Are you considering custom earplugs? For most people, the high cost of custom earplugs is a huge factor. What most people ask is, are they worth it?

Here's a look at some of the key benefits of custom earplugs. While the comfort of a custom molded fit is one huge pro, there are many more advantages to consider. This article will help you decide if those features are worth the expense of custom earplugs for you personally.

If you're a music photographer, you should know that wearing earplugs is important. Working concerts exposes you to extremely loud sound levels and earplugs protect your hearing. Wearing earplugs — from foam earplugs to musician plugs to full customs — is good.

Let's look at the main benefits of custom earplugs — here's what we'll cover.

1. Ease of Use
2. Longterm Comfort
3. Better Sound with Musicians Earplugs
4. Customization of Sound Protection
5. Cool Factor

Fit and Longterm Comfort

A huge benefit to custom earplugs is simply that they are custom fit to you. Because they're made from an impression of your unique ear canals, they will fit more comfortably than almost all off the shelf options.

There's nothing trying to expand against your ear canal as in the foam earplugs. Nor are there flanges or other material trying to push against your ear canal to insure a seal or fit.

Custom earplugs simply fill your ear canal without adding extra pressure. The result of this is that they are much more comfortable, especially for long term use over hours or even a full day if necessary.

Consistent Ease of Use

Custom earplugs offer simple ease of use. There's only one way to insert them, and so long as you're putting the right earplug in the right ear, ease of use is a breeze.

You do need to have the plugs oriented in generally the right way, but customs generally orient themselves. Because they're custom molded to your ears, they want to go in one way and they essentially find that way as you insert them.

In addition, customs will insert to these same depth — they're fully seated or they're not. This makes their use pretty much fool proof.

The benefit of this is speed of use and the fact that once inserted, you get repeatable, identical protection. This experience is in contrast to universal earplugs such as flanged or foam earplugs, which can be inserted in different depths and thus offer inconsistent hearing protection.

Better Sound with Musicians Earplugs

There are two main types of custom earplugs:

• Solid silicone custom earplugs
• Musicians earplugs with acoustic filters

If you're a music photographer like me, or simply work in the music industry, I recommend the musicians earplugs for a few reasons. A big reason is sound quality.

Cheap earplugs make live music sound muffled and distorted. Musicians earplugs have specially designed filters that lower sound levels evenly, preserving the sound quality of live music.

There are various brands that make acoustic filters. Etymotic Research has pioneered high fidelity musicians earplugs and makes a wide range. They make the very well regarded ER-15 universal earplugs that I have recommended in the past (and personally used for years).

Other filters are made by Westone or ACS Customs. All of these serve the goal of safely lower noise levels and will preserve the overall sound of live music.

Customization of Sound Level Protection

This is actually one of the less obvious benefits of custom earplugs, but one feature I love with custom earplugs is the ability to customize the level of sound protection.

Customs with the aforementioned acoustic filters allow you to change the filters themselves. Most all of these filter manufacturers offer a range, from low at around -9dB reduction to -25dB reduction, as well as “solid” filters that offer around -33dB reduction.

You can therefore select the level of sound protection you need — from minimum to maximum, or somewhere in between. You can also change the filters yourself when the situation requires a different level of sound protection.

For example, you may want to consider different attenuation levels:

• -33dB filters: Maximum protection (music festivals)
• -25dB filters: High level protection (frequent exposure)
• -15dB filters: Medium protection (infrequent use)
• -9dB filters: Light protection

For all day events like music festivals, you may want the maximum level of noise protection and want go with solid -33dB filters. But for an event that has loud elements intermittently, you may be fine using -9dB or -15dB filters. Using lower attenuation ratings mean that it's easier to hear conversation or quieter moments if that's important for your job or function.

For professional music photographers, personally I would recommend -25dB filters in most cases.

While it never hurts to use a very high level of hearing protection, being able to tailor your experience simply by popping in a new set of filters is huge level up in your game.

