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ear plugs

knary said:
Go to a local safety supply store. You'll find them in most bigger towns. The few I've been in have bins of all sorts of different earplugs. I tried a couple of each kind of the foam variety before finally settling in on the Howard Leight Max Lite. I then bought a box of 200 pair for $20. These plugs, aside from color and price, are virtually identical to Hearos.

You can actually buy a ear plug "sampler" from Norton/AO.
As for the " These plugs, aside from color and price, are virtually identical to Hearos", actually, they're not. If you read the fine print, they all have different levels of attenuation (reduction of noise level) IIRC, the Hearos are ~ 22 db, the Max lites are 22-24 db and, like I posted, the "Leight Sleepers" are the max at 30db, that's why H-L earplugs are color coded.
 
dlearl said:
You can actually buy a ear plug "sampler" from Norton/AO.
As for the " These plugs, aside from color and price, are virtually identical to Hearos", actually, they're not. If you read the fine print, they all have different levels of attenuation (reduction of noise level) IIRC, the Hearos are ~ 22 db, the Max lites are 22-24 db and, like I posted, the "Leight Sleepers" are the max at 30db, that's why H-L earplugs are color coded.

hmm...the Hearos I bought before I discovered the safety stores had a 30 NNR as do the Howard Leight Max Lites. They're even shaped the same, squish same, etc. Maybe they've changed them in the last couple years? I dunno. A little digging on-line suggests otherwise.
max lites...
LeightSingle5_r2_c4.jpg


hearos...
H414_L.jpg
 
knary said:
Go to a local safety supply store. You'll find them in most bigger towns. The few I've been in have bins of all sorts of different earplugs. I tried a couple of each kind of the foam variety before finally settling in on the Howard Leight Max Lite. I then bought a box of 200 pair for $20. These plugs, aside from color and price, are virtually identical to Hearos.

Also at Home Depot and Lowes. I like the disposable yellow cylinders. Squish 'em, insert and they expand to fit. The white ones are too hard and the orange bullets are too soft (but those ones are good for camping near snorers or moaners).

MarkF
 
KBasa said:
Free Bird!

We used to yell that at Pajama Slave Dancer shows.

I like to yell it during choir concerts myself :)

I'd like to also point out that where except for a BMW forum would you ever have such a long and detailed thread about ear plugs. We may in fact be geeks, but at least we're geeks who can still hear when we're being made fun of!
 
Originally posted by YB in IN I'd like to also point out that where except for a BMW forum would you ever have such a long and detailed thread about ear plugs. We may in fact be geeks, but at least we're geeks who can still hear when we're being made fun of!

Huh?!

:D MarkF
 
Gerald - sorry, but I lied.....

GERALD WROTE: Cliffy777,
Man, you're not only wired for sound, but just about everything
else. How are the electronic ear plugs? Are they enough better
than the molded plugs to make them worth the difference in
cost?
Gerald

Dude, I lied. Told a whopper. Did a Billy C. Stretched the truth. Prevaricated.
Don't got no plugs, don't got no 'lectronics at all.
Welcome to the forum - ain't it a blast? Look at all the helpful posts you got and only one ******* post (mine).
You are doing good!
 
YB in IN said:
I'd like to also point out that where except for a BMW forum would you ever have such a long and detailed thread about ear plugs. We may in fact be geeks, but at least we're geeks who can still hear when we're being made fun of!

Heck I even brought this into work and put it on the bulletin board.
 
This forum is awesome, thanks to all for the input and especial-
ly to Cliffy777 for a good laugh.

Gerald
 
My humble .02 worth
I got my silicone molded ear plugs with speakers the other day and I like them a lot.
I used the foam plugs for a long time but the new silicone ones are superior, though it is hard to rationalize the price against the free ones at work.
I use the earplug speakers for tunes and then use the chatterbox helmet speakers for bike to bike/passenger intercom and the radar detector. The speakers help block some of the noise instead of adding to the noise.
This works for me since I have lost a lot of my hearing and want to protect what I have left.
 
knary said:
hmm.. A little digging on-line suggests otherwise.
max lites...


My bad, I just bought a new package of L-Sleepers the other day and I saw that on some other packages at Walgreen's. Not absolutely certain the other pair were Hearos, but one definitely WAS MaxLeights. Maybe they have different versions.

