Goona settle the Halo vs ANR headset question for good!

[Guitarmaster]

The title is a little bit tongue-in-cheek but I thought I would pass on my findings after getting custom earpieces made.

I have a Bose a20 that I typically fly with in my Mooney, but honestly, they get heavy and uncomfortable after a good 3 to 4 hour flight.

Originally, I found it the Halos did not really block out enough noise with the traditional earplugs to be comfortable for long distance travel. Enter the custom ear mold.

I got these made at Oshkosh this year for $125 and they are outstanding! They're quieter than the A20 and way more comfortable!

Honestly once they're installed, you don't even know they're there. I was pretty skeptical that they would cut out as much noise as a full an ANR headset but it does.

Personally, I don't think ANR is all it's cracked up to be. You're introducing an anti wave of the same magnitude into your hearing and I'm not sure it's actually helping with hearing loss. Anyway, to have something passively reduce noise better than an anr headset I think is better anyway.

Think I will be selling my a20 shortly and buying three more sets of halos with custom ear molds for my family. I may hang on to them for guests though.

 

 

 

 

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[Marauder]

So give us some details on the process and the company.


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[KSMooniac]

Many years ago I had a similar set made for use on my motorcycle and they worked great. I unfortunately found that ears keep growing in adulthood, and after several years they did not seal up as well as originally, even with a motorcycle helmet squishing them into my ears. I didn't spend the money again for a new set, and instead moved to nice Schure ear buds with contoured black squishy foam seals that worked great. I use the silicone baffled seals with my Halos and think they work very well. Hopefully yours work well for a long time.

 

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[milotron]

I literally just did this last week!  

My audiologist had them created and have removable attenuators/filters for different dB reduction. I took the 25dB filters and replaced them with solid ones that I drilled to match the tubing in the Halo plugs.  Amazing difference and highly recommended.

 

I have also commented about the possibly adverse effects of the out of phase noise cancelling technique used and it not really protecting the hearing as much as they say. Glad to hear ( pun not intended ) I am not the only one thinking this,

[Guitarmaster]

So give us some details on the process and the company.


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http://www.fit-ear.com/

This was the place that did them. They are a soft rubber type material.

He squirts some kind of goop into your ear that sets up to the size and shape of your ear canal. Afterward, he pulls it out and then adapts it to work with the Halo headset.

Really straightforward and super easy.

I was leery because I used to have a custom ear molded piece back when they were hard and I couldn't stand to have it in my ear. This is a whole different story!



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[MIm20c]

Interesting, I just purchased a set of Halos and a20's.  Might have to look into getting a set of custom ear plugs made. 

[flyboy0681]

I'd be interested in getting one made as well. Their website states that a fitting can take place during an event, but the calendar of events is empty with the exception of Sturgis.

Also interesting that they have a plug for the Clarity Aloft.

[KSMooniac]

When I got mine made long ago, a local audiologist made my impressions, and then I mailed them to the vendor. Perhaps this one could do that as well.

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[flyboy0681]

Just now, KSMooniac said:

When I got mine made long ago, a local audiologist made my impressions, and then I mailed them to the vendor. Perhaps this one could do that as well.

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I may just do that. Not sure if I need to see an audiologist or ENT, but my tinnitus is getting bad.  All hissing all the time.

[Andy95W]

Has anyone had any luck with locally fitted inserts and Halo/Clarity Aloft headsets?

[Andy95W]

3 minutes ago, KSMooniac said:

When I got mine made long ago, a local audiologist made my impressions, and then I mailed them to the vendor. Perhaps this one could do that as well.

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How well do they seal up and block sound?

[KSMooniac]

How well do they seal up and block sound?

Read my first reply above... I grew out of mine after several years. Good while they lasted, YMMV.

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[aviatoreb]

That's one ugly looking black goop thing.   Better put it in before your hot babe riding with you sees it.

[201er]

That's really cool. But how long do they last!? No matter how quiet it is, if it looks anything like my yellow halo foamies after a few months, it won't last enough to be a  reasonable investment!

[Hank]

8 minutes ago, 201er said:

That's really cool. But how long do they last!? No matter how quiet it is, if it looks anything like my yellow halo foamies after a few months, it won't last enough to be a  reasonable investment!

They probably hold up well, until your ears change. I use the included silicone tips for several years,  I think I've replaced mine once since purchase in Fall 09.

[mccdeuce]

Just throwing this out there. He real answer is you fly with both.

on my helmet I use CEPs.  Just like the halo you can have foam or fitted. Then I also have he passive reduction from my traditional foam ear cups. 

