Radians Custom Molded Earplugs

Used this kit to create a custom mold for a set of Shure E2 in-ear monitors. If this didn't work, I was in for a $90 trip to the audiologist to make impressions, send the impressions off to a lab to have them fitted for new molds for an additional $150 and then buy a different pair of in-ear monitors that would fit the new molds for at least another $100. YES, for $340 I'd have a superior result, but I like the E2's I already have and for $10... why not? All in all, my results were very good, and I ended up with a set of custom in-ear plugs that with just a little bit of tweaking afterward, block out almost all external sound and give me a very comfortable fit. The sound is great too, with better bass due to a good seal. My approach: Before I started, I grabbed a small prescription bottle to bite on and keep my mouth open while the mix was setting (the only thing I could think of - since I use these for musical performance while singing). Then I set up my phone to start the timer. I made sure to take off the existing sleeve from the in-ears and put the ultra small small fiberglass filter on the end of the sound hole to prevent silicone from getting into the driver. Scotch tape would probably work too. Then I split each jar of putty into 4 equal parts - giving me a total of 4 tries to make a good pair. (You will likely not get it perfect on the first try, so as long as you're resigned to that - you'll do all right). I prepared my in-ears like I was about to put them on. I then did one ear first by mixing the putty and hardener, being careful to fold over each fourth until the mix was one consistent color - or for about 30 to 45 seconds. I then gently placed the mix in one ear and pressed moderately, but not packing it too far into my ear. Lastly, I pushed the in-ear monitor in, like I was wearing it, and then wiggled it a little and smoothed out the edges. I then bit on the prescription bottle to simulate and open mouth and set the timer for 15 minutes, not 10 - and sat as still as I could. I carefully took them out after 15 minutes and did the other ear in the same way. They mixture set well and was very firm after 15 minutes. I set them aside for a few hours, pulled out the in-ear monitors and then used a drill bit to drill the sound hole out. Ultimately though, I needed to use pointed scissors to cut out a small sound hole into my ear from the monitors. The first one came out great, but the second one, the seal was not quite right. I must not have positioned the in-ear monitor properly. No problem, second time, it worked. I used the remaining putty to make some small plugs. I was very happy with this product. Definitely worth a try of $10 for me. Hope this helps someone else.

If you look at standard plastic ear plugs they are round and have sealing flanges. So if you are one of those folk whose ear canals are oval shaped or curved or anything but perfectly round standard plugs don't work. In fact they are worse than not working because they produce hotspots. Hotspots are where you put your earplugs in and then after a half hour or so you feel a burning pain like someone is drilling a hole in your ear with a red hot poker. Sometimes you can take the plugs out and sometimes you can't. Anything involving standard ear plugs plus a standard military aviation helmet/visor/oxygen mask produces a situation where not only do you have hot spots but you can't get the plugs out. There is a bone right under the skin of the ear canal where hotspots are the worst. Those little flanges tend to attack that bone first. I nearly forgot to mention foam rubber plugs. They produce fewer hotspots but you have to jam them in to keep them from popping out and then at a crucial time they break their seal and you get an earful of noise. And they itch when you get sweaty. These babies are better! I really wish they'd had these custom molded plugs back when I was in military aviation. If they are this comfortable out in the woods with a chain saw or out in the field on the tractor they'd be great wearing that skin tight aviator's helmet. Sweat doesn't bother them, there are no hotspots and they seem to attenuate ear-damaging high tones more than low pitched sounds. Some words of experience: 1) Instructions say to mix half, do one ear and then do the other. Next time I mold a set I'm going to mix both halves, then split in halves and do both ears at the same time. 2) Forget the mirror. An ear mirror reflected off the bathroom mirror through the distortion of your bifocals just doesn't work. Plus, unless you have two left hands you can't hold the mirror and shape the left plug. Then you need a spare right hand to do the same on the right. I got a second person with clean hands to help tidy up the outer surface. 3) I've bought several pairs of these through Amazon. Beware of one of Amazon's associates "123CloseOut". The one pair I bought from them still hasn't arrived and Amazon tacked on an extra un-advertised shipping charge for these pirates to ship to a PO box. Edited on 11/16/13 to add: All ear plugs of all varieties become uncomfortable if you leave them in long enough, but these less than any others, and less than most headsets. I've had time to wear this set for a couple of extended exposures since I wrote the review. They do start to itch a bit after four hours or so, about as much as foamies do after a half hour. Sweat seems to make them work a bit better, a definite plus. Wearing a radio headset over them is entirely do-able, though I have to turn up the volume to the top to be heard. But that's what they are for, to reduce sound. They work just fine alone, at least as good as any other single set of plugs or headphones I've ever used.

