Rabs Posted July 29, 2017 Share Posted July 29, 2017 Recently I have been helping a good friend out and supporting his musical ventures which has meant going to at least two open mic nights a week for the last 3 weeks or so... As of yet (yes I know its stupid) I haven't ever used any ear plugs... I have tinnitus, have done since my mid 20s or so (after years of band practice and VERY loud rock gigs)... And its not bad compared to some reports I have heard where people have real issues from it including physical pain. BUT I have felt the last few days that its getting more and more uncomfortable and quite noticeably. So I am for once going to do the sensible thing and get some decent musicians ear plugs because I don't want to make it worse, or go deaf. But I have no idea which ones are good or not or if they are just all the same and it doesn't matter much.. Can anyone recommend a good trusted brand? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffster Posted July 29, 2017 Share Posted July 29, 2017 I simply cannot go to a concert without plugs. I have tinnitus that developed into labrynthitis and then positional vertigo. It's no joke. I am careful as much as I can I even wear my plugs to the movie theater. I use the brand "Eargasm", depending how loud the place is I plug them lightly or push them in all the way. They work great, they cut 12db or more and stray noise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted July 29, 2017 Author Share Posted July 29, 2017 I simply cannot go to a concert without plugs. I have tinnitus that developed into labrynthitis and then positional vertigo. It's no joke. I am careful as much as I can I even wear my plugs to the movie theater. I use the brand "Eargasm", depending how loud the place is I plug them lightly or push them in all the way. Cool cheers.. Is this them? https://www.amazon.co.uk/Eargasm-Fidelity-Earplugs-Musicians-Motorcycles/dp/B019M576XW They seem to be pretty standard.... but not too available over here... But its good to see what others use as I can base that on what I buy. And yes I know its no joke which is why ive decided to do this. And I would suggest to anyone out there reading this who goes to gigs and loud places regularly that you also invest in some.. You REALLY don't want to even get it in the first place.. I certainly don't want mine to get any worse.. It went initially from one tone to about 5 now... Really not cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookieman15061 Posted July 29, 2017 Share Posted July 29, 2017 Yeah I've suffered with tinnitus for awhile now. Just too many gigs in small clubs at loud volume. It's become real annoying the past couple years to the point where I can't fall asleep without the tv or some music playing softly just to distract from the ringing. I definitely wish I would have been a little more proactive with ear protection through the 70s and 80s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted July 29, 2017 Share Posted July 29, 2017 Alpine MusicSafe Pro. I have these and should wear them more - rehearsals especially. Trouble is, they work so well....you can't hear..... Also bought a stash of 3M E-A-R Classic which are just yer standard cheapo squeezy foam plugs; people say these kind of plugs aren't worth using, but they are a whole lot better than nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffster Posted July 29, 2017 Share Posted July 29, 2017 Cool cheers.. Is this them? https://www.amazon.co.uk/Eargasm-Fidelity-Earplugs-Musicians-Motorcycles/dp/B019M576XW They seem to be pretty standard.... but not too available over here... But its good to see what others use as I can base that on what I buy. And yes I know its no joke which is why ive decided to do this. And I would suggest to anyone out there reading this who goes to gigs and loud places regularly that you also invest in some.. You REALLY don't want to even get it in the first place.. I certainly don't want mine to get any worse.. It went initially from one tone to about 5 now... Really not cool. That's it, they work great, look discreet and last a while, it's cool that they come with an extra set of the plug part. I'm surprised they are not available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merciful-evans Posted July 29, 2017 Share Posted July 29, 2017 As a former machine shop engineer, H&S required us to wear earplugs that conformed to industrial standards. Of all the half dozen or so available, I used these http://www.moldex-europe.com/en/products/earplugs-disposable/pura-fit/ http://www.moldex.com/hearing-protection/foam-earplugs/pura-fit.php I still use them. These days I have to buy them myself. You roll them between your fingers until they thin down, then insert into ears and allow the foam to expand to your ear shape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted July 29, 2017 Author Share Posted July 29, 2017 As a former machine shop engineer, H&S required us to wear earplugs that conformed to industrial standards. Of all the half dozen or so available, I used these http://www.moldex-europe.com/en/products/earplugs-disposable/pura-fit/ http://www.moldex.com/hearing-protection/foam-earplugs/pura-fit.php I still use them. These days I have to buy them myself. You roll them between your fingers until they thin down, then insert into ears and allow the foam to expand to your ear shape. Thanks. But im not sure these are musicians plugs... They are just plugs like youd use to stop sound for sleeping and stuff. The musicians ones (apparently) still let you hear but lower the sound and block some frequencies... Ive been looking at these... They seem pretty cool https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sonica-Smart-EarPlugs-Music-Protection/dp/B0727Q5HLT/ref=sr_1_27?ie=UTF8&qid=1501300958&sr=8-27&keywords=musicians+ear+plugs And in asking on another forum I was told by like 10 people that a company called ACS make really good ones https://www.amazon.co.uk/ACS-ACS-ER20-Hearing-Protectors/dp/B004SBSOKK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501342356&sr=8-1&keywords=acs+ear+plugs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted July 29, 2017 Author Share Posted July 29, 2017 Alpine MusicSafe Pro. I have these and should wear them more - rehearsals especially. Trouble is, they work so well....you can't hear..... Also bought a stash of 3M E-A-R Classic which are just yer standard cheapo squeezy foam plugs; people say these kind of plugs aren't worth using, but they are a whole lot better than nothing. Cheers... And yeah I don't want to not be able to hear.. Kind of defeats the point of a gig :) From what I have heard the good ones still allow you to hear but just lower the volume a bit and possibly block some frequencies. Which is why im asking about to get the best ones I can that do that job. I know I cant keep not using plugs, wish id not been so stupid and done this earlier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffster Posted July 29, 2017 Share Posted July 29, 2017 I really like mine. The sound does not get boomy inside your head as it does with standard plugs. The idea is to lower the excessive "air" pounding your ear drums. I'm seeing Slayer tomorrow and you better believe I will plug these bad boys all the way in. I saw them last year and it was a loud concert, it was an increbible sound with little distortion but super loud. I went to see Alice Cooper recently and the didd next to me was screaming and whistling loud. I simply pushed in my plug all the way in on that side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis G Posted July 29, 2017 Share Posted July 29, 2017 Can't help you with music specific earplugs, but if you can't find some, you might want to look for the foam earplugs they sell at racetracks/race prep shops. They muffle the sound but still let you hear. I raced open wheel cars for years and sat directly in front of the motor. What a difference with/without earplugs!! Anything is better than nothing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted July 29, 2017 Share Posted July 29, 2017 Cheers... From what I have heard the good ones still allow you to hear but just lower the volume a bit and possibly block some frequencies. You can do that with these, they have 3 different inserts for different levels. Am finding that hard to get used to...good excuse for being too loud though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Izzy Posted July 29, 2017 Share Posted July 29, 2017 I don't use the super fancy stuff, but Hearos Rock n Roll do the trick. Easy to insert, pretty comfortable, easy to take out. Just bought a new pair because my dog tried to eat my old pair...ten bucks, or less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted July 29, 2017 Share Posted July 29, 2017 I'm sure these new ones are better. I tried the foam ones back in the 80s or 90s and just couldn't get used to the "underwater" sound while I was playing. Might be fine for a loud show where I wasn't playing though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis G Posted July 30, 2017 Share Posted July 30, 2017 ...Hearos Rock n Roll do the trick. Easy to insert, pretty comfortable, easy to take out. These are good, pretty much the same as I referenced in an earlier post re: racing earplugs. and as Izzy said, they're affordable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tman Posted July 30, 2017 Share Posted July 30, 2017 I use custom fit Westone earplugs now. I just played a gig last Saturday. They were great. Now if I could just reverse the damage of the last 44 years things would be fantastic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retired Posted July 30, 2017 Share Posted July 30, 2017 I used foam roll ups 34 years at the railroad every single day all day long. They are rated at 24 decibels. I wore them every year and still have hearing damage. It was mandatory the whole crew wore them and tons of workers still got hearing loss and tinnitus. I'm not a fan of them unless ear muffs are over the top with them. Example: If you opt for the foam roll ups that protect up to 24 decibels and then work or play loud at 75-80 decibels, your still going to get hearing