Ozito Electronic Ear Muffs

[mat]

Anyone seen, bought or used the Ozito electronic ear muffs currently selling at Bunnings for $30
They claim to cut out the high dBs but allow for normal talking to get through.
The brand is a turn off but they do have a 3 year warranty.

[Suresh]

I don't know that particular ear muff, however there are quite a few noise cancelling headphones available there days, around the $300 mark. One day I intend to get one of these, the ability to hear everything except the stuff that you don't want to hear: machinery noise.
Suresh

[johnmc]

Anyone seen, bought or used the Ozito electronic ear muffs currently selling at Bunnings for $30
They claim to cut out the high dBs but allow for normal talking to get through.
The brand is a turn off but they do have a 3 year warranty.

Do they simply reduce the amplitude of the higher frequencies ?

I think when using any power tool it is important to still be able to hear changes in the pitch of the motor or cutting blade. I find it can give you important information about the cut you are making.

[E. maculata]

G'day all,
If these earmuffs use "white noise" to cancel out perception of sound, make sure they are in built in accordance and comply with the Australian Standards (if so they will be marked as such)
The thing about "white noise" is it is still there our brains just lack the faculties to process the different pitches together, so we don't register the sound as such.
While this is going on the damage is nonetheless still occuring to the many sensitive receptacles in the ear.
Sorry to be such a doom & gloom prophet but I know just a little too much :o about this area of OH&S.

[himzol]

Having worked in the hearing industry in a previous life I can tell you that the best thing for noise reduction while still being able to hear what's happening around you are misicians earplugs available from most hearing aid dealers, (Australian Hearing would be my choise).

These do not adjust the frequency response they merey attenuate down to a safe level, which is why musicians like them.

I haven't seen the Ozito units so can not comment on them.

[Markw]

Bruce,
A number of manufacturers produce electronic noise cancelling hearing protection and they comply to AS1270. If it complies you will not be subjected to high intensity noise unless it overpowers the muff - the SLC80 rating - note this rating has now changed to grade numbers with 5 being highest. Overpowering of a muff is subject to informed selection.

Noise cancelling muffs normally have an external microphone to provide external noise such as speach or warning signals up to a specific dB at which point the external mic is switched off making the muffs a heavy duty muff.

Can't say I've heard of "white noise" producing muffs in this country and I been specifying & purchasing safety equipment for an energy Authority for almost 20 years.

[E. maculata]

Bruce,
Can't say I've heard of "white noise" producing muffs in this country.

Neither have I Mark, but that doesn't mean someones not importing any, as it's not illegal to sell them if they are non-compliant, it's just to use them in a place of paid employ in this state if so warranted.
My point is a few years ago many places were selling "safety kits" :confused: for a few bucks and many bought them for domestic and commercial use, these kits may or may not have been effective in their endeavours....who knows as they were untested to any standard recougnised by us or partner countries.
Just trying to say "caveat Emptor" as I suffer from Tinitus (& assoc hearing degradation) due to no, and then later being issued with incorrect hearing protection and hence my motivation would be fairly obvious.

[mat]

From my limited knowledge of white noise it sounds like a radio when it is in between stations - a low frequency hissing sound.

When I tried on the ozito's in Bunnings there was certainly no white noise just an attenuated volume of people around speaking and a low volume radio from Bunnings PA system. They do have a small microphone hole in one earpiece and an off/volume control.

[fxst]

I use a pair for pistol shooting and it allows me to hear normal level noise but a pistol shot is a faint bang. (no white noise used tho)
If the ozitos are any where like the normal expensive ones they are a good option and 3 yr warranty makes it worth a try
Pete

[E. maculata]

Just to clarify,
from my limited understanding of the sound/frequency properties and the impact they have upon the human senses, is that if you get the right frequencies/pitches (Hz)at the same time at similar levels of noise (Db's) we may not even conciously register a note at all in our brains. This is the type I'm talking about, the type originally developed by someones armed forces to mask the sound of their approaching hordes, then picked up by car manufacturers and so on. Then there is the classical "white noise" as someone mentioned, hissing, background chatter. Just cause you don't hear the first type, it doesn't mean its not there and the sounds emitted being a semi-solid sort of pressure could possibly stilll affect your hearing capability.

