Ear Plugs: In Case You Like Being Able To Hear
My Big Ear earplugs.
As I mentioned last week, I got a free pair of earplugs to try out and review. They come from a company called Big Ear.
First thing you need to understand is that the plugs they gave me are their bottom of the line, which sell for $85. For some reason they just weren’t inclined to give me a pair of their top of the line, $2,150 ear plugs. Go figure. I thought you loved me!
This is all to say, of course, that they have a wide range of offerings. The low end is the solid plugs that just simply block noise. Plus, these are pretty rigid. For $109 you can get the same but in softer, more comfortable acrylic, and for $169 you can get even softer silicone. Just from wearing these I’d probably be inclined to pay a little more for the acrylic.
Stepping up, you get the filtered plugs. These start at $150 and as the name implies, you get noise reduction but only certain wavelengths are filtered out so you can talk and hear normally but the loud, bad stuff if blocked.
If you want to go big they have the hunter varieties where it selectively filters out the sound of your gun but allows you to hear leaves rustling and footsteps, etc. out there in the woods. These go as high as $1,050.
If you’re a swimmer they have aquatic plugs that are biased toward keeping water out of your ears, blocking sound, or playing music while you swim. (Who does that? Nobody I know.)
Many people do like to listen to music while riding their motorcycles, however, and Big Ear has that covered. These have cords and/or Bluetooth to connect to your cellphone. These go as high as $1,496.
And then the top of the line does everything: music, Bluetooth, sound reduction, filtering, and top of the line sound quality.
Pete preps my earplugs.
They inserted a foam block in my ears, attached with threads for extraction, to limit how far in the molding material could go. Then the silicone was pumped in and while it hardened they shaped the exterior a bit. Once the silicone was set it was all extracted and allowed to set further. With some buffing and trimming and grinding away of extraneous matter, plus some sealant coating, the result was a pair of finished earplugs.
And the big question: how do they do?
The first test I gave them was not on the bike. We have a VitaMix blender at home that, when turned up to top speed, is like a jet engine. It is so loud we wear a pair of noise-blocking headphones when we use it. So I tried making a smoothie using my new Big Ear earplugs. And it was pretty comparable to the headphones. Which means they block a lot of noise.
With that fact established I could only think of one other thing to test and that was comfort. So I went for a ride. Would they be comfortable for an extended period?
Here the answer was a little more ambiguous. For whatever reason, the one in my left ear was more noticeable than the one in my right ear. It may be that it was a snugger fit because I also noticed I got a bit of wind noise in my right ear but not in my left. But that snugger fit was also harder to ignore. I was barely aware on the right but very aware on the left. That’s why I say if I was going to buy these things I would probably pay the extra for the softer units.
But they fit under the helmet perfectly. I’ve worn ear plugs that protruded and got jostled by the helmet when I was putting it on and that is not going to happen with these.
If you care about your hearing you really ought to protect it. Judy and I both have some degree of hearing loss and the failure to hear and understand each other clearly is what leads to most of our moments of friction. There are numerous sources of good earplugs out there and I know that Big Ear is only one of them. Whatever brand you choose, I would strongly urge you to use something.
Biker Quote for Today
Warning: Objects seen in mirror are disappearing rapidly.
May 18th, 2019 at 5:11 am
I have bought 2 pair of ear plugs for my lady. The first were eaten by the dogs. The second pair have been a life saver. I can sleep in the same room because they work so well. I snore like a freight train. We bought them in Laughlin during the River Run.Thnx.