Ear protection for concerts

[rockitman]

Looking for recommendations for ear plugs that drop the dB level but maintain most of the frequency response...I have some loud concerts coming up this summer. TIA.

 

[Joe D]

Hey Rockit I use Norton..cut out high dB but no loss in quality

 

[JackD201]

I use etymotic plugs

 

[rockitman]

I use etymotic plugs

are you using the Music Pro battery powered versions ?
http://www.etymotic.com/hp/mp915.html

 

[Bill Hart]

Christian, I also use the Etymotics plugs, they have no battery, they cost about 12 bucks on Amazon, in different sizes. They are supposed to be 'high fidelity' but they really mute the sound- but the alternative of going naked is worse for obvious reasons. I used them last week at SX. They kind of screw in to your ear- snug fit, which is nice, compared to the cheap foam give-away type that always fall out. In the clutch, I simply use tissue paper.

 

[rockitman]

Christian, I also use the Etymotics plugs, they have no battery, they cost about 12 bucks on Amazon, in different sizes. They are supposed to be 'high fidelity' but they really mute the sound- but the alternative of going naked is worse for obvious reasons. I used them last week at SX. They kind of screw in to your ear- snug fit, which is nice, compared to the cheap foam give-away type that always fall out. In the clutch, I simply use tissue paper.

Thanks Bill, but I am looking for hi-fidelity and dB cut. The one's in the link above may be the ticket albeit pricey at $400.00

 

[JackD201]

are you using the Music Pro battery powered versions ?
http://www.etymotic.com/hp/mp915.html

Just the passive plugs Christian.

 

[GaryProtein]

Christian, my flutist daughter has the musician type sound attenuators that have custom ear moulds made by an audiologist. I believe she has the passive Etymotic with the custom ear moulds.

 

[saswata1975]

Yes, definitely. I always carry earplugs with me to concerts since you never know how loud it's going to be where you are sitting. My son does the same thing. This is especially true if your family has a history of hearing problems. As I'm sure you already know, hearing damage never repairs.

Don't worry what other people think - your hearing is too valuable to lose at a young age.

 

[Bill Hart]

I know some of my hearing has degraded simply due to age. I was never one to sit near the PA system in the old days, because I didn't like getting blasted, but the db levels at most shows are too high. As a study in contrast, we went to hear Etta James some years ago at Carnegie Hall. Susan Tedeshi opened, and overwhelmed the room, to the point where the sound was a blur, you couldn't hear anything- just loud noise. By contrast, when Etta's band came on, to warm up before she took the stage, it was soft, full, rich and just right. You could hear everything.

I find the biggest difficulty these days has to do with ambient noise, e.g. in restaurants where the acoustics are bad, and everybody is shouting, I can't really hear the person next to me.
When I'm in a quiet room, listening over the hi-fi and have control over extraneous noise, I don't listen terribly loud. I believe that my sense of what sounds 'right' tonally, and qualitatively, makes up for whatever hearing loss I have suffered as a result of aging.