Ear Buds/Hearing Protection durability

[dstuckmann]

I use S Plugs from Plugup and I'm happy with them. They fit in the ear canal and have user replaceable tips for $8 a pair. Molded ones are available as well.

http://plugup.com/cart/index.php?mai...=index&cPath=9

[183435]

I have been using Big Ears for about 5 years with excellent results. Mine can be worn all day without discomfort and are excellent noise protection even when I turn the MP3 player off.

But as mentioned, the fit is the thing. Without a proper fit, any ear devise is not worth the material it is made out of. I would strongly suggest you have the fitting done in person and by an expert.

[kantuckid]

I'd like to keep this thread alive for a bit as still reading up on ear phone stuff. I have viewed many choices and it seems that Bob Weis has a great price compared to others listed? Why pay $100+ more for another persons silicone ear mold with an ear bud embedded? I'll ask , out of pure ignorance, why does it raise the cost of a ear bud from $10-20 range , to $100-250 and up, due to having someone make a mold from your ear impression and recast with an ear bud? Seems to be more like what a dentist would charge . Tightwad comes out in me , every time!

[gblawler]

As I posted earlier in this thread, I found a good selection of noise-isolating ear buds at Best Buy around $20. I have never worn the custom-fitted kind, but I have no complaints about the $20 Altec Lansing model I have. I would recommend to anyone that they try the $20 ear buds before spending the money for the custom ones. It seems like, in spite of the high price, some people have problems with the custom ones, so I would think it would be worth risking $20 to find out if a low price model will do the job for you.

[B1Pilot]

Why pay $100+ more for another persons silicone ear mold with an ear bud embedded? I'll ask , out of pure ignorance, why does it raise the cost of a ear bud from $10-20 range , to $100-250 and up, due to having someone make a mold from your ear impression and recast with an ear bud? Seems to be more like what a dentist would charge . k

There are two things that matter, and they are what drive the cost up -- form and function.

As to form, the best ear plugs are the ones that comform perfectly to your ear. I dont know about the others, but the EAR Inc.s require a casting of your inner ear. They will send you a do it yourself (or really do it with help from a friend) kit, but it is best to have them done by a professional. By making these molds, your ear plugs will have no gaps, but will also have no pressure or discomfort. For long rides (5+ hours) there is nothing like it. For under a helmet, where there is often added pressure, there is nothing like it.

The second is function. A well made set will have much better and accurate audio drivers, with a very small audio opening ported directly to your eardrum. This means that the response coverage can be very large without an excess of power required --- for me this is very noticeable in that I can hear the high range stuff I cant normally with any other off the shelf earplugs. Good sets will have the small drivers ( the most expensive piece) imbedded right into the custom mold. I have read on hear about the others that port the sound through a long tube... This is less than optimal as the tube can get bent, and the sound waves are literally bouncing through the tube creating micro-echos that distort the originally sound making it tinnier (which if you already have this problem naturally, will exacerbate it).


Being a pilot, I am constantly around loud, jet engine noise. I wear earplugs and helmets with speakers in them day in day out. The air force has been testing custom molded earplugs connected to helmets, and they are arguably the best solution for any pilot. I get my ears checked annually and have had no hearing loss, alot of which I think is because of the headphones I use at work and off duty. I cannot recommend enough a custom molded solution, it is a wise investment. I wear them not just for riding but while running, during air travel , mowing the lawn etc. I a debating getting another, non-speaker pair just for shooting I like them so much.

Good luck!

[froggy]

[QUOTE=Gottago;627108]I also have Arizona Al's earplugs now for about 5 years. They are fantastic. What's different with Al's is the special tube from the speakers to the custom molded ear plugs. And if you're real careful and it gets plugged you can pull it out and snip off the plugged area and reinsert it. I think the price is approx. $200. Best money I've ever spent. Gotten me across Nebraska in the middle of summer without going mad.

Side note: Rad - is that an ipod remote and who makes it?[/QUOTE
Looks to me like it is similiar to my Ijet remote,but it looks to have the Monster Cable logo on it.
As for my Ijet,it plugs into the bottom of my nano.It comes with a seperate wireless remote that I velcro to my clutch res. cap.It will change songs forward and back,decrease-increase volume and pause unit.You can even charge your unit thru the adaptor that is plugged into the bottom of your nano.I love mine and listen to music all the time on the bike,and when I get tired of the music I hit pause and allow the earbuds to reduce outside noises.
Hope this helped.

[Bobmws]

I'd like to keep this thread alive for a bit as still reading up on ear phone stuff. I have viewed many choices and it seems that Bob Weis has a great price compared to others listed?

You can thank my parents for raising me in an honest retail environment.

Why pay $100+ more for another persons silicone ear mold with an ear bud embedded?

Bragging rights?!, after all you do have that roundel on your bike......
In some cases it's corporate structure, the vendor you deal with has to go through the franchise for the product.

I'll ask , out of pure ignorance, why does it raise the cost of a ear bud from $10-20 range , to $100-250 and up, due to having someone make a mold from your ear impression and recast with an ear bud? Seems to be more like what a dentist would charge . Tightwad comes out in me , every time!

There is the cost of the custom molds to consider. That is somewhat labor intensive when compared to a plastic injection molded bud. A mold is individually made from the impression of your ear then the final plug is cast from that mold. The mold itself is destroyed in the process (lost wax) so duplicate or subsequent orders are just as labor intensive.
Costs can go up with the addition of dual drivers or crossover circuits. Concert hall sound from stage type monitors? Sure $650 and up......
You're/we're riding a motorcycle, what do you need beyond good noise protection and a reasonably decent sound reproduction? HTH

[OLSENSAN]

I just got done reading all the replies to your question. I have also debated all the choices and just can't, for the sake of not being taken by the hype, spending $100 on a pair of ear buds. I find that to be insane and a waste. I found the main problem, aside from good fit, comfort and sound isolation, to be keeping the darn things in the ears where they belong when the helmet is removed or put on. I found at a Target store Sony's "Sweet Little Buds" which cost a wopping $12 and fit the bill for all criteria mentioned above, and they stay in your ears and have different tips from tiny to elephant ear canals. I bought 4 pair and just keep them on hand as ready spares. If it breaks, who cares.

You can spend all sorts of $ for this and that but the main weakness I have found in these things is that the wires coming out of the ear pieces always tend to break INSIDE the insulation. The wire is also the antenea so when that happens, it's a double whammy. Buy the cheap and comfortable ones and don't be a slave to the damn things, get out there to ride and jam a little without feeling like a dope for spending $100 or more for something that will get lost or broken within a year, who needs the grief.

[rad]

Side note: Rad - is that an ipod remote and who makes it?[/QUOTE
Looks to me like it is similiar to my Ijet remote,but it looks to have the Monster Cable logo on it.

It is a Monster remote made for the earlier version of the IPod that is why it has tape on it, I had to cut back the side to get it to fit the new Nano. I'm sure Monster has one to fit the new Nano.

You can just see in the bottom of the pic where my remote lives. The IPod goes on the inside of my Stich.