WARNING! www.ultimateear.com [Archive]

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Tom

29-09-2005, 17:27

They sell the custom-made earplugs with monitors, and you can find their stalls any most bike shows.

I've had a lot of trouble with some custom earplugs that I purchased and am now £140 out of pocket, with a product that I cannot use. I think it's only fair that I let you know what's happened since I bought them...

I originally purchased them October last year(!) at the Detling Bike Show. They took a few weeks to arrive, which was fine by me. I had asked for the cable to be shortened so that I could use them with a special adaptor for the Autocom system (adaptor also purchased from them). They arrived without the cable shortened. Back they went. Ok fair enough, easy mistake to make.

But that wasn't the main problem. They didn't fit correctly! They were so tight that they hurt, and it was virtually impossible to put my lid on and off. Plus every bit of sound was blocked out. Everything - total silence.

On their suggestion I sent them back for adjustment and a filter added. From one extreme to another, they now let in too much noise, so that it was hardly worth wearing them at all.

Ok, so I'm getting a bit narked by now but decide to stick with it, if they can sort them out. I go to the NEC show and speak to the guy. Ok methinks, I was thinking of going there anyway. So he takes them back, again. They arrive back, and are exactly the same.

Still not right, we agree that I could get them re-done. I agree to go to the Ally Pally show, which I wouldn't have normally gone to but I just wanted to get this sorted. New moulds taken, and a few more weeks and they arrive. Good fit, not perfect but by now I'm starting to losing the will. They block out a reasonable amount of sound.

Still with me ? :)

Ok, fast-forward to about June this year. A few months of use, and the left one stops working completely ! And then kicks back into life at about half volume. Ok, so I persevere for a while (I'm only a sunny weekend biker). Then a few days later the right one does exactly the same!!

A few email exchanges later, and eventually I send them back to be fixed.

Now I have several emails from the claiming that I damaged the monitors. They say that I haven't kept them clean and that there is wax and 'foreign liquid' damage. Which is strange seeing as I always kept them spotless, and bought the clear ones to make cleaning easier. I always removed them correctly as well. Than I'm told that they've been 'tampered with' and that one of the moulds is cracked !! Did I mention that they post them to you in a soft case ? :goofy:

Anyway the upshot is that it's apparently all my fault, and they will do nothing to rectify the situation. They then suggest that I send the monitor parts back to the manufacturer !! So much for customer service.

So here I am, a year down the line and out of pocket due to a product that obviously cannot stand up to being worn once a week for a few months.

So if you're considering buying 'custom-made' earplugs, it might pay to look at all the options and companies that sell them. Of which there are plenty..

Tom. :(

Alan Sh

29-09-2005, 18:05

I wasn't going to say anything but I have also had issues with them.

I was offered some "free" ones with speakers in on the understanding that I gave them feedback. This was about 3 years ago. We were given two sets (for me and Norma)

So, I got them - the impedance was all wrong (Autocom want 32 ohms - these were 4). So, I sent them back to be fixed - they came back with a volume control (which increased the impedance). OK - try again. The fit was (to be blunt) awful. They hurt.... Also, they came with this long lead which dangled down and they had had to cut my Autocom leads to attach a plug to match theirs (this was before the days when they put the correct plugs on like Wiz has).

So, I gave them more feedback and put them away. No use at all. Well, last January, I saw the guy (David Marshall) and gave him back what I could find (Normas had disappeared). He showed me the improvements - some of which was based on my feedback (connectors etc). I was impressed but not enough to try again - and I told him this.

In March - I received an invoice for them. Naturally, I wrote to them explaining what the deal was. In August I got another one. So, I forwarded this onto Mr Marshall with an accompanying letter. I've heard nothing since; but I am (sort of) waiting for the next one to appear. I think I fulfilled my side of the bargain and I don't think I owe them anything !

Now, I know some people have had good results using their product - but their back room practices seem somewhat dubious at times.

Cardo

29-09-2005, 20:13

I've so far been lucky with my monitors. Only had them since July, though, so hopefully they'll continue to work alright. Fit is good, and so is sound. Really have no complaints so far. :beer:

Si Click

30-09-2005, 00:17

Mine have been back three times in 18 months. Each time one or other of the speakers packs up. Now they are out of warranty and have gone again. Oh and the fit on the right one has got steadily worse so that wind noise is a serious problem. Am I going to fork out to have them fixed? Am I f***

I'm now using a system from Vixen that was £30 rather than £140. The speaker is sealed in a plastic box with hollow tubes to each ear like a stethoscope. Mono only, the sound quality is nothing like as good and the earplugs do not give as much protection. But it works well enough for sat nav and doesn't break. I think the way I'll go will be to fit some Autocom Speakers to my helmet. Can you buy them separately with a standard jack plug?

Tom

13-12-2005, 14:06

Well, here I am over 2 months later and not even a phonecall from Ultimateear. They were sending the earplugs away for analysis by the manufacturer. How long does this bloody take ?!

