Ear Plug Superstore - Official Blog

Moldex BattlePlugs Ear Plugs Review - Letters from our Customers

A letter from a customer: Review of Moldex's BattlePlugs Ear Plugs:

Very comfortable plugs. I am an average size 5'11" man with normal size ears, I suppose. I bought the medium plugs after seeing my son's army issue BattlePlugs. I wasn't sure which size would fit me best so I got replacement rubber tips in sizes small and large. The rubber tips are easily removable/replaceable and cost only $5. I tried all 3 size tips and found that the small tips fit my ears most comfortably and still provided outstanding sound reduction. The medium worked well but were slightly uncomfortable over time and the large tips do not insert into my ear canals at all.

With the plugs inserted and the caps open, voices are easily heard and understood when spoken from someone at close distances. Sound pressure level is clearly reduced while still able to be understood without the speaking person having to raise his voice.

The plugs come with a lanyard that is easily removable but I use it to hang the plugs from my neck when not needed. They also come with a clear plastic round carry case with a small black chain. When not needed for longer periods of time I keep my plugs in this carry case and pop them into my cargo pocket.

There is construction going on near my house and it gets noisy here sometimes. These plugs are perfect for what I use them for.

I have not used them at the range yet, but as compared to my other rubber and foam plugs and Walker's active muffs, these BattlePlugs perform just as well as any other.

Buy them... You will not be disappointed.

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If you'd like to check out BattlePlugs Earplugs, you can learn more here.

Until next time, be safe and do the right thing.

Tom Bergman, Vice President
Ear Plug Superstore

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Hearing Amplification for Wild Turkey Hunting - With Hearing Aids

Q.I wear hearing aids and want a recommendation for amplified hearing protection with the best sound quality for wild turkey hunting. What do you think?

I have worn hearing aids for about 5 years. I own the Walker Razor that goes around your neck. Last Saturday I took it turkey hunting for the first time. Using it I could hear more but not good enough to discern the type of turkey call we were listening to. It just sounded like a noise. I want to find something that will increase the volume with better sound quality and protect my hearing when I am shooting my shot gun.

I purchased the Walker Razor because last year when I went turkey hunting my younger brother whom I was hunting with heard about 12 turkey gobbles and I did not hear a thing.

My problem is that we have hunted a lot and never worn hearing protection because we want to hear better. Now that I am older that is probably the cause of my hearing loss. Let me know what suggestions you have.

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A. Though I do not know precisely what the gain level is on the razor, since they are described as high gain, I would guess they are about as good as you can get without going to a real hearing aid. So, here is my suggestion: consider using a combination of an in the ear hearing aid and a shooting ear muff. Walker makes some excellent electronic muffs that will amplify low sounds and then shut off the electronics when a gun is fired, giving you the protection you need. By wearing these over the aids, you should be able to hear better than your brother, and wouldn’t that be sweet?

You could also go with a hunting hearing aid, which would eliminate the need for the muffs. The problem you may run into is that these are all designed to work for those with normal hearing, so they may not give you enough amplification alone. One of these could also be worn under an electronic muff just as with a regular hearing aid.

If you currently use BTE devices, perhaps you can get some low cost ITE aids that you can use for hunting. We have some starting at around $30, and going on up to around $2000. My guess is that most of these would work, and you can get pretty good quality sound from aids costing under $200 these days.

Until next time, be safe and do the right thing.

Tom Bergman, Vice President
Ear Plug Superstore

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What are the Best Earplugs for Bird Hunting?

Q. What are the best ear plugs for bird hunting? What brand and model has the best transmission of sound for allowing the hunter to locate birds directionally, whether flushing or pass shooting, and still reasonable comfort?

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A. If you want a really great solution that lets you hear better than you can with the open ear, but which still automatically provides full protection against gun blast noise, the best choice will actually be an electronic shooting ear muff. There are many choices, ranging from around $20 up to several hundred. As you pay more, you can expect better sound quality, faster response time when the noise strikes the protector, greater durability, and more features. The Pro Ears Stalker Gold is a high-rated, high-end electronic earmuff with powerful sound amplification for accurate directional hearing. It would be an enormous asset while bird-hunting. And in fact, the entire Pro Ears Gold Series of shooter's muffs are excellent choices for serious hunters of all kinds. The high-end electric muffs are all fitted with plush, padded ear cups that should be quite comfortable.

