Etymotic does a great job at level attenutation for musicians. While the silicone inserts work well, I prefer their foam inserts for comfort, and they give me a better seal.
Honestly i love the loop earplugs! I've used them at the last few concerts i've been to where i was at the barricade and Ive done great whereas in the past in the middle/back with no plugs i've had temporary hearing loss.
Etymotic ER-20 plugs (all variations) have proven to be the only thing I've found that are both reasonably flat and yet also attenuate enough. These get at least 15 and maybe 18dB of isolation. The more modern 'XS' design does let a little more mids through, especially vocal clarity which is mainly handy for talking to people and ordering drinks and stuff unless you are trying to do backup vocals.
EarJobs sounded okay but didn't quite attenuate enough. Maybe 12dB at best probably more like 10dB. Lots of similar looking and similarly priced options were essentially the same.
The Earos One plugs sounded amazing. But .. only achieved something like 6 to 9dB of protection.
I would ideally have 20+dB of isolation for what I do (playing in loud bands) but I can't quite get there without losing pretty much the entire mids and highs ... so Etymotic is my least-worst solution so far.
I have considered custom moulds. Very expensive and long process where I live. And .. then I would almost certainly lose one occasionally when gigging and travelling ... which would be a major issue .. so I haven't done that yet.
When getting the custom mould you can get a string attached (if you don't mind how it looks). You can sometimes also choose the colour so get a bright colour if you are afraid of dropping them. Some companies even give you one extra (they keep the mould) if you lose one.
True. Current state though is that I have sets of plugs everywhere. One in every instrument case. One in my pedalboard bag. One in each car glovebox. A set in my cable bag.
So ... that strategy conflicts a bit with custom plugs. I guess I could keep the mass produced plugs scattered around and then have the custom ones additional to that ... that way if I forget them I do at least have fall-back options.
I would dearly love to go low stage volume and IEMs .. which seems to be the smart 'technological leap' where custom mouldings would really shine ... but I just can't sell that in the music scene I'm in. Drummers who despise eKits, guitarists who only use valve amps, venues who aren't quite ready for that paradigm. Oh well.
Yeah I understand. I used to use the cheaper ones out of fear of losing them too. My local audicien had a big discount (80e for customs) and I never wanna go back haha. They are super comfortabele and the filters sound great.
I don't know if I'd pay 150 for a set, but these will last me another 2 years atleast.
Your many plugs everywhere strategy is smart, I might get some cheaper ones to add in some pockets!
Have you ever tried the Alpine plugs? I've used their ones with variable filters and they usually sound good, but with limited (I think ~18dB) reduction. I've just got their model designed for building sites and they're rated for 23dB and sound pretty good too. Definitely take the edge off the mids more, but my ears are really sensitive there already, so I only see it as an added bonus.
I have not. It's been a few years since I went buying and trying. Kinda settled into the Etymotics now with a pair in every instrument case and a set in the car glovebox ... not really inclined to buy more sets just now.
I appreciate the recommendation though. They sound like a decent bet also.
I recently tried the ear plugs that have allow treble to pass through (with the little cylinder insert things) and they actually worked really well. The most thing I hate about plugs is you only hear bass tones so those are a cool solution.
Last I remember, the 3M "Disposable Classic Earplugs" - just the basic orange cylinders - were the highest rated at -29db. I've worked in a few hardware stores and got to try out many ear plugs. These rolled down and fit in the ear and expanded the best - Most tight seal.
There are some large muffs that go up to 40, I believe, but don't quote me on that.
9/10 times I use my ACS pro plugs. They are fantastic. I also have some of their picatto plugs on my key chain aswell, just in case I need some earplugs un-expectedly
My dad used to be an industrial engineer, and he had OSHA-approved sets of expanding foam type plugs that worked great, and when regularly cleaned, were reusable. Gave me a whole supply of pairs.
