[daveman]

Quote:

Originally posted by terrymx a side question, which brand of earfoams/earplugs that sell in store do you think is best for noise isolation?

These plugs offer a NRR of 34, the highest I've seen.

The plugs I usually wear provide a NRR of 33, and are the most comfortable I've worn. I bought a box of 200. They are called Howard Leight MAX-1.

 

[Music Fanatic]

Quote:

Originally posted by daveman The plugs I usually wear provide a NRR of 33, and are the most comfortable I've worn. I bought a box of 200. They are called Howard Leight MAX-1.

That's an excellent link. Thanks!

 

[Slimm]

Quote:

Originally posted by DJGeorgeT I guess that you can argue anything these days. Even idiots have arguments...and two wrongs do not make one right. Driving and talking on a cell phone is a different discussion. And the main concern about talking on the celly while driving is loss of attention. Driving with canalphones on is stupid. Ambulances and emergency, and law enforcement vehicles have sirens to tell you from afar that they are coming. Yeah, but you say that the flashing lights will tell you. I doubt that you concentration level is all that high if you can't hear the outside world and are listening to music. When I drive, I listen to music from my car stereo at very reasonable volume level and I am keen at listening outside noises. Your ears are your second pair of eyes on the road. Let me know next time you go driving with your etys, so that I can call the cops and report you.

Screw you. Why don't you try perceiving what you read next time.

You can easily substitute "listening to music" with "talking on the phone" above and still be telling the truth.

And don't make it sound like gabbing on the phone while driving is less of a danger, let alone an issue.

The bottom line is that whether you can't hear what's going on, or your attention is taken away by gabbing on the phone, the end result is that you're not paying as much attention to the task at hand, driving, as you should be. Both could result in something greatly catastrophic. Which is why I was trying to point out how rediculous it is that they outlaw the headphones, but you can talk on the phone.

Both should be banned. Get it?

Simple enough for the simpletons out there?

 

[Snake]

Us motorcycles riders know that you must have hearing protection, even with a full face helmet, in order to keep your hearing long-term intact. Professional riders do, indeed, ride with hearing protection. You have NO idea what the wind roar of 70MPH, with your head fully in it, sounds like until you've experienced it. When I started riding my ears were ringing after the rides, and wind (on the worst days) gets so loud you can YELL inside your helmet - to Yourself - and not hear it!

I've talked to too many old-time riders who flatly tell me "Hearing? What hearing? Mine is shot from the riding" for me to ever give up my plugs. Yes, you still can hear - everything - but just at a safe, reduced level. If you only ride short distances, in town stuff, no biggie, no difference and wearing plugs might just get you in trouble because you aren't used to it. I do at least 13k a year and I'd be deaf if not for foamies.

 

[PFJ]

I've ridden my motorcycle for many years with earplugs, and have never had an accident. That and headphone speakers stuck into the fabric of the helmet, in the ear hollow. It is perfectly safe. The danger is more fiddling with the CD while driving, similar to a car driver. Keep your eyes on the road!

On a bike the danger is with vision, which is not distracted. You can't hear much over the wind noise of my Shoei, anyway, and anything loud can still be heard.

 

[ArcTeryx]

It's even worse when I'm on my bicycle going down a hill at 40mph cause there's nothing to smooth the flow of air around my ears, it's like having someone blow compressed air into your ears. If you've ever had to air yourself off with a compressed air hose, imagine someone throwing that into your face, that's what it's like.
THAT's hearing loss right there. Your ears ring for days.
When you're wearing headphones, you're just concentrated on your music, much like listening to a radio in a car at a loud volume, less if you don't have canal phones. Talking on the phone on the other hand, subconsciously affects your conscious actions through head/eye/hand/and bodily movements, all of which can take your attention away from your driving.

Know what's even more dangerous than not having the ability to hear?
Eating while driving.
Talking on the phone while driving.
Reading directions while driving.
Changing stations on your radio while driving.
Talking to friends in the car while driving.
Having noisy kids in the car while driving.
On dash DVD systems while driving.
Doing your make up while driving.
Whacking it while driving.
Reading/Posting to head-fi while driving.
Dozing off while driving.
Text messaging while driving.
Drinking and driving.
Dressing yourself while driving.

Deaf people are allowed to drive. Given the choice between an attentive deaf person and a distracted non-deaf person, I'd rather put my money on the deaf.

I have a question for your motorcycle riders, full face or german? I've worn full face only and I can't imagine what it sounds like without one.

 

[ArcTeryx]

The howard leight "big orange nipples" are what we have at work. I like them but they're a pain to put in sometimes.

They sell one called the Matrix that you just jam into your ear without having to roll them up first cause they have a harder inner core and a soft foam outer core. But they only block out 29db.

Anyway without starting a flame war here, my original intent was to say that the canal phones isolate enough that I can use them at work while still getting hearing protection plus being able to hear music and a bit of the outside world cause everyone around here just blasts the radio and then when you take the ear plugs out, you're hit with the loudness of the radio rather than the machinery.

 

[daveman]

Quote:

Originally posted by ArcTeryx I have a question for your motorcycle riders, full face or german? I've worn full face only and I can't imagine what it sounds like without one.

What's a "german"? Is this the "beanie" helmets popular with Harley riders? I wear a full-faced helment, but I don't think it makes much difference noise-wise. Helmets are designed to protect your skull, not your hearing. I recently read about some helmet testing done in a wind tunnel. The "quietest" helmet, at 80MPH (which is easy to attain and sustain on today's Interstate highways with their 65+ MPH speed limits), was a Shoe full-faced model. How quiet was the wind-noise in this "hushed" helmet? 103dB!

 

[jesse_w]

Thread jacks are fun!

It doesn't make any sense to wear anything but full-face, its just not worth the risk.

-jesse

 

[Snake]

Tell me about it

When I was sliding down the road face-first at 45MPH I was glad I'd worn my full face that day, rather than the beanie. Saved myself a lot of reconstructive surgery, I'm sure.

And yes, thread-jacks are fun

 

[daveman]

It wasn't my intention to hijack this thread, but wow, what a can of worms we've opened here. LOL.

I think we owe it to ArcTeryx to get back on topic. Someone needs to mention how dangerous it is to be distracted by music in a hazardous machine shop.

 

[psyco1]

We're not allowed to wear headphones in the factory I work at, but I've worn earplugs for a few years since the waterjets that cut the carpet and air valves opening up are pretty loud. No one suspected a thing when I started wearing Ety's , there were a few questions asked, but I said that they were kinda pricy and high quality earplugs.....In a way, they are.

I think a supervisor or two may have an inkling, but as long as I keep doing my job and keep up the charade I don't think anything will be said. At least I hope so, they make the day go by so much nicer.

 

[terrymx]

Quote:

Whacking it while driving. Reading/Posting to head-fi while driving.