Hearing Protection

But make sure it’s the right protection! Simple earplugs might appear to fit, but invariably end up letting dangerously loud peak sound levels in. They will also affect how you hear speech and make sound muddy and unclear. Our Ear and Hearing Protection Programme allows us to accurately match your ears with just the right level of selective protection. This bespoke solution guarantees you’ll be able to hear, when and what you want, in the knowledge that you’re safe at the same time.

We have a wide range of passive (non-electronic) and active solutions which we can advise you about, depending on your particular requirements. As every challenge is unique so every solution is bespoke.

Safe hearing is available for:

• Motorcycling
• Motorsports
• Shooting
• Concert Going and Summer Festivals
• Arena Sports Events
• Noisy Work Environments

Specialist Custom Ear Piece Applications

• Aviation and Driver Communications
• Covert Listening
• Broadcast Moulds for TV and Audio Visual Work
• Live Audio Sound Engineers
• Peaceful Night Ear Plugs
• Swimming Ear Dry Plugs
• Audiophile Quality in ear headphones for music appreciation.

If your need isn’t listed here, let us know and we’ll see what we can do to help.

Ear Impressions

We have been taking ear impressions for 40 years and take great pride in making sure we use the highest quality materials and best techniques to ensure 100% safety and clinical cleanliness at all time. Bespoke hearing protection is only as good as the ear impressions and, as you would expect, we leave nothing to chance to ensure the accuracy of the fitting we provide.

We carry out a brief examination of the ear using a video camera or microscope to check the ear canal is clean and healthy. If the ear needs clearing this can be done, in most cases, on the same visit.

Our preferred impression material is ultra-low viscosity 2-part silicon addition paste which is mixed automatically as it is fed into the ear through a special application gun. The procedure is painless and takes around 10 minutes for both ears. In some cases, we will suggest popping a polystyrene dental block between the teeth for vocalists whilst the impression is setting.

We provide a full Ear2Ear service – taking impressions, ordering moulds – or in the case of ear monitors, arranging manufacture, carrying out a fitting and explaining how to use and look after your bespoke ear fittings. Or if you like we provide a Pay&Go service where we’ll provide your impressions and you can deal direct with the lab of your choice.

Classical and Pit Musicians

There is a common misapprehension that it’s only musicians who play amplified instruments who are at risk from hearing damage. Many of our clients are orchestral or pit musicians who are exposed to unsafe sound levels because of where they sit, or the acoustics of the space they play in. Orchestral musicians’ hearing requires a special approach allowing the softer nuances of a piece to heard whilst, at the same time, protecting the wearer from the higher range dynamic levels.

Musicians’ Hearing

If you’re a musician whose hearing has been affected, then our Musicians Hearing Conservation Programme is for you. The detailed assessment looks at hearing level, music appreciation and amplification to allow a full dynamic soundstage to made available again without colouring sound quality.

Hearing aid technology for music reproduction has always been a poor relation to the developments available for improving hearing speech. But now, hearing aids designed specifically for listening to recorded music or playing live allow musicians and fans alike to rediscover the timbre, dynamics and the essence of a performance.

Our skilled team will work with you to ensure that you can continue to enjoy a fulfilling and enriching musical career with a Treatment Programme adapted for your musical preferences.

Musicians and DJs

We have been at the forefront of highlighting and explaining the dangers that professional musicians are exposed to since 1990. By this time, amplified music had become louder as venues became larger. On-stage foldback monitors had grown too, having to fend off the sound of ever bigger house PAs to allow performers to hear their instruments and personal mix. Indeed, we coined the term ‘Competitive Monitoring’ to describe the situation where musicians were increasing their own foldbacks to less and less safe levels on stage resulting in distortion, feedback, tinnitus, temporary and even permanent hearing damage.

The development of in ear monitor technology with our partner in the UK, ACS Custom, has created our specific expertise in protecting the professional ear. Close collaboration with our partners in the USA, Sensaphonics in Chicago and musicians’ audiologist, Lisa Tannenbaum in California, has helped us provide support for professional musicians on both sides of the Atlantic.

Electronic studio in ear monitors are available in various formats with one, two or three speakers encased in custom made personally-built soft silicon earpieces. A live performance version can have an active switchable microphone so that on stage asides can be heard at the flick of a conveniently placed switch.

DJs, who have to listen to a PA whilst cueing up the next track, present another unique challenge for which we can provide an active in ear device for one ear and a passive plug for the other. No more tipping your head over to hold the cans in place!