Professional Cool Factor

This is certainly the very least important aspect of custom earplugs. But from crew guys to artists/musicians or just other photographers, custom earplugs are worth a few — if only a few — cool points.

Perhaps more essentially, it feels nice to know you're taking the best steps toward protecting your own hearing with custom earplugs. It's a great feeling knowing that you have professional grade hearing protection and that you simply have one more thing you don't have to worry about as a professional.

Summary

There you are, the live main benefits of using custom earplugs. For me, as a professional music photographer, they're an essential part of my photo bag. While I could do my job without them, I wouldn't want to be without them.

If you want to know more about the experience of getting custom earplugs, see my review of my 1of1 Customs that I received via MusiCares at ACL Festival.

The post 5 Best Benefits of Custom Earplugs appeared first on ishootshows.com.

If you know me, you know that hearing protection is extremely important to me personally. Wearing earplugs is something I encourage all concert photographers at shows and festivals. Earplugs are like cameras — the best ones are the ones you have on you when you need them. Whether they're cheap disposables or re-usable customs, I hope music photographers all over the world are protecting their hearing.

Recently, I had the opportunity to receive a new pair of custom earplugs thanks to MusiCares and 1of1 Custo. Here's a dive into the process of making custom impressions and earplugs, how long you'll wait, and what to expect with your custom earplugs.

MusiCares x 1of1 Custom

MusiCares is a non-profit providing health, rehabilitation and financial assistance to those working in the music industry. Among their many initiatives, one is offering free custom earplugs at events such as music festivals, for which they've partnered with 1of1 Custom, a manufacturer of IEMs (in-ear-monitors) and earplugs.

1of1 Custom are a division of ACS Custom, which are an industry veteran providing custom hearing protection and in-ear-monitors since 1994.

I'd always heard about this program, but never had the chance to try it myself until recently. Working C3 Presents at ACL Festival in 2021, I was fortunate enough to be able to benefit from this wonderful program.

Custom earplugs generally cost $150-300 for the impressions and the earplugs themselves, if not more. Recently, I was quoted $350 for a pair from an NYC audiologist, excluding the fee for the doctor's visit — the office cited supply chain issues as the reason for the price. The fact that MusiCares offers these custom earplugs to music industry professionals to protect their hearing is truly a tremendous service.

For music industry professionals, from touring crew to musicians to concert photographers and festival personnel, hearing protecting is an essential part of our jobs when it comes to live music.

Visiting the MusiCares Tent

MusiCares sets up in the artist lounge area at most festivals, though this may change from event to event. Touring artists and their crews are the intended audience of the artist lounge area. However, if you have access to the production area or otherwise AAA, you can visit the MusiCares tent to take part in this offering.

At Austin City Limits, the MusiCares tent opened at 11am. My friend Dusana Risovic and I made it a point to get there as soon as they opened.

Custom Earplug Impressions Process

The first step to custom earplugs is producing the impressions. It's important to note that you won't get to walk away with your set of earplugs right away.

Here's the overall process for making the ear canal impressions:

1. Inspection of ear canals
2. Insertion of foam dams into the ear canal
3. Injection of self-hardening foam
4. Repeat for your other ear
5. Wait a couple minutes while the foam expands and hardens
6. Removal of impressions
7. That's it!

Special thank you to Dusana for letting me document the process of her getting her first pair of custom earplugs. Dusana is a good friend and great photographer — you can follow along with her work here http://www.instagram.com/dusana.

How long is the wait time?

MusiCares normally estimates about 1 month from impressions to receiving your custom earplugs. Here's a timeline of my experience:

• October 3, 2021 — Molds made at ACL Festival
• December 13, 2021: Email with address confirmation
• January 11, 2022: Tracking notication
• January 19, 2022: Earplugs delivered

Overall, the wait time was about three and a half months. There may have been various factors, including the fact that ACL was later in the year and there may have been a backlog of other events 1of1 was processing, supply chain issues, winter holidays, COVID, etc.

