Halo Ear Tips

I'm getting ready to order more ear tips for my Halo's and wondering if anyone has found a high quality foam push-in type ear tip that will work with the Halo's without having to modify anything. I replace them more because of dirt from my fingers while rolling them than ear debris (I like to keep my ears clean to avoid excuses when my wife tells me something she thinks I should hear). Push in type ear protection is getting more popular for industrial use but I just have not been able to find one that is useable with the Halo's. The little rubber ones that come with the headset are not very good.

Have a look at this place.

You can get a few more lives out of your foam ear tips by tying them in a sock and putting in washing machine.

Mark Albery said:

Have a look at this place.

You can get a few more lives out of your foam ear tips by tying them in a sock and putting in washing machine.

Click to expand...

Or just run some HOT tap water in a shallow bowl and place the ear pieces in the bowl. Watch the hot water melt away the wax and dirt before your eyes.

I'm not worried about replacement costs for dirty ones that I toss, just more interested in push-in (push into my ear that is) style so they don't need to be rolled before insertion. It is the rolling with not always clean fingers that gets them the dirtiest.

ER3-14A are the current ones and if anyone is interested this is the least expensive place I have found to purchase them http://www.etymotic.com/pro/er3a-acc.aspx .

two good options

1. Find an audiologist and get the custom silicon ear pieces made. They are a little less comfortable than foam, put they will last forever and they provide the best sound seal.
2. Make your own. Find your favorite disposable ear plug (I have boxes of them at my day job) get a leather hole punch (the adjustable plyer type) and some electrical shrink tubing of the apropriate diameter. Squish the plug, punch the center, insert the tubing, let the plug reexpand, trim the tubing and you've got a new ear bud.

Another option

These are the most effective earplugs I've found:
http://www.earplugstore.com/holemaxuffop.html

I pull the foam off the tubes and reuse them (starting with the ones that come with the headset).
I heat up a pop rivet mandrel with my propane torch to poke a hole, and immediately stick in the plastic tube.

I finally settled on using the triple-flange style for local flights, lunch runs, etc. I use the foam style for cross country flying.

I would describe the triple-flange style as 90% as quiet as foam and perhaps 90% as comfortable. (my unscientific opinion)

I modify the Clarity Aloft ones to work with my Halo headset because they're more comfy, imo. Pull the black tube out of the Halo plugs and twist them into the hole of the Clarity Aloft plugs.

So far no push in type tips. Push in tips do not require you to roll or pinch the tip to insert it into your ear. You simply just push them in with a little twist. Here is an example but these are not adaptable because they have a solid plastic core and are somewhat hollow between that and the outside of the plug. The do fit nicely in my ears though. http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/3M-PPE-Safety-Solutions/Personal-Protective-Equipment/Products/Product-Catalog/~/3M-E-A-R-Push-Ins-with-Grip-Rings-Corded-Earplugs-Hearing-Conservation-318-1009-in-Poly-Bag-2000-PR-Case?N=4294931249+5011378&Nr=AND%28hrcy_id%3AMW63SNT8GRgs_40QVFP4SSH_N2RL3FHWVK_GPD0K8BC31gv%29&rt=d