Ultimate Ears - Budget Alternative for Headset Free Flying?

I will be shortly doing an update on my original "how to" article about the Nolan N40/Lynx Headset modification project (Original Article Link). Part of the reason is that one of the components required to make the project possible was the studio transducers (ear pieces).

In my case, I have severe tinnitus (ringing in my ears and mid-range hearing loss), so I went to an audio specialist and obtained the professional-level earpieces and transducers.

About a year ago, which was five years after my original pair, the wiring came undone and I was without protectors during the repair time. My doctor, Michael Santucci at Sensaphonics suggested that I have a "backup" pair made with some Koss earbuds. The cost of this was much less than the original, because the transducers from Koss were much less expensive. All together, with the custom ear molds, I think I spent about $250.00 vs. the original $899.00 or so of my "professional" level set.

After using the new set, I actually prefer it to the original, mainly because the earpieces do not fill my entire ear canal and thus are a little less uncomfortable on long flights. I cannot confirm the db reduction is the same, but I'm told that it is comparable. Please NOTE that you really SHOULD replace the standard silicone ear bud on the transducer with a CUSTOM moulded unit in order to obtain the full 25 noise-reduction required to protect your hearing. The standard earbud is claimed to provide a 16db reduction.

A custom moulded unit can be done by an audiologist for a relatively small fee or you can order it done via the internet from various companies. I've also seen booths at Oshkosh and Sun-N-Fun where they will do it on the spot for $25.00. Search Google for "industrial hearing protection ear molds"

You can find out more about these lower-cost options at Ultimateears.com or Sensaphonics.com