Hearing Aids

[lurker]

I also wear those 3M Peltor Optime III's all the time, I've even double stuffed them with extra foam to make them more noise and pressure reducing.

I can't imagine this is a good idea. You bought a world class brand from a company with umpteen years of design know how and modified it. If stuffing more foam in was beneficial they would have provided them like that.

 

[Eric The Viking]

I also wear those 3M Peltor Optime III's all the time, I've even double stuffed them with extra foam to make them more noise and pressure reducing.

I can't imagine this is a good idea. You bought a world class brand from a company with umpteen years of design know how and modified it. If stuffing more foam in was beneficial they would have provided them like that.

Not necessarily. I can think of two, globally respected, broadcast-quality microphones which we used to open up and stuff with cotton wool. that was because it works well - stopping wind noise without changing the sound quality much.

I presently have some other microphones, too, that employ green scouring pads as windshields (again fitted inside the casing), for similar reasons. My guess is that 3M have product cost constraints like everyone else, so only include what they need to in order to achieve the required standard.

That said, in terms of protecting the ears, you want a variety of types of foam inside, and a really good seal between the skin around the ears and the pads of the defenders. Open-celled foam won't do a lot unless it's carefully chosen, and fitted well.