What are the best reviews? ("earplug primer" by muir, re: +- of Flents vs Hearos vs Howard? says Flents relative sound-blocking is "mediocre to poor")
1969416
Dear Craig: I have been using Flents for years and years and believe me, I have tried them ALL! In my opinon, there really is nothing BETTER!!! If used properly....ie. rolling it so that it can fit perfectly in your ear.....it is perfection! Unfortunately, lots of stores do not carry it (and I live in San Francisco). Thus, Amazon.com has saved the day!!! BTW, everyone I have introduced this product to has said the same thing!!! Good luck and may it work wonders for you, Craig!!!
1969417
I am a big fan of Flents - all the other earplugs are very difficult to insert properly
1969418
We like them, I would compare then to the orange ones you get from Walmart in the hunting section although they are more squishy and seem to last a big longer
1969419
I've been using these for years. Seems to depend on what kinds of sounds you're trying to block. They're good for relatively quiet ambient or distant sounds. They do nothing to block my husband's snoring. Then again, I've not found anything to block that.
1969420
I've used Flents for years. I've tried other kinds of earplugs, but always return to them. I use them for sleeping, and in my opinion, they block sounds well and are very comfortable.
1969421
Thanks, all of you, for your helpful responses.Helen, you emphasize "using properly....ie. rolling it so that it can fit perfectly in your ear," which matches the directions by Flents. But my main complaint -- it's my 2nd question, which (so far) has no responses -- is that some Flent cylinders are too small. (plug-size varies) And after a few uses, all BECOME too small. And most other brands, especially bell-shapes, BEGIN too small. The "rolling" you describe is useful if the cylinder-plug is too large, but the plugs are too small for my ears.
667063
I have the Howard Leight R-03318 L3 muffs. My wife has the L2's. I shoot skeet and trap with my L3's using a 12 ga. I also shoot many other guns using them. They are comfortable, and block the sound, and shock waves excellent. I swear by them. They have a NRR (noise reduction rating) of 30 which is very high. On occasion if I have had sinus trouble, I will use collapsible foam ear inserts plus the Howard Leight L3's. You cant hear people talking then. I really dont think you'll be disappointed with the L3's.
335664
So here is my experience (the squeamish might want to stop here). I use the silicone "cone" earbuds. When I go to put them in my ears I do a quick "lick" to lube the silicone with a little saliva. Yes, sounds gross, but a little moisture helps seat the buds deep in my ears. I wear these in many different circumstances from sitting quietly on an airplane (and quiet is the right word since they block a great deal of external noise) to various forms of exercise and most chores around the house. (Note that I've gone through one pair because I failed to adequately "protect" the loose wires running from my iPhone to my ears - not unique to Etymotic, but something to be careful of.) I really like these buds - they have excellent sound quality IMO and once in the ear, they stay put and they are, for me, very comfortable. One last comment - I started out with my originally Etymotics using the flesh-colored foam plugs and after six months switched to the silicone plugs. A "second last comment" - you should plan on changing out the "ear wax filters" (eeyuuuh) 2-3 times per year depending on usage and your ear physiology. Last word - should I destroy these in a moment of carelessness I won't hesitate to purchase another set. ghl
92582
My experience has been very similar to yours, as you can see in my review here. What I did was to burn them in for 2 full days nonstop and also get a pair of tri-flange buds to replace the stock ones with, and I have to tell you, the sound is so much better now. The highs aren't so excruciatingly vibrant anymore, and the bass response is actually pretty tight and solid. The sound is very good on all of my music now, and I can now see/hear what all the hype was about. What you said about pushing the buds in farther just might be what the problem was, since the tri-flanges I am now using go deeper into the ear canal than any of the stock buds will go. On a side note, is there a way to edit a review once it's been posted?
543838
I put them on and had my husband speak quietly to me. Heard him fine. So, no noise blocking. Ear plugs will probably be your best bet.