[simon c]

Bruce

I think you're confusing the technology. Noise cancelling systems don't trick the brain into not hearing the sound, they create a inverse wave that cancels the wave form and thus removing it completely. In this case they are removing the pressure wave that damages the ear. They have a microphone which would normally be set at a particular range to allow certain frequency sounds to come through. This is OK in an environment where the troublesome sound is at a particular frequency but it would not be fool proof. ie if you received a very loud sound at a different frequency (eg somebody shouted in your ear), then the sound would not be removed. This is quite expensive technology.

There are two other technology options that the Ozito ear muffs may utilize in addition to being "noise cancelling' as described above.
1. They are fully sealed ear muffs with a microphone that records all sound, filters out sounds of a certain frequency and then plays the remaining sound to you through a headphone. There is no cancellation of the sound as such.
2. They are set to trigger at a certain dB level,. If the volume goes above that level, they block all sound and if it is below a certain level, they let sound through. The main advantage is that you can leave your headphone on and have a normal conversation but they are ready when the volume goes up. However, they would not allow you to listen to a radio or a person speaking when the machine was running.

[E. maculata]

Thanks Simon,
It's very hard for me to remain objective on this issue therefore I humbly stand corrected.

[echnidna]

They sound like the bees knees for chainsaw work.

[Cliff Rogers]

G'day.

I just bought a pair of the "BEST" muffs in the house from the local
safety gear shop down the road.
They cost $56 & are easly 5 times better than the cheapies that I
keep breaking the plastic head band on.
Hopefully they will also last 5 times longer.

[simon c]

I had a look at the Ozito Ear muffs at Bunnies last night.

According to the box, they attenuate sound (ie reduce it) above 85dB. They appear to have a microphone on the outside and a headphone on the inside. This means they are not "noise cancelling" but will prevent you receiving any sound above 85dB. I'd be surprised if they allow you to hear conversations while the loud noise is going on, but I haven't tried them.

As echidna states, these type of ear muffs are good for chainsaw use and in fact one of the main industries that uses these type of ear muffs is shooting, where it is important to hear the noise of poor defenseless animals scurrying around but not the noise of the gun. The noise cancellation ones are becoming popular in busy bars and restaurants allowing waiters to takes orders by cancelling out the background noise of the music and crowd. They are often coupled with a radio to allow the staff to converse.
One final point is that this appears to be an interesting step forward for Ozito and may be the start of them moving from being bottom of the range price wise to more of a player in the GMC/Ryobi range. This is a standard marketing ploy of selling very cheap products to break into a market and then re-investing in technology to raise you up the market. Similar to teh car industry with Japanese cars in the 70's and more recently the Hyundais and Kias.

Simon

[echnidna]

If they cut off the sound they are not suitable for chainsawing as it is inportant to hear the small sounds made by the tree while you are felling it with a saw running flat chat.

[Marc]

.... and in fact one of the main industries that uses these type of ear muffs is shooting, where it is important to hear the noise of poor defenseless animals scurrying around but not the noise of the gun. Simon

Hum, I thought shooters go to shooting ranges and that shooting at live targets was banned.
If you mean hunting, you are right, it is important to hear your prey in order to find it, or to hear it come at you, yet I doubd that one microphone in a $30 earmuff designed for some sub-industrial purpose can produce anything near the level of sound necessary for hunting. I would expect somthing that is suitable for hunting to cost closer to $300.

[simon c]

Hi Marc, I'm certainly not recommending the $30 Ozito brand (as I have haven't tried it), I was really just discussing the technology of allowing near normal volume most of the time and cancelling out the loud sound of the gun (or whatever). The main benefit with shooting is that you can keep the ear muffs on all of the time.

Not sure about the difference between hunting and shooting - I know shooting birds is called "game shooting" but shooting rabbits is called "rabbit hunting". Maybe because game shooters just stand there and fire at the birds and rabbit hunters actually hunt.

PS I'm rather ambivalent about the morals behind shooting/hunting - my comment on "poor defenseless animals scurrying around" was said with my tongue firmly in my cheek.