No earplugs and they still have my money. :mad:

The Robster

13-12-2005, 14:23

They're only in Sidcup - ride down and see them face to face? :dunno:

lee j

13-12-2005, 14:57

Si Click - Autocom headsets will only work correctly i connected to an Autocom unit. They are not designed to have the pin removed and replaced with a standard jack, something to do with "power being supplied through two cables for clarity" according to their spokesperson. I would enquire with Autocom before spending out.

leej

Tom

13-12-2005, 16:53

They're only in Sidcup - ride down and see them face to face? :dunno:I've already been down there, and spoke to them at bike shows. Not that any of it helps the matter.

Badknee

24-12-2005, 12:52

Good job done for letting us know how bad this firrm are luvvie, must admit I have thought of buying something like this in the past, glad I didn't now.

I think I'll stick with soft plugs, and an Autocom system that I can't fault really.

Kieran

28-12-2005, 13:56

I bought monitor ear plugs at the Bike Show in November.
They did warn that there might be a delay getting the plugs to me due to the demand but as they warned me in advance I was happy to wait a little longer than usual.

Over the last 3 weeks I have been calling them to ask when I can expect them to be delivered. The standard reponse was that "the lab guys" were working on the monitor versions and that they would be posted by recorded delivery so that I'd get them in time for Xmas.

Today, some 8 weeks since I had the moulds done (and paid for them), I got this (see attached photo) in the post this morning (2nd class, not recorded delivery). No letter to say what they are, or what I should do with them.

I'm f***ing livid to say the least and I'll be demanding my money back.

I'll keep posting progress as and when.

Kieran

jabberwocky

28-12-2005, 14:08

They are the casting blanks, Should you require any others making, send these back to them and new ones can be made from them. although their customer support seems to be lacking for a couple of people on here, I on the other hand have had first class service, even made me a new one FOC when I lost one :yo:

Jabb

Madmax

28-12-2005, 20:43

Have had my monitor earplugs for over a year and have found them to be great for biking going to gym anywhere in fact.

MarkJHarris

29-12-2005, 22:11

I had my original set of monitors about two years ago.

The wire fell out of the right one within weeks and after a phone call, I posted it back and it came back within a few days fixed FOC. They appologisd too as the fixing loop to the wire hadn't been done properly.

I had a set of basic plugs off them at the same time.

I had to send them back twice for speaker "failure" and each time it was excessive ear wax. Can't blame them for that I thought.

After some dental work, I had to wear a mouth guard for sleeping for a while and the position of my jaw changed slightly so they didn't fit as well as before.

I got a new mould done at Donington this year and the new set were loads better. Softer and a nice fit, they came to me in about 5 weeks and a set of squidgies too. Worth every penny.

I didn't have the filter this time, as I agree it does let in too much noise. Now it's so quiet, I can turn the music right down and still enjoy it.

The new design is far better so far at protecting from Ear wax, and I've used them a lot longer without any problems than the old set. I can't tell if they re-used the wires and speakers that I handed back in the new set, but I'm totally satisfied with the quality and service of the new design.

So there.

Tom

26-01-2006, 15:08

Yet another 6 weeks have passed, and still nothing from ultimateear. :(

POSER

26-01-2006, 15:19

Yet another 6 weeks have passed, and still nothing from ultimateear. :(

Not a good advert for them really is it :dunno: Sounds like its pot-luck whether you get a decent result or not.

I'm happy with my Starcom helmet speakers but was considering checking these out, but it seems to much money, to long to wait and no guarantee of getting what you paid for. :(

Busy Builder

26-01-2006, 17:38

Not a good advert for them really is it :dunno: Sounds like its pot-luck whether you get a decent result or not.

I'm happy with my Starcom helmet speakers but was considering checking these out, but it seems to much money, to long to wait and no guarantee of getting what you paid for. :(

Not part of the Vomit group are they :rolleyes:

Tom

03-02-2006, 12:10

And there we have it...

Dear Tom

Once again we apologise for any inconvenience the delay in receiving a manufacture report for you but this was of course out of our hands. We received yesterday the report which you will see is dated in December 2005 yet they only e mailed it to us yesterday after yet another telephone conversation with them.

You will see from the attached report the result as per our original findings in September 2005 that the fault is an “external” one.

We are still more than happy to repair your ear monitors, details as follows:

Replace both drivers £70.00 + 3.50 p & p

Add “coat” to right plug to help fit FOC

Please advise us if you wish this repair to go ahead and we will then contact you with regard to payment details.

Yours faithfully

Imogen

Customer Services

Ultimate Ear Protection
2A Bedford Road
Sidcup
Kent DA15 7JP

Si Click

04-02-2006, 10:03

I'm in a similar boat to Tom with a pair that have already been returned and repaired FOC 3 times inside a year, but which are now outside the guarantee period. They are once again kaput and I'm unwilling to spend £70 without a firm guarantee that I won't have to do so again in a few months.