Regardless of the reason for the timing, I have zero complaints. These are free custom earplugs that are being provided as an amazing service without charge. This is only to say that your wait time may vary and it could take several months to receive your pair of earplugs, so plan accordingly.

1of1 Custom Earplugs

The earplugs arrived in zippered case. The logo for MusiCares appears on one side, 1of1 Custom's logo on the other.

Inside the case, there's a small manual that details care and cleaning instructions, as well as a cleaning tool for removing earwax or debris from the channel of the earplugs.

These 1of1 custom earplugs are “musicians earplugs” or “high fidelity earplugs” because they feature high quality acoustic filters. These filters reduce sound levels much more evenly across the frequency range compared to conventional earplugs (think your standard disposable earplugs).

The uneven attenuation of sound is what causes people to think that all earplugs make live music sound muffled, distorted or downright bad. If you've ever held this opinion, it's only because you haven't tried the right kind of earplugs.

High quality earplugs like these 1of1 Customs would command a premium price, which I know is a privilege that many cannot afford out of pocket. That makes the efforts of MusiCares really commendable and so very appreciated.

Fit, Comfort and use of Custom Earplugs

I've had other custom earplugs in the past made by great brands like JH Audio, Westone and now finally 1of1 Custom. They're made of silicone as other custom earplugs are. They are essentially clear and overall have a rubbery feel — firm but with slight give and flexibility.

The 1of1 Custom earplugs are extremely comfortable and the fit of the earplugs is excellent — as you'd expect from custom earplugs made specifically for you.

Unlike foam earplugs, one thing I love about custom earplugs is the relative lack of pressure on your ear canal. Foam earplugs as well as flanged earplugs both have material that is essentially compressed in your ear canal and forms a seal by that pressure against your ear canal.

Custom earplugs, by contrast, fill the ear canal more naturally. There is the sensation that your ear is full, and there is pressure against your ear canal, but it is slight. Overall, I find that wearing custom earplugs for extended periods of time is much more comfortable than generic or universal fit earplugs. This is particularly true for long days as one experiences with photographing music festivals.

Ease of Use

Another aspect of custom earplugs that I love is that use is that insertion is very easy. Use is as simple as aligning them to your ears and working them into your ear canal. This experience is in contrast to foam earplugs and the process of compressing them, inserting them into your ear canal, and waiting for them to expand.

High Fidelity Acoustic Filters for Earplugs

As mentioned, the 1of1 Customs come with high fidelity acoustic filters that safely and evenly reduce the volume of sounds. This relatively flat attenuation allows these earplugs to preserve the quality of live music without making it sound distorted.

The filters in the earplugs rate at -15dB reducing. 1of1 Custom also offers a range of other levels of sound attenuating filters.

In filling out the form for the earplugs, I recall the option to pick which filters you receive with your earplugs. I personally thought I chose a higher reduction rating than -15dB. Either through my own error or perhaps just getting lost in the shuffle, it didn't happen.

No worries. I ordered a pair of the -27dB filters as well as a set of “Pro Blanks” which are just solid plugs that offer -33dB reduction.

1of1 Custom also offer many other options of filters for all your needs. As someone who already suffers from tinnitus, I am eager to try the highest noise reduction level of the filters. In addition, I look forward to having the Pro Blanks for the maximum protection when I need it.

Summary of 1of1 Custom Earplugs

I'm incredibly grateful to MusiCares and 1of1 Customs for their program to offer these custom earplugs to the music industry.

Overall, I'm thrilled with the quality of the 1of1 Custom earplugs and excited to use them during festival and tour season. For anyone one considering custom earplugs, I highly recommend them as invaluable parts of a music photographer's kit in general.

If you're working a festival as part of a media team or otherwise have access to the artist lounge at a major festival, I cannot recommend visiting the MusiCares tent enough. A huge thank you to the Recording Academy and MusiCares for subsidizing this program. You made me feel like a rockstar.