Context I purchased a used pair of Audeze LCDi3 a few months ago, from a seller who repeated a common complaint about these headphones - they just didn't seem to fit his ears. I bought these in particular because I wanted high-quality, open-back IEMs. I wanted the open-back ones because I use these around the house and while working out, but wanted full situational awareness when doing so, I really don't like losing one of my primary senses. However, when I received them, I found that no matter what I did, or what ear cushions I used, they just didn't feel quite right. I needed both ear cushions and ear-hooks to make them work, and that was finicky, they still tended to fall out. So I decided - rather than spend hundreds of dollars on custom IEM cushions, I'd just make my own. Process The process is very simple. You have two containers, each with one half of the putty. You divide each into two parts, and use one part of each to make one ear cushion, making one cushion first, letting it cure, then making the second. You knead it together for about 90 seconds, then begin forming. It is very pliable at first, and it may even help to let it cure for a minute or two to make it easier to work with, but I was able to form it right after mixing. It sticks in the ear on its own, and I had a little extra left over from each ear, a ball about 4mm across. I allowed for a cure time, in the ear, of 20 minutes, and you can tell its about ready because the extra ball sets up nice and firm, and you can sort of feel the ear cushion "pull away" from the skin of the ear when it is setting up. When it stops doing so, you know its ready. I purchased a total of four sets of Radians, in the peach/flesh tone, to ensure I had plenty of extras to experiment with. The first set I just molded to my ears to make sure I liked the feel of them. They are comfortable, a bit harder when cured than most custom earplugs. Not a big issue, but don't pack it into your ear ridges -too- much or it will be uncomfortable when cured. The second pair I perfected the fit - I filled not only the ear canal, but also the ridge above it, and some of the ridge "forward" of it (closer to the front of the body). I then tried to cut a cylindrical hole for the IEM stem using a 1/4" drill bit (same diameter as the stem), and this worked, but the resulting earbud wasn't very tight and the ear cushion looked pretty rough around the hole. For the third set, I filled some 1/4" heat shrink tubing with epoxy, then formed the earplug around that, ensuring I had a nice, clear shot to the ear canal and the hole was level and aligned. This worked very well, and I am still using the third set today. Review They are quite comfortable. I was worried they'd be hot, or awkward, or unpleasant due to their hardness, but they stay in place very well. They are easy to put in and remove, with a little technique. I can wear them for hours without their bothering me. I can exercise, even doing lifts, sit-ups, push-ups, and pull-ups - without them giving me trouble. Even though they are supporting both the LCDi3 and their bluetooth cable, and thus not an insignificant weight of materials, they are as comfortable as when I was just using them as earplugs. That said, I cannot comment on their ability to block noise, as I do not use them for that purpose. Also, my first two attempts produced ear cushions that were uncomfortable because I didn't include enough of the forward ear ridge to help support them, and I packed it in a bit too tight. So if they do ache or put pressure on your ear for more than an initial couple hour acclimation period, you might want to try again. My only real complaint is that they aren't offered in black. All in all, would recommend for use as custom ear cushions.

Like others, I ordered this product to serve a daily need for hearing protection. I have now ordered three of this product, for which I will explain later. Each of the product had manufacture date stamps of no more than 30 days from the date of order. I was pretty nervous about sticking this paste in my ears, but was reassured by the quality of the product that it would not become stuck. I have a very difficult time finding adequate hearing protection I am a large man but have very small ear canals. After considering the reviews, my first batch I separated into four parts, saving two parts for later (in case I screwed up the first time; good decision...) The first batch formed perfectly, but had an unsatisfactory seal within my ear canal. This was operator error as I discovered in my second attempt. The second attempt also failed. This time I kneaded the material too long and it began to set before I could properly insert it into my ears. So I reordered the product planning to apply what I had learned with the first order. This batch worked out very well and I wound up using half the batch for set I would use during work, the other half as a set while sleeping. This worked out great until one of the plugs tore during removal one day. I'm still using the sleep set, but decided to try again. The final attempt I used all the material for a single set of plugs. This has worked out satisfactorily and hopefully this set will last a long time. This product requires "tweaking" by the consumer. Considering that custom earplugs from the hearing specialist are well over $100, you're still doing well even purchasing 3-4 times to get exactly the right fit. I had no problems with runny product or anything else. In the package you get two different colored paste. Roll each, one at a time into a cylinder then cut in half (or quarter, depending on which size you want to make the plugs). Store the remaining product in the provided containers. Mix the white and colored paste together by pressing it between your finger and thumb (make sure your hands are clean before beginning) until all traces of the white paste have blended. This should take no longer than 20-30 seconds. Immediately insert into your ear, pressing material into your ear canal and for the rest to comfort. Allow to set for 10 minutes then remove and store the plugs exposed to air for 3 hours. Do only one ear at a time and you should be good to go. Good luck!