But comfort is also a very personal issue; you may prefer an in-ear solution instead of an over-the-ear device, for instance. If you prefer ear plugs to ear muffs, hunter's hearing aids provide similar big perks for shooters in an extremely low-profile design. Like earmuffs designed for hunters, hunting hearing aids amplify safe sound while protecting your ears from blast noise. Each type of electronic shooting hearing protector has pros and cons, so you will want to explore the options.

All of these electronic shooting products will help you locate birds much more easily than you could with your naked ears alone; look for directional microphones and strong sound amplification to help you pinpoint your quarry effectively. The only big downsides of these electronic ear muffs and plugs is that they are generally more expensive than most passive (non-electronic) solutions, and they all require batteries/to be charged up before use.

If you are seeking a solution that does not require batteries, the absolute best passive ear plug for bird hunting would be the Westone Style 39 Hunter passive custom ear plug. These earplugs are custom-molded to fit your ears and your ears alone, and while the process takes a few weeks, the end result is unparalleled in terms of both comfort and effectiveness. These offer some of the lowest sound resistance at low volumes, so you can pick up on subtle game sounds - and of course any loud noise triggers their non-linear acoustic filters to reduce the noise.

As far as universal-fit ear plugs go (the least expensive solution by far!), I like the valved shooting plugs with variable protection like the EP4 PLUS, which let you block the filter for a solid plug protection, or leave the filter open for variable noise protection. These let you hear about half the volume you would with the open ear, and give you reasonable protection from gun blast when you shoot... not as good as the protection a solid plug could provide, but generally enough that your ears won't ring after a hunting session. And the open filter allows you to hear clearly, so you can locate those birds.

Until next time, be safe and do the right thing.

Tom Bergman, Vice President
Ear Plug Superstore

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What are the Best Shooting Ear Plugs?

It's time to gear up for hunting season, which leaves many shooters and hunters wondering: what are the best shooting ear plugs? Your ear plugs must protect against blast noise, and they need to let you hear voices and other safety sounds clearly, too. Shooting safety is serious business, and no regular old ear plug will do: you need the best shooting ear plugs there are.

First: What About Ear Muffs?

To start, let's quickly compare ear plugs versus ear muffs. Many hunters prefer electronic shooting earmuffs, which fit over the ears and are around the same size as a large set of headphones. Electronic earmuffs for hunters typically offer amplification of safe sounds, enhanced directional hearing, and other features in addition to protecting your hearing from hazardous noise. With those tactical advantages, it's no surprise that these ear muffs are the top choice for many hunters. However, ear muffs are heavier than ear plugs, they are bulkier and higher-profile, and they can be miserable to wear in extreme heat. If electronic shooter's earmuffs do sound perfect for your needs, we offer a big selection of shooting and hunting earmuffs right over here. But that said, let's get to the shooting ear plugs.

The Best of the Best: Hunter's Hearing Aids

The best shooting ear plugs you can get are electronic ear plugs. These are newer than electronic ear muffs, but they can offer nearly all the same outstanding features that give you a tactical edge. Most often called hunting hearing aids, electronic ear plugs fit inside the ear canal and run on batteries, amplifying safe sounds around you while providing protection from blast noise, just like electronic shooter's muffs do. Most electronic ear plugs are ready to use right out of the box, but there are also some custom fit models you can have professionally custom molded to fit your ears precisely. Hunter's hearing aids let you hear better than you could with your naked ears, they are extremely low profile and lightweight, and they stay cool in hot weather. They come in both universal fit and custom fit models. The downside is that they are expensive, starting at $25 for the low-end models and quickly ranging up to hundreds of dollars for the top-notch, high end earpieces. Though they are not cheap, hunter's hearing aids are absolutely the best shooting ear plugs you can get.

