Ultimo-Hombre Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Am looking for reccomendations on electronic in the ear type hearing protection. Currently use electronic muffs. Between the heat in the summers here and the headache/ pressure points I gotta make a change. Have tried surefire etc. passive plugs but am just too used to being able to actually hear conversation. Which brand is giving you the best performance for the $$? Also there is a huge price jump going from the analog to digital models, is it worth the $$? And what does that even really mean anyways? Thanks for the Intel! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidnal Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 I have a pair of electronics from http://www.espamerica.com I purchased the certificate from someone who got it off of the Area 2 prize table in 2006. THANKS ESP FOR CONTRIBUTING TO OUR SPORT! They have functioned flawlessly for over 7 years and I'll pony up for another set if these ever wear out. Mine are the cheapest analog version that were available in 2007. They are great for shooting rifle, shotgun, limited or production but I double plug for open. They are comfortable so I put them in morning and wear them until I get back to the car. The analog work well but I do get some additional noise from crunching of gravel or wind. I'll buy the digital version next time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericjhuber Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 I've been using a pair of Westone DefendEar Digital 2's after they were recommended to me by my audiologist. My hearing is just fine and I decided to keep it that way when I took up USPSA a couple years back. They are certainly not cheap, but they are a great product. Most of the time I can get away with just wearing them on their own, but I also have a pair of Pro Ears Gold Electronic muffs that I will wear at the same time if I'm at an indoor range or I'm shooting with a bunch of open shooters. Normally, I can get away with just the Westone's when shooting at a range like Universal Shooting Academy, but I doubled up for most of the recent Florida Open because I had a bunch of really great Open shooters on my squad who had some of the flatest and loudest open guns I've ever squadded up with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilkMyDuds Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 Both cost about $1,000 or more. Are there any similar products that are <$100 for IDPA/USPSA shooters (99% shooting in the open)? Or the foam ear plug the only way to go in Summer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishsticks Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 Both cost about $1,000 or more. Are there any similar products that are <$100 for IDPA/USPSA shooters (99% shooting in the open)? Or the foam ear plug the only way to go in Summer? Hear-pro custom molded will come close. A little more than your $100, but worth it. Decent performance outdoors, indoors requires muffs over the top IMHO. Non-electronic, but you can still hear RO instructions and the timer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gng4life Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 Im glad you started this thread Hombre. My daughter wants a pair of inexpensive in ear hearing protection so I'm looking also. I have a pair of the hear-pros and they are pretty good. The only thing I don't like is that the lowest volume setting is still too loud. When you turn it off, it is really nice and quiet but even at the first level, it is loud. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shakman Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 The newest version of the Hear-Pro AMP37 plugs are a vast improvement over the previous versions. They've added a volume adjustment that works across all the programs, so you can fine-tune the volume level to your comfort level. The sound quality seems better also. Very much worth the investment. If anyone is interested, I can provide a coupon code that can be used online at the Hear-Pro website to get you 15% off a pair of AMP37 plugs. PM me for details. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterthefish Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 Not electronic, but try a pair of Surefire EP7s. They are a foam plug with a 'Noise Brake' built in. Basically, it's a very tiny hole that allows low intensity noise in (like speech) but closes out high intensity noises (like shots). They're comfortable for close to all day wear and I find them adequate for shooting outside. I just toss the plugs that you can use to turn them into normal plugs and double up if I'm shooting rifle indoor, etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkvibe Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 Both cost about $1,000 or more. Are there any similar products that are <$100 for IDPA/USPSA shooters (99% shooting in the open)? Or the foam ear plug the only way to go in Summer? Hear-pro custom molded will come close. A little more than your $100, but worth it. Decent performance outdoors, indoors requires muffs over the top IMHO. Non-electronic, but you can still hear RO instructions and the timer. That's what I use. I like them better than muffs but really miss electronic protection. I have those little tubes to help hear conversation in mine. They help but are no replacement for electronic ears. I'm about ready to get electronic in ear protection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gng4life Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 The newest version of the Hear-Pro AMP37 plugs are a vast improvement over the previous versions. They've added a volume adjustment that works across all the programs, so you can fine-tune the volume level to your comfort level. The sound quality seems better also. Very much worth the investment. If anyone is interested, I can provide a coupon code that can be used online at the Hear-Pro website to get you 15% off a pair of AMP37 plugs. PM me for details. Do you know if I can send mine in for an upgrade? Sent from the range Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shakman Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 Use the "contact us" link on the Hear-Pro site to send Brad an email asking that question. I honestly don't know if they would or not. http://hear-pro.com/contact/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AWLAZS Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 (edited) I can't decide which brand to buy. Sound gear, Hear Pro, or Sport Ear. Any feed back on these? Which company is better to work with if you have issues? Edited October 15, 2015 by AWLAZS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimitz Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 sport ear custom edge 360 hands down ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AWLAZS Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 The 360 is out of my price range. How about the 60? Is sport ear easy to work with? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kampr Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 (edited) Is sport ear easy to work with? I managed to break both off switches on my 812's, a few years out of warranty. Then had a battery meltdown in one, rendering it useless. They charged a flat rate of $79.00, turnaround was a week. Came back cleaned and like new.? Edited October 15, 2015 by kampr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Smith Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 Here is an important thing to consider... Most off the shelf devices use some kind of tip that fits into the ear. Ears are very different and what works for some doesn't work as well for others (I know this from experience). When looking at a device, check to see if it comes with a selection of tips. There are some that can be fitted to a molded ear piece. These tend to fit better and are more comfortable for a longer period of time but can also add a lot to the price since you have to pay for the molding plus the custom mfg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkvibe Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 Anyone have experience with Ear Inc. as a company or with their electronic protection? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzw26n Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 Westone - been in business for 50 years and have pioneered the digital ear piece. $499 - digital ear plugs $1499 - molded ear plugs DefendEar II Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slowhand23 Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 Im glad you started this thread Hombre. My daughter wants a pair of inexpensive in ear hearing protection so I'm looking also. I have a pair of the hear-pros and they are pretty good. The only thing I don't like is that the lowest volume setting is still too loud. When you turn it off, it is really nice and quiet but even at the first level, it is loud. My Hear Pro Amp37's were also too loud on the quietest setting, contacted Brad and sent them back for a 25% volume reduction. Recently had one that won't turn on so returned for warranty repair. Overall, much better than muffs on hot summer days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjts Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 I've been using the Etymotic gun sport pro. Around $300 and it's worked well for the past 2 years. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AWLAZS Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 I am going with the full custom fit what ever kind I end up with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AWLAZS Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 EAR was at nationals making the custom plugs. I have a few sets of their passive plugs with no complaints. My buddy has one of their fancier sets that came from the lab. Its still passive, he has complaints about the quality of the product and the way he was treated when he asked about repairs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkvibe Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 EAR was at nationals making the custom plugs. I have a few sets of their passive plugs with no complaints. My buddy has one of their fancier sets that came from the lab. Its still passive, he has complaints about the quality of the product and the way he was treated when he asked about repairs. Thanks for the feedback. Interested in them because they have waterproof models and I want to use these waterfowl hunting where the weather is often terrible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AWLAZS Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 Sport ear does water proofing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkvibe Posted October 17, 2015 Share Posted October 17, 2015 Sport ear does water proofing. I looked there. The don't seem to have full shell size, only smaller ones. Espamerica does waterproofing too. My local audiologist uses them so any service would be easy but they're more expensive than the competition for similar products. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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