Earplugs that work

[Jeremy Mitchell]

he average size fits me best.  Not sure what that means as I have no idea if my ears are bigger than average or average or not.  I started measuring things and got depressed when I found out I wasn't bigger than average in other areas.

Then you took your Z06 for a ride and all was well again. 

[stevewfl]

Custom plugs FTW. Ear docs make them for about $100 around here, catch vendors at bike night and they can be had for 50-60 boners.

[McJunkie]

The custom ones my audiologist ordered from Westone were $80. Well worth having a professional do it.

[stevewfl]

The custom ones my audiologist ordered from Westone were $80. Well worth having a professional do it.

+1

[jjsC6]

Then you took your Z06 for a ride and all was well again. 

It works like a champ every time 

[PH14]

As far as foam plugs go, Hearos have worked the best for me. I used a different type Thursday on a 760 mile ride and i got severe pain. I took them out as swapped them for the blue Hearos earplugs and despite being bigger, my ears felt much better. I just rode home yesterday doing a the same mileage and used the Hearos and felt okay, not great, I still get pain, but they don't aggravate the ears as much as some.

This is why I am getting custom plugs. There comes a point with the foam plugs for me that I just cannot use them, I am too sore. I have an appointment to get the impressions done this afternoon.

You can do impressions yourself, but for the $10 an audiologist charges for the impressions, it is money well spent to have a professional do it. Others may charge more but I would still rather have a professional do the impressions rather than a guy a motorcycle show. There are things that can go wrong.

[PH14]

Okay, I just got back from the audiologist. The guy in reception said he got in trouble quoting me $10 for each impression. The price went up last month to $20 but they said they would honor the $10 price. I then went in to see the doctor. She was under the impression (No pun intended.) that I was taking the impression home and was buying the ear plugs elsewhere. I said no, I was buying the ear plugs from her. She then said the price of the impressions were included in the price of the ear plugs from Westone. I ordered the 4rt and another pair made for sleeping and general use. They were $90 per pair. I thought that was a steal. I wear ear plugs all the time, for riding and on the plane when I fly, which is usually a couple of time a week. I also wear then a lot for sleeping when I travel. So for $180 I got both sets of ear plugs and had them done professionally. Quite frankly, I would be wary of someone who is not a professional doing impressions of my ears.

The doctor said I had small ear canals and that was the reason I was having issues. She assured me the custom ones would feel much better.

[stevewfl]

$90 a pair is great. I paid $100 for mine from the ear saw-bones.

You'll love them. I recently went on a ride that was 1105 miles on the first day, had them in the whole time.

[maxtog]

SV- thanks for the info.  I probably should have gone that route.  Instead, I cheaped out and bought Radians do-it-yourself stuff.  What a disaster.  It was completely defective.   It was supposed to harden in 10 min.  60 min later, it was still goo in both my ears.  It took days to get it all out.  I BLASTED the company that sold it to me on Amazon and they sent a replacement kit.  It is still sitting on my desk, I haven't gotten the nerve to try it again.  I was trying to make custom molded earphones.

I finally got around to trying the replacement package that was sent to me.  Lo and behold, it worked like a charm!  I don't know why the first box was defective, I performed the EXACT same procedure as the first time, but with totally different results.  After 10 minutes, they started hardening, just like the instructions say.  I left them in for 30 min anyway (was listening to music while vacuuming.  They hold the earphones in much better than without the custom mold.  It also blocks more outside noise.  I won't know about how they work under a helmet or for a long time until later.  I did wear them about 1.5 hours last night and they seem OK.

Modified my Amazon review accordingly.  Now that the product works, not bad for $12!

Picture below:

[stevewfl]

^^^^nice!