The Best Fit: Professional Custom Molded Hunting Ear Plugs

Next, we have professional custom molded ear plugs for hunting. A few are solid plugs that just provide passive noise blocking, but most custom shooting ear plugs feature an internal filter, braker, vent, or valve. Sound must pass through that internal filter before reaching your ears. Low volume sounds can pass through unaffected so you can hear clearly, but high volume sounds such as gunshots are greatly reduced before reaching your ears, protecting your hearing from damaging blast noise. These custom ear plugs do not require batteries. Because they are created to fit your ears and your ears alone, they are incredibly comfortable even for long periods of wear. That perfect fit also ensures that they are as effective as possible at blocking outside noise. Professional custom shooting plugs are durable, too, so a single pair can last for years. The only drawback is the cost: these run from about $115 to $160. If you use ear plugs very frequently, custom ear plugs will pay off in the long run. And their quality makes them one of the best ear plugs you can get for shooting, period.

We also have some DIY custom ear plugs available. Of these, Radians Custom Molded Ear Plugs are the most popular. These are much less expensive than the professional versions, and you can make them yourself. But their quality varies a lot from one attempt to another, so these DIY plugs are not nearly as reliable as the pro custom ones. DIY custom earplugs also have no particular qualities that make them especially good for shooting; they don't have a filter, they just block noise. They will muffle sound, so you will not be able to hear clearly while wearing these. But for shooters who need a custom molded ear plug at a low price, these can't be beat.

But what about regular, non-electronic, non-custom ear plugs...? Those come in two types: reusable and foam.

The Best Reusable Shooting Ear Plugs

Our top three, in no particular order:

BlastBuster Variable Reduction Shooter's Ear Plugs, featuring Hock's Noise Brakers

Like the top-shelf pro custom plugs, the BlastBuster is braker vented, preventing blast noise from entering and damaging the ear, while allowing safe sounds through unimpeded. The Hock's Noise Braker noise filter is actually a bit famous in the hearing protection world; what you need to know is that Hock's filters preserve your normal ability to hear while also protecting your hearing, and they do not require any batteries to do it. BlastBusters are ideal for outdoor range shooting and for hunting, and their six-flange ear tip design fits teens through adults (though those with larger ear canals will want to look at the premium version). These are affordable, reusable, and come with a carry case.

SureFire EarPro Sonic Defenders EP4 PLUS Variable Noise Reduction Shooter's Ear Plugs

SureFire EP4 ear plugs feature tiny attached stoppers that let you toggle between two modes of hearing protection. Hear clearly with the stoppers open, or enjoy 24dB of constant noise protection with the stoppers closed. In both modes, internal acoustic filters reduce harmful incoming sounds, protecting your ears from blast noise. The open mode is perfect for hunting, while the closed mode is better for range shooting. (For use with the loudest weapons and/or extended indoor range shooting, see the Ultra EP7, with the same features but more protection from noise.) SureFire earplugs have an unusual design, marked by a unique ergonomic grip that makes absolutely sure the fit stays secure - critical for hunters and shooters on the move.

3M Combat Arms Generation 4 Tactical Military Shooter's Ear Plugs

In demand by the Marine Corps, these tactical ear plugs are a favorite choice for civilians, police, and military. Like the other best-in-class choices for shooting plugs, these feature two modes of variable noise reduction, and an internal acoustic filter that cuts hazardous gunshot noise in either mode. Combat Arms Gen 4 shooters' plugs let you toggle between modes with a touch, which is simpler than fiddling with stoppers. These earplugs also come in three sizes, which is a big benefit for those who already know they have smaller or larger ear canals. But because of demand from our military customers, we have to limit quantities on these. Contact us if you need more than a few pairs.

The Best Foam Shooting Ear Plugs

Finally, we come back to the same place we always do: here at the humble foam ear plug. With absolutely no bells or whistles, these ear plugs do not have variable modes (well, except for one...) and they do not allow you to hear what is going on around you. They will block sound, and that's it. They are also designed to be used just once and thrown away, so it really isn't safe to use them more than a handful times before replacing them. But they are better at blocking sound than any other hearing protector out there - and they can do it for pennies a pair.