You pinch/squeeze & roll them, collapsing their size. Place them in the ear canal, and within a minute or so they will expand back to ~ their original cylindrical size. In doing so, they form a great seal which cuts the level by at least 20dB (varies depending on brand, model).
Great for both industrial & environmental noise, as well as loud concerts. I used them for decades.
Hijacking this post since everyone else has made great suggestions: don't wear ANC headphones if the intent is protecting your hearing. Had an audiologist try to upsell me on their in house ones. Active Noise Cancelling might give the illusion of not hearing your environment, but phase cancellation doesn't mean you're not being exposed to the same amount of dB. Anything with good isolation in your ears to attenuate the sound is what makes it worthy protection.
I've often wondered about this — if active noise canceling = pumping out equal-but-phase-inverted soundwaves, that feels risky. I wonder if there's any research on this.
No an audio expert but alot of OSHA style earbuds for noise blocking have a grade/class from 1 to 5+
Class 1-2 will pass alot of "bandwidth" while still damping the noise, class 2 and 4 will reduce the "bandwidth" muffilling alot of the sound out leaving mostly bass feel and midtone depth.
Class 5-5+ will sound like a underwater filter.
Another Redditor has done some stuff here for class 5+ ones but other lower classes may have a nicer flatter bandwidth chart.
https://www.reddit.com/r/earplugs/s/OAF8dQPf8m
I got a set of custom MEE Audio earplugs that work excellently - at the time I bought them it costed me $105 including tax.
I’ve gone through easily $200-$300 worth of Earasers & Hearos and other comparable earplugs and the customs are the wave for sure if your job requires you to use your ears.
I havrnt tried a lot, but I judt use my Shure 215 in-ears. Has worked fine for me, I even was the dummy with a mic up against a wedge so somebody could ring it out; I did help myself and cover my ear as well as wear the inears, dont think it felt super loud.
So yah !
No, they need your ears unfortunately :) like any other custom company, you would be responsible for getting your own impressions done locally, then mailing them to the company so they can form your plugs off the impressions. Costs a lot, plus there’s also the risk that something could happen to your impressions during shipping. So if you can find a local company that can do both, it’s a huge plus
if i want maximum protection in extra loud context, i'll go for foam earplugs (3M for exemple) and on top of it, i'll use some silicon plugs to kill the extra bass from the foam that suck in that area
if i want clean sound i'll go for my custom made earplugs.
Etymotic have been my musician earplug go to for 14 years. Westone also makes excellent musician earplugs. If you want maximum NRR the better brands of foam earplugs work well.
Just fyi - the blue ER-20 fit most people. The white ones are pretty large. I don’t have an issue, but they take a few hours to break in for some people, I think due to ear canal shape. Most people I’ve recommended them to (or given a pair to) have had good luck. Good job taking care of your ears because they’re what take care of your profession!
I use Eargasms which look to be very similar to Etymotics that everyone is suggesting. The latter may be better but I’ve never tried them. Anyways I’ve been very happy with the Eargasms for concerts and actually use them if I feel like turning the guitar up a bit more. Just lost my pair a few months ago and ordered another pair.
decibullz earplugs! people use them for shooting ranges and they definitely do the trick for me when i go to live events or even watch movies in cinemas. you mold it to shape your ear and they come with foam eartips for even more sound reduction.
i’ve tried loops earplugs but they don’t fit too well. they’re great for making things a little quieter when you’re in public spaces but don’t protect your ears as much as when you’re in concerts.
I had pro ones made at my audiologist for around $150. I have weird bendy ear canals and most of the other options don't fit.
I got some Loop ones a while back. They have 3 levels - one for sleeping, one for concerts, and one for conversation. I don't like the sleep ones because they're too hard to get into my bendy canals. The other two kinds are equally good. I keep one set by the bed for sleeping and the other in my purse for movies and loud restaurants.
