Westone

Protect your ears. Listen to good music. Ride often. These two statements are sometimes contradictory. With the tendency for us to crank up our iPods to ear-drum blasting levels or to hop on a motorcycle and ride 500 miles, the potential damage to our ears is significant. I'm sure the current generation of iPod toting teens will be rushing to the hearing aid store at a younger age than their parents. But put that aside. I refuse to ride my motorcycle without earplugs. For years I've protected my years with Westone earplugs. I have specially made custom fit earplugs with changeable attenuation filters that I wear to live concerts. And when I ride my motorcycle I wear my Westone 40-4 full ear canal custom fit earplugs. Comfortable under the helmet and easy to put in and take out -- an attached "cord" helps the removal -- they're the best protection possible, period. Foam plugs, silicone, plastic and others are better than nothing. But your best bet is a custom fit plug. And forthose special long riding days of scenery that doesn't change where it's nice to crank up some music to pass the miles away.

I've been using Westone hearing protection products for years. The de facto standard for the music, sound reinforcement and recording industry, I wear custom designed audiophile earplugs to concerts and other events. So you can imagine how pleased I was to learn several years ago that they also make custom ear protection for motorcycling and other recreational activities. But my newest revelation is Westone's CR-1 Custom Earphones (formerly the Motorcycle Headset MH-1) that provides sound isolation and are designed to fit under a motorcycle helmet. I can even wear this headset simply as an earplug, silent without music and it provides quiet wind noise-free riding .