Some foam ear plugs are designed specifically for shooting. Mack's EarAmmo Foam Ear Plugs come in hi-viz orange, they're shaped like bullets (not a far cry from the usual foam ear plug shape!), and their machined aluminum case will be an asset for transport and storage. They also make Mack's Shooting for Her foam ear plugs, which are smaller, softer, and pink. These are both NRR 30 ear plugs (on a noise blocking scale that runs from 1 to 33), so they will do a good job of defending your ears. Also worth mentioning is the Multi-Max foam ear plug, which technically has variable noise reduction - but it requires actually taking the ear plug out of your ear, turning it around, and putting it back in the other way to switch modes.

But you can beat that NRR (and that price!) with an industrial foam earplug. The best cheap ear plugs for shooting actually aren't designed for shooting at all, but for protection from industrial noise. Our Just the Highest NRR foam ear plug trial pack is your very best bet. These plugs have been chosen specifically because they offer the most noise blocking you can get, making them tough enough for extended indoor shooting. This pack lets you try 34 different pairs of foam earplugs easily, and for even less than they would cost individually. Your ears are just as unique as your fingerprints, so trying different ear plugs for yourself is the only sure way to find the very best foam shooting ear plugs for you.

 

Until next time, be safe and do the right thing.

Tom Bergman, Vice President
Ear Plug Superstore

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How Can a 30 dB Hearing Protector Protect Your Hearing Against the 150 dB Sound of a Gunshot?

Excellent question! At first glance, it would appear that you will still be exposed to 120 dB of noise, even with a 30 dB ear plug properly inserted (150-30=120), and because 120 dB is far above the 85 dB beginning threshold of NIHL (noise induced hearing loss,) it would seem that NIHL from shooting is unavoidable, and yet, shooters routinely are undamaged by their shooting experiences. What is going on here?

To understand how shooters can be exposed to 120 dB of noise without damaged hearing the result, consider the first principle in hearing protection: For noise below 140 dB, which can cause instant damage, NIHL results from the weighted average cumulative noise exposure. (The below table illustrates that principle nicely.)

How Loud and How Long

One way that noise can permanently damage your hearing is by a single brief exposure to a high noise level, such as a firecracker going off near your ear. But hearing damage can also occur gradually at much lower levels of noise, if there is enough exposure over time. To protect your hearing, you'll want to limit your exposure to these moderately high noise levels and give your ears a chance to recover after any period of noise exposure.

Safe Exposure Times

Exposure Time	dB	Sound
Instantaneous permanent damage	140+	Shotgun, rifle, jetplane takeoff
Less than one second	130	jackhammer, heavy industry
Less than ten seconds Threshold of pain	120	Rock concert
1.5 minutes	110	Power tools, snowmobile
15 minutes	100	Chainsaw, motorcycle
2.5 hours	90	Lawn mower
8 hours	85	Beginning of Danger Zone
Prolonged exposure to noise levels 85dB and higher can result in permanent hearing loss.	80	City Traffic
	70	Vacuum cleaner, hair dryer
	60	Office, sewing machine
	50	Normal conversation
	40	Refrigerator
	30	Whisper
	20	Rustling leaves
Common noise levels (dB), and their effect upon hearing.	10	Breathing
	0	Threshold of normal hearing

Source: Westone : http://westone.com/defendear/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=92&Itemid=111

So, let’s assume your shotgun produces 150 dB. Most likely, that number is based on measurements taken at a point close to the weapon, and a point that is closer to the source of the sound than will be your ears. As a result, you will most likely experience a lower exposure level than the maximum the gun can produce. It is also true that a shotgun blast is quite short-lived, resulting in a lower cumulative exposure level than you might expect. All that said, better to overestimate the danger than underestimate it, but stay with me as I continue our example.

NIOSH (The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, a division of the US CDC, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) says that one should never allow exposure over 140 dB lest you suffer instant and irreversible hearing damage. So, assuming you can wear a protector that reduces the maximum noise level at your ear by 30 dB, when shooting a shotgun that produces 140 dB at your ear, you would experience just 110 dB (140-30=110) (this assumes you had the hearing protector fitted properly, which is vitally important…) According to the table above, you could stand such an impact for a total of 90 seconds in a 24 hour period without harm.

Now, assume the duration of the muzzle blast is 500 milliseconds (a severely conservative estimate given that a muzzle blast actually lasts 3-5 milliseconds.)  Of course you are exposed to more sound as the muzzle blast noise bounces back to you after being reflected off the ground, walls if there are any, nearby vehicles, trees, and the like. Even so, the total exposure you experience will be far less than our conservative estimate of 500 milliseconds.

