• This Forum is for adults 18 years of age or over. By continuing to use this Forum you are confirming that you are 18 or older. No content shall be viewed by any person under 18 in California.

Hearing Protection shopping

If you look closely at the NO-NOISE plugs, they have response similar to the old yellow foamies but less attenuation. The response is still a low pass filter and don't believe the low frequencies are safe! The 29 dB attenuation they talk about is at 8000 Hz and the total response is way different from natural ear canal response so while you will be able to hear , it will be distorted.
The Etymotic ER-20 ETY-PLUGS not only have effectively the same broad band attenuation, the response is flatter so what you hear will sound way better.

And, they are way cheaper!

Incidentally, the ETY-PLUG uses a carefully designed audio filter using the tube equivalent of an inductor, capacitor and resistor to tune the response.

To evaluate any companies product, go to their web site to find actual response curves. These are on both NO-NOISE and Etymotic's web sites. DO NOT ACCEPT ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE!
 
normmatzen said:
If you look closely at the NO-NOISE plugs, they have response similar to the old yellow foamies but less attenuation. The response is still a low pass filter and don't believe the low frequencies are safe! The 29 dB attenuation they talk about is at 8000 Hz and the total response is way different from natural ear canal response so while you will be able to hear , it will be distorted.
The Etymotic ER-20 ETY-PLUGS not only have effectively the same broad band attenuation, the response is flatter so what you hear will sound way better.

And, they are way cheaper!

Incidentally, the ETY-PLUG uses a carefully designed audio filter using the tube equivalent of an inductor, capacitor and resistor to tune the response.

To evaluate any companies product, go to their web site to find actual response curves. These are on both NO-NOISE and Etymotic's web sites. DO NOT ACCEPT ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE!
Click to expand...
NORMATZEN: Is this what you are talking about? And what is meant by 'standard fit'?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0044DEESS/?tag=accuratescom-20
 
No, the blue ones are for small ear canals. The standard size have off white ear tips. The newer model is a better device, but the old ones with the long skinny tip are still fine.
 
I have some MSA Supreme Pro-X muffs. They're well made, very comfortable, and overpriced. They work pretty well for the high frequency noise, but for lower frequencies from rifles, especially large ones, they are not sufficient. The electronics are ok. Nothing special. Doubled up with foam, even over glasses, the protection is as good as you can get. I have no issues on a covered concrete firing line.

Bottom line is that nothing I have ever tried has beat foam and muffs. The big awkward muffs come close, but low profile ones need plugs under them. This is backed up by the fairly easy to find scientific literature out there. Double up and call it a day. Buy what's cheap and comfortable.
 
BoydAllen said:
There is one other product that I see has not been mentioned, that I have found works remarkably well, even though it looks like it would not, and although there design precludes use with foam plugs inserted to normal depth, by using my modified plugs I have been able to double up, producing an eerie silence that has to be experienced to be understood. This is what I am talking about.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001IMHSP4/?tag=accuratescom-20
To get them to work as designed, I find it necessary to put them on the way that the manufacturer recommends.
Beyond preventing hearing loss, which is of course the primary concern, I find that maximizing attenuation helps my shooting, reducing the risk of involuntary reaction to loud noise, allowing me to be more relaxed.
Click to expand...

Boyd, I purchased a set of the Sensgard protectors and did as you described- I inserted the 32NRR foamies as designed and put the Sensgard over the top. Wow, It 'feels' like I get at least the same protection as my Howard Leight's over foamies but without the issue with the muff cup striking the stock. Thanks for the post.
 
rardoin and others.

I keep trying to tell you all, using foamies under any muffs will afford best attenuation.

BUT! You don't need the muffs! Just properly inserted foamies will afford the best protection you can get!

It just gets a bit more complicated if you want to hear something also.

And always beware anecdotal evidence including "It seems good to me!"
 
normmatzen said:
rardoin and others.

I keep trying to tell you all, using foamies under any muffs will afford best attenuation.

BUT! You don't need the muffs! Just properly inserted foamies will afford the best protection you can get!

It just gets a bit more complicated if you want to hear something also.

And always beware anecdotal evidence including "It seems good to me!"
Click to expand...
You are, as usual, absolutely correct;):cool:
 
normmatzen said:
rardoin and others.

I keep trying to tell you all, using foamies under any muffs will afford best attenuation.

BUT! You don't need the muffs! Just properly inserted foamies will afford the best protection you can get!

It just gets a bit more complicated if you want to hear something also.

And always beware anecdotal evidence including "It seems good to me!"
Click to expand...

That has not been my experience under all conditions. Foam alone at my range (covered concrete) is not sufficient - it's almost painfully loud. Real world issues - plug fit, eye pro, etc, make doubling up a sensible thing to me. Neither foam nor muffs alone do the job (although the big blocky peltor muffs I have come close - the low profile MSA's are simply not good enough by themselves, even on an uncovered grass range). I can absolutely hear the difference.
 