Even if you have to pay out of pocket, the expense is relatively low compared to the cost of even the most minor photography accessory. And much cheaper than the price we pay for lenses and cameras. I have always been a huge advocate of hearing protection. This has never been more true as I get older and suffer from prolonged exposure to loud noises over the years.

Get Your Own Custom Earplugs

If you're working a festival and have access to the artist lounge/backstage area, be sure to visit the MusiCares tent.

If you're working as media without access this service, or want to get custom earplugs on your own schedule and expense, you can still get custom earplugs. Simply book an appointment with an audiologist to make the impressions for the earplugs. The benefit is that you'll receive the earplugs in about 2 weeks, rather than 4+ weeks.

1of1 can produce the custom earplugs after you send them your impressions. The cost is $185 for a pair that includes your choice of acoustic filters. For the included case and option of many filter choices, I feel even this expense is well worth it. It's a small price to protect your hearing.

Anyone working in the music industry should use earplugs as a regular practice. Having a set of custom earplugs means more comfort, better protection, and improved ease of use. If you've always wanted custom earplugs, the best time to get them is now. Seriously, I cannot recommend any custom earplug highly enough. You and your hearing deserve it.

The post Review: 1of1 Custom Earplugs via MusiCares appeared first on ishootshows.com.

Protecting your hearing at concerts with earplugs doesn't have to make live music sound muffled. We'll look at the best earplugs for every budget, from inexpensive disposable options to high fidelity custom earplugs.

If you love live music, you should also love your hearing enough to protect it. Live music features amplified sound and levels of sound that can be extremely damaging to your hearing. If you've ever experienced ringing in your ears after a concert, you already know the effects of exposure to loud sounds. Tinnitus is the chronic form of this, with a ringing in the ears that never goes away.

To prevent hearing loss, your best protection is to wear earplugs. If you've ever been concerned that live music won't sound as good, you're in luck. There are now countless varieties of earplugs that are designed to preserve the sound of live music in high fidelity. These are the best earplugs for live music for the concert-goer.

Why Listen to Me?

I'm a professional music photographer, and I work and photograph a huge number of concerts every year. Because of this, I take my hearing protection with extreme seriousness.

I rely on my hearing for the cues to capture those rock-star moments, and I'm always looking for the ear plugs to use for concerts. Here are my picks for the best earplugs to use for live music that will protect your hearing and help prevent the onset of tinnitus.

Why Wear Earplugs to Concerts?

So, why wear earplugs when attending concerts? The answer is really simple, and one you already know: hearing loss. That ringing in your ears after a show? That's damage to your hearing, something you can never get back.

Most live music reaches levels of between the range of 100 to 120-dB. At this level, hearing damage can occur in less than a minute. Needless to say, you risk hearing damage in a timeframe far shorter than a standard concert, let alone a song.

So if you really love live music, the smart thing to do is to wear hearing protection. Now that we're covered why you should wear earplugs, let's get into your options.

Types of Earplugs

There are a few main types of earplugs, ranging from your dollar-store variety to custom earplugs that can cost you a couple hundred dollars. All have their pros and cons.

Foam

When you think of earplugs, most people will immediately think of cheap, disposable foam earplugs. The benefit of foam earplugs is that they are widely available at any drug store. They are also the cheapest kind of earplug you'll find.

The foam earplugs must be compressed and inserted into the ear canal. They then expand to fill the ear canal and block noise. The most effective foam hearing protection, like the Hearos Extreme, can block up to -33dB of noise, among the highest of all hearing protection options.

The downside is that proper insertion can greatly affect the fit, comfort, and effectiveness of this style of earplugs. In addition, because of the need to compress and allow for expansion, they are not an ideal choice if you need to repeatedly insert and remove earplugs quickly.