Using this very conservative 500 millisecond number, according to the table, you could be exposed to 180 such muzzle blast noise events within a 24 hour period without harm as long as you were wearing the 30 dB protector (90 seconds per day/500 milliseconds per event = 180 events per day.) As you increase the noise level, of course you would need more protection, and/or you could stand fewer blasts without damage.

So that is how as a shooter, you can be exposed to numerous 140 dB noise events with just a 30 dB hearing protector, and suffer no hearing damage.

SNR, NRR, and IPIL Rating

NRR and SNR ratings are based on a single noise level, usually set at 100 dB, but it turns out that most hearing protectors act differently as the noise level increases, giving you more protection than the NRR alone suggests. The appropriate metric for rating hearing protectors used against impulse noise is called the IPIL rating (Impulsive Peak Insertion Loss) which considers the non-linear noise blocking properties of the specific hearing protector. At present very few devices have an IPIL rating though, so the NRR will have to do for now. In all cases of which I am aware, the IPIL will be greater than the NRR, so using the NRR is a good conservative approach. For more on IPIL, see the report here.

Dual Protection

Another recommendation of NIOSH is to use dual protection (ear muffs worn over ear plugs) any time you will be exposed to noise levels exceeding a time-weighted 8 hour exposure of 100 dB or more. Computing that exposure level would be difficult, so my simplifying suggestion is to use dual protection any time you are in the following situations:

• You are going to spend significant time in a constant noise environment at or above 100 dB.
  
  
• You are planning to shoot indoors with any caliber of weapon.
  
  
• You are planning to shoot any guns larger than a .22 caliber when target shooting outdoors.
  
  
• You are shooting a large caliber weapon when hunting alone.
  
  
• You are hunting with others close by, as in a duck blind. It can get really loud with three guys all repeatedly firing their shotguns next to each other.

When using a dual protection system, you can estimate the total protection you are getting by adding 6 to the higher NRR rating of the two devices you are wearing. For instance, if you are using a 30 NRR ear plug under a 25 NRR ear muff, you should experience about a 36 effective NRR rating. This assumes you are getting the full rated performance from both devices. The trouble with wearing dual protection is that you cannot hear the range officer or your buddies calling to you out in the field when hunting. A highly recommended solution is to use an electronic shooting ear muff rather than a passive ear muff. The electronic muff will amplify the sounds you hear so that you can more easily hear the range officer through the ear plugs, and when someone fires near you, the electronic ear muffs will instantly shut down the amplifier, and you will enjoy the full rated protection of the muffs.

Recommendations for shooters and others using dual protection

Most users of dual protection choose ordinary foam ear plugs worn under passive ear muffs. As stated above, any time you need the ability to hear what is going on around you, we suggest electronic shooting ear muffs which will enable you to hear amplified voices even through your ear plugs. We offer many different models starting in the mid $20 range. If you have never tried electronic shooting ear muffs, a great model to begin with is the Bilsom Impact Sport. At under $50, these nice slim, well-made ear muffs are one of the best value options available.  

In addition to ordinary foam ear plugs, you may want to consider some of the more sophisticated shooting ear plugs which have non-linear acoustic filters that let you hear low sounds but then give you more protection automatically, against dangerously loud sounds. Some of these also include a valve you can open to let sound flow through the filter, or close to give full block noise protection.

Those with filters and valves to open and close a sound vent include:

• Crescendo Shooting Multimode
• Combat Arms Gen4
  
• EarPro sonic defenders EP3 and EP4
  
  

Shooting ear plugs with just the nonlinear filters include:

• BlastBusters
  
• Hocks Noise Brakers
  
• Pluggerz Shoot
  
• Alpine Musicsafe
  
• Acu-Life Shooters Ear Plugs
  

I invite you to explore the world of shooting and hunting protection products here and do not hesitate to get in touch. We are here to help any way we can.

Until next time, be safe and do the right thing.
Tom Bergman, Vice President
Ear Plug Superstore

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What are the Lowest-Profile Ear Muffs for Shooting?

