Ear plugs

Franklin2890

Active Member
So I am after a set of earplugs for mainly shooting with the shotgun but on a budget of £100 or so the 3 that I am considering is the sonic valve 2, cens proflex passive, and the EMTEC noise breakers. Has anyone used either of these 3 or could recommend which ones are the best?
 
I used the Emtec ones, found them comfy and effective enough. For the same money you can buy electronic ones which are way better. I have recently got a set of these which cancel out loud noises very very well. The big advantage of this type of protection is that they cover the small bone behind the ear which gets damaged by loud noises.

Al
 
The electronic ones are full muffs, strange to begin with. A few days and you hardly notice them

Al
 
I haven't tried the Sonic Valve but I've had both the others. I've also had two pairs of electronic ear muffs but just can't get on with them. I find they clatter against the stock when I'm mounting the gun, which I find very off-putting.

I bought a pair of Emtecs at the Game Fair in 2006 and swore by them until I lost one this season....then I just swore. I found them comfortable and effective. Sadly Emtec no longer had the impressions of my ear canals so I couldn't get a replacement without going in for another measuring session.

Instead I bought a pair of the CENS ProFlex Digital 1. If anything they are more comfortable still, but that could be because the ear canal changes over time so the more recent impression is a better fit, or that the silicone they use is a newer blend. The electronic module is great, though it does mean I can now hear the comments of the guns further down the line ;) I did get the feeling they stick in a load of "stuff" to help justify the price, which I'd gladly have done without (baseball cap, aluminium case, etc). That aside, I'd happily recommend them and would rate them above the Emtecs, but that's not really a fair comparison with earplugs produced some 8 years apart.

If you buy the CENS Passive you can buy the electronic insert at a later date if you decide to upgrade, which might be useful. When I bought mine I did the reverse - I bought the electronic module but also bought the passive inserts. This is because I sometimes use earplugs when flying, which I do a lot for work.

willie_gunn
 
How do you find the passive module for the cens you ever used them for shooting or just flying? Can you still here what's happening around you?
 
I haven't used the passive module for shooting but I have used the electronic module whilst it's been turned off, which I figure is pretty much the same thing. The Emtecs on the other hand were entirely passive. In both cases I could hear most normal conversations around me, as the passive plugs are designed to reduce the impact noise from shooting to an acceptable level rather than block noise entirely. The passive muff type headsets, by contrast, are designed to cut out pretty much all sound regardless, so not dissimilar to the earmuffs you might use when out with the chainsaw or strimmer.

What I couldn't hear with the passive plugs was the comments from guns three pegs away, which in hindsight was possibly an advantage!

willie_gunn
 
I maybe should add that I've never had a problem with the "in ear" design of the earplugs, though I know some people can't get on with them. Then again I use in-ear headphones with my mp3 player, so I'm used to the sensation of having something stuck in my ear.

With the Emtecs I used to lick them before sticking them in my ear, but when I had the impressions done for my CENS plugs the clinician told me never to stick the plugs in my mouth as it's the dirtiest orifice in the body and so you're likely to end up with germs being transferred to your ear canal :eek:

willie_gunn
 
Thanks for the advice from what I have been reading it's a toss up between the cens and Noisebreakers edging more toward the cens with the opportunity to upgrade To the modules and as you not being able to hear the guns three pegs down maybe an advantage lol
 
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