In essence, the expected data to assess the suitability of these hearing protectors for different environments is there.
Likewise, the attenuation data from which the European SNR is calculated is also included. They come with the required EPA label and detailed noise attenuation table on which the NRR is based. The manufacturer’s presentation of the attenuation data for these headphones is professional.Īs per the manual, the XTRA 2.0 are rated for use in the U.S. Complete noise attenuation data available? Using a music player with gains control (like the one described below), I was able to make even that music loud enough.Īudible, unfortunately, has no mechanism to compensate for audio books that are recorded too quiet. Some older music pieces (and some audio books) are recorded at a very low volume.
#ISO TUNES BLUETOOTH#
In fact, these earphones go a bit louder than most of my Bluetooth earmuffs. I also listened to podcasts and Audible audio books and had no problems understanding the narrator. With almost all songs, the earphones were more than loud enough. I tried a variety of different music styles, including techno, rock, pop, and acoustic guitar in the above-mentioned high-noise environments. ISOtunes attempt to limit the music volume to a max of 85 decibels to help protect your hearing. In summary, using the medium-size foam ear tips, these earphones reduce noise well for me. I also compared them to NRR-25 earmuffs and the noise reduction was in the same ball park. Subjectively, these work earphones effectively reduced both the low/mid- and the high-frequency noise. The mower has more sound energy in the low-and-mid frequencies, while the saw, cutting through metal, produces its highest peak at between 8 and 10 kHz (high frequency noise). I tested the XTRA 2.0 against a gas-powered lawn mower (95 dBA) and a metal saw (98 dBA) to assess the noise reduction against two different noise spectra: This may not be straight by the book, but slightly moisturized, they just go in so much easier. I roll them back and forth between my thumb and index finger to compress them, then moisturize them a bit with my lips, lift up my ear lobe, and slide (wiggle) them in. With the XTRA 2.0, I am getting a very consistent seal with the medium-size tips (and sometimes also a good seal with the small tips). When I don’t get the expected reduction on one or both sides, I reinsert the tips if that doesn’t help, I choose a different size. If the tips seal properly, the fitting noise gets substantially reduced. When I don’t yet have experience with a set of ear tips, I use pink noise as a fitting noise (see section Using a fitting noise) when putting them in. In case you are wondering, the module with the buttons should be on your right side. Choosing the right size and fitting the ear tips Replacement ear tips ( TRILOGY) for these earphones are available for purchase in sets of 5 pairs.
The manufacturer recommends replacing them every 1-3 months. In any case, the silicone tips didn’t effectively reduce noise for me.Įxpect foam ear tips to wear out. With the foam tips, these work phones have a noise reduction rating (NRR) of 27, and foam is what you need to choose if you want to use the ISOtunes as a hearing protector.Īccording to the manual, the included silicone tips are not for use in a noisy environment: so if you are looking for work earphones with triple-flange silicone tips, this model is not for you. The foam tips are identical with the ones that come with the basic wired ISOtunes model (review), which is why I dared buying this more expensive model. The XTRA 2.0 come with 4 different-sized (XS, S, M, L) sets of foam ear tips and 3 sets of double-flange silicone ear tips. Overall, the ISOtunes Xtra 2.0 are good work earplug headphones, provided you are willing to tweak the sound if necessary. (To put this in perspective, only very few work headphones allow for making calls against a noise level of nearly 100 dBA.
In a high-noise environment (gas-powered lawnmower or loud saw), the microphone does reduce the noise, but the speech gets cut out as well. The noise-rejecting microphone works well in a moderate-noise environment (e.g., coffee shop at around 60 dB, lawn mower at a distance).
#ISO TUNES HOW TO#
(For more on how to do this and limitations, see section Sound quality.) They can be equalized and then they sound good. These are very bass-heavy earphones this includes bass guitars, kick drums, and in particular the low bass (40 to 70 Hz = electronic dance music bass). The earbuds are magnetic, and the music stops when you clasp them together. I get a good seal with the medium-size foam ear tips (4 different sizes included).
The ISOtunes XTRA 2.0 reduce noise well and the Bluetooth connection is solid even with two connected devices.