Sponsored by N-ear
By Police1 BrandFocus Staff
This is a true story about a global organization we can’t name for security reasons.
Suffice to say, this organization has high-profile VIPs who need to be protected from threats around the clock. The organization also holds mass attendance events on a regular basis, which means its security personnel must be able to immediately provide medical and other support related to attendees.
Radios are a vital part of their response system, which means their personnel need to use earpieces for long shifts around the clock. But standard air tube earpieces are uncomfortable to wear for extended periods of time, while their clear coiled tubes scream “security” to anyone who sees them. This is why this global organization is using ultrastealthy invisible earpieces made by N-ear.
Earpieces that are practically invisible
All N-ear earpieces are discreet because they employ patented wired microspeakers that fit comfortably inside the wearer’s ear canal. The signals that feed these microspeakers are carried via extremely thin wires that are also tough, due to being encased inside 220-strand Kevlar fiber coatings. (They are available in one- and two-ear models.)
In each instance, this superthin, hard-to-see wire wraps around the user’s ear and down their clothing to a push-to-talk (PTT) radio connection point. There’s no coiled plastic tubing to catch bystanders’ eyes, and no device sitting close to the ear’s entrance to make their existence apparent. As far as any outsider can tell, the wearer is wearing nothing at all.
The fact that N-ear earpieces and their wires are so small and lightweight makes them very comfortable to wear, even for extended periods of time. At the same time, their design ensures ambient noise gets through to the wearer, allowing them to retain 360-degree situational awareness at all times. Yet the audio relayed from the microspeaker to the wearer’s inner ear is consistently clear and intelligible, thanks to the microspeaker being inside their ear canal.
N-ear earpieces are the perfect fit
For this global organization, using earpieces that are both discreet and comfortable is an absolute must. This is why they adopted N-ear earpieces for their operations, after being asked to look into them as a department when one member of the security staff highly recommended them.
According to a source who spoke to us under a promise of anonymity, moving to N-ear earpieces has been a perfect fit for their organization.
“With the sensitive nature of the organization I work for, it was very, very important to my department that radio communication be discreet and not be broadcast to where employees and/or the public could hear that communication,” he said. But because the earpieces they were using previously were bulky and uncomfortable before the end of a long shift, our source was always on the lookout for something better. He was able to get some N-ear earpieces on a trial basis, and the officers raved about them so much, eventually the department purchased them for all security personnel.
“Having an earpiece that’s more discreet is a huge priority for us, as well as meeting the need of being comfortable,” he said. “It also met needs we didn’t even know we had. For instance, one of the downsides of the standard air tube earpiece is that sound has to travel up the coil tube to the ear, which can cause distortion. With the N-ear earpiece, the microspeaker is right where it needs to be inside the ear canal, so the audio is clear and consistent.”
Three models and a unique connector offer flexibility in both design and function
There are three models of N-ear earpieces for users to choose from – and security personnel at the organization use all three.
The N-ear 360 Original is the original model of this earpiece. The patented bend on the N-ear 360 Original has the best in-ear stability of the 360 series. The earpiece twists into the ear canal with zero ear fatigue and stays comfortably in place no matter how long it is worn. Better yet, the N-ear 360 Original (and its variants) can work with PTT radios and smartphones.
The N-ear 360 Flexo, which was launched in January 2022, takes the functionality of the N-ear360 Original to the next level, with a more shaped ear bend for an even better fit. The N-ear 360 Flexo Dynamic, launched in July 2022, adds a larger dynamic range of audio by replacing the earlier versions’ armature microspeakers with dynamic cone speakers.
To improve the user experience for N-ear 360 wearers, N-ear has created a more efficient, discreet and lighter weight PTT connector/control unit known as the Choice Wireless PTT and Bluetooth LE. It sits between the earpiece and the radio, allowing the users to activate PTT functions easily and quietly.
This unit is IP67 rated for being waterproof, can recognize and connect smart mics incorporated into radio earpieces and boom headsets and is compatible with major land mobile radios and smartphones. It even comes with a wireless PTT controller that is worn on a finger like a ring, providing the ultimate in user convenience and covertness.
For the security officers in this global organization, moving to N-ear earpieces has improved their ability to communicate on the job, while being able to wear their earpieces comfortably around the clock.
“Once you put this earpiece in, you will forget that you’re even wearing it,” said our source. This is why his organization will never use another brand of earpiece again.
Visit N-ear for more information.
Read next: Review: A radio nerd checks out the N-Ear 360 Flex radio earpiece