Interesting that the consensus amongst the more knowledgable shooters seems to determine that there's no real way of testing these devices in a practical sense. I have some concerns about that.
I am a Member of the Shropshire Deaf Children's Society (SDCS), National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS), and have lapsed Membership of the RNID; I have many years experience with deafness, and deaf related issues even though I have normal hearing, and have previously held the offices of Chairman and Secretary of the SDCS.
My wife was born Profoundly Deaf, and within the last five years has received bi-lateral Cochlear Implants, but previously wore bi-lateral Behind the Ear (BTE) Hearing Aids, firstly in Analogue, then Semi-Digital, and Fully Digital forms over the years; in addition, my 21 year old son is also Profoundly Deaf and wears bi-lateral BTE Digital Hearing Aids.
I would suggest that proper testing of such devices could be tested using a purpose built sound field system, although I would have to talk with the latest Technical Officer thats been appointed within the local Sensory Inclusion Service and see what is possible.
My initial thoughts are that an experienced shooter may not even be aware that they have damaged hearing, and that the practical testers used to create this article could fall into this category, therefore putting into question the validity of the testing. I would suggest that they should all have had a hearing test before undertaking any practical testing role. Initially this might be in the form of the Hearing Check provided the RNID, which can take place either online or on the telephone.
The Hearing Check is explained here
http://www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk/y ... check.aspx
If you fail you'll be advised to visit a Hearing Assessment Clinic to see an Audiological Consultant.
In addition, I would initially suggest that the Puretone CENS Digital product is way over priced for what it actually is, you can get the latest technology hearing aids for an equivalent price, and without the expensive amplification technology used in hearing aids (after all you're not deaf), I would suggest that a more reasonable retail price for the Puretone would have been around a third of those quoted, giving them a healthy profit at that.
Interestingly, the standard BTE Hearing Aid includes as standard a hearing protection circuit that switches off the electronics as soon as a loud noise is detected, this is also active for millisecond bursts of sound, and is designed to protect the residual hearing of the hearing aid wearer; doubly important when you consider these sounds are going to be amplified by the Hearing Aid. Its the technology behind all the active bin systems used in shooting, so if you can detect such small bursts of sound energy in a basic hearing protection circuit, you can measure it.
Another issue not addressed is maintenance of the Puretone devices, all BTE hearing aid wearers need new ear moulds created frequently due to material degradation and in the case of people still growing up, because they become too small. An Adult wearer would probably need them changed every six months, and this ranges from six weeks for babies toddlers, to a couple of months or so for sub-teens. Teenagers would require these replaced every six months minimum. This is more obvious with amplified systems because the gaps around the ear mould produce feedback that a hearing person can hear (the feedback whistling is the indication that new ear moulds are required, or indeed that new ear moulds that have been received aren't the right size), you won't get this tell tale feedback from the Puretone devices, so how would you know that you have adequate hearing protection, even from a new device and ear moulds?
Another issue would be condensation, BTE wearers use clear plastic acoustic tubing to connect the ear mould to the BTE Hearing Aid, as with any living thing, moisture is generated within the ear canal, and this is sometimes evident within the acoustic tubing, and maintenance is usually to disconnect this tubing and blow the condensed water out of the tubing. With this in-the-ear (ITE) Puretone device, what protection does it have to prevent moisture entering the electronics through the speaker system, and condensing in there? How long is the warranty, and what does it cover? These are the questions I'd be asking.
In short, a good report, but I would suggest it could be improved upon, and I'd suggest that the ShootingForum might be able to enter into some sort of agreement with relevant organisations to properly address the issue of hearing protection, and the testing of products.
Hope any of that helps.