One of the benefits I have is that by having he sound truly at my ear canal I can have the radio/ics at a much quieter volume. Or if there is a radio transmission that is hard to hear I will hear it while most of my crew won't. 

[Guitarmaster]

That's really cool. But how long do they last!? No matter how quiet it is, if it looks anything like my yellow halo foamies after a few months, it won't last enough to be a  reasonable investment!

Since there is no "squishing" they should last many years. I'm sure as the ear canal changes, I will have to get another made.
They are a softish rubberish compound.

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[Jim Peace]

Does it have to be black?  I used to get ear molds done in red and green like nav lights...red for left ear and green for right.....makes it easier to tell apart......

[milotron]

nice idea!   Mine are flesh colored, but they do all sorts of colors, including glitter and glow in the dark. The alien green color is pretty good too.

 

These folks did mine; they are in Canada, but their products are similar to others used in the states.

 

http://www.otohearing.com/index.php/oto-products-2/specialty-earmolds/ear-defenders

 

 

[Guitarmaster]

Does it have to be black?  I used to get ear molds done in red and green like nav lights...red for left ear and green for right.....makes it easier to tell apart......

No. There are several colors. Was going to get clear, but they were all out.

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[Danb]

I'm glad to hear your pirep, I stopped by the booth to have them made, the man doing the fittings tried to talk us into the other brand of in ear headsets telling me the noise comes from the thin flexible tubes instead of mikes in the ears. I was skeptical and did nothing. I've got 10 hours on the halos with mixed feelings. I believe if I went with the custom molds they would have been great. It makes no sense the man selling the molds talked me out of them in an attempt for me to switch to the other brand. 

Also he told me I could buy or order the kit and make the molds myself which I now will do.

A timely PIREP thanks.

[Marcopolo]

  We have a Mooney driver that does the ear molds also, I believe his name is Wayne, he was at Osh with a booth (Hear Gear LLC in Elk City Oklahoma).  I know he was with the caravan, but not sure if he's on MS.  He was doing custom molds for the caravaners in the Mooney tent at the north 40 all week.

 

Ron

[Marauder]

44 minutes ago, Danb said:

I'm glad to hear your pirep, I stopped by the booth to have them made, the man doing the fittings tried to talk us into the other brand of in ear headsets telling me the noise comes from the thin flexible tubes instead of mikes in the ears. I was skeptical and did nothing. I've got 10 hours on the halos with mixed feelings. I believe if I went with the custom molds they would have been great. It makes no sense the man selling the molds talked me out of them in an attempt for me to switch to the other brand. 

Also he told me I could buy or order the kit and make the molds myself which I now will do.

A timely PIREP thanks.

Dan -- I think like many of us who started flying with clamping headsets, the in-ear stuff just feels different. And for some, just feels wrong. I picked up a pair of Halos from FlyDave who hated his Halos. I found them comfortable at first but never liked the ear piece. When Halo introduced the black foam inserts, they were perfect for me. Of course my wife grabbed them and I decided to buy another set only to find Phil was in a huge backorder situation. So I went with the Clarity Alofts.

I had the same experience with the Clarity Alofts. They sent a dozen of the medium sized ear buds stating that is what most people need. If you flew with me you would have seen a comedy act after a flight. After every flight I would pull out a pair of needle nose pliers to pull out one or both of those medium sized ear buds that managed to come off the mounting posts and wedge in my ears. I did not stick them in too far, they just stuck. I saw they had a smaller ear bud and tried those. Made a huge difference. They feel right and the needle nose pliers are back in the tool box.  

[Marauder]

55 minutes ago, Danb said:

I'm glad to hear your pirep, I stopped by the booth to have them made, the man doing the fittings tried to talk us into the other brand of in ear headsets telling me the noise comes from the thin flexible tubes instead of mikes in the ears. I was skeptical and did nothing. I've got 10 hours on the halos with mixed feelings. I believe if I went with the custom molds they would have been great. It makes no sense the man selling the molds talked me out of them in an attempt for me to switch to the other brand. 

Also he told me I could buy or order the kit and make the molds myself which I now will do.

A timely PIREP thanks.

As for the tubes on the Halos, I often wondered about that as well. I can't tell the difference between the Clarity's and Halo's when I have used interchangeably. 

[Oscar Avalle]

Yes, that would be great. I used an in ear headset for a while but the inserts never felt comfortable


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