I wore a pair of Loop earplugs to the F1 – now I wouldn't attend a race or festival without them
Now, I've used earplugs before. The cheap foam ones they hand out at concerts. They're fine for cutting noise, but they also cut out everything else – conversations, atmosphere, the good stuff. They feel like stuffing insulation into your head. The Loops were different.
First off, they look good, more like a pair of the best wireless earbuds than earplugs. McLaren's papaya orange accents give them a clean, minimal, jewellery-like look. They're not chunky or clinical. No one stared at me, wondering if I was trying to sleep through the Grand Prix. In fact, a couple of people asked where I got them.
But here's the real magic: I could still hear everything I wanted to – the roar of the engines, the commentary, even people chatting beside me – without any of the painfully sharp, high-decibel chaos that usually builds up during the day. When you're standing trackside and the cars scream past at 190mph, it's thrilling. But those loud sounds do get exhausting fast (for me, anyway). With the Loop Switch 2 in, the edge was taken off just enough that I could enjoy the spectacle without my ears begging for mercy.
I started the day in Experience mode, which brings the volume down a notch (23dB reduction), but still lets a lot of the environment through. It was perfect for watching the action without feeling disconnected. When we moved closer to the grid for the pre-race build-up (and while watching the loud Porsche Cup support race), I clicked the dial into Quiet mode (26 dB reduction) – the max protection setting. It really helped.
Later in the day, when we were queuing for food or just hanging out, Engage mode came into its own. This mode (20dB reduction) softens the background noise while keeping voices crystal clear. I didn't have to shout to be heard, and I didn't feel like I had pillows over my ears. Being able to switch modes on the fly like that, with just a twist of the dial.
The fit was surprisingly comfortable, too. You get four different tip sizes in the box, and once I'd found the right ones, they stayed in all day without any irritation or need to adjust them. That's more than I can say for the cheap foam ones I used to wear for half an hour before binning them.
And that's another point: these aren't throwaways. They're built to last. Washable, reusable, and they come with a neat little case that clips onto your bag or belt. No more fishing around in your pocket for a crumpled pair of foam plugs wrapped in a napkin.
If you're into racing, or you've ever left a gig or festival with your ears ringing like an old landline, I honestly think Loop's Switch 2 earplugs are worth it.
The Loop Switch 2 earplugs are priced at $64.95 in the US and £59.95 in the UK
Liked this? I tested the Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 noise-cancelling earbuds and while excellent they make this one key compromise
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Stuff.tv
11-07-2025
- Stuff.tv
I wore a pair of Loop earplugs to the F1 – now I wouldn't attend a race or festival without them
I've been to a few Formula 1 races over the years, and one thing never changes: they're loud. Gloriously, thrillingly loud – but also the kind of loud that makes your ears ring for hours afterwards. This year at the Miami Grand Prix, I tried something new: the McLaren F1 Team x Loop Switch 2 earplugs. Honestly? I don't think I'll ever go back to a race (or a festival) without them. Now, I've used earplugs before. The cheap foam ones they hand out at concerts. They're fine for cutting noise, but they also cut out everything else – conversations, atmosphere, the good stuff. They feel like stuffing insulation into your head. The Loops were different. First off, they look good, more like a pair of the best wireless earbuds than earplugs. McLaren's papaya orange accents give them a clean, minimal, jewellery-like look. They're not chunky or clinical. No one stared at me, wondering if I was trying to sleep through the Grand Prix. In fact, a couple of people asked where I got them. But here's the real magic: I could still hear everything I wanted to – the roar of the engines, the commentary, even people chatting beside me – without any of the painfully sharp, high-decibel chaos that usually builds up during the day. When you're standing trackside and the cars scream past at 190mph, it's thrilling. But those loud sounds do get exhausting fast (for me, anyway). With the Loop Switch 2 in, the edge was taken off just enough that I could enjoy the spectacle