doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com amplified hearing protection

I currently wear hearing aids. I am contemplating getting some of in the ear ones made by EAR or ESP for shooting. Has anyone tried these and have a preference. I cannot wear muffs when shooting a long arm.

Look at the Starkey Magnum Ear, available only through audiologists. The NRA membership renewal that just came in the mail says that NRA members can get discounts "up to" 60% on Starkey products. I have two pair of the Magnum Ears in the analog version, and I love them. Would not hunt without them. Digitals are probably not worth the extra cost.

A friend has ESP's and he is also happy with them.

I have ESP digitals and am quite happy with them and their service. Only complaint, they really pick up road nioise when shooting at ranges close to highways, but that is a controlled enviroment which lends its self to just turning off the devices when shooting clays. Where they shine, dove shooting. Lots of noise and worrysome first time shooters. When they yell duck, they don't mean teal. That I want to hear.

I have used the analog ESP for years and they work great when you have a good seal. Mine often work loose resulting in feed back and little noise protection.

I have the Starkeys and have been well pleased with them...paid about 425.00 including office visits a couple of years ago at Hearing and Balance in Germantown Tennessee.

Kevin, I use ESP analog and have been pleased with them. Good service. My main gripe--and I guess it's common for all brands--is the loss of directional hearing. So, when a bird flushes behind me I'm not sure where he is till I see it.

j0e - Which model do you have? Behind the ear, in the ear, or custom molded?

I have behind the ear type, a pair of quite expensive digital GN Resounds, as at a long meeting I like to switch sides for comfort.. I talked to my audiologist and he came up with a custom pair of earpieces which attenuate loud noise so I can use the same hearing aides for meetings and shooting. I can now hear the target machine just before it fires, so that's a help!
I was embarrased wearing them in public until I realised "whassat?? all the time was more irritating to people talking to me than being embarrassed, especially She Who Must Be Obeyed-my missus. So if your hearing is shot, as mine is due to sitting on a tractor on the family farm as a teenager in the sixties as much as shooting, swallow your pride, get hearing aides and stop irritating people. Whassat? is very irritating.
Mike

If those are Magnum Ears, that is a screaming deal. I paid about $1K eight years ago, and that was a pretty good price at that time. A friend just shopped around and found them for about $800 after getting a first quote of $1200. Pays to shop around. If the guys in TN will still sell them near that $425 price, it would make sense to have molds made locally, then ship them to TN to place the order with Starkey. Your risk would be that if the fit is not right, you will be SOL.

Post deleted by HomelessjOe