Flanged 

Flanged earplugs reply on two or more collars in a cone-shape that conform to the shape of your ear canal. Unlike foam earplugs, flanged earplugs are generally much faster and more user-friendly. The downside to flanged earplugs is that they may not be as comfortable to use for extended periods of time. With this style earplug, the pressure against the ear canal is focused to more specific parts of the ear canal where the ridges seal. Some flanged earplugs are available in multiple sizes, which enhances fit, comfort and performance.

The Etymotic ER-20 is a classic example of a quality flanged earplug, which is also a high-fidelity earplug, though it's important to note that not all flanged earplugs are musician-quality. In addition, Eargasm are another brand of very high quality plugs that use this flanged design.

High-Fidelity/Musicians Earplugs

High-fidelity options are designed for musicians and performers. Unlike traditional earplugs that can muffle and distort sound, the quality of the sound remains clear. With this style of earplug, the volume is simply attenuated to a lower level. This effect is achieved by special acoustic filters that lower noise levels in a uniform way across the audible sound spectrum. Foam plugs, by contrast, lower noise levels unequally (which results in muffled sound quality). High-fidelity earplugs can come in reusable, universal fit as well as custom-molded versions.

Etymotic Research and their ER-20 was one of the first high-fidelity earplugs, but now there are many options, including the excellent Earasers and Eargasm high fidelity options.

Custom

Custom earplugs are made from a custom impression of your ear canal. An audiologist or trained technician creates impressions of each of your ear canals, which are then turned into custom fit earplugs cast in silicone. Since custom plugs are truly custom to your ears, they promise a perfect fit and exceptional comfort. The downside is that custom hearing protection generally run $100 or more, making them 3-5x more expensive than most universal fit, high-fidelity earplugs.

Custom earplugs are offered by companies specializing in high-end audio and hearing devices, such as JH Audio, Westone, Sensaphonics.

Custom earplugs are divided into two main types, solid silicone and high-fidelity musicians hearing protection. The latter use attenuating filters, the majority using those by Etymotic Research, which produce a flat attenuation for natural, clear sound that is safe on your ears. The filters for musician's plugs come in varying levels of attenuation, so you can choose the degree of sound protection that is appropriate for you. For music photographers like myself, I recommend the ER-25 filters, which offer maximum protection.

If you want to know more about the benefits of custom earplugs beyond just custom fit, see my article on the 5 Best Benefits of Custom Earplugs.

The Best Earplugs for Concerts and Live Music

Now that you're familiar with the types of earplugs and the general differences between them, here are my recommendations for the top performing hearing protection of each kind. I've tried a lot of plugs, from premium options like the Flare Audio Isolate to more disposable earplugs. The following four options are my best recommendations.

Hearos Ultimate Softness Series

Hearos makes great foam earplugs and the Ultimate Softness plugs are just as advertised — extremely comfortable. In addition, they block a ton of noise at -32dB reduction. These are a fantastic option for long events where lower noise reduction options would not protect your ears as well, and where comfort is key. I recommend these earplugs for very long events like music festivals where comfort and high decibel reduction is more important than sound quality.

Pros:

• Cheap
• Extremely comfortable for extended use
• Massive reduction in sound levels

Cons: 

• Fiddly (foam has to be compressed and allowed to expand for best fit)
• Low-fidelity sound experience
• Disposable

Etymotic ER20XS

Etymotic is a company that pioneered hi-fidelity hearing protection. This is a company that makes very hi-fi audio equipment, so they really know their stuff. Unlike normal earplugs, Etymotic's plugs don't sound muffled or distorted — the sound levels are simply lowered to safe levels. In other words, there are no excuses not to wear hearing protection if you've said live music doesn't sound as good. As an alternative, the Eargasm high fidelity earplugs are similar and worth consideration in this space. 

Pros:

• Quick to insert
• Live music still sounds great, just at safer levels
• Re-useable and still relatively inexpensive

Cons:

• May not be as comfortable as foam or custom options for some people
• May have to be replaced after a frequent and extended use
• Lower level of protection than custom options

Eargasm High Fidelity Earplugs

Eargasm are a high fidelity earplug that is worthy of serious consideration. Like the Etymotic ER20xs and Earaser earplugs, Eargasm promises an ideal earplug experience for concerts in that they produce a natural sound response. The old excuse not to wear earplugs because the music “doesn't sound good” doesn't apply to these earplugs.