Easy to mold and do a great job reducing noise. We've used these in motorcycle helmets and just around the house. It is really nice to have eat plugs that fit perfectly.

Good product. Not perfect but better than most. I swim 2-3000 yrd 3x/week.. Push in plugs were irritating my canal and I had a recent ear drum rupture so needed something. Macks move around when doing long distance and sprints. Pros- enough material for 3 plugs. as I am doing only my affected ear, I have 2 and enough material for another one later. will probably just make it and keep it around. Cons- Not 100% blockage. water goes where it wants. Best tip I can give. Take a thin layer of vaseline and put it around the plug before putting it in. Makes a bit of a seal and then can be wiped off after. ONLY put it on the outside part of the plug so you don't end up with an ear full of vaseline.. Works for me for now. Great value for price and way cheaper than 200$ custom ones. This was my last hope and so far so good.

Bottom line is that these earplugs work very well, but they are tricky to make, and I think that more material should be provided for the customer to experiment with. First off, the material that one uses to make the earplugs (two different types of putty) has to be taken out of the container it is packaged in, and then each putty has to be divided evenly in half before it is mixed thoroughly with its opposite to activate the curing process. Kind of confusing. Why doesn't it come pre-separated in the correct proportions? This is a simple thing which would have made this a lot easier to use. Then there is the amount of putty in the package. If you follow the instructions you will have exactly enough to make two earplugs. This allows no room for error, or to make another earplug if one doesn't come out very well. At this price, more putty should be supplied. The earplugs I made were quite large in the end, and it would have been nice to try making a smaller set. And though they were kind of tricky to put in, they DID work very well in blocking sound. However, I bought these to be used while sleeping but they were much too big and hard for that-- quite uncomfortable. If I could have made a smaller pair, they might have worked (as is pointed out in other reviews which used half the amount recommended) but in my case, after following the directions there was no putty left. This is a unique and potentially great product which needs better packaging and presentation.

I did a lot of research for earplugs before deciding to try these out. I'm not a fan of the foam ones (they typically fall out) so I was looking forward to a custom molded kind of earplug. I've actually had 2 different experiences with these earplugs so far. The first time, I messed up the left one by taking off what I THOUGHT was "excess" putty but was actually necessary, so it tended to fall out. The second time around, I messed up my left plug again by taking it out incorrectly, so it cured in the wrong shape, and afterwards, it did not fit properly. However, the right plug was perfect! I got it in further into my ear canal (though nowhere near as much as the picture in the instructions, or the tutorial videos on YouTube by Radians), and the shape was far more comfortable. I got a third pair from Amazon due to a mishap that I haven't yet tried out, but I'm sure they will come out much better. Third time's the charm, right? Something I wasn't prepared for, because it wasn't in the instructions or the tutorial videos, or any reviews, was that during the curing process while the plug is in the ear, you will hear a crackling/popping sound, and may even itch a bit. That's why I only left them in for 13-15min. I also was surprised by how many people left the plugs in for an hour, sometimes longer, and were confused why the plugs got stuck in their ear. Sure, the instructions say the minimum time is 10min, but they also say to leave the plugs alone for up to 3 hours after the initial molding process so that the plugs cure properly. So I would recommend for folks to leave the plugs in their ears for a max of 15min, and then gently remove them and leave them sitting somewhere safe for 3 hours so that they take shape properly. That should be more than enough time. A word on their actual "sound blocking" capabilities: my experience with it isn't that they fully block out sound, but make it easier for me to sleep through the noise, since it muffles it a bit. I used them for sleeping in my dorm. Sound wasn't completely blocked, but it was easier to ignore, and thus I could fall asleep faster.