[Marc]

Aaah Ok then you are forgiven... :D

As for the difference between shooting and hunting it is rather simple:

The hunter hunts
The shooter shoots.

If the hunter needs to shoot in order to hunt he will, alternatively he uses other methods, arrow, sling, knife, machete, spear... and remains a hunter. His aim is to catch a prey and if he is a respectable hunter he hunts for meat and trophy.
The shooter, well the shooter is interested in the gun, and all he technical paraphernalia that goes with it, be it reloading, changing barrels, fitting a new stock, etc. He shoots as his main purpose is to hit a target, usually a cardboard. Occasionally he will go to the field and try his luck and changes the cardboard target for something that moves. That clearly does not make him a hunter, by a long shot even if 1000m with cross wind.... and... unless he shoots, he ... mm ... goes to the pub I suppose? :cool:

[SteveI]

If they are indeed noise cancelling as SimonC has pointed out, (inverse wave) that's a good price the technology.

Many airlines now use these in their entertainment system headphones and it does work. But it works best when the noise is a constant frequency. Quick and large changes in frequency require more computing power and I doubt $30 buys you that much computer.

Interestingly I read some time ago about this technology's ability to change sounds... to the point where you could have a VW sounding like a Ferarri or your favourite V8.

They were also trialling active systems for trucks and replacing thei mufflers altogether.

[simon c]

If they are indeed noise cancelling as SimonC has pointed out


I know that I said quite a bit, but I didn't mean to imply that the Ozito ear muffs are noise cancelling. From the price and the description on the packaging I very much doubt that they are noise cancelling. I think they just cut out and act like normal ear muffs once the sound gets above 85db. The main point is to save you having to keep taking them off when you want to hear normally when your table saw (or whatever) isn't running.

Noise cancelling ear muffs (taht allow you to hear certain sounds but cancel out others) normally cost a minimum of $300.

Simon

[jur]

I looked at the Ozito ones yesterday. Being an electronic engineer and knowing the inside info about noise cancelling, I conclude the Ozito ones are indeed jus' plain ol' head phones with a mic stuck in one or both ear pieces.

Being full ear cover phones, they naturally mute sounds. The mic picks up external sound and feeds it to the speakers so you can hear what is going on outside. (Big deal, I can still hear what is going on outside with my el cheapo muffs as well and they are just fine.) When the outside noise gets above a certain level, the mic circuit will cut out and not feed in what it picks up - they turn into plain vanilla muffs.

I would not buy these - more of a gimmick. I can hear quite soft sounds with my ear muffs on but they still do a good job of getting the loud noises low enough for comfort.

You can get real quality sound cancelling headphones for $80 - check out Plane Quiet, can be bought on ebay. Here is a link, I have read up a few independent reviews, they are excellent apparently, better or equal to Bose.

http://www.protravelgear.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=28

You can also get in-ear ear phones which do a much better job of muffling while piping in music. These work by their special shape and getting jammed right up the ear canal, but they are passive, not active. They also get good reviews. The name escapes me now.

Cheers
jur

[journeyman Mick]

I bought a pair to try them out and like Jur said they work like a normal muff but with a mic and speakers so you can hear what's going on around you.
My verdict? Mixed. The microphone is very sensitive and you can really hear what's going on around you. They would be great for a supervisor on a noisy site, you could converse without having to remove your hearing protection.
I actually wanted to get something similar years ago when I was supervising on a couple of large boatbuilding projects, unfortunately the supplier didn't keep them in stock and would only get them in if I ordered them, I couldn't try them out. I wasn't prepared to spend $400 on something which may not have worked to my liking.
Fire a nail gun, start a dropsaw or even snap your fingers and the speakers cut out. Any sharp explosive sound will shut down the amplifier. However when I used my table saw and dust extractor it didn't trigger the cut out, but slapping a bit of timber down on the table did. My 15" thicknesser which is the noisiest machine I have, especially with the dust extractor sucking air through the blades didn't trigger the cut off either.
They would be an asset in a fairly narrow range of working conditions but a nuisance in most others.