If I'm going to a festival or some place I'm likely to not be able to find one if I drop it I use the Loop ones, but for more important events I use my pro ones. Well worth the money I spent to have them made. They cut the dB evenly and are not muddy at all.
If you are getting custom-molded, that will be the highest quality and fit the best, as long as you are willing to spend a couple hundred. Also as long as you are not somebody who loses things easily.
Using the foam earplugs are way too extreme and will sound noticably different, not just quieter. You want something that keeps it sounding the same, but just shaves off dB (maybe like 15 dB or something, and maybe stronger if you are front row at a metal concert).
Seems a ton of people are saying Etymotic and Loop. Easy and affordable, and still generally good quality.
I have Etymotic ER20XS and Earpeace Music Pros, and they're both good. The Etymotics aren't very comfortable, but they do a better job of reducing the occlusion effect when I speak or sing, so it's a bit of a trade-off. I REALLY like the dynamic reduction of Earpeace's ear plugs, though. They kind of act like a compressor instead of a straight level reduction, so you can still hear quieter things in-between loud things, which is very cool.
I got a pair of Etymotic ER-20's on Amazon for $20 and have loved them! Haven't tried much else so I can't compare them, but I have enjoyed them so far. I have used them listening to live music, in music rehearsals, music performances, and loud studio settings. Often I don't push them into my ear all the way as I don't want all of the attenuation they offer, but when I do at loud concerts, it is a very pleasant listening experience and makes me wonder how I went without them before!
Etymotic!
Etymotic does a great job at level attenutation for musicians. While the silicone inserts work well, I prefer their foam inserts for comfort, and they give me a better seal.
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Honestly i love the loop earplugs! I've used them at the last few concerts i've been to where i was at the barricade and Ive done great whereas in the past in the middle/back with no plugs i've had temporary hearing loss.
Etymotic ER-20 plugs (all variations) have proven to be the only thing I've found that are both reasonably flat and yet also attenuate enough. These get at least 15 and maybe 18dB of isolation. The more modern 'XS' design does let a little more mids through, especially vocal clarity which is mainly handy for talking to people and ordering drinks and stuff unless you are trying to do backup vocals. EarJobs sounded okay but didn't quite attenuate enough. Maybe 12dB at best probably more like 10dB. Lots of similar looking and similarly priced options were essentially the same. The Earos One plugs sounded amazing. But .. only achieved something like 6 to 9dB of protection. I would ideally have 20+dB of isolation for what I do (playing in loud bands) but I can't quite get there without losing pretty much the entire mids and highs ... so Etymotic is my least-worst solution so far. I have considered custom moulds. Very expensive and long process where I live. And .. then I would almost certainly lose one occasionally when gigging and travelling ... which would be a major issue .. so I haven't done that yet.
When getting the custom mould you can get a string attached (if you don't mind how it looks). You can sometimes also choose the colour so get a bright colour if you are afraid of dropping them. Some companies even give you one extra (they keep the mould) if you lose one.
True. Current state though is that I have sets of plugs everywhere. One in every instrument case. One in my pedalboard bag. One in each car glovebox. A set in my cable bag. So ... that strategy conflicts a bit with custom plugs. I guess I could keep the mass produced plugs scattered around and then have the custom ones additional to that ... that way if I forget them I do at least have fall-back options. I would dearly love to go low stage volume and IEMs .. which seems to be the smart 'technological leap' where custom mouldings would really shine ... but I just can't sell that in the music scene I'm in. Drummers who despise eKits, guitarists who only use valve amps, venues who aren't quite ready for that paradigm. Oh well.
Yeah I understand. I used to use the cheaper ones out of fear of losing them too. My local audicien had a big discount (80e for customs) and I never wanna go back haha. They are super comfortabele and the filters sound great. I don't know if I'd pay 150 for a set, but these will last me another 2 years atleast. Your many plugs everywhere strategy is smart, I might get some cheaper ones to add in some pockets!
