[Waldyo]

The Otopro Impulse has made its way down here to Australia, which from my brief look say's it basically provides similar results as electronic protection but no electronics, in that you can still hear soft tones/vices, etc but the high impact noises are reduced?

Not an area of expertise of mine but does anyone have any personal experience with the Otoppro Impulse?

 

[Javy]

The Otopro Impulse has made its way down here to Australia, which from my brief look say's it basically provides similar results as electronic protection but no electronics, in that you can still hear soft tones/vices, etc but the high impact noises are reduced?

Not an area of expertise of mine but does anyone have any personal experience with the Otoppro Impulse?

I have a pair on order, but they are backordered (two months) and scheduled to ship out to me in a couple of weeks. I'll be happy to provide feedback once I receive them and try them out.

 

[MississippiMania]

Safariland makes a set of plugs that are similar. Work very well.

 

[Javy]

I have a pair on order, but they are backordered (two months) and scheduled to ship out to me in a couple of weeks. I'll be happy to provide feedback once I receive them and try them out.

I received my OtoPro Impulse order today, but haven't used them yet. However, I've realized that they are essentially identical to the Orvis plugs that cost 1/2 as much (Orvis Adaptive Hearing Protection), except that the OtoPros are black and the Orvis are orange. Even the packaging is basically the same. Both are clearly private labeled from the same manufacturer.

 

[Clancie Boire]

I received my OtoPro Impulse order today, but haven't used them yet. However, I've realized that they are essentially identical to the Orvis plugs that cost 1/2 as much (Orvis Adaptive Hearing Protection), except that the OtoPros are black and the Orvis are orange. Even the packaging is basically the same. Both are clearly private labeled from the same manufacturer.

While they may look like the other plugs that ring in at a lower cost,

Safariland makes a set of plugs that are similar. Work very well.

The Safariland product is advertising an NRR of 33dB, which isn't possible, nor would that NRR allow for low-level sounds to be heard. We can’t be sure which filter they are using (there are countless filter options), but the products with an IPIL rating of 33+ allow varying levels of lower NRR.

OtoPro Impulse *IN STOCK* | OtoPro Shop

ANSI IPIL certified for impulse noise up to 166 dB where it provides 33 dB of attenuation. Developed for military use and used by NATO soldiers, these specialty filters are ANSI IPIL certified for impulse noise up to 166 dB where they provide 33 dB of attenuation. When no impulse noises occur...

otoprotechnologies.square.site

 

[Javy]

I kept both the OtoPro and the Orvis plugs. My first use of the Oto Pro plugs at a clays course wasn't successful as the largest plugs that came with my order weren't large enough to seal my ears. As a result, I took them out and substituted muffs for the remainder of my round. However, I emailed OtoPro and they were kind enough to send me their extra large plugs free of charge, which worked well on a recent pheasant hunt. So definitely good customer service in that regard.

 

[Clancie Boire]

I have a pair on order, but they are backordered (two months) and scheduled to ship out to me in a couple of weeks. I'll be happy to provide feedback once I receive them and try them out.

The Otopro Impulse has made its way down here to Australia, which from my brief look say's it basically provides similar results as electronic protection but no electronics, in that you can still hear soft tones/vices, etc but the high impact noises are reduced?

Not an area of expertise of mine but does anyone have any personal experience with the Otoppro Impulse?

Yes! the OtoPro Impulse plugs only reduce sound by about 5 decibels when sounds are below 100db. When an impulse blast ("impulse blast" refers to about 155-166db) occurs, it instantaneously attenuates by 33db.

I can answer the phone with my Impulse filters in, and still protect my ears out on the course.

I would love to answer any other specific questions you may have about the OtoPro Impulse plugs.

 

[JShaff]

I received my impulse plugs this weekend and tried them out on Saturday. They worked perfectly. I’ve never had a pair of non-electronic plugs that would allow me to actually hear conversations, but did an excellent job of filtering higher decibels. Otopros customer service and products are awesome. I don’t know about how they compare with other companies, but these things are a huge winner in my book.

 

[ldf]

Just FYI - according to this website, the sound level for a 12ga 28" barrel is 151.5 db.

