Sorry for the long post but I wanted to share as I found very little about the filtered plugs. I bought a set of custom made earplugs with filters in them at Harvard Sportsmen's Club during a SASS match and someone wanted a range report so here goes:
First, I have no relation to the vendor L&M Lenses who made the plugs. They stated that they follow a circuit selling eyewear and plugs. You can see their webpage here: LMLenses.com I decided on a pair of plugs with "filters" in them for $75, a reasonable price since I believe the last price I was quoted at a gun show was $95 for the same thing. I had the plugs molded and removed in about 5 or so minutes and then they asked me if I could come back in about 30 mins so that they could finish them and install the filters.
Second, I am VERY sensitive to loud noises. If I clap or have loud noises near my left ear it will begin ringing pretty easily. Tinnitus is an off and on issue in this ear and although not always present, can come and go at will.
First impressions: Strange trying to fit them into my ear as they have to lock behind a protrusion in your ear to seat correctly. I learned that if I tilted them to the 10 o'clock position and then rotated them to 12 o'clock they went in the easiest. Check the front to make sure they were fully seated and I was good to go. Unlike regular foam disposables I could actually hear what was going on around me, with distant gunshots actually sounding like shots rather than dull thuds. It seems that the plug lets some more of the high frequency sounds in and although there is a loss of some sensitivity, you can actually hear pretty clearly. I was not confident that they were doing much as you can hear pretty well with them as compared to muffs or disposables. I tried getting close to the SASS guys shooting but without getting close I did not want to judge how well they worked (or didn't work for that matter).
I first had a chance to go on a line with 12 people shooting .40 cal pistols and was standing behind the line approximately 5-8 feet for about 5 to 10 minutes. The plugs do make an appreciable reduction in noise but they do not "sound" like a disposable plug. You hear sounds with more emphasis on higher frequency sounds as compared to disposables. A pistol has a more distinctive crack as compared to the duller sounds when wearing disposables. I carried on a normal conversation inbetween shots with an instructor and this was a significant difference compared to disposables or muffs.
I also ran about 50 rounds through a .40 cal comped Glock while 7 other people also shot. This was a totally different story as compared to disposables or muffs. I was uncomfortable shooting with just these as we were bunched up together and the noise from the other pistols shooting was distracting. I ended up putting a regular set of muffs over the plugs and was fine.
Later I shot about 100 rounds alone through the same pistol and was comfortble with just the plugs, although they are louder than just a set of disposables. Hearing a car drive slowly by on the access road behind me with plugs in was unusual, as I would have never heard anything with regular plugs or muffs on.
Another day I went and watched a group run through an IPSC practice. The plugs alone were comfortable and only a comped 1911 was distracting, although not uncomfortable. While shooting I ended up running muffs also as I forgot I had the plugs in since I could hear normal conversation so well. If I put my thumbs up to the small holes in the plugs and pressed lightly, the noise level dropped quite a bit. THey were very quiet when this hole was plugged and somone else was shooting.
Conclusion: These do provide a benefit in hearing conversation or back ground noise but I would not buy these expecting the same noise reduction as a full set of custom plugs (or even disposables for that matter). The noise is different than normal plugs and I think that many, who are not bothered by noise as much as I am, would have no issues with them when solo shooting or small group shooting. For someone who spends time in large group shoots or high power rifle, I would not recommend them unless you are pretty insensitive to noise. I am actually considering going back to the vendor and having them fill the drilled tunnel with foam to further reduce the noise they transmit.
Next Plans: Shooting with a comped AR as well as an AK and maybe a couple other pistols to see how they are with rifle fire while close to another shooter.
First, I have no relation to the vendor L&M Lenses who made the plugs. They stated that they follow a circuit selling eyewear and plugs. You can see their webpage here: LMLenses.com I decided on a pair of plugs with "filters" in them for $75, a reasonable price since I believe the last price I was quoted at a gun show was $95 for the same thing. I had the plugs molded and removed in about 5 or so minutes and then they asked me if I could come back in about 30 mins so that they could finish them and install the filters.
Second, I am VERY sensitive to loud noises. If I clap or have loud noises near my left ear it will begin ringing pretty easily. Tinnitus is an off and on issue in this ear and although not always present, can come and go at will.
First impressions: Strange trying to fit them into my ear as they have to lock behind a protrusion in your ear to seat correctly. I learned that if I tilted them to the 10 o'clock position and then rotated them to 12 o'clock they went in the easiest. Check the front to make sure they were fully seated and I was good to go. Unlike regular foam disposables I could actually hear what was going on around me, with distant gunshots actually sounding like shots rather than dull thuds. It seems that the plug lets some more of the high frequency sounds in and although there is a loss of some sensitivity, you can actually hear pretty clearly. I was not confident that they were doing much as you can hear pretty well with them as compared to muffs or disposables. I tried getting close to the SASS guys shooting but without getting close I did not want to judge how well they worked (or didn't work for that matter).
I first had a chance to go on a line with 12 people shooting .40 cal pistols and was standing behind the line approximately 5-8 feet for about 5 to 10 minutes. The plugs do make an appreciable reduction in noise but they do not "sound" like a disposable plug. You hear sounds with more emphasis on higher frequency sounds as compared to disposables. A pistol has a more distinctive crack as compared to the duller sounds when wearing disposables. I carried on a normal conversation inbetween shots with an instructor and this was a significant difference compared to disposables or muffs.
I also ran about 50 rounds through a .40 cal comped Glock while 7 other people also shot. This was a totally different story as compared to disposables or muffs. I was uncomfortable shooting with just these as we were bunched up together and the noise from the other pistols shooting was distracting. I ended up putting a regular set of muffs over the plugs and was fine.
Later I shot about 100 rounds alone through the same pistol and was comfortble with just the plugs, although they are louder than just a set of disposables. Hearing a car drive slowly by on the access road behind me with plugs in was unusual, as I would have never heard anything with regular plugs or muffs on.
Another day I went and watched a group run through an IPSC practice. The plugs alone were comfortable and only a comped 1911 was distracting, although not uncomfortable. While shooting I ended up running muffs also as I forgot I had the plugs in since I could hear normal conversation so well. If I put my thumbs up to the small holes in the plugs and pressed lightly, the noise level dropped quite a bit. THey were very quiet when this hole was plugged and somone else was shooting.
Conclusion: These do provide a benefit in hearing conversation or back ground noise but I would not buy these expecting the same noise reduction as a full set of custom plugs (or even disposables for that matter). The noise is different than normal plugs and I think that many, who are not bothered by noise as much as I am, would have no issues with them when solo shooting or small group shooting. For someone who spends time in large group shoots or high power rifle, I would not recommend them unless you are pretty insensitive to noise. I am actually considering going back to the vendor and having them fill the drilled tunnel with foam to further reduce the noise they transmit.
Next Plans: Shooting with a comped AR as well as an AK and maybe a couple other pistols to see how they are with rifle fire while close to another shooter.
