# WildEar - anyone use them?



## Justin Frye (Jul 11, 2014)

I am going to be buying a set of WildEar hearing protection/boosters for hunting and dog training. Anyone ever use them before? I have no problem spending the money to protect my hearing over the next 50 years, but I wanted to see if anyone had any input before I drop the money on them.

http://www.wildear.com/ 

Thanks -- Justin


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## msdaisey (May 13, 2004)

My sister is a Doctor of Audiology. She recommend the custom, molded-to your ear type she makes. They come in 24 colors and are only 25 bucks. She always tells people not to waste their money on expensive BS. She could explain why, but I don't understand the technical stuff.


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## Oz1 (Dec 9, 2011)

After using muffs and passive plugs for years I got me a pair of Defend Ear custom earplugs form Westone Labs about 6 months ago. These are similar to the ones you are looking at. I like being able to carry on a conversation when not shooting and always being ready for a shot. I have to say the self impression process looks dodgy to me, this should be done by someone who knows what he is doing. Mine are comfortable and were made in a cool camo pattern. Oz


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## NCShooter (Dec 6, 2012)

Justin,
I highly recommend espamerica.com They seem to be the most popular brand in the sporting clays world. Custom fitted and they are known for their excellent customer service. I have the Elite Classic and could not be happier. 
NCShooter


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## Chris Atkinson (Jan 3, 2003)

msdaisey said:


> My sister is a Doctor of Audiology. She recommend the custom, molded-to your ear type she makes. They come in 24 colors and are only 25 bucks. She always tells people not to waste their money on expensive BS. She could explain why, but I don't understand the technical stuff.


MsDaisey, Do you know if these plugs allow for fairly "normal" conversation while the plugs are all the way in, but still cut out the damaging noise? My understanding is that this is the reason for the more expensive electronics. 

Not all shooting sports are the same. When one is shooting a round of skeet, sporting clays etc., it is much more tolerable to use molded plugs without the electronics. It is more tolerable to "yell" to your partners to be heard. The timing of the gunfire is predictable and known. So it's easy for folks to pop their ear protection in "or on" when they need it.

The problem is when a group of folks are in a duck blind or goose pit, for an extended period is that, it is not practical to wear ear plugs and yell to each other. It spooks the birds and it makes the experience much more tolerable to hear normal conversation if the plugs are cheated out, or removed altogether. 

This is because I have rarely been able to leave ear plugs in my ear through an entire day's shoot. The birds tend to appear without a whole lot of notice and many times the guns go off with no ear protection in place, even though it's hanging on a string around the shooter's neck or it's cheated out and barely in place in one or both ears.

If there's a cheap alternative that allows for normal conversation while the plugs are in, that's a real winner.

Chris


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## Wingshooter (Jan 30, 2014)

I got a pair of wild ear electronic plugs from Zach at Pheasant Fest last year. I used them for Sporting Clays, dog training and duck and pheasant hunt. I guide in the fall. It is the best investment you can make. I wouldn't do any shooting sports or training without my Wild Ears.


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## Golddogs (Feb 3, 2004)

Chris Atkinson said:


> If there's a cheap alternative that allows for normal conversation while the plugs are in, I that's a real winner.
> 
> Chris




https://starkeypro.com/products/other-products/hearing-protection

The fitter I spoke with at Game Fair prefers the insert over the molded because of comfort. He has access to both and sells both. Quite reasonable in price. To the OP, I do have a friend who bought the Wild Ear and is very pleased. The battery life is supposed to be quite long.

For me, I this fall I will be buying a set of Starkey for my wife and myself for less than 1 set of molded would run.


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## joel druley (Sep 6, 2010)

Pro ears work for me.


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## Charlie Seitzer (Oct 22, 2011)

Justin you won't be disappointed in the Wildears. They are an investment and that's exactly how I see them. I had some testing done and found out that I had some hearing loss at the ripe age of 30. My head would hurt if I shot flyers all day, shooting snows with a big group. No more of that! 