loss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merciful-evans Posted July 30, 2017 Share Posted July 30, 2017 Cheers... And yeah I don't want to not be able to hear.. Kind of defeats the point of a gig :) From what I have heard the good ones still allow you to hear but just lower the volume a bit and possibly block some frequencies. Which is why im asking about to get the best ones I can that do that job. I know I cant keep not using plugs, wish id not been so stupid and done this earlier. No, you can still hear ok with these. True, they are for industrial noise reduction, but I somehow doubt that it makes any difference. FWIW: I bought some expensive gel plugs a while back which are completely useless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted July 30, 2017 Author Share Posted July 30, 2017 No, you can still hear ok with these. True, they are for industrial noise reduction, but I somehow doubt that it makes any difference. FWIW: I bought some expensive gel plugs a while back which are completely useless. Well I decided to go with these ones... Should have them in a few days.. Hopefully before the next open mic night. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sonica-Smart-EarPlugs-Music-Protection/dp/B0727Q5HLT/ref=sr_1_27?ie=UTF8&qid=1501300958&sr=8-27&keywords=musicians+ear+plugs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deeman Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 I'll put in another vote for Hearos. I got a pair at Walgreens for under 10 bucks and they've lasted me years. They look like the Rock Star ones referenced above, but they're solid blue color. They seem to work great for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted July 31, 2017 Author Share Posted July 31, 2017 Wow.. Cant believe how quick amazon can be sometimes.. They arrived today... I will probably be trying them out properly this week sometime so we will see how good they actually are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffster Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 They looks good, may be the same thing I have with a smarter name. I went to see Slayer last night, my plugs worked perfectly once again, I could hear everything perfectly well without any of the side-effects. (To me) the difference with these better plugs is that your ear can "breathe" you are not sealing your ear canals to air and thus affecting your Eustachian tubes and overall pressure of your ears. When you plug your ears with something that does not breathe you get that under water effect. I used Hearos for a couple of years, they are good but why not spend $25 USD on professional plugs when you you spend thousands in gear and or attend a lot of concerts? I am really happy with mine, soundcheck for Slayer was brutal, I could see a few people reaching for their ears. I actually carry a little bag with two foam plugs to shows and if I am in a position to give them to somebody that is hurting I do it. My hearing damage was overnight and it escalated into other symptoms quick and hard and the reason I did something about it. I think when it is gradual people do less about it because you don't necessarily realize you are damaging your ears of think it is ok to loss hearing little by little. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted July 31, 2017 Author Share Posted July 31, 2017 My hearing damage was overnight and the reason I did something about it. I think when it is gradual people do less about it because you don't necessarily realize you are damaging your ears of think it is ok to loss hearing little by little. Yeah mine was not.. Its been happening for years and until recently I was only attending maybe two gigs a year... So I hadn't bothered (even though I should have been) but last week as I say.. I really have been feeling the effects from these open mic nights.. Ive had a few small shooting pains in my ears and I also noticed that when I got home and listened to stuff on my laptop which has very little bass, it was VERY uncomfortable for me to hear.. Which is why im now doing something about it.. I feel it was a warning and one I would be stupid to ignore... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 Those look good, Rabs. And definitely a better name than eargasm. Those are two words I can do without combining. Look forward to "hearing" how well they work for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinch Posted July 31, 2017 Share Posted July 31, 2017 Jdgm: have heard good things about Alpine. Btw, 3M E-A-R are just fine. The sound is of course a little muffled compared to "musician's earplugs", but that's because they cut out more sound. Before my accident (that brought on tinnitus), I used them exclusively for something like 30 years at concerts, in rehearsal (LOUD concerts and LOUD rehearsals) and so on, and I never had a problem. My ear guy said my hearing was perfect. I still use them. I don't want something that "sounds better" but cuts less treble if it's at the expense of my hearing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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