Hey all-

I am considering taking the plunge and coughing up $3k for a set of in-ear amplified hearing protection, specifically Axil (formerly Sport Ear). I have met a lot of instructors that use and like them.

Anybody here have them or others?
Experiences?

Bruce

I have a pair from Axil...mine cost about $600…

I have been pretty disappointed with mine..... Now they just sit in my range bag with dead batteries.

Maybe the more expensive ones would be better.

I’ve been very pleased with my SoundGear molded electronic plugs. They have deals at major USPSA matches sometimes and in my case, I was able to use FlexPay from my health insurance.

I have the Platinum version, retail is $1,200. https://www.soundgearhearing.c...ducts/custom-product

I had the molds done and ordered from House of Hearing in St. George.

I don't know if it's the same thing but I work in a noisy environment. Wearing hearing aids and a noise cancellation headset over them, gives me feedback. So if you wear electronic ear muffs, you might get the same issue

I am looking for an in-the-ear model that I can wear all the time, or nearly. Between the years riding in the helicopter and time on the range, I seem to be saying "What?" more often than before.

I definitely want hearing protection for shooting, primarily, with amplification of hearing as a secondary benefit.

Bruce

I have a pair of Custom Edge 90s purchased in early 2017. I like them, but they are only used a three or four days per month on average.

They are the full shell version, and mine have the holes cut for the hearing aid wax guards. I swap out those wax guards every day.

Steve-

Where did you purchase them? Care to share what you paid?

Bruce

Bump for any other opinions.

Bruce

I have long wondered how well in-ear devices really work to protect hearing. My hearing is so devastated and now sensitive to any elevated noise level that when I’ve tried in-ear types, they have all been essentially worthless unless the noise is no louder than a .22 rimfire or sometimes a low-powered suppressed gunshot. Even with something in my ears the sound of most gunshots is very unpleasant and I get (increased) ringing for a time after the shot. That’s why I wonder whether such devices actually protect the hearing of normal people, or just reduce the noise to a comfortable, but not necessarily safe, nondamaging, level.

Hi Bruce,

I have a set of Sport Ears that I bought several years ago. Custom fit, two channel. I gather that they look at the audiology report and see how many different level of “help” you are going to need. From recollection, if you need the maximum number of channels, it was around $3,000. I don’t recall the cost of the two channel set that I needed, but it was considerably less that that.

I always wear Peltor electronic hearing protection over something in-ear. For classes, I use the Sport Ears and the muffs as the Sport Ears help to hear instructions. For shooting at home on our range, I just use the old style cylindrical EAR yellow foamies and the muffs to save on batteries.

I’ve been happy with them. I screwed up and popped a volume knob off one trying to get the battery compartment open (lesson learned: Use glasses that allow me to see what I’m doing.) and when I sent them back, they fixed them, cleaned them, and returned them looking like new for a nominal fee.

Somewhere along the line, I managed to lose the little brush that they give you to clean them when you buy them. When I stopped by their booth at a range near you to buy a replacement, they just handed me one and said, “Have a nice day.” I seem to recall that they may have discounts there as well.

I’d go to Costco and get a hearing test and audiology report, then talk to the Axil folks about what might be appropriate.

Oh, and you can buy the required batteries in bulk at Costco very cost effectively. They seem to last two to three days after you peel the tab off of them, whether they are in the units or not. Pulling the doors open (removing the batteries from the circuit) when not in use may help a little bit, but not much.

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:
I have long wondered how well in-ear devices really work to protect hearing. My hearing is so devastated and now sensitive to any elevated noise level that when I’ve tried in-ear types, they have all been essentially worthless unless the noise is no louder than a .22 rimfire or sometimes a low-powered suppressed gunshot. Even with something in my ears the sound of most gunshots is very unpleasant and I get (increased) ringing for a time after the shot. That’s why I wonder whether such devices actually protect the hearing of normal people, or just reduce the noise to a comfortable, but not necessarily safe, nondamaging, level.

I don’t know where the safe level is, nor whether your ears are more sensitive than mine.

My experience has been that with the in-ear plugs only (Sport Ears *or* EAR yellow foamies, it is noticeably louder than with either of them plus electronic muffs. I’m not sure whether they are quieter than the muffs alone or not. For me, when installed as I consider correctly (rolled up tight, pushed down the ear canal until they feel like they bottom, then allowed to expand and seal against the sides), the EAR foamy plugs alone are slightly quieter than the Sport Ears alone. Neither bothers me with the sound of typical pistol rounds (9, .40, .357 Sig, .45), but it is different enough that I quickly realize that the muffs are missing. I don’t care for just the muffs either, as plugs plus muffs is noticeably quieter.

Maybe it is paranoia, but I figure that the kids already gripe enough about the “Huh?” that they hear from me occasionally that I go for belt & suspenders on hearing protection to do everything I can to avoid making it worse.