Grand Prix - Ear defenders

Hi

We're off to the Monaco Grand Prix next month, and we've been advised to get ear defenders. We've looked into work safety ones, but there is a big difference in price, and it's hard to know whether or not the price is related to quality. We prefer to buy really good ones as my DW has very sensitive hearing (i.e. doesn't miss a thing!). Does anyone have any advice on brand or type etc?

Thanks

Modern F1 is nowhere near as loud as it used to be. I go to Silverstone every year and no longer need to wear anything.

As such, you'd easily be ok with the standard foam insert type ones.

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Hi

 

We're off to the Monaco Grand Prix next month, and we've been advised to get ear defenders. We've looked into work safety ones, but there is a big difference in price, and it's hard to know whether or not the price is related to quality. We prefer to buy really good ones as my DW has very sensitive hearing (i.e. doesn't miss a thing!). Does anyone have any advice on brand or type etc?

 

Thanks

Oh wow!! lucky you. That is on my wishlist too, although DW does not know it yet!

I work in engineering in a very noisy department. If I were you I would cover all my bases. You might find the silicon roll up ear plugs that fit in your ear quite sufficiant (make sure you roll them up and put them right in the ear so they mould to the shape of your ear) they are easy enough to pull out.

If it still to noisy for your wife, she could wear ear defenders as well (they could become uncomfortable if the weather is warm) Make sure they are light weight and I would not pay more than £15 for them.

Hope you have an amazing cruise and a fab day at the grand prix

As the_rango points out, they have softend the sound of F1 in recent years, but due to the nature of the circuit, this will be amplified in Monaco. It reverberates off the buildings - the start in particular is something indescribable (in a good way!). Especially if you are sitting at Virages Tabac or Piscine - you get the wall of sound from behind the seats.

Personally I still use the small foam ones - they are relatively in expensive and do the trick for modern F1.

I'm not sure if they do this in Monaco, but Silverstone used to have a wheelie bins by the entrances full of sachets of free ear defenders. Trouble is though - if you buy some and see the freebies on offer in MC, you'd be understandably annoyed - but if you don't buy them and decide you do need them, you might be at the mercy of the circuit vendors and their prices. Also some of the teams sell their own branded ones on their official stands - which unsurpisingly means you pay a extra for the logo on the packaging, the defenders themselves are just the same as the cheap ones.

If you do get the little foam ones and they are not what you require, there aforementioned vendors will probably sell the earphone types. Again, at "special" grand prix prices. ;)

Either way, I hope you have a fantastic time at the race. It's still one of those special Blue Riband events in a location like no other.

I should also consider ear plugs to insert into your ears as well as the headphone style ear defenders. They are pretty cheap and you can wear both styles at same time if you think you need to.

Regards John

Modern F1 is nowhere near as loud as it used to be. I go to Silverstone every year and no longer need to wear anything.

 

As such, you'd easily be ok with the standard foam insert type ones.

 

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It was the foam insert ones given to us when we were guests of Enichem back when Nigel Mansell was driving the V12 Ferrari, and they muted that engine to an acceptable level. But being a lot younger then I wanted to hear it undiluted, and it was a magnificent sound.;)

We were on an Oceana cruise last year and my husband went to the Historic Monaco Grand Prix, held a couple of weeks before the F1 race. He has some heavy duty work ear defenders which he took but never used. He ended up using the foam ones that were supplied. He thought these were fine. I was cross as the large heavy duty ones took up room in the luggage!

Modern F1 is nowhere near as loud as it used to be. I go to Silverstone every year and no longer need to wear anything.

 

As such, you'd easily be ok with the standard foam insert type ones.

 

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This is what my son advised; he has been in Monte Carlo twice during the race and says we should be fine with the foam inserts that P&O will supply. DW knows it will be noisy, but I just wanted to make her more comfortable. Thanks for your advice.

Oh wow!! lucky you. That is on my wishlist too, although DW does not know it yet!

I work in engineering in a very noisy department. If I were you I would cover all my bases. You might find the silicon roll up ear plugs that fit in your ear quite sufficiant (make sure you roll them up and put them right in the ear so they mould to the shape of your ear) they are easy enough to pull out.

If it still to noisy for your wife, she could wear ear defenders as well (they could become uncomfortable if the weather is warm) Make sure they are light weight and I would not pay more than £15 for them.

Hope you have an amazing cruise and a fab day at the grand prix

Good point about the warm weather; don't want to ruin her hair!!:rolleyes:

Thanks everyone; think we may risk it without packing great big ear defenders, that way she'll be able to take another pair of sandals............ Can't wait, really looking forward to it.

Do you have any leftover packages given on long-haul flights? These often include ear defenders.

I did a massive amount of rifle shooting in my younger days. We used the foam plugs almost exclusively and my hearing is still very good.

I stay in hotels on a frequent basis and have tried just about every foam earplug you can buy. I'm not sure we can mention particular brands but the ones I think are the best are yellow and are sold in the big High St. chemist we all know and love. I think you get two pairs and they are about £4. If you are used to online shopping you can also buy these from the big online retailer that sells all sorts of things, I got 50 individually wrapped pairs for £9 brilliant value! You also get this same brand when you go for an MRI scan at BUPA and hear hardly anything.

I hope you can find them!

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Earfit!

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Good luck if you actually make it. Just back off the Britannia and annoyingly the Monte Carlo stop was aborted at 6pm the evening before we left Barcelona. Told the sea and wind conditions were not suitable for a tender and the graphs put up on the cabin screen. However their didn't seem to be much wind and it was a lovely clear day. we didn't even sail past but cut through Corsica. Hmmmm!

I agree about the Grand Prix being quieter than in the past. I have been to many Grand Prix all over the place, Asia, Europe, and our own British Grand Prix 11 years running. In the good old days the cars had "proper" engines :D These days if you watch on the telly you can hear the fans shouting and clapping in the grandstands. I very much doubt you will need ear defenders - maybe in days gone by if you are overly sensitive - but not now. I would say that the P&O provided ones will be perfectly sufficient and I doubt you will need them at all!

If the PA at the circuit is as loud as the one at Circuit de Cataluyna at the weekend, then you might just need the eardefenders.

*Actually, the Monagasque one isn't that bad. Plus its in English, French and Italian.