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The UE-4 Pro: Hot New In-Ear Monitors from Ultimate Ears

The Ultimate Ears UE-4 Pro is the latest, hottest new model of earphone available from Ultimate Ears. [buy it here]

Released just days ago, the UE-4 Pro is the most affordably-priced full custom earphone available from Ultimate Ears. These full-custom musician monitors have already taken the blogosphere by storm -- and for good reason.

If you're familiar with Ultimate Ears earphones, you may have noticed that there's historically been a pretty sizeable price gap between their non-custom earphones (the popular Super.fi and Triple.fi series) and their full-custom earphones (which previously started at around $600). But the UE-4 Pro closes the gap, offering superior sound quality and a true full-custom fit at a cool $400. For those looking for a true audiophile experience, or for musicians looking to make the transition from wedge monitors to in-ear monitors, the new UE-4 is a good solution that won't break the bank.

Like all full-custom earphones, getting a pair of UE-4's means you'll need to get a set of ear impressions made -- these impressions are molds of your ears, and allow the Ultimate Ears techs to create a set of UE-4's that are totally tailored to fit your unique ears. That means that most online stores you could purchase a pair of UE-4's from, including the manufacturer's website, will require you to visit your local audiologist to get a set of ear impressions (a service which the audiologist will, of course, charge a small fee for). 

But for further savings, when you purchase your UE-4 Pro in-ear monitors from Ear Plug Superstore, we automatically send you a Do-It-Yourself Impression Kit with instructions that you can easily follow to create your own custom ear impressions. Just mail your impressions back to us, and we'll send you your own custom fitted Ultimate Ears UE-4 Pro Earphones -- no trip to the audiologist necessary.

And to put a cherry on top, we're also currently offering Free Priority Mail Shipping on our UE-4 Pro Earphones. Order your UE-4's now to get the most bang for your buck.

Be safe, and do the right thing.
--Tom "Dr. Earplug" Bergman

New MRI-Safe Products

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machines let your physician peer deeply inside your body without the dangers involved in surgery and without the damaging effects of an x-ray machine. MRI sounds great -- but the process takes time, and the MRI machines are very noisy, which makes them an uncomfortable and scary place to spend time in.

Fortunately, most MRI labs now offer patients the option to listen to music or to at least wear ear muffs while inside the machine where the noise is loudest.

With this in mind, we've created a special MRI Safe Hearing Protection Page which provides a convenient listing of our top-recommended products for use with MRI machines. These products include a variety of passive hearing protection ear muffs to block out sound, along with some special tube-style MRI earphones that work with a special kind of sound source that's available from many MRI machines. All of these products are MRI safe -- that is, they do not contain metal of any kind.

Too, you should know that any of our foam ear plugs are safe for use inside an MRI machine (aside from metal detectable plugs, which contain small amounts of metal).

With hearing protection like foam ear plugs or passive earmuffs, or even better, with an MRI-safe set of headphones, having an MRI scan done can be a much more pleasant experience.

Be safe, and do the right thing.
--Tom "Dr. Earplug" Bergman

The Perfect Mother's Day Gift: Peace and Quiet

Give Your Mom What She Really Wants for Mother's Day: Some Peace and Quiet! Our unique “Pink Pack” contains a selection of our most popular products to help her relax, concentrate and sleep like a baby. With the Pink Pack gift pack, you can create the perfect gift package for Mom (or any other special woman in your life!) with just a click of your mouse. This luxurious gift pack contains an assortment of our softest, smallest ear plugs, our most comfortable sleep mask, and a soothing pink noise CD, to provide her with only the best in comfort and relaxation. And best of all, the Pink Pack includes a pretty pink gift bag, so your gift will be ready for giving as soon as it arrives! Anyone can give her flowers or candy -- but with the Pink Pack, you can give her something she really wants: comfort, luxury, and peace and quiet. Each Pink Pack gift assortment contains all of the following: 7 pairs of Sleep Pretty in Pink Ultra Soft Earplugs with a reusable carry case. These incredibly comfortable foam ear plugs are some of the best sleeping earplugs available anywhere today -- and even better, they're pink! 1 Sleep Pretty in Pink Sleep Mask. Super-soft and extra-cushioned, this luxurious sleep mask will make Mom feel like a movie star! A quality sleep mask like this one is a highly recommended sleep aid, especially when you cannot make your bedroom completely dark. 10 pairs of Mack's SafeSound Earplugs For Her. These extra soft and small earplugs made especially to help women sleep with a snoring partner. And as a bonus for women everywhere, a portion of the proceeds from these earplugs go to support Breast Cancer Awareness. 1 RoadRunner Audio Pink Noise CD that can be played in any CD player to create a comfortable blanket of sound to sooth away the cares of the day while Mom drifts off to dreamland. Pink Noise works just like white noise, and has all the same benefits, but pink noise is specially frequency-adjusted to provide a more soothing listening experience. 2 pairs of Quies Boules soft Wax and Cotton earplugs. These luxurious ear plugs have been imported straight from France for the discriminating lady! Bonus: Includes 1 Pink Gift Bag to let you easily create the perfect Mother's Day Gift with just the click of your mouse. What are you waiting for? Mother's Day is almost here already! This is way better than flowers or candy. If bought separately, these products would cost over $30! Order your Pink Pack today for just $24.95! (plus applicable shipping and handling)

New Product: E-A-R EarSoft Yellow Neons Ear Plugs

We are proud to introduce our latest addition to our selection of industrial foam ear plugs: E-A-R EarSoft Yellow Neon Foam Ear Plugs (NRR 33). These foam ear plugs from E-A-R offer the highest NRR available in any earplug, 33. That means these plugs block the most sound it's possible to block using ear plugs alone!