The thing I love about the Eargasm earplugs is that they come with two differently sized outer ‘shells' — so you can pick the size that fits your ears, and simply drop in the sonic filter. While the Eargasm earplugs cost a little more than the similar Etymotic ER20xs, this feature of providing two sizes is huge. 

The Eargasm earplugs offer -16dB of sound reduction.

Pros:

• Two sizes included with every set
• High fidelity sound quality, so music still sounds great
• Re-useable

Cons:

• May not be as comfortable as foam or custom options for some people
• Slightly less noise attenuation than ER20xs (-16dB vs -20dB)
• Slightly more expensive than other hi-fi earplugs

Earasers Musicians Plugs

Earasers are a Hi-Fidelity earplug that has two goals:

1) Provide level of fit and comfort of a custom earplug without the expense and need to see an audiologist

2) Create a hi-fi experience at safe sound levels.

Unlike flanged or foam plugs, the Earasers are shaped with a slightly oval shape, which is more closely fitted to the natural shape of the ear canal. This means that the silicone molds very closely to the ear without as much pressure to friction fit, which translates into increased comfort. This is huge for events like festivals, where earplug fatigue is a very real thing.

Earasers offers three levels of decibel reduction: -19dB, -26dB, and -31dB reduction at peak reduction. This is all at a “hi-fidelity” attenuation, where sound levels are reduced at flat frequency response. In addition, Earasers are offered in four sizes: x-small, small, medium, and large. I really love the ability to customize the attenuation and size for the needs of each individual. Earasers also allow for exchanges within 30 days if you end up ordering a size that doesn't fit ideally.

Pros:

• Quick to insert
• Live music still sounds great, just at safer levels
• Very small
• Easily cleaned/washable
• Increased comfort over other universal plugs

Cons:

• Relatively expensive
• Proper fit may require trying different sizes

Custom Earplugs

If you are a live music addict or work in the music industry, I would highly recommend a set of custom earplugs. The one massive advantage of custom hearing protection is that they provide a perfect fit time after time and for extended use. This benefit cannot be overstated, especially for users who need reliable, professional hearing protection.

For custom plugs, you'll need to get fitted by an audiologist. They will create custom impressions of your ear canal, which are then sent off to a manufacturer.

Custom earplugs come in two main types: solid silicone and high fidelity acoustic filters. The solid plugs are also called sleep plugs — they will offer the most sound attenuation, roughly around -30dB.

I can highly recommend getting your plugs from JH Audio, who make high-fidelity IEMs for some of the biggest musicians in the world. Hearing protection are not their bread and butter business, but the JH Audio people are just fine folks, so I have to give them a shout out.

Aside from JH Audio, Westone is one of the biggest fulfillers of custom earplugs. If you go to an audiologist for custom musicians hearing protection, there's good bet that they will send your impressions off to Westone for production. Both Westone and JH Audio offer solid and musicians earplugs.

Pros:

• Highest degree of comfort, even for all-day festivals
• Quick insertion
• Highest fidelity (with “musicians earplugs”), so music sounds
• High degree of sound attenuation
• Durable, lasting for years

Cons:

• Cost is about $125-200

Summary

There are a wide variety of options for hearing protection, including a ton of universal fit options that should allow for comfortable hearing protection for just about everyone. Furthermore, with high fidelity options becoming increasingly prolific in recent years, now wearing earplugs doesn't mean choosing between protecting your hearing and the sound quality of a concert experience. The choice isn't whether or not you should protect your hearing for concerts, it's simply how.

The post The Best Earplugs for Concerts & Live Music appeared first on ishootshows.com.

