Best Ear Plugs for Loud Concerts advice?.

[Wayne C]

Hello can anyone recommend ear plugs that are great for lowering the volume considerably but not affect the quality of the sound of the PA?. I attended an event in a small venue and the sound was excessively loud and I used the standard Boots earplugs but it was like listening through 10 pairs of socks.
I’ve seen the Sennheiser ones and the ones on Amazon but what do you folks recommend which also can be used for sleeping as well.

 

[ToTo Man]

Difficult to make a recommendation for an off-the-shelf product as a lot depends on the fit of the plug in your ear canal and everyone's canals are different. However, after experimenting with a few off-the-shelf solutions around a decade ago I settled upon Alpine MusicSafe Pro. Their 2-flange construction is a more comfortable fit for me than Etymotic's 3-flange construction and it's very handy being able to adjust the amount of attenuation by swapping out the filters. Dubs are also pretty comfortable but lack the ability to adjust the amount of attenuation. Given the relatively low cost of these solutions I'd recommend trying a few to see which suits you best.

 

[Wayne C]

Thanks for that I’ve purchased a pair of the ones you recommended by Alpine.

 

[ToTo Man]

Thanks for that I’ve purchased a pair of the ones you recommended by Alpine.

Excellent, let me know how you get on with them!

I found the grey filters to be a good match for most of the concerts I attended. The gold filters provide the strongest level of attenuation and, to my ears, turned the middle frequencies down too much compared to the treble and bass, but were a godsend for some gigs! I didn't find a use for the white filters.

If you have understanding neighbours and a hifi system that's capable of playing loudly I'd recommend experimenting with the different filters before hand in the comfort of your own home to get a feel for what each one sounds like, as it's less stressful than faffing about with them in the darkness of the venue!

PS - The depth to which you insert the plugs in your ear canals also affects the level of attenuation and tonal balance you hear so it's worth experimenting with that too to find the sweet spot.

 

[paulfromcamden]

I'm just going to leave a PFM affiliate Amazon link here for the Alpine plugs in case anyone else is interested: Amazon

I have Etymotic custom fitted moulded plugs which I love - but these look like a great option for anyone who can't really justify the spend on custom plugs.

 

[kensalriser]

The best solution by far is custom made, where an impression of your ear canal is taken. I had mine done over 20 years ago when I first noticed tinnitus. They're still working well (although I'm not using them on a weekly basis). If you want to protect your hearing and prevent tinnitus, I wouldn't mess around. Horses for courses though - they're not a solution for sleeping.

 

[Wayne C]

The best solution by far is custom made, where an impression of your ear canal is taken. I had mine done over 20 years ago when I first noticed tinnitus. They're still working well (although I'm not using them on a weekly basis). If you want to protect your hearing and prevent tinnitus, I wouldn't mess around. Horses for courses though - they're not a solution for sleeping.

Unfortunately I’ve already got that as a lot probably have years of going to loud gigs. But hopefully these will help prevent it getting any worse than it already is. I was amazed at this gig the other night that there was one bloke a lot younger than myself who was stood practically with his head in the horn section and as far as I could see no ear protection at all. Mind you filling a small club with loads of patrons so you have no room to move doesn’t help. Used to go and see Motorhead all the time when the speakers were stacked up on each side of the stage, heaven knows how much volume those stacks of multiple 4x12 cabs put out!. Went to see them before anyone wore such things and I couldn’t hear a thing when I left the auditorium. Not good I know.