The ability to wear them all day long, control volume, and have normal conversations while protecting your ears from the damage is reason enough. But I use this for all sorts of stuff, chainsaw, lawn machines, guns, dog training, etc. 

Great customer too!


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## Gauge123 (Dec 3, 2012)

Chris nailed it. I've used everything from the cheapest foam plugs to Pro-ear muffs and now Pro-ear plugs.

The muffs become hot or squeeze my head hard enough to get uncomfortable. The plugs (either kind) begin to hurt after 3-4 hours in my ear. Also, my Pro-ear plugs have an annoying sound (hum?) even on the lowest setting.

I haven't found the answer but I'm still looking. Good Luck OP


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## Buck Mann (Apr 16, 2003)

NCShooter said:


> Justin,
> I highly recommend espamerica.com They seem to be the most popular brand in the sporting clays world. Custom fitted and they are known for their excellent customer service. I have the Elite Classic and could not be happier.
> NCShooter


I agree about the ESPs. I've used them for years and I'm on my second set. The customer service is excellent and you can comfortably wear them all day.

Buck


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## NateB (Sep 25, 2003)

I listened to the Sound Gear demo on their website, http://www.soundgearhearing.com/pages/soundgear-demo, I felt the decrease in ambient sounds was too significant, i.e. could not hear bird chirping in the background. Did hear the pheasant flush. I want to be able to hear the wind off the wings of the ducks and am concerned that may be too suppressed with the less expensive Sound gear plugs. 

The Wild ear promotes its ability to maintain or even enhance ambient sounds, and has a better price point than the ESP, or Defend Ear. Still a big hit $$wise, when I hunt in big groups I wear the plugs with a bit of a filter, can hear some but stops loud noise. But I usually hunt with one other guy and we are not so close to muzzle blast each other. Though I did take a newbie one time, newbie to duck hunting but not shooting or hunting. First time he shot over my head at a duck on MY side of the blind, I mentioned to him not to do that. Second time he did it the same day, I went "drill sergeant" on his butt. Has not down it since.

But I am as much concerned about the whistle blasts dog training as I am with gun shots. All of my non-hunting shooting is done with heavy plugs, at 5 stand just too close to each other for marginal protection. But I do not think about it at all when dog training, may be an important issue in the long term.


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## swampcollielover (Nov 30, 2012)

Golddogs....I looked at the website and saw no pricing? Did I miss it? Can you tell me about how much a set of 'molded' would run?


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## Golddogs (Feb 3, 2004)

swampcollielover said:


> Golddogs....I looked at the website and saw no pricing? Did I miss it? Can you tell me about how much a set of 'molded' would run?


http://www.starkey.com/find-a-professional

Need to contact a local. I don't have a current price,sorry.


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## Beezer02 (Jul 9, 2013)

Hey Guys,

Lots of good points mentioned already. A few things to consider:

To Chris's point, reason for the increased in costs for custom plugs that allow for normal hearing but block the damaging sounds is the electronics. Similar mechanism to hearing aids but built for sportsmen. My opinion is its worth being able to always have them in and resume normal conversation after the shooting is done.

I have a set and use them primarily for training, shooting, and waterfowl hunting. I bought them for hunting but enjoy them for training the most while shooting flyers, using pistol blanks, and even from whistle blasts. Easy to put in and comfortable all session. 

Another post mentions the muffs being hot around the ears and the constant on/off. No issues with these because they are custom fit- only better than your favorite ear buds for your iPod. 

Hope it helps.


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## swampcollielover (Nov 30, 2012)

Beezer02 said:


> Hey Guys,
> 
> Lots of good points mentioned already. A few things to consider:
> 
> ...


So Beezer02....what brand did you purchase?


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## onastring (Jan 11, 2012)

For those of you who duck/goose hunt with electronic plugs and call, how do the plugs effect your calling?