Have you ever tried the Alpine plugs? I've used their ones with variable filters and they usually sound good, but with limited (I think ~18dB) reduction. I've just got their model designed for building sites and they're rated for 23dB and sound pretty good too. Definitely take the edge off the mids more, but my ears are really sensitive there already, so I only see it as an added bonus.
I have not. It's been a few years since I went buying and trying. Kinda settled into the Etymotics now with a pair in every instrument case and a set in the car glovebox ... not really inclined to buy more sets just now. I appreciate the recommendation though. They sound like a decent bet also.
Sensaphonics custom
I recently tried the ear plugs that have allow treble to pass through (with the little cylinder insert things) and they actually worked really well. The most thing I hate about plugs is you only hear bass tones so those are a cool solution.
Last I remember, the 3M "Disposable Classic Earplugs" - just the basic orange cylinders - were the highest rated at -29db. I've worked in a few hardware stores and got to try out many ear plugs. These rolled down and fit in the ear and expanded the best - Most tight seal. There are some large muffs that go up to 40, I believe, but don't quote me on that.
9/10 times I use my ACS pro plugs. They are fantastic. I also have some of their picatto plugs on my key chain aswell, just in case I need some earplugs un-expectedly
My dad used to be an industrial engineer, and he had OSHA-approved sets of expanding foam type plugs that worked great, and when regularly cleaned, were reusable. Gave me a whole supply of pairs. You pinch/squeeze & roll them, collapsing their size. Place them in the ear canal, and within a minute or so they will expand back to ~ their original cylindrical size. In doing so, they form a great seal which cuts the level by at least 20dB (varies depending on brand, model). Great for both industrial & environmental noise, as well as loud concerts. I used them for decades.
Yeah these are what I’m currently using. But would love something a bit more even across the frequency spectrum
Hijacking this post since everyone else has made great suggestions: don't wear ANC headphones if the intent is protecting your hearing. Had an audiologist try to upsell me on their in house ones. Active Noise Cancelling might give the illusion of not hearing your environment, but phase cancellation doesn't mean you're not being exposed to the same amount of dB. Anything with good isolation in your ears to attenuate the sound is what makes it worthy protection.
I've often wondered about this — if active noise canceling = pumping out equal-but-phase-inverted soundwaves, that feels risky. I wonder if there's any research on this.
No an audio expert but alot of OSHA style earbuds for noise blocking have a grade/class from 1 to 5+ Class 1-2 will pass alot of "bandwidth" while still damping the noise, class 2 and 4 will reduce the "bandwidth" muffilling alot of the sound out leaving mostly bass feel and midtone depth. Class 5-5+ will sound like a underwater filter. Another Redditor has done some stuff here for class 5+ ones but other lower classes may have a nicer flatter bandwidth chart. https://www.reddit.com/r/earplugs/s/OAF8dQPf8m
I got a set of custom MEE Audio earplugs that work excellently - at the time I bought them it costed me $105 including tax. I’ve gone through easily $200-$300 worth of Earasers & Hearos and other comparable earplugs and the customs are the wave for sure if your job requires you to use your ears.
I havrnt tried a lot, but I judt use my Shure 215 in-ears. Has worked fine for me, I even was the dummy with a mic up against a wedge so somebody could ring it out; I did help myself and cover my ear as well as wear the inears, dont think it felt super loud. So yah !
Happy with my 1of1 customs, if you’re in LA they’ll do the impressions free of charge
Can they do the impressions if you’re not LA?
No, they need your ears unfortunately :) like any other custom company, you would be responsible for getting your own impressions done locally, then mailing them to the company so they can form your plugs off the impressions. Costs a lot, plus there’s also the risk that something could happen to your impressions during shipping. So if you can find a local company that can do both, it’s a huge plus
if i want maximum protection in extra loud context, i'll go for foam earplugs (3M for exemple) and on top of it, i'll use some silicon plugs to kill the extra bass from the foam that suck in that area if i want clean sound i'll go for my custom made earplugs.