without my ears begging for mercy. I started the day in Experience mode, which brings the volume down a notch (23dB reduction), but still lets a lot of the environment through. It was perfect for watching the action without feeling disconnected. When we moved closer to the grid for the pre-race build-up (and while watching the loud Porsche Cup support race), I clicked the dial into Quiet mode (26 dB reduction) – the max protection setting. It really helped. Later in the day, when we were queuing for food or just hanging out, Engage mode came into its own. This mode (20dB reduction) softens the background noise while keeping voices crystal clear. I didn't have to shout to be heard, and I didn't feel like I had pillows over my ears. Being able to switch modes on the fly like that, with just a twist of the dial. The fit was surprisingly comfortable, too. You get four different tip sizes in the box, and once I'd found the right ones, they stayed in all day without any irritation or need to adjust them. That's more than I can say for the cheap foam ones I used to wear for half an hour before binning them. And that's another point: these aren't throwaways. They're built to last. Washable, reusable, and they come with a neat little case that clips onto your bag or belt. No more fishing around in your pocket for a crumpled pair of foam plugs wrapped in a napkin. If you're into racing, or you've ever left a gig or festival with your ears ringing like an old landline, I honestly think Loop's Switch 2 earplugs are worth it. The Loop Switch 2 earplugs are priced at $64.95 in the US and £59.95 in the UK Liked this? I tested the Cambridge Audio Melomania A100 noise-cancelling earbuds and while excellent they make this one key compromise
Stuff.tv
06-07-2025
- Stuff.tv
Lego made a life-sized trophy for the British Grand Prix – I talked to the designer to find out how it was built
The British Grand Prix podium usually sparkles with heritage, from the champagne showers to the iconic Royal Automobile Club (RAC) trophy. But this year, it's about bricks. For the first time ever, the Formula 1 winners at Silverstone are being handed Lego trophies. And yes, they're full-sized, fully built and totally amazing. To mark the 75th anniversary of the first-ever Formula 1 World Championship race – held right here at Silverstone in 1950 – Lego and Formula 1 teamed up to create something unexpected: four LEGO-built trophies, inspired by the historic RAC design, and handed to the top three drivers and the winning constructor. Naturally, I had questions. So I caught up with the man behind the brickwork: Samuel Liltorp Johnson, Creative Lead at the Lego Group and the designer of the Lego F1 trophies. 'I joined the Lego F1 team around Easter,' Sam told me from a commentary booth trackside at Silverstone. 'The idea came from wanting to do something really special for the 75th anniversary – and Silverstone just made sense.' Working closely with both Silverstone and Formula 1, the team settled on a design that would honour the past while doing something totally fresh. The result? A gold-topped Lego trophy for the winner, made up of exactly 2,717 Lego elements, standing over 59cm tall and weighing more than 2kg. The second and third-place trophies are similar but use white Lego with red and blue accents, respectively, while the constructor's trophy goes dark blue and gold. 'The RAC trophy is so iconic,' Sam said. 'We wanted to pay tribute to it with the shape and colour – but also surprise the drivers with something playful and unexpected.' Building something this intricate, and more importantly, sturdy, wasn't straightforward. 'I actually looked into whether we'd need a non-Lego structure inside,' Sam explained. 'But we managed to make it 100% Lego – using a Technic spine to hold it all together.' The builds were a proper team effort. Seven Lego model builders in Billund, Denmark, spent over 210 hours crafting the four trophies. They even glued the outer layers to make sure nothing goes flying during the post-race celebrations. 'We saw what happened with those Lego cars in Miami,' Sam laughed. 'We didn't want to sweep up 2,000 pieces off the podium.' So what's it like seeing your creation handed to a world-class driver in front of millions of fans? 'Honestly? Surreal,' he said. 'As a toy designer, there's a huge buzz when you see a kid choose your set in a shop. But this is something else. This is global. And my grandad, who watched races with me when I was little, would have thought this was the coolest thing ever.' For Sam, it's not just about creating a one-off showpiece. It's about bringing Lego into the F1 world in a way that makes sense – and makes people smile. 