Anybody use Etymotic Earplugs?

[stefan73]

I was wondering if anyone has any experience with these electronic earplugs?

Etymotic Research, Inc. - EB15?LE Electronic BlastPLG® Earplugs for Law Enforcement

Thank you.

V/R
Stefan

 

[Jhnmdahl]

Yep, they're the real deal. I've tried the fancy electronic ones, but wear the cheap traditional ones when shooting (I lose small things). The electronic ones work exactly as advertised - the key is finding which of the ear tips provided work best in your ears.

John

 

[PDXGS]

I've used other products they make and they are top notch- Im eager to try these but their dealer network is pretty shabby in the Pacific Northwest. I'll give them a call this week.

 

[UA_Flyfisher]

I had no idea Etymotic made shooting gear. I've had several pairs of their high end earphones and they are very well made and great equipment. Definitely gonna check these out.

 

[Altnews]

Yes, I bought a pair just recently and I'm pleased as punch with them. I got the LE Blast version. Evidently I've lost significant hearing because when I put them in boost mode it sounds perfectly normal to me.

The stereo audio is great, and getting the right tips is crucial. I'm using the squeezable foam tips myself, I get a better seal with less long-term discomfort. Wore them to a concert the other day and I noticed that when things got REALLY loud, the mic overloaded and made things staticky rather than smoothly cutting down the volume. May be a problem with my units, but I suspect that at some point the SPL simply overwhelms the ability of the mics to respond. It only appears with sustained loud sounds though, not gunshots. Works fine for those.

That being said, retention is an issue in the field, but Etymotic supplies a thin but tough clear lanyard that will connect both units together to help prevent loss. I'm not using it right now, but if I were in combat I would.

The only thing I'd like to see in a device like this is the ability to feed radio audio to them, either by wire or by Bluetooth.

They are expensive but well worth it in my opinion.

 

[TRAAV]

Im thinking about giving these a try if anyone else can offer up any feedback on them would be great.

 

[haroldwilson]

I've been using them for the a couple of months now. They are the real deal. The black foam plugs that come with them are the best for me. I called them, and they said if the black foam plugs will work in your ears, they offer the best seal and the most noise reduction. I have found that to be true. After I received the ear plugs and confirmed I could use the black foam plugs, I ordered some more of those. They are real easy to replace. I was using foam plugs with muffs over them. I'm using these now with no muffs.

Only downside I have found is the battery life. You get about two weeks out of the batteries. They ship with extra batteries, 4 sets I think. They are standard hearing aid batteries that can be bought at Wal Mart and are not expensive.

You can buy these direct from Etymotic. They sent me a 15% off coupon when they shipped mine. If you have a couple of people wanting them, might buy one and see if you get the coupon to buy the others.