Custom Electronic In Ear Hearing Protection

[cbrussell]

I have had custom ear molds made at a local Audiology Center. Now the hard choice; which of the myriad of electronic in ear hearing manufacturers should I choose? There are so many it is hard to decide which one. What are the forum user choices and why? What was the deciding factor in your choice? Price is not an overriding factor.

Thanks for your help.

[Silverscooby27]

https://harrisandsons.com/products/ff20

[Silverscooby27]

https://www.espamerica.com/dynamic/ If you don’t care about Bluetooth. I want Bluetooth to make and take phone calls on the range.

[Nevadazielmeister]

My wife and I just purchased these; https://www.goaxil.com/shop/performance-hearing-aids/custom-edge-60-electronic-ear-protection/

 

Very excited to use them. They are another 2 weeks out or so, so we can report back when we have had a chance to use them. 

 

There are a lot of companies out there, which we shopped through extensively online and while at various shows and these guys seemed to understand what they were talking about. 

[MikeyScuba]

https://www.soundgearhearing.com/collections/custom-fit/products/custom-product-silver
 

My wife and I each have a pair.  We paid $799 a pair, I think others here paid $699.  It’s negotiable, contact a few nearby hearing clinics and see what u get.

 

I went to a clinic in Buffalo as there doesn’t seem to be any on our side of the border that carries these.

[Smokin]

I have an 8 year old set of ESP Elite classics that are currently at ESP getting the electronics completely replaced. The left side went out 3 years ago and I lived with just the right side working. The right side stopped working last year and I lived with using my MSA's for a year until headphones were just too cumbersome to hunt with this past season. The repair costs $300 so make sure that you factor reliability into your decision. I cant say whether 8 years is long lasting or not long enough. But I do feel that $800+ ear pro should last at least as long as my MSA's which are still going after 10+ years. 

[MadBomber]

I have been using Soundgear plugs for 7 years now.  Like them a lot.

[Bad_Karma]

I second the Harris and Sons FF-20s. I have hearing loose from years of neglect/military service and these are the only ones I’ve found that amplify sound in a why that I can hear similar to my normal hearing aids. They also come with 3 custom settings for different range scenarios. I didn’t think the Bluetooth setting would be necessary, but it has turned out to be big plus as well imo. 

[OptimiStick]

I just got a pair of the Westone Defendear passive-filtered custom fitted plugs. And if I like them would move up to the digital. They fit great, and I was amazed at how much ambient noise they let in. I took a quick trip to the range just to test them - and - I couldn't get my muffs back on fast enough. It's like wearing nothing at all. I honestly think they forgot to put in the filters. 

 

I had soundgear recommended, but all the places I called near me are Westone dealers, no soundgear.

 

 

[conditionone]

I bought Defend Ear Digital2s early last year. They cost $1200. Now they have Digital X models that are half the price. The module is easily removed so you can wash the earmolds under running water if you want. Battery life is very good. Shooting four matches a month the batteries are good for about eight weeks. 

There is Bluetooth digital cable available for $150 that replaces the Digital modules in your earmolds. I use the cable when I need ear pro and not shooting. When doing the lawn etc.

[Brooke]

We use Soundgear. Mine are 6 years old and no problems. I'm sure there are others who make good stuff but these are good

[Nevadazielmeister]

In follow up, my wife and I received our Custom Edge 60 Sport Ears by Axil and they fit perfectly. They are very comfortable and suppress just the right amount of noise. They are a vast upgrade from our MSA Sordins we had used for years and years. It is interesting that we hear more, a lot more, with these things. They were so nice my wife wore them from our home to our shooting area (about a 20 minute drive) just to test them out last night. While I had used them for a whole day already as I got mine first, she just had to try them out sooner, so excited was she. 

 

The one thing people don't seem to talk about is noise cancellation and also wind noise reduction. While we had problems with the MSA's in the wind, these we did not. It was explained to us that the Digital Signal Control technology was important. More reading here (https://www.goaxil.com/axil-core-technology/). Our experience with the AudiCORE 2.0 level of DSC has been great so far. We are not hearing the expanded wind noise you get with speakers in windy conditions. There were times with the MSA's we could not hear anything people were saying. Now with these Axil's, we can hearing everything just fine. Don't forget about these super tiny features (they are the size of a grain of rice) that provide huge benefits. 

 

It is important to do your research and I would recommend talking to an audiologist or even an ENT doctor to get a good idea. They are very knowledgable and will get you the straight answers. Spending the money that you might on these things, it pays in the long run with continued safe hearing.