'It has to look and feel special,' he said. 'We've put everything into it.' There's a playful side to the whole idea, but also a clear aim: to engage new fans. Lego and Formula 1's ongoing partnership has already seen ten full-sized, drivable Lego F1 cars take to the track in Miami, and immersive fan experiences pop up across the world under the 'Build the Thrill' banner. These trophies are the latest brick in that growing relationship. And the drivers? They get to keep them. Champagne-soaked and all. 'They'll need a wash afterwards, but they're proper trophies,' Sam said. 'Straight to the trophy cabinet.' Asked who he'd like to see hoist the Lego trophy, Sam smiled. 'As a kid, I watched with my dad and grandad – we had the Ceefax page on at the same time for football results! Honestly, it would be brilliant if a British driver won today. That would just feel right.' So what's next for Lego F1? 'We've got a few things up our sleeve. There's a big red Lego brick that pops up sometimes on Instagram… but who knows? Hopefully this weekend goes well, and we'll get to build more of these in the future.' You can explore the full Lego F1 range on Lego's US website and Lego's UK website. Liked this? These are the best large Lego sets
Stuff.tv
19-06-2025
- Stuff.tv
How the fast bits from the F1 movie were shot on a custom built iPhone camera
Unless you've been living under a rock, you've no doubt heard about F1: The Movie. It's one of the most anticipated movies of 2025. But what you might not know, is that Apple is behind the film. It's an Apple TV movie which is heading to cinemas first. But Apple didn't just fund the movie and offer a platform for you to stream it – it actually helped to film it. Apple actually built a customer camera for Formula 1 cars to use during filming. This wasn't Tim Cook rocking up to set with an iPhone taped to a steering wheel. The tech giant built a bespoke bit of kit from the inside out using iPhone parts. Read more: Apple Maps free update brings Monaco to life for F1 fans How Apple built a custom F1 car camera with iPhone parts The upcoming F1 film from Apple, starring Brad Pitt and directed by Joseph Kosinski (behind Top Gun: Maverick), wanted to put the viewer right in the cockpit. Problem is, F1 cars are aerodynamic nightmares for anything bulkier than a bolt. You can't slap a Hollywood-grade cinema camera on one and expect it not to fly off. Or melt. While the standard broadcast cameras F1 already uses are great for telly, it turns out that they're absolutely dire for cinema. So Apple's solution was to tear an iPhone apart and build a camera that fits in the same spot as existing F1 broadcast units. Wired got the behind-the-scenes look at this camera tech, which is some seriously impressive gear. The firm took the 48MP sensor from the iPhone 15 Pro Max and put it inside a module (most likely) powered an A17 Pro chip. Let's be clear, this wasn't smartphone shoot. An iPhone didn't film this footage. It's a purpose-built device encased in a shell that looks just like the original F1 camera. It complies with weight and design rules so could be used on the cars on track. But the fact that it's the same camera sensor as an iPhone that slips into your pocket is seriously impressive. Shock-proof, heat-proof, and strong enough to survive the kind of g-forces that would make the average DSLR weep, the module was tested beyond even what Formula 1 requires. The footage, captured in ProRes Log, is fully gradeable for editors. That Log format, and support for the professional ACES colour pipeline, both showed up later as an iPhone feature. Coincidence? I think not. Turns out this secret little movie project has been influencing the iPhone's feature set from behind the curtain. As for controls, F1 cars aren't allowed to have onboard wireless systems, because the FIA apparently doesn't fancy seeing a camera take off mid-race. So the whole setup had to be wired. To work with this, Apple designed an iPad control panel that let the filmmakers tweak ISO, shutter angle, frame rate, and more via USB-C. Very un-Hollywood, but very Apple. The high-speed shots it enabled are scattered throughout the movie. Apparently there's no 'shot on iPhone' tag in sight, so you'll just have to keep your eyes peeled for the magic. F1: The Movie hits international cinemas and IMAX theatres on 25 June, with a US release two days later on 27 June. Prepare for noise, speed, and the most expensive use of an iPhone camera sensor to date.