200960
When I received your request, I had just finished purchasing some new LPs. So as an experiment I immediately put one the new albums in a new Master Sleeve. When I pulled the record out to play. I could not see any dust. When I played it using an ONKYO TX-535 with 2 Klipsch Synergy F-20s 2 Klipsch Synergy F-30, using a Audio-Technica AT-LP1240-USB that is using an Audio-Technica AT120E cartridge. The sound was crystal clear as usual. When I run out of my current supply of Master Sleave's, I will be buying more. I have never seen such a well made sleave, that is so easy to use and gives great protection to my LPs. When I received your request, I had just finished purchasing some new LPs. So as an experiment I immediately put one the new albums in a new Master Sleeve. When I pulled the record out to play. I could not see any dust. When I played it using an ONKYO TX-535 with 2 Klipsch Synergy F-20s 2 Klipsch Synergy F-30, using a Audio-Technica AT-LP1240-USB that is using an Audio-Technica AT120E cartridge. The sound was crystal clear as usual. When I run out of my current supply of Master Sleave's, I will be buying more. I have never seen such a well made sleave, that is so easy to use and... » Read More When I received your request, I had just finished purchasing some new LPs. So as an experiment I immediately put one the new albums in a new Master Sleeve. When I pulled the record out to play. I could not see any dust. When I played it using an ONKYO TX-535 with 2 Klipsch Synergy F-20s 2 Klipsch Synergy F-30, using a Audio-Technica AT-LP1240-USB that is using an Audio-Technica AT120E cartridge. The sound was crystal clear as usual. When I run out of my current supply of Master Sleave's, I will be buying more. I have never seen such a well made sleave, that is so easy to use and gives great protection to my LPs. « Show Less
2211753
No recommended. buy Hearos Ear Plugs Xtreme Protection, 14-Pair Foam (Pack of 3) by Hearos--- best of best
1287208
These earmuffs are great...full protection around the ear and very comfortable fitting. We use these only at the firing range. For the louder sounding guns I'd always use ear plugs, but there should be no problem with you hearing the instructor. Get these...with all of the reviews that I read...which were many these were by far the best!! You can always try them out and if they don't work, return them, but I'm certain you'd be pleased!! I hope this helps!
894377
I would give it a solid "decent". I believe I was expecting better, and looked for something else. In the course of trying more expensive Sennheiser, B&W;, Beats models, I came to feel the less than perfect isolation was way more than offset by everything else. Audio quality is fabulous and so is the design and fit and finish. Let me know how you go on this. Ed
932000
I use banded low profile ear pro , it works have not used large muffs ( like air line ramp guys) the style I use is on a band with plug that fits in ear this option for me is better as the pro is always around my neck when not in use give this option a try you will find you will use pro more ? Hope this helps
1466810
I may not be the best person to answer this. My ear openings are small and I was never able to get a good fit with the Ultimate Ears, certainly not the kind of block-out-everything tight isolation I like for mowing the lawn. I still use the Logitech earbuds sometimes for stationary activities, but bought some Etymotic MC5 buds for moving around.
