Serious Hearing Protection: NoNoise Earplugs for Audiophiles Like Me
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
NoNoise Hearing Protection
A good many motorcycle riders that skip one of the most vital forms of protection there is — your ears. Most of us spend a decent amount of money on safety equipment that safeguards us like Helmets, boots, jackets however, it's easy to forget that while you are in your helmet, your ears are going to suffer.
Put a full face helmet on and everything, all-of-a-sudden, gets quieter. Sounds are muffled until you need to raise the visor to hear again clearly. But while that’s fine in the living room pretending that you can’t hear the kids yelling, on the highway it’s a different matter.
The problem is that insatiable wind. As you hurtle through the world at increased speed, the air dashes against your helmet creating noise. The faster you go, the louder it gets.
I’ve seen many figures for what damage you can expect from wind noise, but it really does depend on the rest of your gear. A decent helmet and a well-faired bike, preferably with windshield, will help, but noise is never going away. According to the people at NoNoise Earplugs, just fifteen minutes at 60mp/h (95km/h) is enough to damage your hearing. I’ve also seen some figures quoted as two hours before damage sets in. Most of us ride far more than that, so I think it’s clear that if you intend to do more than an around-town commute, you need some ear protection.
I’ve always known about damage from noise, and so for years now I’ve been wearing those earplugs you get from the hardware store. Not the crappy orange barrel ones, but the blue tapered ones. I thought they were great, and they are if you are used to wearing nothing. But the NoNoise earplugs are oh-so much better.
They’re designed not to just block sound, but to filter it. The secret sauce is a three-flanged design that houses a patented-ceramic filter that only blocks the sound you don’t want. The plugs NoNoise sent me to test are specifically tailored to defeat highway wind noise while motorcycling, although NoNoise make an entire range of earplugs for various application from firing a gun to helping you sleep better.
NoNoise Hearing Protection for Motorsports
In use they are way more comfortable than other ear plugs I've tried. You wouldn’t think earplugs would make such a big deal, but as you know, comfort is of vital importance on the motorcycle. After a couple of hours, I’m happy to take my old ear plugs out. The NoNoise ones barely felt like they were in. While I only rode for three hours, I’m confident I could leave these things in all day.
Sound blocking is also much better. On the highway, the wind does sounds quieter, but the true benefit is in what you do hear, true to what it says on the package. I heard an ambulance with wailing sirens much more clearly that I normally would.
In my helmet, I also use an intercom both for voice and to listen to music (on the boring highway stretches). My old foam plugs work but they tend to make everything sound like it’s underwater. With the NoNoise earplugs, I can hear the detail. With music, sound quality is a major upgrade.
The only downside is the price, but you get what you pay for. While drugstore earplugs are $20 for about 80, the NoNoise earplugs are US$29.99. They are, however, designed to be durable and reusable, unlike my old ones. All you need to do is wash them in mild soap once in a while and store them in the aluminum cylinder they come with and they should last you a year or more. Over time, and provided you don’t lose them, I suspect the NoNoise plugs will work out around the same price as disposables, but with a much greater utility.
No matter where I ride now, that aluminum cylinder and bright orange plugs go with me.
Wearing the NoNoise Earplugs
NoNoise earplugs are distributed by Twisted Throttle and available at Amazon.
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94 months ago
I ordered a set of the M/C specific NoNoise earplugs last fall from Twisted Throttle, and I've been pleased. I do not partake in other noisy activities (gun range, loud factory work, drag racing, etc...though I wouldn't mind doing so;), and I find the fit comfortable and the filtering effective for me. If there are other earplugs out there which filter out more wind noise but let you hear what you need to hear (sirens, horns, etc), I'm...all ears. (Sorry) My Arai Signet-Q isn't the quietest helmet, but it's what I fit well in, and the NoNoise plugs work for me, too. When I wear my Bell Bullit helmet, the earplugs are a necessity! It's a noisier helmet all around.
99 months ago
@VRSCDX - Awesome update to the story - I don't think anyone would argue these were perfect. They are, in my opinion, some of the best you can get today. But, as you so rightly put it, the search goes on
99 months ago
dam, website go stuck again 😞 sorry for the 2x post
99 months ago
Update: I have been doing a little research as to why the No-Noise and Etymotic ear plugs just don't seem to cut the wind noise down enough. As it turns out, motorsport earplugs are just standard music earplugs repackaged. They suggest a 20db noise reduction across the spectrum, but this is just not true. Wind noise is at the low end of the spectrum where this type of earplug only cuts 12 or 13db from the wind sound levels approaching 95 to 115db. A true 20db at the low end of the spectrum would be ideal for motorcycle wind noise. So the search goes on for the perfect motorcycle earplugs that still allow you to hear your in helmet headset and the world around you......
99 months ago
Update: I have been doing a little research as to why the No-Noise and Etymotic ear plugs just don't seem to cut the wind noise down enough. As it turns out, motorsport earplugs are just standard music earplugs repackaged. They suggest a 20db noise reduction across the spectrum, but this is just not true. Wind noise is at the low end of the spectrum where this type of earplug only cuts 12 or 13db from the wind sound levels approaching 95 to 115db. A true 20db at the low end of the spectrum would be ideal for motorcycle wind noise. So the search goes on for the perfect motorcycle earplugs that still allow you to hear your in helmet headset and the world around you........