[MAN OF BLUES]

I finally got around to trying the replacement package that was sent to me.  Lo and behold, it worked like a charm!  I don't know why the first box was defective, I performed the EXACT same procedure as the first time, but with totally different results.  After 10 minutes, they started hardening, just like the instructions say.  I left them in for 30 min anyway (was listening to music while vacuuming.  They hold the earphones in much better than without the custom mold.  It also blocks more outside noise.  I won't know about how they work under a helmet or for a long time until later.  I did wear them about 1.5 hours last night and they seem OK.

Modified my Amazon review accordingly.  Now that the product works, not bad for $12!

Picture below:

I was surprised to hear the Radian kits you got were crap, mine worked perfectly...must have been old material.
I posted those kitsup about a year ago, when I bought 4 Kits for like $9 each I think, figuring I might botch one learning how to make them work with moulding in some of my old phones for my music...actually they worked perfect first try, and I've made a couple sets using different phones I had that didn't really fit my ears well with the supplied sized adapters.

here's a little hint;
remove the adapters completly, cut a piece of a stir stick straw about a half inch long, and place it in a position against the speaker end of the phone before moulding the material around it in a "ball", mould the silicone in a tapering tube, completely covering the straw, and sealing it in. Shove them into the ear, and follow the instructions for moulding the rest to seal and fill the ear cup. When they setup, remove them, and trim the end off the moulded tip to expose the sippy straw piece, and use a toothpick slide between the straw and the moulded pice to 'loosen the grip on the straw (you can actually lube the straw sparingly before moulding it in if you want),and make sure the silicone is fully setup before pulling the straw from the mould,
VOILA totally moulded hollow ear canal speakers.....
for the money you simply cannot go wrong, hell, old cheapo headphones and the mould kit...$10 custom plugs.

[CB Schmaltz]

WOW very cool
as soon as I get back home from maui 
I am make n some up for me  n my girl

[landofahhs]

Earfuze earplugs with earbuds are great. Perform as advertised.

www.earfuze.com

-David
Athens, Ga

I agree with ACC the earfuze plugs are great...easy to mold and will fit like a glove no hassles.  I also like the fact that earfuze gives you an extra container of 'putty' to try before making your final pair of custom plugs. (The extra container comes with the more expensive kit but is well worth it as a prep for the final plugs so you get your molding technique down) 

I want to warn anyone who chooses to try the earfuze system about the crumby ear buds or earphones Earfuse includes with their kits...they are by far the most tinny and poor responding earphones I've ever heard.  Bass response is totally nonexistant.  Unfortunately,  those crumby earphones come with all the kits Earfuze sells...I didn't see any options to get any of their kits without those lousy earphones.

I strongly suggest to anyone purchasing the Earfuse earplug system to spend some extra cash and get a good set of earphones such as some top notch Sony earphones.  When you combine the earfuze molded plug with the Sony earphones you'll have some earplug/earphone with great bass and a full sound spectrum response...Believe me those Earfuse earphones aren't worth beans.  If you doubt my review of the Earfuse earphones PLEASE try them and compare them to your favorite earphones with some good music BEFORE you mold them into the ear putty permanently.  The Earfuse ear plug system is worthy of much better earphones than the ones they supply...you won't regret it.

[C1xRider]

Wow, with all the great info on custom plugs, I will have to try them.  I wear ear plugs all the time, between motorcycles and snowmobiles.  I even sleep with them in, when on road trips in noisy motels.

I bought a box of the 32dB NRR (37dB SNR) foam plugs a year or two ago, and found that by turning them around and installing them backwards, I can wear them all day without discomfort.  They don't need to go in very far, and the skinny part lays in the gap below the ear lobe.

Still, I've been meaning to get some ear buds made up to wear inside my helmet, and with the great info posted here, sounds like it should be very easy to do.  Thanks guys!