1466811
Not sure what people are talking about concerning noise isolation... I use them to play along on drums... and I usually have to *turn down* the music a little bit to hear the drums... so isolation is just fine... It's all about the tip size and type... the little squishy foam tips do have better isolation... In fact, I had a cheap set of foam tip earbuds a while back and I had the volume cranked a little bit... (not too much)..and unbeknownst to me... the fire alarm had been going on in my office for several minutes and I was totally unaware until someone stopped by my desk and said "hey dude, we gotta go" while making a gesture pointing to the ceiling... i.e. sound isolation is all about the tips... lol Not sure what people are talking about concerning noise isolation... I use them to play along on drums... and I usually have to *turn down* the music a little bit to hear the drums... so isolation is just fine... It's all about the tip size and type... the little squishy foam tips do have better isolation... In fact, I had a cheap set of foam tip earbuds a while back and I had the volume cranked a little bit... (not too much)..and unbeknownst to me... the fire alarm had been going on in my office for several minutes and I was totally unaware until someone stopped by my desk and said... » Read More Not sure what people are talking about concerning noise isolation... I use them to play along on drums... and I usually have to *turn down* the music a little bit to hear the drums... so isolation is just fine... It's all about the tip size and type... the little squishy foam tips do have better isolation... In fact, I had a cheap set of foam tip earbuds a while back and I had the volume cranked a little bit... (not too much)..and unbeknownst to me... the fire alarm had been going on in my office for several minutes and I was totally unaware until someone stopped by my desk and said "hey dude, we gotta go" while making a gesture pointing to the ceiling... i.e. sound isolation is all about the tips... lol « Show Less
2188727
I personally hate the isolation of standard in-ears, so because you can still hear those around you and don't get the "isolation" feeling that standard in ears provide, they would in theory be great for this...Unfortunately the sound they provide is all treble. There is almost no bass response, so most instruments will sound thin and tinny. No serious musician will want to hear his or herself sounding like that. The concept is amazing and they are incredibly light weight and comfortable, but the price is far too high for the sound quality. If they ever improve the frequency response, they will be a fantastic product. I personally hate the isolation of standard in-ears, so because you can still hear those around you and don't get the "isolation" feeling that standard in ears provide, they would in theory be great for this...Unfortunately the sound they provide is all treble. There is almost no bass response, so most instruments will sound thin and tinny. No serious musician will want to hear his or herself sounding like that. The concept is amazing and they are incredibly light weight and comfortable, but the price is far too high for the sound quality. If they ever improve the frequency... » Read More I personally hate the isolation of standard in-ears, so because you can still hear those around you and don't get the "isolation" feeling that standard in ears provide, they would in theory be great for this...Unfortunately the sound they provide is all treble. There is almost no bass response, so most instruments will sound thin and tinny. No serious musician will want to hear his or herself sounding like that. The concept is amazing and they are incredibly light weight and comfortable, but the price is far too high for the sound quality. If they ever improve the frequency response, they will be a fantastic product. « Show Less
1328969
If you want a compromise between sound signature and aesthetics/build then check out the VModa M-80s. They're ON EAR and have a fairly warm and flat sound. They're loved by many audiophile communities who may have mixed opinions on the LPs due to the emphasized lows.They occasionally go for the same price as the LPs new or used.I prefer the sound of Superlux 668b's over the ATH-M50 and they run less than half the price. Terrible to tote on the road though.Also, check out RadioShack and GuitarCenter. There's a good chance that one of them will have a few of those headphones for you to compare. (I dont see the VModas at many radioshacks now though) If you want a compromise between sound signature and aesthetics/build then check out the VModa M-80s. They're ON EAR and have a fairly warm and flat sound. They're loved by many audiophile communities who may have mixed opinions on the LPs due to the emphasized lows.They occasionally go for the same price as the LPs new or used.I prefer the sound of Superlux 668b's over the ATH-M50 and they run less than half the price. Terrible to tote on the road though.Also, check out RadioShack and GuitarCenter. There's a good chance that one of them will have a few of... » Read More If you want a compromise between sound signature and aesthetics/build then check out the VModa M-80s. They're ON EAR and have a fairly warm and flat sound. They're loved by many audiophile communities who may have mixed opinions on the LPs due to the emphasized lows.They occasionally go for the same price as the LPs new or used.I prefer the sound of Superlux 668b's over the ATH-M50 and they run less than half the price. Terrible to tote on the road though.Also, check out RadioShack and GuitarCenter. There's a good chance that one of them will have a few of those headphones for you to compare. (I dont see the VModas at many radioshacks now though) « Show Less
112025
Hello northcountry, Did you ever find earphones that were adequate to compensate for your hearing problem? I have the same problem and am still searching. Thank you, Jube
1119637
The usual recommendation is to buy the unit for your weakest ear. Note that the folks at CS 10 have just released a new unit - I suggest you call them to make sure which unit you should buy.
2142007
Stick to anything else. After receiving two pairs through warranty i was able to get a refund through amazon today. The product is severely defective and i am just lucky i could get my $80 back. Try apple earpods with mic or some of those skull candy ones. much cheaper and don't brake as easily. Also for the price there isn't a significant difference in sound quality. hope this helps if you have any questions just ask i went through three pairs so ill know.