I'm seriously considering electronic plugs but I'm concerned about the plugs cutting out the sound of my call, especially if I'm hailing a high bunch. I have molded plugs with a mechanical valve for shooting clays but they don't work well for hunting. Too hard to hold a conversation in the blind and they muffle my call too much. I've been using sonic II plugs while hunting for the last 4 or 5 years. No problems having a conversation or calling with them but they aren't very comfortable and they don't provide as much protection as electronic plugs would.


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## Beezer02 (Jul 9, 2013)

swampcollielover said:


> So Beezer02....what brand did you purchase?


 I bought WildEar Master series


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## Zach Meyer (Dec 26, 2013)

Hey guys,

I hope to answer some questions about this topic for you. I am the sales and marketing guy here at WildEar.....before you jump the gun about me being bias, let me just tell you what we have, and you can decide based on your needs. 

The WildEar electronic system is custom fit hearing protection and enhancement. You can control the volume using the push buttons on the side based on your situation. We stayed away from the old school volume wheel as there is more opportunity for failure and requires the units to be sent in for repair. Similar to dog collars breaking in the fall, they don't do you much good when they are in for service along when you are trying to use them. 

In the training world, enough to communicate with other folks and leave it at that. In a hunting situation you can turn the volume all the way up to your specific needs. The protection is going to be the same no matter what volume level you are on. Any sound above 90dB will be suppressed to a safe level using the compression technology. I use my set for both training my dogs and hunting and they work wonderfully. 

The battery life is the next topic that should be considered. We use a size 13 battery in our unit and that is approx 500 hours of run life. Other systems on the market will use a size 10 or 312 and that is significantly less battery life. We have bought all the other units and tested them so we have a pretty good idea of performance on all of them. I am not going to be naming other competitors units as I am not trying to bash anyone. 

We also include a lanyard on our system so you can protect the investment and not misplace these things or have them end up in a pocket or something like that. I will add here, most of our competition is copying this now so we must be doing something right. We also give you a Pelican 1020 case to keep your set in while you aren't wearing them. The other guys give you a little zipper pouch that can misplaced as soon as they come in the mail. 

As for waterfowl hunting and calling, you will still be able to blow your calls without the huge call distortion since our system reduces the harmful sounds instead of totally eliminating all the noise. 

For the folks that don't want to spend the money on the electronic systems, we also make custom fit plugs without electronics in them. The mold process is the same as the electronic systems. We will send you at "At Home" kit to do your molds and you return those back to us in the mail and we build off of that. This is majority of our business and do it daily. If you dont feel comfortable having the wife or your buddy do the molds, then you can do to the local audiologist and they will make the molds for you there and you can return those back to us. Whatever you are comfortable with.

The custom fit aspect is the way to go. Make the investment and get something that is build specifically for your ears, not something that is 18 different canal tips and try your hardest to make them work....

We offer a 2 year warranty and 30 day money back guarantee which is our demo period so you can make sure they work for your application. 

More info can be found at wildear.com or you can give me a call and I would be happy to answer your specific questions.
[email protected]
855-494-9453


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## swampcollielover (Nov 30, 2012)

More info can be found at wildear.com or you can give me a call and I would be happy to answer your specific questions.
[email protected]
855-494-9453[/QUOTE]

Zach,
thanks for the information, could you put a price list on this posting so all get an idea what these cost?

Thanks in advance,


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## Charlie Seitzer (Oct 22, 2011)

The plugs that I have (WildEars) do not block out the sound of my calling and that's everything from high hails or loud cracks on the goose call. The sound is a bit different, but not muffled. Just a bit quieter. They are so much easier to have in for the entire hunt than anything else out there. Literally put them in at the beginning and you won't notice they are there. 

But they are also ideal for training or any situation involving loud noises. I would not hesitate to purchase these. 



onastring said:


> For those of you who duck/goose hunt with electronic plugs and call, how do the plugs effect your calling?
> 
> I'm seriously considering electronic plugs but I'm concerned about the plugs cutting out the sound of my call, especially if I'm hailing a high bunch. I have molded plugs with a mechanical valve for shooting clays but they don't work well for hunting. Too hard to hold a conversation in the blind and they muffle my call too much. I've been using sonic II plugs while hunting for the last 4 or 5 years. No problems having a conversation or calling with them but they aren't very comfortable and they don't provide as much protection as electronic plugs would.