A properly inserted well fit foam earplug seals the ear canal and is less likely to allow acoustical leaks than any muff type protection. Simply look at the higher attenuation values of foam plugs as compared to muffs.
 
JRS said:
A properly inserted well fit foam earplug seals the ear canal and is less likely to allow acoustical leaks than any muff type protection. Simply look at the higher attenuation values of foam plugs as compared to muffs.
Click to expand...
I can tell you that you can't get too much . My Grandson uses molded inter ear protection Along with pro ears gold. When you see him put his hand up and cover his ears when someone is shooting next to him
I know what he is using isn't enough .
Larry
 
Simply stated...in my opinion only. Don't ever go cheap on hearing protection. You don't have to go crazy, but cheap is as cheap does. That being said, the cheap foamies work best when used properly. MOST have no clue how to use them correctly.
 
If you really want to protect your hearing, stop using your "feelings" about what works best or accepting anecdotal evidence!

Peer reviewed and clinical testing is the only valid input for safe decisions!

For yellow foamies to work right, you have to learn and take the time
to insert them correctly! Then, you will have protection limited only by your mastoid bone! Adding a muff to that is a waste of money.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JRS
normmatzen said:
If you really want to protect your hearing, stop using your "feelings" about what works best or accepting anecdotal evidence!

Peer reviewed and clinical testing is the only valid input for safe decisions!

For yellow foamies to work right, you have to learn and take the time
to insert them correctly! Then, you will have protection limited only by your mastoid bone! Adding a muff to that is a waste of money.
Click to expand...
Absolutely!
 
BoydAllen said:
The electronic part of muffs adds nothing to their protection. That is provided by the construction of the muff. Most all electronic muffs that are thin enough to not hit the stock when I am shooting do not have the level of attenuation that I am looking for, but then that is true of non amplified muffs as well. The advantage of the amplified muffs comes with their allowing you to hear range commands better through plugs when using double coverage. Generally this is not an issue for me. I use the 33 db rated Howard Leight foam plugs in combination with some old muffs that are probably no better than the thin Peltor shotgun muffs that have a 21 db rating. What I rely on for my hearing protection selection decisions are my ears. I hear significant differences between various products and combinations. Another thing that I pay attention to are after effects, any slight temporary increase in tinnitus after a range session, or or other discomfort. I have custom molded plugs, so I can speak to that option from experience. In the last couple of years I have done a little innovation that is entirely out of the box in how i use the foam plugs. At some point I finally figured out that I was not getting a proper seal at the outside of my ear canal from the foam plugs, and while inserting them deeper would solve that issue, it created a new one...getting them out. To solve that problem I came up with a simple home made modification, that gives me a "handle" that does not alter their attenuation. This gives me the best of both worlds, the advantage of deep insertion and ease of removal. There is one other product that I see has not been mentioned, that I have found works remarkably well, even though it looks like it would not, and although there design precludes use with foam plugs inserted to normal depth, by using my modified plugs I have been able to double up, producing an eerie silence that has to be experienced to be understood. This is what I am talking about.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001IMHSP4/?tag=accuratescom-20
To get them to work as designed, I find it necessary to put them on the way that the manufacturer recommends.
Beyond preventing hearing loss, which is of course the primary concern, I find that maximizing attenuation helps my shooting, reducing the risk of involuntary reaction to loud noise, allowing me to be more relaxed.
Click to expand...
I know this is an old thread but figured I would bump it rather than start a new one. Boyd, are you still using this combination?

What is the most effective hearing protection being used now?

Thanks
 
After years of molded ear plugs etc my daughter and I settled on the Peltor TEP-100 with skull screw tips. A bit pricey but work perfect and allow you to hear range commands and coaches perfectly.
 
I use Peltor X5A ear muffs. I have serious issues with ear wax and properly inserted ear plugs result in a trip to the ENT to get impacted wax off my ear drum.

These muffs will get in the way of some stocks, depending on how low your scope is, how much cheek wield you use, and how wide the cheekpiece is. It's no problem with any of my rifles, but I mount my scopes high, even on the hunting rifles.

EDIT: I want to mention that 3M actually publishes frequency attenuation data for their muffs, unlike virtually everyone else, so that you can see how each muff in their line performs at different frequencies. This is much more valuable compared to the completely bogus NRR rating most manufacturers put on their stuff.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Upgrades & Donations

This Forum's expenses are primarily paid by member contributions. You can upgrade your Forum membership in seconds. Gold and Silver members get unlimited FREE classifieds for one year. Gold members can upload custom avatars.


Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.

You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.


To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.

Classified Ads

Forum statistics

Threads
165,982
Messages
2,207,147
Members
79,238
Latest member
claydunbar

Share This Page

Back
Top