Custom fit electronic hearing protection

[ZSteinle]

Anyone out there using custom fit hearing protection? Is it worth the money? I do a lot of wing shooting, clay targets, rifle range, and big game hunting. Can u still tell directions of where a noise is coming from. I have looked at the sound gear ones that are on this site and interested in those but am also looking at custom fit ones.

 

[hynes57]

I don't have a pa of custom fit electronic hearing protection but I have the Soundgear plugs and love them.

As long as you have two separate devices which report sound to each corresponding ear you should be able to tell where sound is coming from just the same as you would without any hearing. The lack of directional hearing usually occurs when you have one mic picking up sound and reporting back to both ears equally. when you do away with the subtle differences between how one ear hears sound versus the other you lose your sense of directional hearing. A lot of ear muffs only have one mic and distribute sound to both ears even though they appear like they have two mics. My Howard Leights are like this.

I can't imagine you'll regret spending the money especially if you are the type of person even considering spending the kind of money you are talking about. While the soungears are cheaper than a lot of other devices and more than likely the other ones you are looking at. They are still a hell of a lot more expensive than a pair of foam plugs or a pair of amplified muffs, and for me the Soundgear plugs take care of all of the limitation I had with plugs and amplified ear muffs.

What started me on my journey was a duck hunting outing where three of us sat fairly close together in a blind and repeatedly shot for several hours. While it was a good morning, later on in the day and for the next couple of days I could tell my hearing was a little off and knew full well why. Calling ducks and listening for their response and wing beat presents a problem when wearing regular ear plugs. At least for me anyways. So I bought a pair of Howard Leight amplified muffs knowing I'd find some use for them at the range if they didn't work for duck hunting. Within the first few minutes I knew the muffs wouldn't work. Whenever I tried to blow the duck call the sound kicked out and it was hard to tell what the call sounded like. When I went to mount the shotgun the muffs got in the way a little. I quickly abandoned the muffs for duck hunting. Then I tried the muffs for coyote calling. I loved being able to hear better. Hearing how much noise I made going into my stands was helpful. After a few outings though I began to realize that the muffs were problematic for coyote hunting as well. It was very difficult to tell which direction noise was coming from. small amounts of wind would cause havoc. And the hood I wear would rub against the mic every time I moved my head (I thought something was trying to sneak up on me at times).

My sound gears solved all of those problems and although they were a hell of a lot more expensive than what I had planned to spend, I've never regretted the purchase.

 

[ZSteinle]

Excellent. Thanks. You use the hunting or industrial

 

[hynes57]

Excellent. Thanks. You use the hunting or industrial

I've got the hunter version. My hearing is pretty decent to start off with. The amplification is definitely noticeable but it's no so bad that having normal conversations or riding around in the truck with them in bothers you. Most of the time I put them in when we get out of the truck and I leave them in for the entire day until we're done. Batteries have lasted quite awhile but I did have a few bad ones so it's always good to have a pack of spares with you just in case.


Only complaint I have is the case they came in. It doesn't have a positive locking mechanism on it. The first thing I did was go out and buy the smallest case I could find with a firm locking mechanism. No way I was gonna pay that much and lose the things cause they fell out of the case. I found a small plastic fly fishing box that has multiple compartments in it. It allows me to keep the batteries, spare batteries, unit, and the sleeves all in a container that fits in my pocket or truck an I don't have to worry about losing things out of it.

 

[dig]

Yes I use a custom fit set by E.A.R out of Boulder CO. I shoot a lot of clays, used electric muffs for years however never liked them in the summer months. Also never got plugs in in time on a hunt. When a 338 hoes off you feel it even with the adrenaline. Now I just put in my EARS and go ( when I don't forget ). Downside is cost at $1,000 it's a significant investment although a medical deduction.

 

[Dr. Vette]

Yes I use a custom fit set by E.A.R out of Boulder CO. I shoot a lot of clays, used electric muffs for years however never liked them in the summer months. Also never got plugs in in time on a hunt. When a 338 hoes off you feel it even with the adrenaline. Now I just put in my EARS and go ( when I don't forget ). Downside is cost at $1,000 it's a significant investment although a medical deduction.

I have a set of these as does my shooting partner. He and my Dad each bought electronic protection 2y ago (Dad bought a different brand), and after an elk hunt in 2012 each said it was the best piece of equipment they took along. I then bought a set from EAR in January 2013 and used them hunting last year.

I agree - you can put them in and leave them in all day with no problems. I also found I can hear things better, even on the lowest volume setting. In early October I distinctly recall hearing a spike whitetail sneaking through the woods I never would have heard without the electronics.

The downside is that the price is now up to $1800.