Hearing Protection

JessePereboom

JessePereboom

IBR Finisher
#1
#1
Outside of ear buds, or ear plugs, anyone else have any great tips? I still get beat up by the noise with ear plugs and ear buds. I have stock exhaust on my bike, 2021 HD FLHTK which is not that loud, and a stock air box. I suppose there could be quieter bikes, and also thinking a different helmet. Anyone use any noise cancellation products, or anything tricky?
 
Firstpeke

Firstpeke

Well-Known Member
#3
#3
I use these:

https://www.snorestore.co.uk/acatalog/laserlite-earplugs.html#SID=27

A very high level of noise reduction to the point of taking my helmet off if wanting to converse with border control or the like.....

If you still have issues with noise with these in, you are on the wrong bike or have other issues!

I wear a Schuberth and have previously had Shoei and Shark helmets.

If you are wearing inadequate ear protection, in due course you will require hearing assistance, noise levels with inadequate ear protection are so high at highway speeds you ARE damaging your hearing, regardless of how good your helmet is claimed to be.
 
Dave28117

Dave28117

Premier Member
#4
#4
ear buds don't do the job for me. I use foam earplugs for my long trips. I wear them under a 3/4 helmet and my windshield is tall enough to keep wind directly off my face.
 
Baxter

Baxter

Well-Known Member
#5
#5
I use foam earplugs with a modular helmet.

Your avatar pic looks like you wear a modular. Some are quieter than others. My helmet is due for replacement at the end of this season, and I'm looking for another modular that has good reviews for quietness.
 
SteveAikens

SteveAikens

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#7
#7
I've been a Hearos Ultimate Softness Series 32db user for more years than I can recall. They're they quietest I could find. The downside to that is, as I seem to have aged, so has my hearing. To even come close to hearing anyone speak, I tell them they need to yell at me.

More important to me is, I've reached a point that listening to any audio from the radio, phone or GPS is simply impossible.

I think I'm at that point where I need to find something with a lower DB rating or move to something like the "Koss Plug" ear buds or it's "The Sounds Of Silence" for me on the bikes.

So Eric, do you notice much difference between the 3M NRR29 and the Laser Lites 32 plugs? Can you hear Cletha yelling at you with the 29's...:p
 
EricV

EricV

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#8
#8
We use Sena 20S Evos and both have to have the volume at max to hear clearly w/o yelling in our comm. I do notice a difference between the 3M and the Howard Light plugs. The HLs are quieter and fit a little tighter/more form fitting to the ear canal. I got used to the 3M from years of using them at work in an industrial setting. I like both, but the HL sometimes feel like you're unplugging your brain when you remove them, they fit so well to the ear. The 3M are more comfortable for me and as far as people speaking to me or road/wind noise, I notice a difference, (3M not quite as good at blocking total noise), but not a huge difference in what level sound I hear.
 
SteveAikens

SteveAikens

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#9
#9
I'm also running the 20S Evo. Just not enough volume. I'm going to try various earplugs with lower db ratings to see where that gets me, and I bought "The Plug" to give that a shot but I'm not confident it's going to work for me. So far, no real joy. Not really a huge issue for me because unlike others, I ride along 99% of the time and won't be paring with anyone to chat on the road. However, I do enjoy my tunes at times. Thanks.
 
Shawn K

Shawn K

Professional Cat Confuser
Premier Member
#12
#12
Buy a leather punch, put a small hole through the center of your favorite 32dB foam ear plugs, feed the sound tube of the Koss "Plug" earbuds through the hole, and ride.

Putting mega noise-reducing earplugs in your ears and then cranking up the volume on your speakers completely defeats the purpose of the ear plugs. The key is to create a sealed ear bud solution that allows the sound you *want* to have easy access to your ears, while turning down the volume of everything else around it.

This is just one man's opinion, but it's an opinion based on over 100,000 miles of experimentation with various earbuds, speaker combos, and noise reduction strategies over the last 7 years, so it's a fairly well-earned opinion.
 
Stephen!

Stephen!

Flivver Flyer
Premier Member
IBA Member
IBR Finisher
#13
#13
EricV said:
I read somewhere else that you can buy upgraded Sena speakers from Sena, but haven't gone looking. The poster felt they gave more and better volume than the standard 20S speakers.
Click to expand...
We ditched the Sena speakers, got clamps with stereo mini jacks to mount our SMH-10 units, and started using EarFuze molded earbuds. Now Tamara can actually hear the music and we do not need to turn the volume anywhere near as high.
 
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