Mick

[simon c]

I knew somebody would buy a pair after all this discussion. ;)

It's disaopointing that they didn't cut out your table saw and thicknesser. Either you have very quiet equipment (less than 85dB at your ears) or they're pretty useless. hmm wonder which.

[journeyman Mick]

I knew somebody would buy a pair after all this discussion. ;)

It's disaopointing that they didn't cut out your table saw and thicknesser. Either you have very quiet equipment (less than 85dB at your ears) or they're pretty useless. hmm wonder which.

Simon,
the police actually came around to my house when I ran the thicknesser one Sunday afternoon (mate wanted a small slab cleaned up) so it definitely isn't quiet. Mind you, one of my neighbours had just had a business failure and was having a nervous breakdown (so I heard later) so I suspect he called the police.

Mick

[Iain]

Interesting topic, I just use the disposable plugs and find they are adequate for the amount of noise I make, but then most of my machinery is not that noisy with the exception of the thicknesser.
I had a look at the shooters muffs (wonder if they fit under a stocking mask)http://www.wirelessmics.fsnet.co.uk/Shooting%20muffs.htm
and it would appear that there are different muffs for different applications.
It's a bit like the welders masks based on reaction time and like someone added what sort of microprocesser will $30 get you.
I'm inclined to think they could be more nuisance value (Ozito) than anything else.

[soundman]

Making a living with my ears from time to time I'm a bit fussy about hearing protection.

The noise canceling headphone concept has been arround fora few years Bit I would be sceptical about its "serious " viability for hearing protection at a reasonable price. the electronics required need to be prety clever and stable, & what happens when the batteries get low??

There is probably some confusion with noise masking products for other than hearing protection regarding the "white noise" issues raised. Such items would provide no hearing protection but may provide symptomatic relief for tinitis & isolation for nusance noise.

there have been conventional ear muffs with an electronic "bypass" for some years. these were originaly designed for SWAT team type applications. the earmuff works in a conventional manner. the electronics (microphone, amplifier, speakers) provide an alternate path for the sound. the electronics provide limiting to keep the bypassed sound in comfortable levels.
the above concept is not too hard to impliment and could be done cheaply.
I would expect that this is the most likely method employed in the ozito units.

The most important issues in selecting earmuffs are
appropriate attenuation level
fit
comfort.

I have several pairs of muffs but the ones I wear most are of light atteuation & I can have a normal conversation with them on and can hear what is going on arround me quite well.

If I am doing something noisier (grinding, hammer drilling) I put on a heavier pair.

I find wearing heavy atteuation muffs for extended periods quite uncomfortable, but the lighter pair I will wear for hours at a time.

On the subject of precision earplugs, I have a pair that I use when working at loud venues, & they are a great thing. But I could buy an expensive set of earmuffs for less and earplugs have much less attenuation and are far less comfortable & reilable.

I strongly recomend the purchase of a good quality set of earmuffs.
I have been very happy with the peltor brand & find them comfortable & durable. My oldest set is over 15 years old, its had a couple of kits(replacement earpads & liners) put thru it over the years but still the same muffs.

I know I've raved on But I've seen so many dodgy,inefective,not worn..... ear muffs in my time. Just one good, properly selectedproperly worn set of muffs will comfortably keep you hearing healthy well into your old age.

I understand that over 30% of the adult population over 40 have some form of aquired hearing loss (not due to ageing) sufficient to effect their dalily life.

cheers

[Marc]

Good post Soundman, I wish more people would talk about hearing protection.

I go hunting occasionaly with friends and I am the only one wearing protection. I always find it unsettling seeing how some can fire round after round of rather loud shots like 308, 303, and even 30-06 whitout anything at all. The 30-06 is so loud your cloths shake from the soundwave. Imagine what it does to your hearing system.

The fact is that noone get's "used" to loud noise, you simply get a bit deaph in that frequency range and so it does not bother anymore.
It is like if you hammer your thumb repeteadly untill it falls off, after that hammering your thumb does not hurt anymore. You are now used to it!! :p

[scooter]

Marc, or some hammer their thumb repeatedly because it feels so good when they stop :)

Probably some deep philosophical meaning in there.


Cheers........Sean