Q. Which are the thinnest most compact electronic muffs for trap and skeet shooting?

A. There are a few really good, slim, low-profile shooting ear muffs to consider. Of course, the "best" is always relative -- are you looking for the best quality money can buy, the most popular model, or the most recent design? Here are our best suggestions for a thin, compact electronic shooting earmuff.

Top-Notch Quality

The Pro Ears Stalker has a chopped ear cup that helps keep the muff from bumping the stock, so I would suggest these if you are looking for a high quality electronic muff. The price tag might be prohibitive, however, depending on your budget.

Popularity

Though the electronics are not as good, and there is no balance adjustment from ear to ear as with the Pro Ears, the Bilsom Impact Sport is one of the most popular electronic shooting muffs in the world, and with good reason. The build is top quality, the ear cups are nice and slim, the headband is metal reinforced for long life, and the price is remarkable.

New Design

I also like the Walker XPMB, their newest muffs, though I have not yet used them myself (I use Pro Ears), Walker has excellent products in every way and they have been updating their line more frequently than have their competitors, so you will not go wrong there.

What about non-electronic ear muffs?

If you prefer a passive muff, I would say choose a low NRR because high NRR means fat ear cups. Pick one with a wire, rather than plastic headband, and stay with Howard Leight/Bilsom, 3M Peltor, or Moldex brands and you will find what you are looking for.

Until next time, be safe and do the right thing.
Tom Bergman, Vice President
Ear Plug Superstore

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Are Hunting Hearing Aids Good for Daily Wear?

Hunting hearing aids offer safe sound amplification, making it easier to hear voices and prey sounds at the range or in the field. But many of our customers have asked us: can you use a hunting hearing aid for daily wear? And with so many features to consider, how do you choose the right one? Read on.

Question: Could I use a hunting hearing aid for daily wear, and how do I choose the best feature set?

Answer: Absolutely the hunting hearing aids can be used for daily wear. In fact I suspect that the primary reason most people buy hunting hearing aids is because they are so much less expensive than professional hearing aids, while providing similar functionality. The added benefit of automatically limiting dangerous noises is a plus no matter what you are doing.

I would also add that if you need a hearing aid that is programmed to your audiogram, you will generally be better served by buying a professional hearing aid, though some of the models we sell do have that capability.

The other limitation of hunting hearing aids is that none offer more than about a 50 dB maximum gain, so if you need more than that, they will be inadequate for your purposes.

Finally, when choosing a hearing aid, here are a few features to consider:

• Digital vs. Analog. Digital is better in that they use less battery power, they process sound more cleanly giving you a better quality of sound and the possibility of multiple stored setting profiles as well as being programmable. All these potential benefits depend on the model you are buying of course and a basic digital with one channel will not be much better than an analog model, though it will be more expensive.
  
  
• Number of Channels. Each channel is an amplifier that is dedicated to a specific range of frequencies. Think of these as analogous to woofers and tweeters on a stereo system. The more channels, up to about 4, gives you a much clearer sound quality because each amplifier channel will be better at doing its job, rather than one amplifier having to do the job of amplifying all the frequency ranges.
  
  
• Number of Bands. In addition to dedicated amplifiers which help to preserve the overall clarity of sound, digital hearing aids contain a graphic equalizer, usually with 4 to 16 programmable bands. The equalizer is what gets tuned by programming so that it emphasizes or de-emphasizes specific frequencies the user has difficulty hearing or to which he is overly sensitive. In most hunting hearing aids, the graphic equalizer is tuned to a good average setting profile that works for the majority of people expected to use these, with no intention of the device ever being programmed to a specific user's needs. In general, the more bands, the more precisely the device can be tuned, but since hunting hearing aids do not get tuned to each user, more bands are really a waste of money. It is like buying a high end graphic equalizer and keeping all 16 bands set right in the middle.
  
