GSX1400 Owners .org

An interesting video - interested in comments re your experience of different styles too so feel free to post below.

I've tried three different types of ear plug.
First I tried the cheap squashy foam ones. I didn't get on with these and could never get them to fit properly. Often going down the road they would start working their way out which was very irritating.
Second I tried Alpine ear plugs similar to the 3 tier design in the video. They came in a little zip pouch which can be handily attached to your keys. They where best put in with the little tool they came with. They worked well at lowering the sound but I found them fiddly to get in and again they often worked their way out. www.alpine.eu
Third I went to Bike live show at the NEC. I paid about £55 at the show (show price) for a pair of custom made ones. The process was easy and they posted them to me in about a week. They have a filter in them to reduce the harmful decibels. These are easy to put in and they do stay in place. I can hear things but most importantly when I get of the bike I don't have ringing in my ears. ( I do have good helmets) They was custom made by PLUGZZ.
As bikers we often spend a fortune on protective gear. But seem to neglect our ears. We wouldn't risk riding around without eye protection because the risk of stones, insects etc going in them but we seem to be happy to risk going deaf. I was guilty of this. We have only got one set of eyes and ears why not look after them. So why go for the cheapest ear plugs. I have defiantly noticed the benefit. I now won't ride without them in.

I've also tried many types. At the moment, and quite happily I must say, I'm using the one that probably everyone knows... The 3M classic ear plug. Yes, the yellow one. Very basic, very cheap, does the job, for me at least.

I also tried lots of earplugs, the triple mushroom type, from work safety shop, i found best. Had them for yrs now and wont ride without.

An interesting comment on the YouTube article;

QuoteAwesome video on an important topic.

I want to add my perspective as a working musician, vocalist, and DJ. Since I love and make music, the topic of sound and hearing protection is near and dear to me. I want to keep as much of my hearing as possible for as long as I can, so I take protecting it seriously.

First, I want to say that "moto" is not an earplug category, it's a marketing gimmick. Earplugs are made for many different purposes; construction, swimming, sleeping, etc. No one has actually made a real moto specific earplug, and if they did, it would basically be a hi-fi earplug, which already exists. To get the best hearing protection for an application, you want to match the protection to the conditions as much as possible. Now, I own a plethora of earplugs for a myriad of purposes, but the ones I wear on my bike are hi-fi earplugs designed for musicians preforming live.

Here's the reason: your average foam, wax, or silicone earplugs have a fairly flat attenuation of sound across frequencies. The problem with this is that varying frequencies carry differently, are received differently by our ears, and pose different threat levels to our auditory health. Higher frequencies carry more at the same volume than lower ones (that 'piercing' quality) and can cause more damage, so those ceramic filters that target low frequencies don't make much sense.

There's also the way that flat attenuation distorts the frequency soundscape. 32 dB of reduction at a low frequency removes more perceived sound than 32 dB of reduction at a high frequency does. If you've ever worn a foam construction earplug to a concert, you've experienced this. Bass is felt but not really heard, highs are cottony and tinny and mids are a muddy mess.

Musician earplugs or 'hi-fi' earplugs solve this problem by using filters that attenuate high frequencies more than low ones, so highs are clean but not piercing, mids are clear and warm and bass keeps its kick. The experience is like turning the volume down evenly across the frequency range rather than like having stuffed up ears.

Wearing hi-fi plugs on the bike means that I hear the natural world, and my bike, and my music, naturally, but at a safe volume.

The ones I like are made by Earpeace and they come with three sets of filters with an NRR of 11 to 26. That doesn't sound like much, but it's an average. The more dangerous high frequencies are getting their ass kicked at 30 to 34 dB of NRR while the low frequencies that require less reduction get a gentler treatment. They also come in a cool keychain case with an extra plug and filter set in case you lose one and they only cost about $20 USD.

and this one

QuoteI like V-MODA faders. They're tuned to be acoustically neutral (unlike foam plugs that muffle) and although they only cut by 12dB, I could lay down by a drummer going full out without issues (while adjusting mics in a recording session), and concerts are stepped down to conversation level. They cost around £12, come with a removable cord and a case, so no excuse for not having them. To me they're one of these hidden gems that most people overlook but are in fact actual beasts.