Ear Plugs

Paul_F said:

Unfortunately, the same pricey results for me.

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Wow. Thanks for those posts. Saved me a lot of money.

whitelightning said:

I've had 3 or 4 custom plugs made. Two of them were done at M/C shows, each by different company, but both using the foam in the ear injection molded stuff. Both of these styles were quite large, and fit flush with the outside of the ear canal. Both pair were easily dislodged, and both transmitted noise from the helmet into the ear. Absolutely worthless. I also had 2 pair made by an Audiologist's office. These fit deep inside the ear canal, much like ear buds and worked quite well. I could wear them all day long without discomfort, and when you put them in, you got "the world disappears" sound. Could still hear the stuff you needed to hear, but made wind noise vanish. Still like the S Plugs for an off the shelf solution.

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I heard this often when I was doing my research on earphones. I've never spoken to anyone yet though that doesn't love the result from the Sensaphonics. I had a lot of difficulty justifying the price initially but reasons that if I skipped all the money I would have spent on earphones that disaapointed that the Sensaphonics would be more affordable. I've been using them for 3 years with fine results. I carry a small tube of Neosporin +Pain and lube them with a very thin coat of ointment. They seal perfectly and are comfortable for 12 hour days in the saddle.

Disposal, foam earplugs, Howard Leight, Laser Lite, bought by the 200 pair box work best for my ears. I use a touch of mineral oil in my ear canals, to assist in sliding them in place. They do an effective job of blocking wind noise and yet allow me to hear the GPS and music (if so desired) through the helmet speakers.

I have three small cases that each hold two sets of earplugs. When stopped, I rotate through the six pairs of earplugs, allowing each set to recover their former size, and allowing a slightly longer use with each pair.


Having said that, I plan on buying and trying a set of No Noise earplugs this spring. Hoping they work as advertised, allowing me to turn the Sena to a lower volume when listening to the GPS and streamed music, as well as being able to carry on conversations at gas stops. I am somewhat skeptical, but I won't know just how well they work until I give them a try.

Two comments:
1. I have NoNoise ear plugs and find a significant difference in noise reduction depending on whether I wear my modular or full face helmet. Better with full face. More noise with modular. I'm assuming there are more possibilities of air leaks in the modular and the NoNoise can't filter out all the variety of frequencies. With the full face I'm very satisfied.
2. For foam ear plugs I always use and recommend 3M 1100. I roll them until they are like a needle and insert. When they expand the world noise level drops significantly. I use them with both helmets. I also use them on buses, subways, on noisy streets when walking and in stores with loud and/or ugly music.

Paul_F said:

Disposal, foam earplugs, Howard Leight, Laser Lite, bought by the 200 pair box work best for my ears. I use a touch of mineral oil in my ear canals, to assist in sliding them in place. They do an effective job of blocking wind noise and yet allow me to hear the GPS and music (if so desired) through the helmet speakers.

I have three small cases that each hold two sets of earplugs. When stopped, I rotate through the six pairs of earplugs, allowing each set to recover their former size, and allowing a slightly longer use with each pair.


Having said that, I plan on buying and trying a set of No Noise earplugs this spring. Hoping they work as advertised, allowing me to turn the Sena to a lower volume when listening to the GPS and streamed music, as well as being able to carry on conversations at gas stops. I am somewhat skeptical, but I won't know just how well they work until I give them a try.

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Amazon is your friend, box of 200 pairs, cheap. Drop them in the dirt or any questionable surface trash them
Always carry a few pairs in my jacket pocket, another dozen pairs in top box for friends who loose theirs
Just roll the foam and push in ear
Tried fitted plugs, but they cause headaches.

I've found that most every earplug I've tried has done an adequate job of reducing noise. The issue has always been comfort. Some are uncomfortable from the get go. Others start to get uncomfortable after a few hours of wear and that includes some custom plugs I've had made. For me the most comfortable are these. Each plug lasts quite a while... eventually they get dirty or dry and I toss them and put in a new pair. I can ride all day without discomfort using these plugs. Hmm, free shipping right now. Time to replenish my supply. Done.

They are not for everyone. My brother, for example, doesn't like them. His preferred plug is one of the foam versions (forget which one) that he cuts in half. He cuts them in half is for comfort, not the need for less sound attenuation.

There is a ton of information on this thread - differing information - all by people who have found a solution that works for them. If you are new to ear plugs or plugs that keep you in tune with all the electronic devices, this should short-list your hunt. Unless you are very lucky, your first choice won't be the best because the info is just not that clear cut. DON'T order 200 pairs of X until a couple pair work really well. Try a lot of different ear plugs. Personal experience in both comfort and noise reduction will eventually lead you to your own best solution. Remember, even the "wrong ones" are saving your hearing.

If you end up with a lot of disposable plugs, please pass them along to acquaintances who still ride with naked ears. Might make for an interesting discussion with a loud pipe rider. It is most likely the air through his beany rather than the obnoxious exhaust why he can't hear what you are saying.

No Noise not for me

I bought the No Noise from Twisted Throttle last year at Daytona and have consistently had issues with them being hard to impossible to remove. May just be that my ear canals are slightly larger than the No Noise size, so they end up being inserted too deeply. When I try not inserting them so deeply, not enough noise attenuation.

keep it simple

I have a schuberth c3 pro helmet, and a sena smh10-11 communicator. I use foam ear plugs and can still hear music, phone calls and conversations fine. Road and wind noise is all but elminated. I have a huge, round head and the schuberth and HJC were the only two helmets I could find that were comfortable and the schuberth was much more quiet.

Moldex Camo

DENKAR55 said:

Does anyone have any advice on a set of ear plugs that I will still be able to communicate to my wife through my com system in our helmets but cut out wind noise and etc??? I have been on the internet and there are so many. I do not know which ones really work and which ones are hype. If you have any information or experience with ear plugs the information would be greatly appreciated!

Dennis

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I have used a wide variety of earplugs (required) in industry for many years. Taste in these things is idiosyncratic, but these are by far and away my favorites:

http://www.moldex.com/hearing-protection/foam-earplugs/camo-plugs.php



They kill wind noise riding, but still allow me to easily hear voice prompts from my navigator via my helmet speakers. The Moldex plugs seem to have the right mix of stiffness. Some plugs are made of material that is too soft and is difficult to seat inside the ear canal. Still others use material that is too stiff and will not roll up properly.

Regards,

~Radix