102 months ago
I wear the yellow foam ear plugs every day all day at work so am accustomed to the feel and sound quality an inexpensive ear plug offers. Riding any distance with ear plugs makes all the difference in comfort. I find I feel much less frazzled and more clear headed when I remove my helmet after a ride. I also find that once you train yourself to wear the protection all the time, you begin to not notice the ear plugs. And, you can generally still hear your machine beneath you so there is still mechanical feedback being received, contrary to popular belief. I will find a pair of the No-Noise and give them a go. Any hearing protection is worth it and hey, if they're comfortable and effective, that's bonus. Be sure to convince fellow riders to wear them too.
102 months ago
quick up date: I just got a reply from NoNoise. "The only changes are the color and the size increase, and this concerns only the largest rib of the ear plugs. The ceramic filter is exactly the same.
Best regards,
The NoNoise Team"
so the gray are the same as the orange, just the outer rib is a bit larger. in a review someone noted that he had both the old pair and a new pair, and the new pair worked marginally better, so the larger rib may help just a little with the wind noise.
102 months ago
I wore them today, had to take them off due to a really strong ear pain... I'll give them another shot next week...
102 months ago
@Lakota I don't think your speaking up would be an issue or make you unpopular. If anything it is helpful to have alternative opinions if they are explain well. I too was sold on the NoNoise earplugs from a review I read at the beginning of this year, and was a bit disappointed too. However I have the original gray motorsport pair from prior to this update to the larger orange replacement. I am reserving my final opinion until I hear back on whether or not this new release has had the ceramic filter re-optimized for wind noise, or not @Marina , and not knowing better myself, I will follow @Alex 's suggestion to pull up on my ear to correctly fit the plugs. I must say the gray pair are the most comfortable plugs I have ever used. The yellow or orange foam plugs give me a headache in no time at all, so to my detriment, I just never used earplugs. I can see with a half helmet, or an openface, these earplugs would be fairly useless, but with my fullface or modular, I don't need or want the total sound suppression like the foam plugs create. I want to hear my Bluetooth, and the rider next to me at quick stops without pulling the helmet and plugs. One other feature of the NoNoise is the ceramic filter being deep inside the plug, thus making the plug much shorter then most filtered plugs. With a full face helmet this is a must to prevent hurting yourself on the stem sticking way out. I don't know if I had the old gray set installed correctly in my ear or not, and I will have to give it another try, but it just didn't knock the wind noise down enough for me to be worth the money.
To be continued:
102 months ago
Sounds like a nice upgrade from the generic ones I use from the gun range or most times none at all, sadly. Off to Amazon!
103 months ago
@alex I have worked in factories for 29 years, everything from forging presses, stamping presses to coke fired blast furnaces. I am properly trained in use of hearing protection. On your next windy day on the highway you should try one ear with the "nonoise" plug in and the other ear with a yellow foam plug, at the same time and see which is noticeably quieter. I only spoke up because reading that they were better made me spend money on them only to find them to cut less db than the foam. If you are a seller, I apologize for speaking up. I also have my second set of custom fitted earplugs (they actually make a form from your ear canal) from Listen Up Canada, and although they have their place in my activities, they also are not as quiet as the yellow E-A-R Classic foam plugs. I will shut up now before I make myself very unpopular here.
103 months ago
I have a set of custom molded ear plugs. Most of my hobbies seem to involve loud noises and I got by with foam for years but when I got the Harley, I decided to safeguard what remains of my hearing.
103 months ago
You can find a good list of the different types available here: http://www.earplugstore.com/difoearpl.html
Here's a video explaining how to pull your ear open for better insertion, especially with foam plugs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPNPZJingZA
Personally, I prefer getting a big box of disposable foam ear plugs and using them a few times. That way I don't have to clean them and don't worry about losing them. I also recommend plugs that have the cord that connects the two plugs, it makes it easier to remove.
103 months ago
@Lakota @VRSCDX - I've worn various earplugs for years and you have to "pull" your ear open to get them in. See where I have my piercing at the top of my left ear? That's what I use it for. Pull until your ear almost hurts and then insert the ear plug with a gentle rotary motion.
Technically, it's the same any earplug and makes a huge difference.
103 months ago
I also have a pair of these "nonoise" always clipped to my bike keychain. Mine is the orange "motorcycle" pair. Ordered after reading a glowing review a couple months ago. I rarely use them as they are not near as quiet as a pair of "E-A-R Classic" regular yellow foam earplugs, but better than none at all. I always use the yellow foam earplugs but for that odd day that I forget them, I have the "nonoise" as backups on the key chain. All in all, I was disappointed after the price of these plugs.
103 months ago
@vrscdx NoNoise earplugs are available at Amazon. It's worth mentioning that when you put ear plugs in, you need reach around with the other hand and pull up on the top of your ear to get them in right.
103 months ago
@vrscdx, you probably had the automatic riffle ear plugs hehe. I'm going to find out for you.
103 months ago
I've had a pair of these for quite some time now. I must say I was not at all impressed. However reading your post , I now realize why. I have the wrong pair! I don't have the orange, I have the gray. They are color-coded for each type of ceramic filter and I guess I just got a little confused on Amazon when I purchased the wrong pair. Live and learn, that's why ESR is here right? To keep us motorcyclists well informed. Is there a specific part number so I don't screw up again?