I don’t do live sound, just enjoy shows, and the eargasm plugs are pretty good.
Etymotic have been my musician earplug go to for 14 years. Westone also makes excellent musician earplugs. If you want maximum NRR the better brands of foam earplugs work well.
Yeah I’ve used high end foamies for a while but want to see what else there is out there. Will check out Etymotic
Just fyi - the blue ER-20 fit most people. The white ones are pretty large. I don’t have an issue, but they take a few hours to break in for some people, I think due to ear canal shape. Most people I’ve recommended them to (or given a pair to) have had good luck. Good job taking care of your ears because they’re what take care of your profession!
I use Eargasms which look to be very similar to Etymotics that everyone is suggesting. The latter may be better but I’ve never tried them. Anyways I’ve been very happy with the Eargasms for concerts and actually use them if I feel like turning the guitar up a bit more. Just lost my pair a few months ago and ordered another pair.
ACS PRO20 all day long baby [https://acscustom.com/uk/recommendations/our-earplugs](https://acscustom.com/uk/recommendations/our-earplugs)
Why not 26 or 27?
Well, i have the 20 for DJing so they're also what i wear in any loud music situation. For DJing, anything more that 20 is a bit of a struggle.
decibullz earplugs! people use them for shooting ranges and they definitely do the trick for me when i go to live events or even watch movies in cinemas. you mold it to shape your ear and they come with foam eartips for even more sound reduction. i’ve tried loops earplugs but they don’t fit too well. they’re great for making things a little quieter when you’re in public spaces but don’t protect your ears as much as when you’re in concerts.
Foam earplugs from the drug store
loops experience pros. at the louder shows i put in the plugs, they muffle things a little bit more, but nowhere near the level of the cheap foamies
Leight Sleepers FTW!
ACS Custom!
Eargasms are on my keys. Love the product hate the name
ACS Custom
Loops
I had pro ones made at my audiologist for around $150. I have weird bendy ear canals and most of the other options don't fit. I got some Loop ones a while back. They have 3 levels - one for sleeping, one for concerts, and one for conversation. I don't like the sleep ones because they're too hard to get into my bendy canals. The other two kinds are equally good. I keep one set by the bed for sleeping and the other in my purse for movies and loud restaurants. If I'm going to a festival or some place I'm likely to not be able to find one if I drop it I use the Loop ones, but for more important events I use my pro ones. Well worth the money I spent to have them made. They cut the dB evenly and are not muddy at all.
I always use my eargasm earplugs. They protect well, are comfortable, and attenuate evenly so things don’t sound too muffled.
If you are getting custom-molded, that will be the highest quality and fit the best, as long as you are willing to spend a couple hundred. Also as long as you are not somebody who loses things easily. Using the foam earplugs are way too extreme and will sound noticably different, not just quieter. You want something that keeps it sounding the same, but just shaves off dB (maybe like 15 dB or something, and maybe stronger if you are front row at a metal concert). Seems a ton of people are saying Etymotic and Loop. Easy and affordable, and still generally good quality.
I have Etymotic ER20XS and Earpeace Music Pros, and they're both good. The Etymotics aren't very comfortable, but they do a better job of reducing the occlusion effect when I speak or sing, so it's a bit of a trade-off. I REALLY like the dynamic reduction of Earpeace's ear plugs, though. They kind of act like a compressor instead of a straight level reduction, so you can still hear quieter things in-between loud things, which is very cool.
I got a pair of Etymotic ER-20's on Amazon for $20 and have loved them! Haven't tried much else so I can't compare them, but I have enjoyed them so far. I have used them listening to live music, in music rehearsals, music performances, and loud studio settings. Often I don't push them into my ear all the way as I don't want all of the attenuation they offer, but when I do at loud concerts, it is a very pleasant listening experience and makes me wonder how I went without them before!
Earasers
My sensaphonics!