This article breaks down my recommendations for the best type of earplug for every kind of event, based on the noise protection you need, ease of use, and comfort.

Why Wear Hearing Protection?

The threshold for physical pain from loud noises is 120 dB. Hearing loss can occur from extended exposure to nearly any noise, but anything at or over 100 dB can cause hearing loss within an hour or even minutes. 

Earplugs For Concerts

For concerts, where you're looking at about about 3 hours of live music, I'd recommend a “musician's earplug”. These include the Earaser or Etymotic ER20XS and the Eargasm High Fidelity Earplugs. These models are designed to allow you to hear and enjoy music simply at safer levels. Musicians earplugs attenuate sound without the muffled sound and distortion of traditional hearing protection. In addition, these earplugs are re-usable, which is helps make the cost a better value if you are a regular concert-goer.

In addition, I love this style earplug because, unlike foam options, they're relatively easy to insert and remove. This is ideal for a concert, where you will have time in between sets where you will want to take the earplugs out as you talk to friends.

For me, the comfort level of these models isn't as high as custom or foam for very extended use. However, they are plenty comfortable for a concert that only lasts a few hours. If you're a regular concert fan, you owe it yourself and your hearing to use hearing protection. For everyone who says earplugs ruin live music, you simply haven't tried a pair of high fidelity options like these.

Earplugs For Music Festivals

For festivals where you are moving between stages to see different bands and relatively far from the stages, I  highly recommend the above musician's earplugs.

However, if you're very close to the stage for long periods of time, I'd recommend foam options like the Hearos Ultimate Softness Series. The reason is that for extended use, they will be much more comfortable than the Earaser or Etymotic otions (in my experience). In addition, the Hearos Ultimate Softness models offer 32-dB of noise reduction. Since sound levels at the front of the stage near the speakers can be extremely loud, the added protection of the 32-dB reduction will be something that you will appreciate for the long-haul of a music festival. This is even more true if you're attending a festival for multiple days in a row.

Earplugs For Racing and Sporting Events

For motorsports and general sporting events, the Earaser and Etymotic ER20XS are great options. They will safely reduce noise levels and have the added benefit of being able to insert and remove when you need to. Same with the Eargasm High Fidelity.

At most motorsports and stadium/arena sports events, the sound level is generally not dangerously loud at all times. Still, peak noise levels will add up and can still contribute to hearing loss. Hearing protection is still your best defense and worth having on hand at these kind of events.

Earplugs For Musicians and Other Professionals

If you're a musician or in the live music industry, custom hearing protection is the best recommendation

The industry standard for most custom earplugs are to use custom filters by Etymotic Research. These filters are available in a variety of noise-reduction strengths. This range of filters is great because it allows you to change the strength of attenuation just by swapping filters. Just as with the ER20xs, these sonic filters are high-fidelity. This means that they will not distort or muffle music like cheap foam options. The sound will come across as natural, just at a reduced level.

In addition, one massive benefit of custom hearing protection is that they blow every other option away in terms of long-term comfort. Custom options require that you see an audiologist and have impressions of your ear canals taken. These impressions are then used to create your custom earplugs. Because the silicone forms are simply occupying the space of your ear canals, nothing is pushing out to cause discomfort. This aspect of the wear makes a tremendous difference if you wear earplugs for extended periods.

Summary

In summary, most everyone would benefit from a pair of Etymotic Research ER20xs for almost every occasion, or the Hearos Ultimate Softness Series earplugs for when you need maximum noise protection. If you're a musician or professional music photographer like me who is around a lot of loud music, it's worth the $200 to spring for custom earplugs.

Want to know more about earplugs? Check out my article on The Ultimate Guide to the Best Earplugs for Concerts and Live Music where I break down different types of earplugs in detail.

The post Best Earplugs for Loud Events: Concerts, Sporting Events + Festivals appeared first on ishootshows.com.

“Should I use earplugs at concerts?” For anyone who attends a lot of concerts, or who has ever come back from a show with ringing ears, the question of whether or not to use earplugs at concert is almost an inevitable question.