In the meantime I'm using a headset from the Vixen people designed for the Backchat intercom. The loudspeaker is contained in a sealed and hardened box and connects to your ears through stethoscope-like tubes. These then fit into earplugs. You only get mono and neither the quality nor the sound attenuation is as quite good as Ultimateear (though not too bad :) ) - but they work, they don't break and they only cost £30.

ultimateeardave

14-02-2006, 17:49

alundefinedI wasn't going to say anything but I have also had issues with them.

I was offered some "free" ones with speakers in on the understanding that I gave them feedback. This was about 3 years ago. We were given two sets (for me and Norma)

So, I got them - the impedance was all wrong (Autocom want 32 ohms - these were 4). So, I sent them back to be fixed - they came back with a volume control (which increased the impedance). OK - try again. The fit was (to be blunt) awful. They hurt.... Also, they came with this long lead which dangled down and they had had to cut my Autocom leads to attach a plug to match theirs (this was before the days when they put the correct plugs on like Wiz has).

So, I gave them more feedback and put them away. No use at all. Well, last January, I saw the guy (David Marshall) and gave him back what I could find (Normas had disappeared). He showed me the improvements - some of which was based on my feedback (connectors etc). I was impressed but not enough to try again - and I told him this.

In March - I received an invoice for them. Naturally, I wrote to them explaining what the deal was. In August I got another one. So, I forwarded this onto Mr Marshall with an accompanying letter. I've heard nothing since; but I am (sort of) waiting for the next one to appear. I think I fulfilled my side of the bargain and I don't think I owe them anything !

Now, I know some people have had good results using their product - but their back room practices seem somewhat dubious at times.

claw

14-02-2006, 18:48

alundefined

:dunno: whats that about, have i missed something?

Alan Sh

14-02-2006, 21:13

I think that Dave (I assume Dave Marshall of UlitmateEar) was trying to reply to my post and either got it wrong and didn't realise or was struck by lightning before he could finish (and pressed the [Enter] key as he convulsed):}

Eskimo

19-02-2006, 15:38

Masonmart purchase these ear phones at the show, have you got them yet Martin?
Does not look good, l nearly splash out for a pair myself :eek:

Its a shame as the idea looks good

autocomtom

23-02-2006, 07:21

For monitor earplugs but it must be understood that not everyone gets on with things in their ears.

If they work for you all well and good but we find about 30% of people regret the purchase and the only why to find out is to shell out!!!

The Robster

23-02-2006, 10:07

Bikers - don't waste money on expensive ear plugs, simply let your ear wax build up :)

Tom

23-02-2006, 10:40

Which MONITOR EARPLUGS?
No idea, whichever ones ultimatear supply. :dunno:

Busy Builder

12-03-2006, 20:27

Ordered a set of normal plugs at the Scottish Bike Show yesterday. As I use a multitude of power tools (drills, circular saws and worst of all routers) and get sick of putting on and removing my ear defenders, these seemed a good idea as I can put them in and leave them in all day.

When the moulds were done and he removed them I thought he was pulling the eardrum out :eek: it was so tight and they seemed awfull long too.

Anyway will let you know when they arrive how I get on with them.

Price was £59....but I paid £49. Don't know if thats good or not.

Tried using the yellow round foam type but they won't stay in as my ear canal is a funny shape apparently :dunno:

Tom

31-03-2006, 11:07

Time for an update...

I just got a call from Dave Marshall at Ultimateear. He has sent me back the earplugs with new monitors from a different supplier.

He said they had trouble with the supplier of the monitors, and when asked to analyse my ones, came back with a report that there was cable breakage and that the monitors were dented. Which, Dave said was not the case at all. So, seeing as the supplier had taken so long, he replaced mine with some monitors from another company FOC.

Tom.

Snelly

31-03-2006, 16:44

Busy Builder

24-04-2006, 19:40

My ear plugs arrived today.

Excellent, bit late but arrived in two packets. Tried them on/in ? all okay. Will be wearing them tomorrow at work.

Acko

30-04-2006, 00:32

My ear plugs arrived today.

Excellent, bit late but arrived in two packets. Tried them on/in ? all okay. Will be wearing them tomorrow at work.

How did you get on with the ear plugs Busy?

Yeller

30-04-2006, 01:22

How did you get on with the ear plugs Busy?

you'll have to shout - he's still got them in :goofy:

Wiz

01-05-2006, 13:31

Wiz

01-05-2006, 13:32

Cardo

01-05-2006, 13:33

I've had mine for nearly a year now, and have done a few thousand miles with them in. Still very happy with them. :yo:

Si Click

01-05-2006, 18:08

Surely if they are repaired under warranty, that fault should then be covered for a further 12 months? :dunno:
Is that true? If so I may try sending them back again.

Wiz

01-05-2006, 19:03

Is that true? If so I may try sending them back again.

I would. I'd call and ask the question, If I pay to get the fault fixed, is that particular fault then warrantied for a further 12 months? If they say yes, then the same must apply if it's fixed under warranty in the first place. Normally, warranty repairs are then guaranteed for a further period, but only for the same fault.