"Hearos" Ultimate Softness and Xtreme Review
I've been on the hunt for some good earplugs for a couple of different applications, and I just added sleeping/dreaming to the list. I read some reviews, and decided I'd like to try the Hearos brand (Clairity recommended them in her WILD tutorial). I ran out to Wal-Mart and grabbed a pack of the Ultimate Softness Series plugs (1.96 for four pairs) and a pack of the Xtreme Protection Series (3.26 for seven pairs plus a little white carrying case). I'm also going to order a pair of the High Fidelity Series plugs, for music (I play drums, guitar, and bass), as they are advertised as "flat-attenuating" plugs - they just reduce the volume, leaving a lot of the clarity intact.
So, to start with, I cracked open the US pack first. They're very soft to the touch, neutral (tan) colored, and advertise a noise-reduction rating of 32dB - I've never seen any plugs rated higher than 33-35, for reference. I just put them in as I started this post. Very simple to use: Just roll the plug between your thumb and forefingers to squish it into a small cylinder, insert it into your ear canal, and hold it there until it expands. The plug expanded very quickly and fits quite comfortably in my ears - not too tight, not loose at all. They go a bit deep (or, at least, I pushed them in pretty deep), so I've got a bit of a tickle in my throat right now - a trick of the vagus nerve. I just pulled them out about 3mm, and that relieved the tickle. The ends are about flush with the outer edges of my ear now, so they don't stick out like antennae, which I appreciate. Vanity is important. ;)
I am VERY impressed at how much noise they cut out. I can hear my keys clicking, but I'm a loud typist. My music is almost totally gone from my hearing (I was listening to some Orbital at a comfortable listening level). I've used many generic ear plugs, and these are infinitely better. Up until now, I didn't think there was much variation between ear plugs, but these are superb. I also just did a headphone test with my bass and an amp modeler board - the sound is loud through my pro headphones, but it was pretty quiet through the plugs (I could feel the pressure of the sound around my ears). Of course, I wouldn't use these for gigs, as I want the fidelity to remain, but they're effective! Perfect for blocking out night sounds of any type, I'd imagine.
Next, I'm trying out the XP series. They're blue, for one thing, so they'll probably be more conspicuous if you wore them in public. They're a bit wider and a SLIGHT bit softer than the US plugs (probably the same amount of foam in a slightly larger plug). I'll start by leaving the US in the right ear, and replacing an XP in the left. . . . They expand at about the same rate, and feel about the same, maybe a tad bit tighter in the ear canal (I'll amend this if it turns out to be just because of my left ear being open for a few minutes). The sound about equal to the US plugs as far as noise reduction. Headphone test . . . actually, I do detect a very small bit of extra noise reduction on the XP side. Very slight, I had to listen for it. Replacing the right ear with an XP seems to balance out the headphones again, so maybe that extra 1dB NRR is true.
Both pair seem quite comfortable, the XPs a bit tighter than the USs, and both offer almost equal, impressive noise reduction. In practice, I doubt the difference in NR will affect any application, but if the benefits of a tiny bit more quiet and a cute little carrying case (white with a flip-cap, somewhere in size between a film canister and a stick of lip balm) outweigh the burdens of a slightly tighter fit and the blue color, go with the XPs. Cost is negligible at smaller quantities, and you can get more for a lower per-pair value with either model (the USs come in larger bulk packs, up to 40 pairs, I think). Both models blow any generic foam plugs out of the water, though, so you probably can't go wrong.
I hope this will be informative and useful to somebody! Now, I . . . ewww, ear wax. I guess that's why they give you a case to hide them in. Maybe a pack of ear swabs would be a good partner-purchase for these. :)