  
• ITE (in the ear) vs. BTE (behind the ear). Both have pros and cons. Some ITE devices can be made with custom molds, though that option is rarely available for devices under $1,000. All BTE devices can be fitted with a custom mold because the BTE device delivers sound through a tube, which can readily be fitted with a custom mold. A set of custom molds for a pair of BTE Devices will cost about $120-150, depending on the variables you add such as special colors, coatings, etc. BTE devices have become small enough that most now fit neatly and comfortably behind the ear, unlike older analog models that were pretty big and clunky. As a result, BTE devices have begun to win out over ITE devices. ITE devices also tend to suffer problems with feedback because the microphone on the face of the device is very close to the speaker that projects sound into the ear. Even a tiny sound leak often results in a really annoying feedback squeal. That said, modern digital ITE devices are nearly all equipped with sophisticated feedback reduction circuits that dramatically limit the feedback problem by instantly shutting down the amplifiers in a feedback situation. BTE devices, resting behind the ear, and well away from the output of the device in the canal, do not have nearly so much of a feedback problem.

With these ideas in mind, I invite you to review the choices we offer on our Hunting Hearing Aid page.

One more thing: if you have never used an in-ear amplifier, you might want to start with a cheap entry level device and see how that works for you. Once you have a little experience with the in ear devices, you can then begin to home in on the features offered by higher end devices to choose those that address your areas of dissatisfaction with the less expensive options.

Until next time, be safe and do the right thing.
Tom Bergman, Vice President
Ear Plug Superstore

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Stunning Christmas Gift Ideas from Ear Plug Superstore

Cross It Off Your Shopping List Baby Ear Muffs Earphones for Work Electronic Shooting Ear Muffs Ear Plug Hats Great Gadgets Sound Oasis S-850 Travel White Noise Alarm Clock PlaneQuiet Solitude X Noise Cancelling Headphones 3M Tekk Worktunes AM/FM Radio Ear Muffs Sleep-Eze 2013 In-Ear White Noise Generator Just for Kids Disney Princess Little Mermaid Aqua Ears Ear Plugs Disney Cars Aqua Ears Ear Plugs ReVO Earmuffs for Babies and Children Etymotic Ety-Kids Safe Listening Earphones Featured Gift Idea Music Muffones Fashion Ear Muffs with Built-In Earphones Alpine MusicSafe Pro Musician's Ear Plugs Etymotic ER20 Musician's Ear Plugs Crescendo Drummer Ear Plugs for Musicians Stocking Stuffers NFL Ear Plugs Snoring Relief Kit Hatphones Fashion Winter Hats with Built-In Earphones Mack's Dreamgirl Soft Foam Ear Plugs Bargains & Bundles KonoAudio KidzSafe Earbuds for Kids + FREE Earphone Cord Winder (a $5.99 value) Sleep-Eze In-Ear White Noise Generator - with FREE Ear Pillow Howard Leight Sync AM/FM Radio Earmuffs - Now 23% Off! Try 'em All Ear Plug Assortment Pack: 48 Assorted Pairs

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from all of us at Ear Plug Superstore.

Until next time, be safe and do the right thing.
Tom Bergman, Vice President
Ear Plug Superstore

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Have you done your good deed yet today? We're donating child ear muffs to needy students. Learn more & help now: http://sharetherelief.earplugstore.com/

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Review: Westone DefendEar Digital Full Custom Modular Electronic Shooting and Hunting Ear Plugs

Westone DefendEar Digital Full Custom Modular Electronic Shooting and Hunting Ear Plugs

Verified Customer Review:

"This product is fantastic. The process for getting them made is a little cumbersome, but worth the effort. They send an ear mold kit to you to begin the process. You can then do the ear mold yourself or have an audiologist do it. I chose the latter, given the investment, and got perfect molds done. Then, return the molds to the company and they manufacture the hearing device.

I purchased the Digital 2 model as I use it at the gun range. My first use was at a CCW training session. It worked extremely well. I am somewhat hard of hearing and use hearing aids in normal everyday functions. I could hear very well on the range. The instructor's commands were easily heard and the sound suppression at the shot was great.

I next tried it on the rifle range with my AR. Again, very clear hearing and great sound suppression at the shot.

I did find that the #2 setting was more comfortable for gun range use. I've not yet tried it at the shotgun range.

So far, I love these devices. I think that, given the in-your-ear, custom fit, these are well worth the money. If you are only shooting at the pistol range, the over-the-ear active ear protectors will do you fine. But, if you plan to shoot rifles or butt-stock shotguns, these are indispensable.

