Sonic defender ear protection - does it work and is it worth it?

[Fatman]

Being as we all shoot and some of us work in a noisy environment I was searching for hearing protection alternatives and stumbled upon these -

EarProTM by SureFire® Sonic Defenders are designed to help protect your hearing without interfering with your ability to hear routine sounds and conversation. Safe sound levels are allowed to pass through unchanged, while potentially damaging noises (above 80dB) are reduced using a proprietary design incorporating the patented Hocks Noise Braker® filter. This enables the Sonic Defenders to convert harmful sound levels into insignificant amounts of harmless heat energy. And when you require even more hearing protection, without the need to hear routine sounds or conversations, insert Sonic Defenders’ attached stopper for a Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) of 16dB, 19dB NRR for Sonic Defenders PLUS. Made from soft, hypoallergenic, medical-grade polymer, the contoured helix shape conforms to the natural groove of the ear for comfortable, all-day wear, while holding the earpiece securely in place. Their low-profile design means you can keep them in place while wearing a helmet, mask, or hat, or while using the phone, a headset, or supplemental ear muffs.

# Features Hear conversations and routine sounds levels as though you weren’t wearing ear protection (with stoppers out)
# Lowers potentially dangerous noise levels above 80dB
# NRR is 16dB for Sonic Defenders and 19dB for Sonic Defenders PLUS
# Exclusive EarPro design, patent pending
# Ergonomic design conforms to the natural shape of the ear for comfort, while improving earpiece retention
# Made from a soft, hypoallergenic, medical-grade polymer
# Low-profile design lets you keep Sonic Defenders in place while wearing a mask, helmet, or hat, or when using a phone, headphones, or supplemental hearing muffs.
# Earpieces by EarPro™ have at least a five-year shelf life when stored properly at room temperature

Anyone use these before?

[Timothy]

Fatman,

I've never used them before but our shop (heavy fabrication/sheet metal) requires a minimum NRR of 28 db.  Typical Ear brand ear plugs provide at least that if not more if you install them correctly.

16 to 19 is not enough protection as far as I'm concerned.  I usually use ear plugs AND muffs...

[Fatman]

Fatman,

I've never used them before but our shop (heavy fabrication/sheet metal) requires a minimum NRR of 28 db.  Typical Ear brand ear plugs provide at least that if not more if you install them correctly.

16 to 19 is not enough protection as far as I'm concerned.  I usually use ear plugs AND muffs...

Yeah, I'm used to the 33NRR plugs from former jobs. The Sonic Defenders have a start level of 16 or 19 depending on the model - it is the base noise reduction of high, but not dangerous noise levels.  Apparently they react to higher  levels by taking the  energy in the sound wave and converting it to small amounts of heat. I found more:

EP3 SONIC DEFENDERS® &
EP4 SONIC DEFENDERS® PLUS
Passive Hearing Protection Earpieces
The Sonic Defenders have a NRR (noise reduction rating) of 16dB for the 2
flange EP3 earplugs. EP4 Sonic Defenders Plus have 3 flanges and a 19dB
NRR1. Normal communications can be heard through the filter in both quiet and
continuous noise. Localization is good; the device is comfortable, and low
profile to fit under hats or helmets.
These patent pending earpieces by EarPro by SureFire are made from flexible, hypo-allergenic material that is shaped like the
concha of the ear. The flanges are slightly bent to fit the bend of the auditory canal and are very comfortable.
The filter used is the Hocks noise braker uses the laws of physics, specifically the accelerated Resonant Decay Principle which states
that we cannot create or destroy energy, we can only convert it. The filter converts sonic energy into thermal energy by means of
compression acceleration (see diagram below). The rise in temperature is so minute that it can’t be noticed. You can still hear, but
dangerous sound levels cannot get through the filter.2 Specifically for hearing protection, the filter reduces the sound according to
the input table below:
Input level Noise Braker Attenuation*
70dB 4dB
80dB 26dB
90dB 34dB
100dB 32dB
110dB 36dB
120dB 39dB
All values are C-scale values3
Significant attenuation starts at 80dB at a value of
26dB rising to 34dB at 90dB inputs but remaining
roughly constant at an average of 35dB through sound levels of 120dB.4 For example if the level of the noise is110dB, the noise
braker will attenuate the sound to 74dB, well below the mandated action level of 85dB.
Conclusion
Hocks Noise Braker filters will reduce the level of sound coming into the ear in conjunction with properly fitted EarPro earpieces.
EarPro earpieces will stay in the ear and perform optimally to achieve the maximum noise reduction rating and no sound over 80dB
will pass through.

http://www.surefire.com/pdfs/ep3-ep4_tech_copy.pdf

Science seems sound enough, no pun intended. Really curious if anyone has first hand experience with these.  Found a few favorable reviews, and one comment that they are not 'forever' protection. They do wear out.

[Timothy]

Those numbers seem pretty good.  It's my understanding that they are reviewing the ANSI standard right now for changes in the NRR factors.  Don't know about how OSHA will handle it.

[elnor]

I bought a pair to try out this past fall during deer season.  I hunt with a .300WSM, aka big boomstick, so it was a pretty good test!

The good news:  They work.

The bad news:  They work so well that it makes hearing deer and other important woods noises very difficult.

My verdict was they'd be fine for shooting, but not for hunting.  Back to the search for a cheap Walker's Game Ear setup for me...

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