Gunfire Noise Level Reference Chart

Download Gunfire Noise Level Flyer–PDF (154k). Below we have listed critical data describing peak sound pressure levels produced by firearms used in shooting and hunting sports. A serious byproduct of this exposure is sensory-neural hearing loss, which cannot be restored to normal. With the...

earinc.com

The attenuation of the Otopro (from their website IPIL curve) is about 30 db for a 150 db impulse level. The Orvis and Axil XP Reactors all look identical and appear to have the same specs. in fact, the Orvis an Axil XPs have the same AX logo on the plugs.

So I think that means the sound level you'd experience from a 12ga wearing these protectors is about 120db. According to this CDC website, "Loud noise above 120 dB can cause immediate harm to your ears."

What Noises Cause Hearing Loss? | NCEH | CDC

Noise is a significant source of hearing loss, but you can protect your hearing. An important first step is to understand how noise causes hearing loss.

www.cdc.gov

I have a pair of the Axil XPs and used them for awhile, but I felt the sound was still too loud and went back to unfiltered earplugs.

 

[OtoPro Technologies]

Just FYI - according to this website, the sound level for a 12ga 28" barrel is 151.5 db.

Gunfire Noise Level Reference Chart

Download Gunfire Noise Level Flyer–PDF (154k). Below we have listed critical data describing peak sound pressure levels produced by firearms used in shooting and hunting sports. A serious byproduct of this exposure is sensory-neural hearing loss, which cannot be restored to normal. With the...

earinc.com

The attenuation of the Otopro (from their website IPIL curve) is about 30 db for a 150 db impulse level. The Orvis and Axil XP Reactors all look identical and appear to have the same specs. in fact, the Orvis an Axil XPs have the same AX logo on the plugs.

So I think that means the sound level you'd experience from a 12ga wearing these protectors is about 120db. According to this CDC website, "Loud noise above 120 dB can cause immediate harm to your ears."

What Noises Cause Hearing Loss? | NCEH | CDC

Noise is a significant source of hearing loss, but you can protect your hearing. An important first step is to understand how noise causes hearing loss.

www.cdc.gov

I have a pair of the Axil XPs and used them for awhile, but I felt the sound was still too loud and went back to unfiltered earplugs.

I'd love to clear up the misconception about our Impulse Plugs being made by the same manufacturer as any other company.

We have had conversations with companies about their similarly looking filtered plugs, and have verified directly from them that the filters are indeed, not the same. The difference in price is a direct result of the difference in quality of the filter, a matter we pride ourselves greatly in. Quality matters most to us. In our own products, in the products we recommend, and in our customer service.

I'm unsure where you have seen the AX logo on our plugs - as I'm holding one in my hand at this moment and cannot for the life of me find anything resembling it anywhere on the plug.

In regards to your question about attenuation - our Impulse Filters attenuate 30db NRR for high decibel blasts.
30dB is the maximum realistic attenuation we can achieve using any earplugs alone. You may be able to achieve closer to 45db of attenuation by doubling up earplugs and over ear muffs, keeping in mind that this method does not eliminate possible bone conduction (vibration of the bone in the skull from impulse blasts which transmits sound directly to the cochlea ). You may be able to fully eliminate this possibility by wearing an insulated helmet and in ear plugs while you shoot - but you may find it difficult to shoot a full round of sporting clays while doing so, or hear birds flushing while quail/dove/pheasant hunting. At OtoPro we try to recommend realistic options with the highest quality components available to us.

 

[zxcvbnm]

Just FYI - according to this website, the sound level for a 12ga 28" barrel is 151.5 db.

Gunfire Noise Level Reference Chart

Download Gunfire Noise Level Flyer–PDF (154k). Below we have listed critical data describing peak sound pressure levels produced by firearms used in shooting and hunting sports. A serious byproduct of this exposure is sensory-neural hearing loss, which cannot be restored to normal. With the...

earinc.com

The attenuation of the Otopro (from their website IPIL curve) is about 30 db for a 150 db impulse level. The Orvis and Axil XP Reactors all look identical and appear to have the same specs. in fact, the Orvis an Axil XPs have the same AX logo on the plugs.

So I think that means the sound level you'd experience from a 12ga wearing these protectors is about 120db. According to this CDC website, "Loud noise above 120 dB can cause immediate harm to your ears."

What Noises Cause Hearing Loss? | NCEH | CDC

Noise is a significant source of hearing loss, but you can protect your hearing. An important first step is to understand how noise causes hearing loss.

www.cdc.gov

I have a pair of the Axil XPs and used them for awhile, but I felt the sound was still too loud and went back to unfiltered earplugs.

Just adding on to this as a customer of OtoPro and trying to put their above post in layman's terms. Sorry if some of this isn't technically correct.

30dB is the maximum realistic attenuation we can achieve using any earplugs alone. You may be able to achieve closer to 45db of attenuation by doubling up earplugs and over ear muffs, keeping in mind that this method does not eliminate possible bone conduction

The best possible protection is to double up ear plugs and muffs. You could theoretically have better protection from the sound but it will interfere with your ability to shoot.

The maximum protection earplugs can give you is roughly 30db, because the seal/fit to your inner ear is one of the most important factors to ear protection. That doesn't matter if its foamies, your fingers in your ears, custom fit products, etc assuming they all fit in your ear the same, you are going to get a 30db maximum "reduction".

OtoPro has a bunch of products that will help limit the exposure to harmful sound. And in this case, they also allow you to socialize and hear what is going on. The OtoPro Impulse uses a baffle design to achieve a proper fit with leveraging filters to limit loud/harmful sounds. Their filtered products (OtoPro Impulse, Custom Fit w/Filters, etc) allow you to have a conversation, hear the trap release, hear the trapper hopefully say "Shooter out with an 8!", etc. and still get the same maximum level of protection.

The protection we need as shooters is from the peak impulse blast/sound. We do not need protection from the low level sounds, which is what some of the other sound ratings seem to quantify. That's why you see IPIL listed on their product.

Disclaimer: I have been using OtoPro's products for about a year. I have had a great experience with them.

 

[ldf]

I didn't say the OtoPro earbuds had the AX logo, I said "in fact, the Orvis and Axil XPs have the same AX logo on the plugs."

 

[ldf]

I'm unsure where you have seen the AX logo on our plugs - as I'm holding one in my hand at this moment and cannot for the life of me find an AX or anything resembling it anywhere on the plug.

I didn't say the OtoPro earbuds had the AX logo, I said "in fact, the Orvis and Axil XPs have the same AX logo on the plugs."

 

[ldf]

The difference in price is a direct result of the difference in quality of the filter, a matter we pride ourselves greatly in.

As I said in my previous post, I'm no longer using my Axil XP Reactors, so I'm open to being persuaded that your earplugs are higher quality and thus worth the price. According to the Axil XP Reactor website, "You’ll get 33 dB SNR against loud impulse sounds while still maintaining normal hearing. You’ll also have 5 dB SNR hearing protection against general sounds." According to the Otopro Impulse website, "these specialty filters are ANSI IPIL certified for impulse noise up to 166 dB where they provide 33 dB of attenuation. When no impulse noises occur, OtoPro Impulse earplugs provide low attenuation of only 5dB, permitting surrounding sounds and quiet conversation to be heard." I would actually buy a pair of Otopros if I thought they would work better than the Axils I already have, but these specs sound identical so I don't understand what difference I will hear. What am I missing?

 

[JShaff]

As I said in my previous post, I'm no longer using my Axil XP Reactors, so I'm open to being persuaded that your earplugs are higher quality and thus worth the price. According to the Axil XP Reactor website, "You’ll get 33 dB SNR against loud impulse sounds while still maintaining normal hearing. You’ll also have 5 dB SNR hearing protection against general sounds." According to the Otopro Impulse website, "these specialty filters are ANSI IPIL certified for impulse noise up to 166 dB where they provide 33 dB of attenuation. When no impulse noises occur, OtoPro Impulse earplugs provide low attenuation of only 5dB, permitting surrounding sounds and quiet conversation to be heard." I would actually buy a pair of Otopros if I thought they would work better than the Axils I already have, but these specs sound identical so I don't understand what difference I will hear. What am I missing?

Sounds like the plugs you have work just fine, and in that case you probably wouldn’t need or want new ones.
I think the point here is that OtoPro makes a high quality, effective product, and their customer service is on point. That’s all. Different strokes for different folks.

 

[OtoPro Technologies]

As I said in my previous post, I'm no longer using my Axil XP Reactors, so I'm open to being persuaded that your earplugs are higher quality and thus worth the price. According to the Axil XP Reactor website, "You’ll get 33 dB SNR against loud impulse sounds while still maintaining normal hearing. You’ll also have 5 dB SNR hearing protection against general sounds." According to the Otopro Impulse website, "these specialty filters are ANSI IPIL certified for impulse noise up to 166 dB where they provide 33 dB of attenuation. When no impulse noises occur, OtoPro Impulse earplugs provide low attenuation of only 5dB, permitting surrounding sounds and quiet conversation to be heard." I would actually buy a pair of Otopros if I thought they would work better than the Axils I already have, but these specs sound identical so I don't understand what difference I will hear. What am I missing?

I understand that the specs look the same on paper. The short version is that some brands use mesh filters and some use membrane filters; with membrane filters being a much higher quality and more expensive to produce. OtoPro only works with membrane filters from one manufacturer which we know to produce the quality we require for our products.
The advanced membrane is tuned to maintain natural hearing, speech being clearly heard. These filters can be ordered in either nonlinear or linear attenuation functions in a multitude of different frequency responses. Because we are a unique company, working on a client-by-client basis, we are able to consult with our clients and recommend a specific filter with the specs that suit their individual needs.

When OtoPro selected the membrane filter for our OtoPro Impulse Plugs, we chose filter that is ideally suited to allow max possible audibility of low level sounds while still protecting at gunshot levels. We have found that many brands have chosen more "universal-type" filters.

Please let me know if my answer satisfies your inquiry. If you have any further questions, you can always reach out to us at [email protected], or give us a call!

- Clancie Boire, OtoPro Client Coordinator

 

[ldf]

Sounds like the plugs you have work just fine, and in that case you probably wouldn’t need or want new ones.

They do work fine, but I might not have made clear in my previous post that they're unfiltered - simple tri-flange earplugs that attenuate loud and soft noises equally, so they protect my hearing really well, but of course it's hard to hear someone talking or calling for the target. That's why I tried the Axils, but I felt like the shotgun noise was too loud with them. The reason I started reading this thread in the first place was that I was hoping there was something better.

I understand that the specs look the same on paper.

Not to pick nits, but they don't look the same, they are identical attenuation figures.

These filters can be ordered in either nonlinear or linear attenuation functions in a multitude of different frequency responses.

This is a little confusing. If I go to your website and buy a pair of Otopro Impulse earplugs off the shelf for $49.99, I don't see a way of specifying different filters.

The advanced membrane is tuned to maintain natural hearing, speech being clearly heard.

I understand that you chose a membrane filter, and the membrane filter costs more, and that causes your earplugs to be double the price of plugs with a mesh filter. But I don't really care about the tech inside the plug, I want to know how that affects the user experience - what am I going to hear differently with a membrane filter? My one takeaway from the quote above is that the filter is tuned to make speech clearer. And that's fine, if that's the main difference. If there are other differences (e.g., the membrane filter lasts longer before failing), please let me know. But just saying ours are better quality than those other cheap guys, we're really proud of our tech, you should pay us double, doesn't help me decide to purchase.

 

[OtoPro Technologies]

They do work fine, but I might not have made clear in my previous post that they're unfiltered - simple tri-flange earplugs that attenuate loud and soft noises equally, so they protect my hearing really well, but of course it's hard to hear someone talking or calling for the target. That's why I tried the Axils, but I felt like the shotgun noise was too loud with them. The reason I started reading this thread in the first place was that I was hoping there was something better.



Not to pick nits, but they don't look the same, they are identical attenuation figures.



This is a little confusing. If I go to your website and buy a pair of Otopro Impulse earplugs off the shelf for $49.99, I don't see a way of specifying different filters.



I understand that you chose a membrane filter, and the membrane filter costs more, and that causes your earplugs to be double the price of plugs with a mesh filter. But I don't really care about the tech inside the plug, I want to know how that affects the user experience - what am I going to hear differently with a membrane filter? My one takeaway from the quote above is that the filter is tuned to make speech clearer. And that's fine, if that's the main difference. If there are other differences (e.g., the membrane filter lasts longer before failing), please let me know. But just saying ours are better quality than those other cheap guys, we're really proud of our tech, you should pay us double, doesn't help me decide to purchase.

I do appreciate your need for clarity - as I am a very discerning and investigative person by nature as well! I would love to speak with you further about the nuances of what a user may experience differently with our product, and clear up any misinterpretations from my last response. I am always available by phone at the OtoPro mainline from 9AM CST to 2PM CST (ph) 769.230.0834. Just ask for Clancie!

As I mentioned previously, you are also always welcome to email our entire team of Client Coordinators and Audiologists at [email protected] for any inquiries you may have beyond what we have discussed here.

Thank you!

-Clancie Boire, OtoPro Client Coordinator