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## Justin Frye (Jul 11, 2014)

I have an appointment with Essentia Health on Friday to get my mold done. The wifey wasn't to big on sticking an injector in my ear to get the mold, so $10/ear will be worth it to get a good fit. Probably will see my order soon.

Good to know on the ability to hear when calling in the blinds.


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## Zach Meyer (Dec 26, 2013)

Master series - $1099
Shooter Series - $969
Soft silicone passives (custom plugs/no electronics) -$149
Hard acrylic passives - $139

Give us about 10-14 days right now for lead time once we get your molds. Lab is pretty busy following the NRA show and high school trap teams.


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## swampcollielover (Nov 30, 2012)

Zach,

Thanks


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## onastring (Jan 11, 2012)

Thanks for the info. I think I'll have to get a pair.


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## Zach Meyer (Dec 26, 2013)

Welcome guys...


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## swampcollielover (Nov 30, 2012)

Zach,
Do we get a RTF 'discount' if we call you for the order?


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## msdaisey (May 13, 2004)

Chris - You can still have a normal conversation with the molded ones. But they are $40 now. She is chuckling at people spending crazy money on 'technology.'


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## Oz1 (Dec 9, 2011)

If I were only going to mow my yard, I would chuckle too. I train my dogs, shoot a 9mm Baretta at the range, duck and upland bird hunt, and use lots of noisy tools. The "technology" is expensive but very good. Although I have a different brand it does exactly what I need it to do. Some may only need occasional earplugs, some may need more that these custom plugs offer. Oh, I'm a Doctor of Audiology too (for 40 years) and do feel qualified to respond. There are electronic earmuffs that do a fairly good job.


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## Chris Atkinson (Jan 3, 2003)

msdaisey said:


> Chris - You can still have a normal conversation with the molded ones. But they are $40 now. She is chuckling at people spending crazy money on 'technology.'



OK. Thank you Ms. Daisey,

Does your sister help clients/customers/patients buy hearing aids? Does she believe in that technology?


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## Lab&cockerguy (Sep 12, 2014)

Do they deaden the sound of your duck call? Or do sounds need to be louder for the electronic muting thing to kick in?


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## msdaisey (May 13, 2004)

Lol.. Yes, she does hearing aids. And she fully understands hunting, training, and equipment. But don't mention Beltone or Miracle Ear to her.


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## swampcollielover (Nov 30, 2012)

msdaisey said:


> Chris - You can still have a normal conversation with the molded ones. But they are $40 now. She is chuckling at people spending crazy money on 'technology.'


msdaisey...your information is very interesting. I have hearing loss and have to where hearing aids when I want to hear well. I can do normal 1 on 1 conversation, but give me some background noise and I miss half of what is said without my 'ears' on. That being said I work harder now than ever on protecting my hearing. I have tried all the old stand buys, but not real impressed with quality. 

In your posts you tell us the estimated costs and the fact that they are being sold by a skilled professional. But where can we find them? Do they have a brand name that my Doctor of Audiology would know? Can you get us more facts so we can pursue this option, where we live? 

Thanks, and help us out, for the cost I would love to try out a pair of these.....low cost risk and they may be a very good solution!


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## NateB (Sep 25, 2003)

I have a set of "molded plugs" with a filter. I use them occasionally when hunting, dove usually. Not enough suppression on the range with constant gunfire. I can have a conversation with them, but background noise is significantly suppressed. I will NOT hear the beating of duck wings when hunting using these, by the way one of my favorite part of the hunt. So hearing that is important to me. This is where I think the technology of Wild Ears and others come into play. There is just no way a molded plug will allow "normal" hearing. Talking yes, normal no.


