ISO Hearing Protection

Bill Satko

Member
Messages
3,207
Location
Methow Valley
I am looking for some hearing protection and trying to determine what will work for my needs, is proving difficult. I am looking for something that will block out sudden impact noise, such as hammering out mortises and dovetails while still allowing me to enjoy music. I am looking for something really light weight and comfortable. I looked at noise cancelling earmuffs thinking I could still listen to background music, but am not sure that would actually work. Not sure if the noise cancelling would also cancel out the music. Besides most of them don't do sudden impacts well. The ones made for shooting do, like Walker's. I could go with ones with bluetooth but the shooter muffs don't have them. It is looking like regular earmuffs with bluetooth is the way to go. Now to just find something really lightweight and which have good reviews. Any ideas?
 
I use Howard Leigh’s shooters electronic earmuffs for shooting and in the shop, they work pretty well, amplifies low level sounds for music, not great sound quality that way, but you can hook them up to iPods and such through a cable, I have a new spare pair if interested 🙂

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I use the isotunes bluetooth earbuds for working in the shop and shooting. They ar great and comfortable. I own the howard leight headset as well and they are great but also interfere with a good cheek weld when shooting. I just hate how hot they are .

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I use Howard Leigh’s shooters electronic earmuffs for shooting and in the shop, they work pretty well, amplifies low level sounds for music, not great sound quality that way, but you can hook them up to iPods and such through a cable, I have a new spare pair if interested 🙂
I appreciate the offer Tom, but am now leaning to the Isotunes Bluetooth Sport. Hopefully they will work out for me.
 
I use the isotunes bluetooth earbuds for working in the shop and shooting. They ar great and comfortable. I own the howard leight headset as well and they are great but also interfere with a good cheek weld when shooting. I just hate how hot they are .

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Thanks Mark, the Sport Advance looks like it might fit what I need. As always, the reviews have some negatives, but the nice thing about Amazon is that take most everything back if it does not work out. I remember how hot ear muffs can get. What is also pushing towards them is that they have Bluetooth. Have you had any Bluetooth connection problems?
 
I use the isotunes bluetooth earbuds for working in the shop and shooting. They ar great and comfortable. I own the howard leight headset as well and they are great but also interfere with a good cheek weld when shooting. I just hate how hot they are...
Mark, do you know of any earbuds that can amplify normal conversation but filter out loud sounds? I'm a firearms instructor and use the Howard Leight Impact headset. I agree with you about the cheek weld and sweatiness, but I need something that allows me to also hear conversational speech easily outdoors.I haven't researched earbuds very much for that reason. It sounds like you've looked into them more than I have, so any suggestions you (or anyone reading this) might have are welcome.
 
Thanks Mark, the Sport Advance looks like it might fit what I need. As always, the reviews have some negatives, but the nice thing about Amazon is that take most everything back if it does not work out. I remember how hot ear muffs can get. What is also pushing towards them is that they have Bluetooth. Have you had any Bluetooth connection problems?
None and i have a bad habit of leaving my phone in the house and walking outside. I had mowed half of the yard about .75 of an acre before i even noticed that i didn't ha e my phone. Podcast never cut out till i went around the other side of the house

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Mark, do you know of any earbuds that can amplify normal conversation but filter out loud sounds? I'm a firearms instructor and use the Howard Leight Impact headset. I agree with you about the cheek weld and sweatiness, but I need something that allows me to also hear conversational speech easily outdoors.I haven't researched earbuds very much for that reason. It sounds like you've looked into them more than I have, so any suggestions you (or anyone reading this) might have are welcome.
I shoot clays and birds a bunch so i wanted something that could do the same. It doesn't amplify but it cuts out over 80db i think. I liked the HL for that purpose but found every time i went to shoot clays i knocked them out of place. For pistol they are great

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I shoot clays and birds a bunch so i wanted something that could do the same. It doesn't amplify but it cuts out over 80db i think. I liked the HL for that purpose but found every time i went to shoot clays i knocked them out of place. For pistol they are great
Thanks, Mark. Since 99% of my trigger time is with a handgun (and most of the rest is with AR-style stocks), I guess I'll stick with the Howard Leights. :thumb: Now if I could only get more of my students and the members of my shooting club to wear them, perhaps they could hear my range commands better, lol.
 
Thanks, Mark. Since 99% of my trigger time is with a handgun (and most of the rest is with AR-style stocks), I guess I'll stick with the Howard Leights. :thumb: Now if I could only get more of my students and the members of my shooting club to wear them, perhaps they could hear my range commands better, lol.
I really like them for pistol especially for the public range here as you cn hear the rangemaster perfect. I shoot a lot and have moved over to PCP rifles which are moderated and requires zero protection. All you hear is the hammer drop

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Sorry to dig up a old thread but...
I was wondering what you all thought about using regular noise canceling ear buds? (Not ANSI rated) I have a pair of skull candy ear buds that filter out a lot of noise.
 
Sorry to dig up a old thread but...
I was wondering what you all thought about using regular noise canceling ear buds? (Not ANSI rated) I have a pair of skull candy ear buds that filter out a lot of noise.
I have some Soundcore noise cancelling buds they can be put into noise canceling to 24db reduction. I'd say anything would be better than nothing, but they won't be osha approved for a commercial setting.
 
My hearing has been slowly getting worse, partially genetic and partially due to stupidity on my part over the years (machine noise, power equipment, a couple of years spent gold mining etc, etc.) I am doing my best now to delay the inevitable, so I have tried almost everything. I have found that GOOD foam earplugs, (I use 3M) properly installed work best with low noise work such as table saws, sanders etc. I use a pair of 3M 30db-nrr ear muffs (‎#90565-4DC-PS) for the chainsaw and sawmill, and then for target shooting I am using the two together (Colt 2000 9mm and various long guns). I tried using the ISO-Tunes Pro for noise reduction and music and they didn't work as well for noise reduction for me as plain foam earplugs. I have very small ear canals and the typical earbuds don't fit. The plugs I can roll super small to insert and they expand to fit well.

I hope that experience info is useful.

cheers
 
This will be somewhat of a personal thing. Ear buds have never worked for me (comfort-wise, nor have plugs of way too many varieties) so I use muffs. I do have a nice pair of bluetooth ear buds from Jabra that I use for long phone conversations but I usually only use one so that is no help. I do have music playing in the shop almost anytime I am out there. I use regular stereo speakers and slip on the muffs as needed. I totally understand that having to slip the muffs on and off can be just as irritating to some as I find having to wear earbuds. Like I say; having to wear muffs or buds will be more or less acceptable depending on . . . you. It sounds like buds are not a problem for you. I will say that the Jabra with the 'passthrough' feature turned on are pretty effective. I do not care for the "noise cancelling" programing but again that is a personal preference.
 
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