E-A-R EarSoft Yellow Neons are a high-visibility neon yellow color (just as the title suggests!). That makes them just as great for compliance at the workplace as they are for use around the shop or yard.

EarSoft Yellow Neons are exceptionally comfortable. These soft urethane foam earplugs are extra smooth, and feature a gently tapered design. These are some of the most comfortable foam plugs available, which makes them a good choice for sleep and study as well as for industrial noise protection applications.

Keep in mind that wearing high-NRR ear plugs while you sleep can be dangerous, since high levels of noise protection can prevent you from hearing important sounds like alarms, children calling, etc. So if you're looking for a good foam ear plug to block out snoring or other sounds while you sleep, it's a good idea to try lower-noise-reduction plugs first, and then move up to these EarSoft Yellow Neons or other high-noise-reduction plugs if you find that more noise-blocking is necessary. For sleeping, wearing the minimum protection that still lets you get a good night's sleep is always the best choice.

E-A-R EarSoft Yellow Neons are available in single pairs, ten, and 50-pair packs, as well as in larger box and case quantities. These great new plugs are available with or without a cord. (Corded plugs are easier to keep track of while you're working; uncorded plugs are better for sleep.)

New Products: Ultimate Ears Earphones

We are proud to announce that we now offer three brand-new products from Ultimate Ears:

	The very latest from Ultimate Ears, the Super.fi 5 is designed for iPods and mp3 players. With a sound quality similar to the professional-monitor-quality Super.fi 5 Pro, the Super.fi 5 features a sleeker, slimmer redesign. While the Super.fi 5 Pro is aimed at music professionals, the Super.fi 5 was designed with music lovers in mind. Additionally, Super.fi 5 isolation earphones do not have removable wires that the Super.fi 5 Pros have, which helps to reduce their size, providing a more "mobile" fit.
	Triple.fi 10vi isolation earphones are a new high-end consumer earphone with integrated voice functionality that is based on the same technology and sound signature used in Ultimate Ears's monitors. The Triple.fi 10vi features integrated voice functionality and is specifically designed for use with the iPhone™.  These triple-driver monitor-quality earphones provide some of the best sound available anywhere in a voice-enabled earpiece.
	And finally, my personal favorite new product from Ultimate Ears: the Loud Enough Volume Limiting Earphone for Kids. These compact, colorful earphones feature Ultimate Ears' great sound and come with a built-in (read: completely unnoticeable) volume limiter. This reduces the maximum volume by about 40%, meaning the music will be clearly audible but will never reach dangerous volumes. That way, kids can't listen to the music loud enough to harm their hearing even over long periods of use, plus they can never turn the volume up to dangerous levels and "shock" their ears on accident. Available in three cool colors and sporting a very reasonable price tag, these make a great accessory for iPods, DVD players, and portable entertainment systems like the Sony PSP and Nintendo DS.

Until next time,
--The "Got Ears?" Guru

New Products: Pro Ears Gold Series Shooting Ear Muffs

We are proud to announce the addition of the hot new Pro Ears Gold Series Shooting Ear Muffs!

Five Vital Features that set Pro-Ears Gold Series Above the Rest:

1. Exclusive Micro-Processor Inside. On-board 8-bit micro-processor leads the market in innovation. Performs 10,000 diagnostics per second to ensure the entire electronics system stays fully functional. LED Alert Light Indicator provides visual proof of functionality, while battery indicator monitors battery life for worry-free performance.

2. World's Only DLSC^TM Technology. Protects your hearing by limiting loud noises to a safe level (around 40dB), while magnifying fainter sounds up to 8x for up to an incredible 50dB gain. Features "fast attack" reaction and recovery time of 1.5 milliseconds. The electronics never "cut out" or "clip" providing you complete awareness of your work or play environment, and gold connectors provide audiophile sound quality in true stereo.

3. Top Choice Both Military and Recreational Shooting. Tactical design specially engineered for shooters. Superior protection for Law Enforcement & Military Applications. Also ideal for hunting. Police Magazine calls Pro Ears Gold Series "the ultimate in protection." [see article]

4. Comfortable & Convenient Modular Design. Gold Series muffs come in a variety of specific designs for your specific requirements. Muffs fold up for easy storage and portability. Headband is padded and adjustable. Special replaceable ProForm Leather^TM ear cups conform for a comfortable fit: no plastic, no vinyl, no sweat.

5. Outstanding Durability. Fully enclosed, Military Grade Circuit Boards increase reliability in harsh environments. Comes with Comprehensive Manufacturer Warranty. Pro-Ears reports that less than 0.3% of their muffs ever need to be returned for service. 200 hour minimum battery life. Proudly made in the USA.

Still not convinced that Pro Ears Gold Series are the best hunting/shooting muffs on the market?
See the Gold Series Etended Features List and the Pro-Ears FAQ for more info.

--The "Got Ears?" Guru