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## Justin Frye (Jul 11, 2014)

msdaisey said:


> My sister is a Doctor of Audiology. She recommend the custom, molded-to your ear type she makes. They come in 24 colors and are only 25 bucks. She always tells people not to waste their money on expensive BS. She could explain why, but I don't understand the technical stuff.


Its really not "expensive BS" if you can't leave them in. I have tried hunting ducks/geese with regular plugs, and most of the time, regular ear plugs don't stay in long if I can't hear what the birds are doing. If you can leave them in for all situations (talking, shooting, calling, etc.) and save your hearing, then the price point is pretty reasonable.


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## Zach Meyer (Dec 26, 2013)

Yes I will work with the RTF guys if you call me direct. Call the office, I will answer otherwise shoot me an email [email protected]. You can buy new teeth or a new hip, your only solution to hearing loss is hearing aids and talk to anyone that wears them and they will all tell you they wish they could get rid of them. Spend the money and save what you got. (Doesn't even have to be my brand) 

I would be more than happy to help anyone that is interested or at least answer questions based on my experience when using this product for the applications listed in this thread.

As far as the cheap $25 pair custom plugs, we have something similar but the quality is much better. This is an Insta-mold type product (same thing that I give to customers to make their molds) we will get the molds back to our lab, scan and save everything electronically and then build the finished product from upgraded silicone and clear coat it so it doesn't break down to the oils in your skin, perspiration and everything else that gets on your hands and then you go to pull your plugs out. Another benefit, when your dog eats them or the plugs grow legs and walk away, all you have to do is call us and we will make another set. No need for another fitting of a lesser quality soft silicone material that will eventually fall apart and need to be redone.

Zach


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## brex (Feb 20, 2012)

I do an enormous amount of hunting and most of my life I was in the construction industry. Sad to say that I have not protected my hearing UNTIL NOW. After noticing some decent hearing loss and being diagnosed with tinnitus I knew I needed to do something. I was hesitant to use hearing protection because I take my duck and goose calling so seriously. I tried the cheap molded plugs. they do work but they drown out EVERYTHING!!! I couldn't hear anything. not my friends talking, the sounds of nature, nothing. So I researched WildEar and did my homework. I worked with Zach Meyer and found the whole process very customer friendly and easy to do. Now that I have my WildEars I can not believe the difference. These things are incredible. Not only do they absolutely protect my hearing but I can hear everything. while suppressing the exploding sound of my gun I can converse with my friends in the field or duck blind, I can hear nature and wild life and I can hear the tones and pitches of my calls. I would highly, highly recommend WildEars.


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## Oz1 (Dec 9, 2011)

Way to go Brex! It's never too late to stop the progression of hearing loss. Oz


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## achiro (Jun 17, 2003)

I'm bumping this and hoping that some of you that have had these for a while will give an updated review. My understanding is that they are not waterproof? So if you are hunting in the rain should they be put away? Does sweat effect them at all? 
Does anyone use them around the house at all instead of regular hearing aids? Like for watching tv? 
Anyone had to have any warranty work done?


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## achiro (Jun 17, 2003)

bump. Anybody?


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## Zach Meyer (Dec 26, 2013)

The units are not waterproof, but they are water resistant and will hold up to perspiration and some of the rain conditions. If they were to end up in the bottom of the lake it would be similar to your cell phone.....pull them out and dry them and hope for the best. We can fix them, but obviously will not know exactly which part was damaged due to them being submerged in the water. 

We have had some customers wear them at home for watching TV and stuff like that. They are NOT hearing aids which are programmed for your actual hearing loss based on the frequency of sound that you can't hear. Our units will amplify all sounds across the entire sound curve based on the program that you are in. So essentially you could wear our product while watching TV and when the wife has the volume level at 10 and you typically listen to it at level 29 you will still be able to hear. Just adjust the volume buttons on the unit and go from there. Then she doesn't chew you out for having the TV volume jacked all the way up.

Let me know if you have any questions. There are a couple guys on here that have gotten the sets recently and might be able to chime in on their experience in the next couple of weeks if not sooner. 

-Zach


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