The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word CORNCOBS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
C
O
R
N
C
O
B
S
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "inner ears" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case inner ears = corncobs.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does CORNCOBS mean?
CORNCOBS noun- The central cylindrical core of an ear of corn (maize) on which the kernels are attached in rows.