And now, for something completely different:

I got my new
xma3 V.2 today and did one little ride to check it out. Once I got the volumes set for the XM and V1 it was very nice, then I concentrated on the ride. 80? here today! WooHoo. Once I get a little more time with the audio set-up, and have some photos of the box to hold it all, I'll post a bit on the board.
 
I use Howard Leight Laser Lites. The NRR is 32 decibels. These plugs are made for those with narrow ear canals and my ears are much happier since I've been using them. Other plugs make my ears hurt after an hour or so. I bought a box of 200 from Gempler's (www.gemplers.com) a couple years ago.
 
Thanks for all of the replies, this forum and its members are great.
I took a 200 mile trip yesterday on a beautiful, but windy day. I
used a pair of Hearos ear plugs that I recently purchased.

The wind noise level was still quite loud to me. I might add that I
have a Schuberth Concept helmet which I understand is one of
the noisier helmets.

Last night at the local BMW meeting one of the other RT owners
gave me a pair of Max Lite ear plugs. I did not take my Rt to the
meeting as I was doing a St Patrick's day gig in the same strip
mall so I had to wear my kilt and carry my drum.

The club is going to take a day ride for lunch saturday so I'll try
the Max Lites out then.

I did discover that it indeed helps if you lift the upper part of your
ear when inserting the ear plugs as the Hearos recommends. I
tried that on the return trip and it did help a bit.

Thanks again for all of the replies.

Gerald
 
3 pages on earplugs and hear's one more reply:

I use the standard yellow barrel-shaped foam earplugs, BUT, I cut off about 1/8" so that they don't stick out of my ear and rub the helmet. No scientific data, but shortening them this little bit does not seem to reduce their effectiveness very much.

I carry them around in a reusable container so that when a pair goes old, I can toss them and just add a new pair in the case.
 
hearing protection

Speaking of foam earplugs
a Nameless Riding Acquaintance of mine pops
his gently used foam earplugs into his mouth
and MOISTENS them before reinserting them.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWW!

Tell me, Dear Abby, am I just a prude?
 
Re: hearing protection

iRene said:
Speaking of foam earplugs
a Nameless Riding Acquaintance of mine pops
his gently used foam earplugs into his mouth
and MOISTENS them before reinserting them.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWW!

Tell me, Dear Abby, am I just a prude?

I wouldn't go so far as to pop mine in my mouth, but I regularly moisten mine up with a wet finger. Makes the moulds slip into place better and the moisture helps seal as well as makes the moulds more comfortable for long term wear. I find the dry silicone gets uncomfortable pretty fast. Several people have suggested baby oil or lotion, but thats just something else to remember to put in tank bag. Spit, I always have plenty!
Yes, I've got a few weird looks at gas stations, who cares.:p
 
Ear Plugs / E.A.R.

The larger gun shows usually have an EAR rep. Those plugs are exceptionally effective for the firing range. If you get them for riding, be sure to have them fitted under your helmet. If they protrude enough to touch the interior of the helmet, noise is carried from normal wind and vibration into your inner ear.

Contact: Gordon Hollyn, E.A.R., Inc., Insta-Mold West, Box 18888, 5547 Central Ave, Boulder, CO, 80301-2846

303.447.2619 or 800.525.2690
He was the sales/operations manager a few years ago.
 
Hi folks,
Just some clarification regarding earplugs. First, the ear canal varies greatly in size and shape. The more convoluted and narrow your canal, the more difficulty you will have futting a foam earplug. That said, you will get the most attenuation from a foam earplug, as high as 33 db NRR, as opposed to a custom mold. Just remember that you must achieve a good seal from a particular earplug to get the benefit of that rating. It must fit and seal comfortably to be effective.
There is a large selection of generic earplugs, with different levels of protection, size and density that you can try. When you insert the foam plug, roll it tightly, pull your ear up or back to try to straighten the canal, insert the earplug deeply, let go of your ear and hold the plug in place as it expands so it doesent try to expand out of your canal. Lubrication sometimes helps the plug expand smoothly. If you are unable to find a generic that will fit due to the size and shape of your canal, then you may be a candidate for a custom earplug.
 
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