Custom Ear Plugs

[francois_payen]

good to hear so many of you are musicians! (me too btw) :dry:

I get 'Moldex' earplugs, I can't stand the annoying foam ones, they always seem to pop out of place and you get a funnel of sound, have to throw them away after a ride or two and you can feel uncomfortable. I would never spend money on getting costum-made ear plugs, I'm sure they have many advantages but I ride far too often and eventually they get tatty and need throwing.

as for wearing ear plugs on stage, well I'm too young for that yet :rolleyes: :musik20:

Well, I don't mean to be preachy, but if I were you I'd start wearing some...a couple years down the road, when you go to bed and you hear a never-ending hum in your head, you'll probably think it would have been a good idea. Wearing plugs while playing takes a little getting used to, but once you get the hang of it you'll play just the same as if you weren't wearing any.

[francois_payen]

Trust me, I'm a scientist (and a motorcyclist and a professional drummer)

First, go to an ear doctor. You can find them anywhere. Tell them you want some musicians' ear plugs. They are made by Westone. The doctor will make a mold of your ear canal (it's actually pretty cool, and feels wild). They send those off, and you get some custom ear plugs that fit your ears perfectly.

They have removable attenuators, so you can select the level of hearing protection that you need. PLUS, they just turn the volume down; they block all frequencies equally, so everything sounds natural, just quieter.

Added bonus: You can purchase Etymotic Reaserch ER6 inserts, and have the SWEETEST set of headphones you have ever heard.

I have had my Westone earplugs for over 10 years. I made the mistake of washing them with alcohol once, don't do that, they get hard. Soap and water. They rule. End of story.

Duce...how much those go for? This is exactly what I'm looking for, ear protection with integrated headphones that I could use w/ a bike to bike comms system...How much wind noise do the Westone kill? The foam plugs don't do such a great job, and ear protection is a big deal for me...already have a mild case of tinnitus from years of loud rock'n'roll (I'm a bass player) and loud machinery...

Cheers!

Francois,

When I bought my custom earplugs, it cost me around $100, but that was over 10 years ago. I got the headphone inserts about 3 years ago and they were around $100. The earplugs come with different attenuators so you can block as little or as much noise as you want! When you have the headphones in there it blocks pretty much everything but the music.

-Duke

Hey Duke,

Thanks for the info. I had a pair of custom earplugs made by a local audiologist. Cost me 135$ total, they work really well. I had earphones incorporated in them...I just chose a pair of off-the-shelf earphones (sony earbuds), and brought them in the day they took my ear canal imprint (they're pressure-fitted in the earplugs, so I can replace the ear buds if they ever fail). Received my plugs a week later, fit is perfect. The sound attenuation is slightly better than the foam ones but they are much more comfortable, I find. The earphones work great too. I did a little test, I plugged them into my iPod, sat in my living room and adjusted the volume to a comfortable level. Then I tried the iPod at the same level while riding the bike, and it was still about right. I had to turn it up just a wee bit, but really not by much. I'm quite happy with them.