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ESP ear plugs

5K views 18 replies 14 participants last post by  slotracer577 
#1 ·
Anyone have insight as to how long these last? are the digitals worth nearly twice the cost? are these essentially the DIY molded plugs with an electronic insert? user replaceable battery? good for hunting? artificial sounding?

Thanks,
 
#3 ·
I just bought a set of Tetra's.

I am awaiting their delivery so I can not attest to their efficacy but I have high hopes.

I started with an in the canal analog set from Sport Ear 15 years ago...use these still.

Tetra "sounded" (pun intended :)) exactly like what I was after to replace the Sport Ears.

If you haven't committed to a purchase yet, give https://tetrahearing.com/ a fair hearing (can't help myself).

Les
NSCA 603552
 
#5 ·
I purchased my first pair of analog ESP's (6 yrs ago) from Granny at PMS. Last year Orvis was running a "special" on ESP entry level digitals to include a free refurb of any other ESP product.

Now I have (2) "new" pairs of ESP's used weekly and I'm hoping to get six more years out of both!

For best results and maintenance, it is important to remove the batteries after each use and store outside the hearing aid.

YMMV,

Dave Greenblatt
NSCA #604003
 
#6 ·
I had some not-digital ones that worked fine but needed repair every 2 yrs or so untill they gave out completely in year 10. I went to the cheapish molded kind and could not be happier.
 
#8 ·
They squirt a silicone goo in your ear and let it harder. Then they trim it and it fits your ear canal very snugly. Won't fall out, provides better sound-proofness than the electronic kind.
 
#9 ·
Molded solid plugs are excellent for stopping excessive noise from affecting you. I have two sets myself and use them as a fallback if the electronic ones have an issue.

Solids also reduce/stop you from hearing the things you want to hear when you have them in i.e. speaking to those around you, hearing the trap throw, hearing the duck that sneaks up behind unseen but flies by and you hear the wind/wings or maybe the little drake noises as they look for Ms Right now, you won't hear the far off goose honking that when you do makes calling them in possible.

All reasons I prefer electronic noise suppression but I will not argue that solids provide the absolute maximum protection.

Les
 
#12 ·
A couple of thoughts on my experiences with ESP.

1. Having these is a huge advantage in sporting clays. Being able to hear the traps go off, especially when you can't see them, is a big advantage over the competition. A drawback would be hearing the people talking behind you when you're in the stands, but you can always easily turn them down with a turn of your finger (the ESPs, not your squad-mates). It's also nice to hear the scorekeeper after each pair. They tend to mumble and we probably all have gotten burned once or twice stepping out of a stand and then finding out that the scorekeeper made a mistake and we never heard it.

2. To order these, you have to go to a hearing aid place to get molds made of your ears. During this process when the compound is in your ear, make sure to move your jaw around a lot, like you were yawning, and open and close your mouth as far as it will go, move your jaw left and right, and make a chewing motion. No one told me this the first time, so I held very still. When I received my first pair they fit perfectly when I first put them in but whenever I would move my jaw at all, they would always slide out and harmful sound would leak in. When I called ESP, they were super helpful and had me go back to get new molds made. They said to move my jaw and mouth constantly while the molds are being made, which I did, and my second pair was perfect and still is today 2 years later. It also didn't cost me anything to have them remade.

3 If you have a HSA health insurance account, they typically cover hearing aids, so you might be able to use that in this purchase.

4. As a professional musician and music aficionado, I was slightly disappointed in the sound quality of the Stealth ESPs. It's very thin, tinty, and treble sounding. It's nothing at all like good headphones or earbuds where music sounds full, warm, or rich. Because of this, I would probably buy the cheaper version next time. The cheaper version still has the custom molded earplugs and decibel cut.
 
#13 ·
I found all of this to be true ^^^^.

BUT , the single worst thing for them is water (we call it sweat in SW Louisiana) and I produce a lot of water. That's why they had to be fixed about every 2 years.
 
#16 ·
The electronic ones aren't really in my budget at just shy of a grand, but Granny did make some Passive plugs with the filter for me a couple of years ago. They work well, and allow conversation (albeit muffled). I paid about $150, I believe.
 
#17 ·
I wouldn't have any other brand. I've had a couple of pairs in more than two decades. Got the Stealth model when they came out just to upgrade to the new technology. Without question the customer service is the best in the business. I have many people ask me about ESP and the often look at me funny when we discuss the price. To me, ESP products are in investment in your future. Haven't counted, but my guess is that over the years I've heard millions of gun shots. Three decades in the business will do that for you. I had lost a portion of my hearing at an early age from shooting. I use my ESPs for clays, hunting, riding my lawnmower, running a chainsaw, etc. Anything that produces a sound over 90db calls for hearing protection.
 
#19 ·
Dmaroon said:
2. To order these, you have to go to a hearing aid place to get molds made of your ears. During this process when the compound is in your ear, make sure to move your jaw around a lot, like you were yawning, and open and close your mouth as far as it will go, move your jaw left and right, and make a chewing motion. No one told me this the first time, so I held very still. When I received my first pair they fit perfectly when I first put them in but whenever I would move my jaw at all, they would always slide out and harmful sound would leak in. When I called ESP, they were super helpful and had me go back to get new molds made. They said to move my jaw and mouth constantly while the molds are being made, which I did, and my second pair was perfect and still is today 2 years later. It also didn't cost me anything to have them remade.
.
Don't do this. What you want is open jaw impressions. On most people the ear canal expands when you open your mouth. By making impressions with your mouth open gives a bigger impression which seals better for most people. The jaw should be held open with a bite block.

Moving your jaw while the impression material hardens could easily end up with a smaller impression. When your impressions are cast, they are waxed first to make them larger. This is different than the one shot molded plugs where the mold and plug are the same. The best plugs I have for comfort and sealing are a 10% increase in size. Those were made by scanning the impression and then 3d printing molds.
 
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