What are the absolute best ear plugs? Ones that protect your hearing but still allow you to discern detail? I don't want to damage my hearing any further if I can help it...:dontknow:
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What are the absolute best ear plugs? Ones that protect your hearing but still allow you to discern detail? I don't want to damage my hearing any further if I can help it...:dontknow:
I got some custom moulded ones made and I'm really not happy with them. They're kinda hard and come loose very easily, as soon as there's some moisture from sweat or brain juice or whatever, they slip out.
A friend of mine went to the same place and his are a lot softer/stickier and would stay in place better. Not keen on dropping another $150 on custom plugs!
Will be interested in what the consensus is on here...
Yeah...I hear you the sound pressure and ringing just ain't my bag anymore...even if I go to a show these days and its too loud I'll consider leaving...Steve Vai was insanely loud in the venue I saw him in....I think it was last April....even with earplugs....I mean wow! amazing show though! I think we were in a 500 or less seat venue in CT....and dang it was like being in directly in line with a jet engine.
Band practice has been a bit brutal....our drummer hits hard.....I mean too hard in my opinion...and the guys keep asking me to turn up....I'm using a Rectoverb these days....it's a very loud 50 watts....I don't want to turn up any louder unless I have figured out a way to protect my ears...I just want to still hear the dynamics and detail.
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Originally Posted by 11top
:adore::rofl:
These work for me.
http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/...ps788576d7.jpg
I've worked around loud construction equipment most of my life and have used foam earplugs for at least 3/4's of the time. I have tinnitus that is louder in the left ear than the right. I find I prefer playing without earplugs but at a certain level it's crazy not to use them. The Hearos plugs cut sound levels without filtering things to bad. Price is right also. They work for mowing the lawn also.
I got mine from Sensaphonics. Custom made. They got my ear impressions and made the molds. You can buy different filters depending on how much sound you want to filter out. They are the best pieces of gear I own. I don't leave the house without them. I even wear them on the bus.
Great earplugs, they are like a volume knob for your ears. You don't really lose high end like with regular disposable earplugs. I use the -15dB ones and I couldn't be happier!
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Originally Posted by tacomadriver
Same for me, work great and don't feel too un-natural when wearing them.
Same here. Absolute BEST gear purchase ever. Nothing else comes close. Sound is great. Incredibly comfortable. I've worn them for hours at a time and nearly forgotten they were in.Quote:
Originally Posted by cosmic_ape
Quote:
Originally Posted by tacomadriver
I use the hearos as well. Really work well .
thanks guys! Any others?
Westone earplugs are kind of an industry standard, that you get from an audiologist. I have a set, and had a set made for my son. They have interchangeable filters for how much volume you want to attenuate. I use the -15 db inserts.Quote:
Originally Posted by DirtyMoonsRJT
I use them whenever I play live, or need a lot of volume, and also take them with me to concerts. If it's uncomfortably loud, I put 'em in. Also prevents those "accidents" if you're setting up mics and the drummer decides it's a good time to see how loud the kick drum or cymbal will go when you're kneeling right in front of it...
I've even used them when clients want the monitors insanely loud.
I make my living with my ears, so...they're worth protecting.
They look good Les, they go much further into the canal than my "custom" plugs. I might get me a set (not that I'll be playing live for a while, sad face).
i had some custom molded earplugs made a long time ago. They worked really well. The frequecy ranges were pretty well represented. No muffled sounds or anything.
They were pretty expensive though.
I also had some custom molded ones. The first ones I got (in 2002 maybe?) were like Justmund's in that they didn't stay in my ears very well once the juices started flowing. Then I lost one after a gig, and I used one custom one plus one foam one for years. Finally I got another one to replace the the lost one and it fit better and stayed in my ear better, but it was through the same hearing place so I don't know if they switched brands or what. Unfortunately, that one got lost too. That's when I started using Hearos, the blue extra large foam ones. I have big ear canals compared to most molds I have seen, the Hearos are the only foam ones that actually seal into my ear.
I have gotten to the point that in spite of wearing earplugs since I joined my 1st band 20 years ago, I still have issues including tinnitus and rattling when the bass frequencies really kick in. If I don't have just the right seal, my left ear will rattle, so everything will be quieter except my ear is rattling so I can't hear anything very well. As long as the seal is good, I can hear everything well at a reduced volume. It's harder for me to attain that seal in my left ear, so frequently I will get it correct, then leave it there all night.
While I don't go to stadium type shows often, something in-between nothing and the 33db reduction of the blue Hearos would be nice for that situation, for when it's just a little louder than I would prefer but not as loud as like our band in a small bedroom.
Thank you to everyone who responded...currently looking into hearos,westone,sensaphonics, and etymotics.
Out of that list, skip the Hearos. I used them for a few years and the performance and fit pale in comparison to the high-end, custom molded stuff. I tell everyone to spend the extra money because it's very much worth the better sound, fit and protection. Plus, the Hearos looked kind of ridiculous poking out of my ears. The Sensaphonics are barely noticeable.Quote:
Originally Posted by DirtyMoonsRJT
I'd like to suggest that instead skipping the Hearos you could try them first. Garrett used them for years so they must have worked. You may not need to wait years to move to custom-fit, molded ear protectors but it will give you a baseline to be able to appreciate if/when you get something that works better. Plus they are relatively inexpensive and available without waiting for the custom build. Just a thought.Quote:
Originally Posted by garrett
Yeah, but as soon as I got the custom Sensaphonics, I was kicking myself for waiting so long. I can't recommend them enough. I should also mention that I often found the Hearos uncomfortable, they still clipped too many frequencies and I ended up abandoning them for cotton balls, which I then gave up on, too, and developed tinnitus.Quote:
Originally Posted by tacomadriver
But yeah, I guess don't necessarily write off the Hearos. They're cheap enough that if they don't suit you, it's no big loss.
Thanks to this thread I started browsing earplugs on Amazon since I hadn't in a while. Has anyone ever tried these?
http://www.amazon.com/Alpine-Hearing.../dp/B0032BYCWG
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51YzCZnI2KL.jpg