NoiseBusters Ear Protectors

I have tried to be smart and have worn a pair of passive ear-protecting muffs whenever using any power tool noisier than a power drill. That included lawn mower, shredder, chainsaw, leaf vacuum and leaf blower. Last winter, I learned that I was still not protecting my hearing sufficiently to avoid damage from extended use (more than 30 minutes) of any of those machines. This time I did not feel stupid, just ignorant.

This past season, I have been using a pair of NoiseBuster safety earmuffs (www.noisebuster.net) that combine the passive protection of the past with new Active Noise Reduction technology (ANR). These ear protectors have a battery in them that powers a receiver, microphone, and speaker inside the ear cup of the device.

What is Active Noise Reduction (ANR)?
ANR system uses a microphone inside the ear cup (1) to listen to noise (2) coming into the ear.

Using electronics (3) , the system takes that information and uses it to create a noise wave that is identical to, but directly opposite of, the one coming into the ear.

The "anti-noise" wave is output through a speaker (4) , also located in the ear cup. When the two waves (the noise wave and the anti-noise wave) m

So now when I'm riding my lawn tractor, the noise of the tractor is greatly reduced, preventing any more damage to my hearing.

What is really cool is that this technology works primarily at suppressing the lower sound frequencies, so you can still hear the words when someone speaks to you. On top of all that, there is a plug in the earmuff for hooking up my iPod. Now, when I'm doing chores with power tools, I can listen to my favorite rock and roll music, which, come to think of it, might have years ago also contributed to my hearing loss.

By the way, this wonderful gadget works wonders for listening to music on an airplane. The safety muffs cost about $150, but Pro Tech Communications also sells a cheaper model specifically for you frequent flyers.