While at the London Motorcycle Show last week I took the opportunity to visit the Hearwave Technology stand to check out their custom in-ear monitors and get an impression taken. Even though I’ve previously owned custom in-ear monitors, I was in the market for a new set and had heard some good reports about Hearwave.
Lewie explained their product range and outlined some of the new developments Hearwave are working on, specifically targeting motorcyclists and industry. But it was the safety side of things that really got my attention and is the main reason why all motorcyclists should be wearing earplugs. Even at moderate speeds the wind whistling through our helmets exceeds safe noise levels, leaving us with limited safe exposure time to enjoy our ride. With hearing protection this safe exposure time is increased significantly, to well in excess of the time most of us would spend on a ride.
It was a compelling justification and before long I was sitting down ready to have an impression of my ears taken.
If you’ve ever thought about getting custom in-ear monitors or custom silicone blockers I can assure you the process of having your impression taken is quick and I experienced no discomfort at all. Be sure that you get an appropriately trained technician or audiologist to do this.
After a thorough inspection some oto-stops were gently fitted and then a blue gel applied inside my ears.
The fine string you can see is attached to the oto-stops and allows for the safe and easy removal of the impression once the gel has set.
No talking while the gel sets and in about 5 minutes my impressions were carefully removed and transferred to a small plastic bag which was tagged and sealed, ready to be taken to Hearwave’s lab for the next stage of the process.
I plan to visit Hearwave within the next couple of weeks to learn more about the new products they are developing specifically for motorcyclists. Depending on how far their design concepts (which I must say sounded great for tech enthusiasts) have progressed, I may even wait another month or two before deciding on which model to get.
To learn more about hearing safety for motorcyclists and Hearwave Technology’s products and their application to musicians, shooters, swimmers and industry, visit their website.