[riverbound51]

I agree with ACC the earfuze plugs are great...easy to mold and will fit like a glove no hassles.  I also like the fact that earfuze gives you an extra container of 'putty' to try before making your final pair of custom plugs. (The extra container comes with the more expensive kit but is well worth it as a prep for the final plugs so you get your molding technique down) 

I want to warn anyone who chooses to try the earfuze system about the crumby ear buds or earphones Earfuse includes with their kits...they are by far the most tinny and poor responding earphones I've ever heard.  Bass response is totally nonexistant.  Unfortunately,  those crumby earphones come with all the kits Earfuze sells...I didn't see any options to get any of their kits without those lousy earphones.

I strongly suggest to anyone purchasing the Earfuse earplug system to spend some extra cash and get a good set of earphones such as some top notch Sony earphones.  When you combine the earfuze molded plug with the Sony earphones you'll have some earplug/earphone with great bass and a full sound spectrum response...Believe me those Earfuse earphones aren't worth beans.  If you doubt my review of the Earfuse earphones PLEASE try them and compare them to your favorite earphones with some good music BEFORE you mold them into the ear putty permanently.  The Earfuse ear plug system is worthy of much better earphones than the ones they supply...you won't regret it.

You are right on the money there.  The molds are comfortable and work well, but the sound quality of the provided earphones were the worst I have ever heard.  I am going to buy the kit again and provide my own ear buds.  Should work out great that way. 

[CB Schmaltz]

ok got everything on the table
starting project now
will report back

[PH14]

Let me update my experience. I got two sets made by Westone a few months back. I got a pair for sleeping and one for wearing while riding, the 4RTs.  I was not happy with the ones I had made, the seal kept breaking and they didn't block as much noise as I expected. I had three months during which to get them remade. My problem was made worse by the fact I have very small ear canals.

I went back and we made new impressions. In reading, I learned that the recommendation for hearing protection ear molds, was to have the impression made with the open mouth bite block method. Basically you have your mouth wide open and they give you a bite block to put between your teeth in order to keep your mouth open properly.

My original impressions were made with the closed mouth, chewing method. I was told to chew a few times and move my jaw a bit to help make them more comfortable.

My ear doctor didn't have bite blocks but we did it without them, I just held my mouth open wide and held it there.  The difference was very noticeable. The new ear molds are comfortable but seal very well and block more sound. They are fantastic. I also got another full shell pair made on my second trip and they work very nicely although I don't use them often.

The impression is the most important part of the process. I highly recommend going to an ear doctor. If they don't work right, they will do it over for you. They will also better be able to make the impression without harming your ear. Yes it can happen.

Mine only cost $90 per pair, including the impressions. She also put me in a sound booth to check to be sure I was getting good attenuation of sound. If I have any comfort issues, I can go back and she will file down any spots that cause problems or pain or do what it takes to get it right.

For $90, it was money well spent. I wear the sleeping ear plugs often, on planes, and I fly on average once a week, and while sleeping. They are extremely comfortable, no more pain. I can wear them all day with no discomfort.

[CB Schmaltz]

OK they work
but dont look that great
 
bought a $5 set of ear buds at wall mart
I pulled the ear bud rubber surounds and put on a regular straw
 w/o the little rubber deals
stuffed some tp in the straw
1st one I just pushed it in my ear
let it set
trimed it
then put back on the little rubber deal e o
second one did the same
but.........
 I turned on the music
and set it to the best postion to hear tunes
much better, can really tell between the left (1st  one ) and right
I recomend asving a little of the epoxy mix to finsih off and add to the outer area as needed
will test  next week
doing a winter ride
4 day ride phoniex to san diego
we're taking the long way
then 4 days of paragliding at torrey pines

[Pokey]

The big bulk pack that Lowes sells works awesome for me, pretty damn comfy too.

[PH14]

The big bulk pack that Lowes sells works awesome for me, pretty damn comfy too.

Unfortunately after a few hours, foam earplugs cause me a lot of discomfort. After many hours I often experience bleeding. I wear earplugs all the time so it was worth the $90 for a pair that alleviate that issue. It was worth spending more to get different pairs for different uses.