Hearing protection - do you?

Lozart

Lozart

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So I've been considering some hearing protection as I already suffer from tinnitus and frankly, pyro in a CQB environment is getting a bit much after a while. I've been looking at electronic muffs to still be able to hear (the in ear plugs just annoy me).

Anyone else use hearing protection?

 
What? Speak up, I can't hear you!

(Sorry, couldn't resist)

But to answer, no I do not, currently. I do have a pair of Peltor Ear Defenders I picked up dirt-cheap at Sabre Sales before they went out of business though, so I might give them a try next time. Certainly couldn't hurt. Unfortunately, they don't fit on under my helmet, but they do fit on over a cap.

 
I have worn the Peltor Electronic ear defenders before and they are good and the military spec versions should fit under helmets, I'm tempted to pick up a cheaper pair from Ebay and see how they are, as I don't wear a helmet or cap cos I sweat like Katie Hopkins in a "I'm not a pretentious bell end competition"

 
MSA Sordin for me, they're very comfy with the add-on gel ear cups and reduce loud bangs to a more ear-friendly level.

Avoid the z-tactical knock offs though, they're cheaply made and while they do attenuate sounds I wouldn't trust one of my irreparable senses to them! Hearing is like eye sight, once it's gone, it's gone.

 
I would, but I don't see the point now as I'm pretty sure the damage is already done. Worked in a Nightclub for 3 years as bar staff, and that made it impossible to do the job whilst having ear plugs in.

 
GiantKiwi said:
I would, but I don't see the point now as I'm pretty sure the damage is already done. Worked in a Nightclub for 3 years as bar staff, and that made it impossible to do the job whilst having ear plugs in.
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Mine comes form years of guitar playing in metal bands. I just want to stop it getting any worse I guess. When you get three flashbangs all going off in the same room it's pretty damn loud!

 
Yep, OD peltor ear defenders, fiver, i wear them under my mich2000 just fine, works good for cqb, i took the foam from the inside so i could hear better, the plastic itself does a good enough job without the foam :)

Dave

 
My ears are already shot from playing loud gigs and going to even louder gigs, a few pyro 'pops' aren't something I worry about.

 
Sound engineer here. Deaf. Loud sounds (100+dB) do matter though because ear damage is cumulative. In fact, over 75dB is the threshold for ear damage, but that is when spending protracted amounts of time in that sound level (believe it or not a bar full of people, without a sound system, will top that just talking/laughing/etc). But my answer is no I don't.

I should, especially indoors, but my upper mid range hearing is so bad that I often miss the sense of fast speech as, depending on accents, consonants can be indistinct anyway so minus a lot of what distinguishes one from another... I have some gucci custom in ear defenders which provide true -28.6dB, but if I wore them while skirmishing I wouldn't be able to understand anyone except by gestures or shouting!

I really should get some actual Sordins, but so far I just call myself dead if I can't get out of somewhere where the opposition are pyro-happy.

 
just noticed today, proairsoftsupplies are now stocking genuine sordins, starting at about £100 for the entry level model they're a bargain.

 
jcheeseright said:
just noticed today, proairsoftsupplies are now stocking genuine sordins, starting at about £100 for the entry level model they're a bargain.
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Yeah, it would be simple enough to bodge a boom mic onto those, but they're OOS @mo... and £350 for the full on is just not going to happen any time soon!

 
Aaaaand there gone :/ I've seen a pair for sale but they have round buttons which I've never seen before

 
They've got an aux input, so you can wire them into pretty much any radio setup you want, I'd go for a fist mic myself, solves the whole PTT issue.

 
i still have my issue ones, molded to the inside of my ears, they are proper good. cheers army as they are a few hundred quid.

 
jcheeseright said:
They've got an aux input, so you can wire them into pretty much any radio setup you want, I'd go for a fist mic myself, solves the whole PTT issue.
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Hmm... I prefer a boom mic - right in front of my mouth so it has the best chance of picking up a whisper and turning it into an intelligible signal (against background noise). As for PTT, the next one I buy will have a wireless option so I can mount it on a rifle within left thumb reach. That's why I said "bodge" above though, because i'll have to wire a mic input and Aux output to a Nexus whatever-tf helicopter plug or, given that they cost about £14 +P&P, directly to the hardwired part of the PTT.

 
Lozart said:
Mine comes form years of guitar playing in metal bands. I just want to stop it getting any worse I guess. When you get three flashbangs all going off in the same room it's pretty damn loud!
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Mate I am a metal Bass player but have always been careful to protect my ears, when I first started playing our drummer was in his 40's but the rest of the band was in our early 20's & he had really bad tinnitus (Which now can be sorted by training your ear). So I had it drummed into me that once your hearing is buggered there is no chance to bring it back.

I have always used Elacin ER-20 ear plugs & swear by them. I have played through 3K Bass rigs & they have done the job flawlessly. worth £8 all day long mate.

I'm mainly going to be playing woodland so not too fussed at the moment but if I go for CQB I would definitely wear something to protect my hearing. My loadout even has a stalker mesh mask & Mich helmet to keep my ears covered.

I have a few mates who have issues with their ears due to not wearing some kind of protection, it's all Rock & Roll when your younger but not fun being in your 40's having repeated operations & treatment on your hearing. A few of my mates cant hear bugger all in one ear (Amp side of where they used to stand on stage) but the most extreme is one who cannot get water in his ear ever......he has a constant infected cavity & once a month has to have it drained of green puss which smells like rotting flesh!!!......He will never be able to hear through that ear & that's through just not using his brain & spending £8 on something as important as his hearing

 
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Infected Cavity - sounds like a name for a band! :)

Yeah, bands in my 20's, motorbikes in my 30's - haven't really done myself any favours playing CQB in my 40's! For the price I'll try the ER20s but I've never been able to get on with in ear type hearing protection. I have naturally very waxy ears so they gunk up pretty quick and that way leads ear infections (voice of experience). I was looking at the Peltor Tactical 6S electronic protectors as they're half price on Amazon right now. Anyone used them?

 
Lol

Yeh mate. The in ear jobbies are not for everyone. I used them on stage & couldn't get away with full cans in a thrash band lol.

Because I have got used to them they work for me as you can still hear through them.

 
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