I tried the over-the-ear types with my shotgun, and the recoil knocked the ear muffs completely off my head. Having these in-the-ear prevents all interference with cheek placement on the weapon.

Highly recommended."

Many thanks to Glasair2 for writing such a helpful and detailed product review -- and thank you to all of you who've also taken time in the past to post your own helpful product reviews at earplugstore.com. At Ear Plug Superstore, we always love hearing from you.

Oh yeah, BTW you can get your own DefendEar Custom Shooting Earplugs right over here.

Until next time, be safe and love your ears.
--Sarah Bergman, Web Developer

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Understanding NRR: Steady State Sound vs Impulse (Gunshot) Noises

In our article about NRR 33 hearing protection for hunters, we mentioned that "an increase of 10 dB in NRR (moving from 0 to 10 NRR) will reduce the sound you hear by about half." Today, let's take a look at how this works in a little more detail.

First and foremost, steady state noise such as you would find in a factory is very different from impulse noise such as muzzle blasts.

Steady State Noise (Continuous)
As a basic rule of thumb, you can subtract the NRR rating from the noise level you are trying to get protection from when dealing with steady state noise. Let's look at some examples. The article's comment about 10 dB protection reducing sound at the ear by half is true -- but that half is measured on a log scale. That means the 10 dB would be simply subtracted from the maximum. For example, at a blast of 160 dB, a 10 dB protector would reduce the volume at the ear by half, to about 150 dB (not nearly enough protection in a steady state noise environment at that level). At a 95 dB average sound level, the same 10 dB protector would reduce the noise by half, to 85 dB (a safe level of protection). The logarithmic scale can be very confusing, because the numbers it measures are non-linear. Just remember that each 10 dB increase on the dB scale doubles the sound volume, and each 10 dB decrease on the dB scale halves the sound volume. Again, with steady state noise such as you might find in a factory, subtracting the hearing protector's NRR rating from the total dB of sound in your environment is a quick and simple way to figure out how much protection you are getting from noise.

Impulse Noises (Blast Sound)
Impulse noises such as muzzle blasts are very different from steady state noises. First, they tend to be much louder than any steady state noises you will ever encounter (unless you work around jet engines or rockets). Second, impulse noises last for just fractions of a second. Impulse noise has not been nearly as well studied as steady state noise, and there is not much in the way of agreement about how to measure the kind of protection you need. In general, most experienced shooters figure out what works for them through experience -- and unless you shoot a lot of large caliber rounds, most of the ear plugs and ear muffs on the market will give you adequate protection. When working with large caliber or magnum rounds and/or simply sending a lot of lead downrange, dual protection (ear plugs worn under a set of ear muffs) is generally recommended.

How to Find Protection for Impulse (Blast) Noises
Even understanding a bit more about how NRR works, trying to find the right hearing protection for shooting can still be frustrating. For more information, check out this great report showing study results on how many rounds you can safely expend per day from different kinds of weapons, at two different levels of hearing protection. Obviously more bullets fired equals more blast noise, which equals more risk of hearing damage and a need for more noise protection. Note that this report comes from a European company, and the European standard is SNR, rather than NRR. To convert from SNR to NRR, subtract 2 to 5 dB from the SNR ratings shown -- that will give you an approximation of the equivalent NRR. So for instance, the report tells us that you can fire a shotgun about 250 times in a day safely while wearing about NRR 20 hearing protection, while you can only fire a 7.5mm assault rifle about 30 times in a day safely using that same NRR 20 hearing protector. Note that this conversion from SNR to NRR is just an educated guess, as the two standards use completely different testing protocols. We do know that SNR is always higher than NRR for the same device, though.

So in short:
When it comes to steady state noise, you can estimate how much your hearing protection reduces noise by subtracting the NRR from the ambient noise level in dB's. When it comes to impulse noise, however, that rule of thumb just does not work. With blast noise, your best bet is to realistically consider 1) how loud your weapon is and 2) how frequently you will be firing it, and then to simply experiment with different hunting/shooting hearing protection solutions to find out what works for you.

Just remember that if you think the noise reaching your ears is too loud, it probably is!

Until next time, be safe and love your ears.
--Sarah Bergman, Web Developer

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