Earplugs - Who uses them?

[S1X OK]

I've seen a few mentions of wearing earplugs when driving a Seven. Do you use them and if so, which kind? I use the squidgy foam ones for shooting and when I'm camping in the rain but, as I don't yet have a Caterham to experience it, wouldn't earplugs compromise hearing and therefore safety?

[ewenm]

Pardon?

I use the squidgy ones too when on long drives in the 7. They don't completely block out noise so you can still hear everything you need to and I find I get fatigued more slowly when using them. Useful on long motorway journeys where you're sitting at ~4000rpm for hours.

You still hear more than you do in a tintop with a roof and windows

[KRL]

Yep I use them all the time as my car is aero'd.

[S1X OK]

At the moment I'm considering a K Series, partly because of the position of the exhaust being on the passenger side. Two reasons, sound and fried shins. I'm interested to compare the volume from both exhaust positions. Has anyone experienced both?

[framerateuk]

I do for long journeys, especially on the motorway where you're holding 4000 rpm for long periods.

I like these ones:
http://www.snorestore.co.uk/cgi-bin/sh000002.pl?WD...

You mould them to your outer ear. They're comfier than the foam type, and give a better seal than the permanently moulded ones.

[Camoradi]

I wear an earplug in my left ear to block noise from the diff, which is horrible at around 50-55mph. Exhaust noise on the right isn't much of an issue with side screens on (and only 125bhp on tap)

[Shropcat]

Its not just the engine/exhaust noise, the wind noise is just as bad. Scattered mention of tinitus from drivers who did not use any noise protection.

[grenpayne]

KRL said:

Yep I use them all the time as my car is aero'd.

Same here. I use these which are pretty good.

[Tango7]

I had some specially made for me after going for a hearing test from driving the sequential R500 for a few hundred miles! Hearing was checked and found to be fine but hearing ('scuse the pun!) about the blatting and motorcycles I ride, the audiologist suggested these earplugs moulded for my ears. They weren't too cheap at £75 but they are excellent at eliminating the lower frequencies and allowing some of the higher ones (in speech) through. I wear them all the time I am driving the seven and its a lot better than previously using a helmet or the foam plugs. Also they say that hearing only degrades as you get older so its worth looking after.

[DCL]

For me it was the diff wine that was painful so i use the soft sticky silicon ones. On track, I find I also go quicker as it dulls my mechanical sympathy

[Mach 7]

Ear plugs all the time,you can still hear things that are going on around you, it just takes the sting out of the induction and exhaust noise.

What ever you do don't take earplugs out mid blat you'll think the engine is falling apart.

[AndySuperSport]

I used ear plugs when touring around Scotland (300+ miles a day) but I don't use them for short blats.

I just used the cheapo foam ones, but I think it'd be worth investing in the moulded ones for comfort.

[anonymous-user]

Panasonic in-ear headphones when I'm solo and listening t'iPod (also good at blocking out noise even without music playing)
Yellow EAR jobbers for short trips.
Peltor headset and intercom for when the Rev Limiter comes along for the ride.

[CraigyB]

I use musicians ear plugs - they just attenuate the sound without blocking any frequencies - so you get the whole sound, just quieter

[Wilakroyd]

I use these here http://www.acscustom.com/uk/index.php?option=com_v... .

I bought them for use with bands that I work with, but found they are great in the seven. They are custom moulds so pretty expensive.... but they can be used in conjunction with in ear monitors which are brilliant for listening to music in the seven, they cut out all exterior noise. Also great for plane journeys etc. Very comfortable for long periods of time.

[Tango7]

Wilakroyd said:

I use these here http://www.acscustom.com/uk/index.php?option=com_v... .

I bought them for use with bands that I work with, but found they are great in the seven. They are custom moulds so pretty expensive.... but they can be used in conjunction with in ear monitors which are brilliant for listening to music in the seven, they cut out all exterior noise. Also great for plane journeys etc. Very comfortable for long periods of time.

These are same ones as I use. Excellent for use at Le Mans too!

[Huff]

I use earplugs almost all the time (screenless open car - Fisher Fury BEC) first because I want(ed) to preserve my hearing but subsequently because I found the benefit to my concentration / enjoyment is massive. Knocking a few dB off the wind roar alone makes everything 'flow' better, and longer days-out much less tiring. You can always fiddle with the 'fit' if you want a bit more noise

I'm not fussy about which plugs - I usually buy bags of 50-100pairs at a time, rated at least 25dB; motorcyle dealers are a good source, as are builder's merchants.

Edited by Huff on Friday 23 August 20:18

[SidewaysSi]

Sennheiser noise reduction headphone, pure DAB and some 80s classics! I would drive without plugs, especially longer distances

[huwp]

No point.




I ruined my hearing by neglecting to use ear-plugs whilst shooting

[Skyedriver]

3 years with a Lotus 7
12 years with a Caterham
Never used ear plugs
Pretty much deaf
Not so much the engine/gearbox/induction/exhaust more the wind and buffetting
If I had my time again I would definitely use them