Thread: Starky SoundGear Hearing Protection

Hi Guys

Ive been a member for a few years and read lots and say little, I usually read the past posts and find the answers to my questions from previous chat hence no posts so far. I havnt been able to find much to help me with my current question so here goes.

I have been looking for eletronic ear protection and have come across the Starky SoundGear Hearing Protection custom molded plugs.

Is anybody here using them? Have any thoughts on them?

I currently use molded plugs which are good until someone starts talking so out they come and always get caught out with someone on the range taking a shot.

Thanks in advance.

Cheers

My wife is an audiologist and I've run through a few different styles of assisted hearing devices. I don't remember the last brand that I used but man were they sensitive. Felt like I could hear my blood flowing. Ended up being too distracting but have been thinking about revisiting the idea. Now I use the moulded solid plugs for target shooting and some others that are moulded but have a small hole so that you can still hear fairly normal but they block loud percussion noises. Flick me a PM and I can get some details straight from her to pass along.

Hi I have a pair of these. My experience has been mixed. I wouldn’t use them at the range where you don’t know who’s going to be shooting what. They don’t seem to me to be as effective as ordinary plugs or muffs. But it’s very hard to tell. I had a difficult time with the audiologist who fitted them - I didn’t feel confident in her level of experience with the device and given it’s $1000 investment stress levels were high. They are however very comfortable and enhance sound quite naturally so stalking the bush with a suppressed rifle they’re quite good. You get more protection than just the suppressor and you hear a lot. I wouldn’t trust them with an unsuppressed rifle.

It was the range I was wanting to get them for. Also my rifle is unsurpressed. With molded ones in I need to pull them out to hear so was hoping electronic ones would be better..

Sorry if I’m missing something but is there a reason you don’t want electronic muffs? At the range I often go with a pair of ordinary soft ear plugs under electronic muffs turned up high great protection and you can hear too. Plus much cheaper.

I was hoping the electronic ones would be multi use and try consolidate the amount of gear carryed.

Hey mate, sorry I forgot to follow up that last PM. Yeah so those are the last ones that I tried. I think you will find them annoying at the range and marginally beneficial at noise reduction, especially repeatedly. They do amplify the hell out of sounds which is cool but at the range you will want muffs over them.

I've been through quite a few options as I tend to be treated as a guinea pig when new stuff comes out. Even with good access to all of that stuff I use solid ones for lots of shooting, such as a big burst of clays. For everything else I use my in the ear perforated units. When I shoot the braked rifle it's those plus over the ear muffs. They just end up being easier to take on and off. Nothing like some bore solvent on the ear plugs before they go back in on a hot day.

Thanks for the info. I had a set of the perforated ones but didn't seem to take out enough of the bang for me. I didn't think of trying them with eletronic earmuffs. Time to find out which pile of I shouldn't have bought those they have been thrown in and try fined a decient set of ear muffs.
Any suggestions on eletronic ear muffs????

Cheers

Originally Posted by Calibremech

Thanks for the info. I had a set of the perforated ones but didn't seem to take out enough of the bang for me. I didn't think of trying them with eletronic earmuffs. Time to find out which pile of I shouldn't have bought those they have been thrown in and try fined a decient set of ear muffs.
Any suggestions on eletronic ear muffs????

Cheers

Try a safety outfitter like these...(Especially ones near airports....)

https://www.leedsafe.co.nz/#/shop/ppe/hearing?page=1
http://shop.blackwoodsprotector.co.n...1=frameset.htm

While a lot of them wont carry much in stock of electronic muffs, they can get them. Get decent ones. I have had a couple sets of cheaper ones such as Howard Leights and no name and am looking at Peltor or similar for my next set. The Howard leights were the better of the cheaper ones.