones there's something wrong with the way they were manufactured, something wrong with the way you're using them or some other problem, simple as:smt020

[Stu]

Except they don't...;)

Not for me and plenty of others anyway, if you're custom moulded plugs aren't a big improvement over foam ones there's something wrong with the way they were manufactured, something wrong with the way you're using them or some other problem, simple as:smt020
Maybe, I was just happy with the foams?

I'll test again with disposables :)

[madness]

Of course you could always... I dunno... wash them?:rolleyes::p

I'd sooner have disposables and throw them away when I've worn them a couple of times. I'd be interested to find out the last time people with custom made plugs actually washed them.

What about you Lone Wolf, how often do you wash yours?

[darylB]

I've had my custom ones for 3 years now, just couldn't get on with foam ones, with the custom ones there is no chance of putting them in wrong and having them slip out. mine are ultimate ear and i wash them every 2 or three times of use. Would definately reccommend them.

Daryl.

[the_lone_wolf]

I'd sooner have disposables and throw them away when I've worn them a couple of times. I'd be interested to find out the last time people with custom made plugs actually washed them.

What about you Lone Wolf, how often do you wash yours?
Whenever they need it, usually every few days riding, never had a problem with otological hygiene...

If ear infections were a concern, I wouldn't be re-using disposables at all beyond the same day, given the surface's vastly higher ability to pick up and store whatever infectious crap might be residing in your ears...;)

[Brettus]

Yikes I didn't expect this to be quite such a polarised (and almost inflammatory!) discussion.

My personal opinion after all the to-ing and fro-ing I think will be that if they are at the bike show I'll probably go for a set, they aren't stupid money (yes compared to disposables they aren't cheap but £60 isn't bad) and they may just be the best thing I've ever had, from the looks of it the worst they will be is a longer lasting version of what I already have. Doesn't seem that much of a downside.

Many thanks for all opinions and advice, has been a rather informative thread for what I thought was a quick easy question :-)

[maviczap]

Yikes I didn't expect this to be quite such a polarised (and almost inflammatory!) discussion.

My personal opinion after all the to-ing and fro-ing I think will be that if they are at the bike show I'll probably go for a set, they aren't stupid money (yes compared to disposables they aren't cheap but £60 isn't bad) and they may just be the best thing I've ever had, from the looks of it the worst they will be is a longer lasting version of what I already have. Doesn't seem that much of a downside.

Many thanks for all opinions and advice, has been a rather informative thread for what I thought was a quick easy question :-)

You won't regret having the custom ones done, unless you lose them :rolleyes: