benefits of custom moulded ear plugs ?

[judge]

Got in touch with UE and sent pics of them in place. Friendly emails have been exchanged and they have asked me to send my plugs back to be recoated somehow - this will hopefully provide a more snug fit. If no joy, the next stage is to recast them using the original impressions.

So far impressed with their response - will let you all know of the outcome.

Well done - that's the response I would expect to hear

 

[Dave The Driver]

I now own a set of monitors, (3 weeks) I had the fortune of go to sidcup to pick them up. while I was there I had a fit check, so to speek. This took some time and even when I thought they were in they were not, anywaywent home with them in and after about 10 min I know longer felt them, Kept them in for about 2hr. I did however try them that night and could not get on with them or get them to fit. The next day same thing, on the monday (3 days later) had another go and with a bit of playing they fitted. Have put them in and out a few time now with no probs, (there is a nack). As for the sound quality I have a set of shur ec2 which are fantastic, these are that bit better (IMO). There are some things about them iI think I would change, wire going over the ear insted of below, connection set up, just sily things like that. Haveing spoken to UE (at the hog roast) they say things are always being looked at. As for me Im pleased with mine and Im nothing to do with UE

 

[chrisjk]

I find the monitors or speakers as I would have called them, are fine for listening to my iPod etc. they seem very clear indeed.

What I don't find so fine is that whilst the plugs fit my ears, when I put my helmet on, my ears compress under the helmet (and the earplugs don't..) so the plugs become quite painful after a while.

I had no idea that a fitting could be carried out with helmet being worn but as I got my impressions done at a bike show and I was walking around without my helmet, it is probably a moot point although if I had been advised this was an option or the best route to follow, then I would have waited until an opportunity arose to get the fitting done with helmet in place.

 

[Dave The Driver]

I find the monitors or speakers as I would have called them, are fine for listening to my iPod etc. they seem very clear indeed.

What I don't find so fine is that whilst the plugs fit my ears, when I put my helmet on, my ears compress under the helmet (and the earplugs don't..) so the plugs become quite painful after a while.

I had no idea that a fitting could be carried out with helmet being worn but as I got my impressions done at a bike show and I was walking around without my helmet, it is probably a moot point although if I had been advised this was an option or the best route to follow, then I would have waited until an opportunity arose to get the fitting done with helmet in place.

They are only in sidcup call them?

 

[iangough]

totally agree. Im going back to Earsoft FX foam plugs, really easy to fit, very comfortable and block more noise than the UE ones. I wish id never bought the UE ones and am wondering if i can get my money back, maybe Judge can answer that one ?

As for the monitors, i would like to know what drivers and speakers UE use in them, as £150 is a hell of a lot of money if the speakers arent comparable with, say Westone, Ultimate Ears etc.

Paul

+1 - 90 quid spent for 2 sets (special deal at show). went back to UE twice. Now use foam ones. Bulk buy. 20 quid every year and a half for foam ones.
The foam ones let your ears breathe (sweat) which is a massive advantage in hot weather...
Foam ones shut out the most sound for sure...

I'd sell my UE ones if i could find someone with identical ears

 

[judge]

I had no idea that a fitting could be carried out with helmet being worn but as I got my impressions done at a bike show and I was walking around without my helmet, it is probably a moot point although if I had been advised this was an option or the best route to follow, then I would have waited until an opportunity arose to get the fitting done with helmet in place.

That may be so but why persevere with uncomfortable plugs in light of what you now know? As PrematureDave says give them a call.

 

[chrisjk]

That may be so but why persevere with uncomfortable plugs in light of what you now know? As PrematureDave says give them a call.

Thanks to the very useful info you guys have provided I shall call them next week when I am back from a trip.

 

[James Bryan]

For those of a nervous or delicate constitution - look away now !

I've used moulded ear plugs for the past ten years , initially a set of EAR's finest - fitted with filters designed to remove the most harmful frequencies experienced whilst riding a motorcycle & wearing a helmet , and for the past three years a set of UE's monitor jobbies . Prior to this experience I was something of a part time user of foam & rubber plugs of a variety of makes .

Some observations based on my experiences : -

*Fitted properly , foam plugs appear to block a wider spectrum and level of external noise than either of my moulded plugs .
*Unless fitted properly , foam plugs have an annoying tendency to work their way out and become pains in the ear/head
*With either moulded plug I am able to hear more ambient sound , including speech , GPS directions , etc. , than I can when using foam plugs . This , for me , is an advantage , as I need all the clues about what is happening around me that I can get .
*Both EAR and UE have treated me very well when I've had cause to contact them - EAR even going so far as to waive the cost of the plugs , as I'd had to travel to the Midlands to have them fitted , a journey that they had earlier promised I would not have to make .
*Both moulded sets are excellent "comfort defenders" when camping @ BMF Rallies , and ensure a good night's sleep no matter what is going on several feet from your head - it has been my experience that foam / rubber plugs work their way out during the course of a night's sleep .

Now for the "look away now" bits

*I have always cleaned my ears properely before having an impression taken - I can not say the same about going for a ride on my bike ! As one approaches ones seventh decade I've discovered that ones ears start to produce alarming quantities of gungey wax - not nice & certainly not conducive to achieving a proper "fit" . Some improvement in fit might be possible if one first removes the accumulated crud .
*Cleaning the moulded plugs needs to be a regular chore - again linked to the above copious quantities of wax .
*And finally , (aren't you glad that I'm coming to the end of this missive !) , I've found that the best fit has always been achieved after giving the moulded plug a brief suck in your mouth - the film of spittle eases the plug into it's proper location , and also ensures that you've cleaned the thing recently . Trust me you will not be keen to repeat putting an encrusted plug in your orifice in a hurry !

In short , I've stopped using foam and rubber plugs as they block too much sound and do not offer the additional benefits afforded by the moulded items . That said , I still have an emergency set in each of my bike jackets , for when I've left both sets of moulded plugs elsewhere .
So , like so many other things - you pays your money and you takes your choice .

All the best , Jim

ps.- one note of caution regarding moulded plugs - do not put them in to ensure a good nights sleep when sharing a room with a mate who has decided to stop in the bar for another Weisebier . It took him the best part of two hours to find the owner of the hotel & the necessary pass key to get into our room , as I was blissfully unaware of his thundering attempts to wake me up & open our door !

 

[Dave Ford]

Have had my UE monitors for about a month now - am absolutely delighted with them. They're in a different league to foam plugs.

£175 (plus £15 for impressions) sounds (no pun intended) like a lot of money, but for bespoke kit it's qiute reasonable. I know I'd buy another set tomorrow if I lost mine.

Bit worried about the strength of the wire/plug joint though.

 

[Steptoe]

Bit worried about the strength of the wire/plug joint though.

Be gentle with them and they'll be fine, i'm into the fourth year with mine.

 

[Pukmeister]

Bit worried about the strength of the wire/plug joint though.

Had my UE monitors for about 3 years now, I broke the LH wire by being ham fisted shortly after I arrived in Australia last year. I contacted UE and sent my impressions plus £50 and they removed and repaired the wiring to the electronics, remoulded them and posted them straight back. After the 2 weeks of riding without them using foam plugs, I was delighted to get them back.

In my experience I got a top product with excellent service from UE and rate them very highly. Note that your ears take a while to get used to the firmer material of UE plugs than the soft foam disposables, and there is a knack to inserting and removing them to prevent irritation of the ear canal.

 

[jimbo]

*And finally , (aren't you glad that I'm coming to the end of this missive !) , I've found that the best fit has always been achieved after giving the moulded plug a brief suck in your mouth - the film of spittle eases the plug into it's proper location , and also ensures that you've cleaned the thing recently . Trust me you will not be keen to repeat putting an encrusted plug in your orifice in a hurry !

I think the old trick of licking your plugs before insertion if heavily frowned upon. It results in a warm, wet environment which is ideal for culturing infections.

 

[judge]

Be gentle with them and they'll be fine, i'm into the fourth year with mine.

Exactly, how you handle the cable and the care you take to ensure there is no strain on the cable as it enters the plug is key to their longevity. I've seen some last no time at all (weeks/months) and I've seen others last years.

I'm on 5 years with my originals monitors and they've done a significant load of hours/miles without cable failure, they were retired from regular active service last Christmas when some new developments required testing, but they still get used around the home/off the bike as they live in my work bag with my laptop.