Modern, comfortable and high quality hearing protection.

[normmatzen]

Yesterday, there was an article in the Daily Bulletin about the GSB-15 active hearing protection.
As many of you can attest, I am an advocate of these units. I use them exclusively when I shoot. And I use many Etymotic products such as high fidelity insert ear phones, ear plugs and even my hearing aids (same amplifier as the GSB-15!).

I would strongly recommend every competition shooter to seriously consider these devices.

Also, there is a special price till late August for readers of Accurate Shooter. this is a great discount. And, if $330 sounds expensive, consider what hearing aids cost today and be reminded that the GSB-15 uses a VERY high quality analog hearing aid amplifier as well as hearing aid quality speakers and microphones. Also, what did you pay for that new competition scope on your rifle!?

Obviously, I am prejudiced about these plugs. I should be, The amplifier in them was my last design project at Etymotic prior to retiring!
As I designed it and supported the previous version for 10 years, I can answer most questions about them. I also was trained in audiology and I am an electronic engineer. Any questions, PM me!

By the way, I had nothing to do with the article and it caught me by surprise yesterday. But, it pleased me to no end!

 

[M-61]

Norm....thanks for the info.....I read the bulletin....does not mean I understood it...your endorsement will get me to order these.
And yes....the cost of my hearing aids would have exceeded a couple of those high end Nightforce scopes.

 

[Dos XX]

I have been using them for several months. They come with a selection of ear inserts or buds. I think the black foam ones give the most reduction. I consider them a good buy, especially at $330.00.

 

[Lapua40X]

... GSB-15...

GSP-15?

The GSP-15 offers (NRR) rating 25db protection. Why would I spend the big bucks on that when I can get (NRR) 25db rating from with Caldwell E-MAX Electronic Earmuffs at $29.45?

 

[Snuggie]

Agreed sir!

 

[Jay Christopherson]

... GSB-15...

GSP-15?

The GSP-15 offers (NRR) rating 25db protection. Why would I spend the big bucks on that when I can get (NRR) 25db rating from with Caldwell E-MAX Electronic Earmuffs at $29.45?

Why would I go to a top-tier steakhouse when I can get a steak at Sizzler for $5? They both serve steaks, right? Why would I buy a Nightforce or a March, when I can buy a BSA or a Tasco for a 1/10 of the price? They both magnify stuff, right? Just because two things do nominally the same thing, doesn't mean they do it equally well.

 

[gaboon]

... GSB-15...

GSP-15?

The GSP-15 offers (NRR) rating 25db protection. Why would I spend the big bucks on that when I can get (NRR) 25db rating from with Caldwell E-MAX Electronic Earmuffs at $29.45?

Why would I go to a top-tier steakhouse when I can get a steak at Sizzler for $5? They both serve steaks, right? Why would I buy a Nightforce or a March, when I can buy a BSA or a Tasco for a 1/10 of the price? They both magnify stuff, right? Just because two things do nominally the same thing, doesn't mean they do it equally well.

It's like buying a Ford or Lincoln. You pay for the name. Nrr rating is the most important to hearing protection.

 

[Jay Christopherson]

... GSB-15...

GSP-15?

The GSP-15 offers (NRR) rating 25db protection. Why would I spend the big bucks on that when I can get (NRR) 25db rating from with Caldwell E-MAX Electronic Earmuffs at $29.45?

Why would I go to a top-tier steakhouse when I can get a steak at Sizzler for $5? They both serve steaks, right? Why would I buy a Nightforce or a March, when I can buy a BSA or a Tasco for a 1/10 of the price? They both magnify stuff, right? Just because two things do nominally the same thing, doesn't mean they do it equally well.

It's like buying a Ford or Lincoln. You pay for the name. Nrr rating is the most important to hearing protection.

Sure - but if two items have the same NRR rating, why buy one over the other if one costs $300 vs. $30? The point I am making is that just because two things have the same nominal function (rating), doesn't mean they do that function equally well. Maybe the $30 Caldwell's sound detection and protection functionality is much slower than the $300 Etymotic - sure, it's NRR25 when it kicks in, but who gives a crap when it kicks in a second too late to do any good (not saying that's the case, it's just an example).

It's like having a $100 40X scope in one hand and a $1000 40X scope in the other and saying that they are somehow equal. Which is laughable. More expensive doesn't necessarily equal better quality, but neither does cheaper necessarily equal better value.

 

[JRS]

As is USUALLY the case…. you pay for cheap, you get cheap.

 

[normmatzen]

Lapua and Gaboon,

You must understand where the NRR ratings come from. OSHA set the NRR standard and to arrive at a rating to put on the box, the manufacturer must first determine the maximum noise reduction possible with a given product, then determine the many ways to apply them improperly and take the statistical average of them and subtract that number from the best case reduction.
In the case of the GSB-15, the best case reduction is about 38 dB. But, some of the many ear tips included with the unit can be improperly inserted causing severe loss in attenuation. It IS important to select the best tip for an individual's ear canal and learn to insert it properly.
In the case of ear muffs, a good seal is VERY difficult to achieve. People do not use ear plugs under muffs for the heck of it, they have found the muffs by themselves don't do the job. And, you can't simply add NRR ratings to find the ultimate reduction of muffs plus plugs. There is a limit to reduction with plugs or muffs for that matter and that is your mastoid bone. No matter what you use, your mastoid bone will pass sound right to your inner ear with about 40 dB reduction.
So, the 25 NRR of the muff doesn't necessarily equal the 25 NRR of the DSB-15. The DSB-15 can be way better with correct fitting but the muff can not get much better.
Another factor is that the competition to the DSB-15 uses an inferior amplifier system and cost from 2 to 4 times as much as the DSB-15. Kind of like buying a Sightron instead of a March as the Sightron is in someways better than the March!

 

[Dos XX]

Use the black foam tips. Get them way in there. Best hearing pro I have used. I suffer from tinnitus. I can tell a difference in how my ears are after a match using these versus muffs, plugs, or muffs over plugs.

On top of that, I hate wearing muffs when shooting a rifle. That reason alone is enough for me to go to plugs.

 

[lpreddick]

custom plugs are the best(my opinion). an ent office usually has an audiologist who makes a template of your right and left ear canal...they are different. these are sent to a lab and they make plastic plugs that will only fit your ears and are very comfortable..i can wear mine for hours and forget they are in. cost is less than $100.