As a music photographer, I am keenly aware of the dangers that concerts can pose to hearing, and I whole-heartedly recommend wearing earplugs if you attend live music. Here's why you should use ear plugs for concerts and my recommendations for how to enjoy live music and still protect your hearing.

Why use earplugs?

So, why use earplugs? The main reason is simple — the risk of permanent hearing loss. Most live music is amplified at levels that are unsafe. Not just hours, but minutes of exposure can result in irreversible hearing damage. 

The average concert falls between 110 and 120 decibels. In this range, safe exposure levels are 5 minutes or less before hearing loss is a risk.

Live Music Can Still Sound Great With Earplugs

The main argument against earplugs by music lovers is that the music doesn't just doesn't sound the same. This is true with most conventional earplugs, which can result in muffled acoustics due to their noise-dampening characteristics.

However, earplug technology has come a long way from the cheap foam plugs that make everything sound like you're underwater. There are earplug options that allow for both safe enjoyment of live music and high-fidelity sound quality. Below are my best recommendations.

Etymotic ER20XS

Etymotic is a company that pioneered hi-fidelity earplugs. In fact, custom earplug manufacturers like JH Audio, Westone, and many others all use Etymotic Research filters. They are essentially the industry standard for hi-fi earplugs. In addition, ER is a company that makes audiophile-quality earphones and audio equipment, so they really know their stuff.

Etymotic Research has developed acoustic filters that safely attenuate sound. Unlike normal earplugs, Etymotic's earplugs don't sound muffled or distorted — the sound levels are simply lowered to safe levels. In other words, there are no excuses not to wear earplugs if you've said live music doesn't sound as good. I've personally used Etymotic's ER20 earplugs for years and they are a great option.

Furthermore, Etymotic's acoustic filters are used in custom earplugs costing hundreds of dollars, so it's nice to know that you can get similar benefits for a fraction of the price in the ER20XS.

Pros:

• Quick to insert
• Live music still sounds great, just at safer levels
• Re-useable and still relatively inexpensive
• Interchangeable tips for flanged and foam options

Cons:

• May not be as comfortable as custom options for some people
• May have to be replaced after a few months use

Shop ER20XS

Earasers Musicians Plugs

Earasers are a Hi-Fidelity earplug that has two goals:

1) Provide level of fit and comfort of a custom earplug without the expense and need to see an audiologist

2) Create a hi-fi experience at safe sound levels.

Unlike flanged or foam plugs, the Earasers are shaped with a slightly oval shape, which is more closely fitted to the natural shape of the ear canal. This means that the silicone molds very closely to the ear without as much pressure to friction fit, which translates into increased comfort. This is huge for events like festivals, where earplug fatigue is a very real thing.

The parent company is a manufacturer of hearing aids, so I feel that they are able to provide a level of expertise on extended comfort and the performance of their products. The design of the Earasers are based on hearing aid tips.

Earasers offers three levels of decibel reduction — -19dB, -26dB, and -31dB reduction at peak reduction. This is all at a “hi-fidelity” attenuation, where sound levels are reduced at flat frequency response. In addition, Earasers are offered in four sizes: x-small, small, medium, and large. I really love the ability to customize the attenuation and size for the needs of each individual.

Pros:

• Quick to insert
• Live music still sounds great, just at safer levels
• Very small/discrete
• Easily cleaned/washable
• Increased comfort over other universal earplugs

Cons:

• Relatively expensive
• Proper fit may require trying different sizes

Shop Earasers

Summary

If you want to protect your hearing at concerts (and you should), I highly recommend the  Etymotic's ER20 or Earasers. They will protect your hearing will still giving you a great sounding music experience, so you get all of the thrill of live music without the danger of permanent hearing loss.

Want to go more in-depth with earplugs? See my article on the Ultimate Guide for the Best Earplugs for Concerts for even more choices to protect your hearing at shows.

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