Reddit reviews Etymotic Research ER20XS High-Fidelity Earplugs (Concerts, Musicians, Airplanes, Motorcycles, Sensitivity and Universal Hearing Protection) - Universal Fit, Standard/Large/Foam Tips

To add to this LPT:

buy a decent pair of musicians plugs (25-30$ CDN) on Amazon and have them for life. Unlike regular ear plugs that mute everything, musicians plugs kind of block out the more harmful frequencies. So instead of making the sound muddled, it just lowers the volume.

Mine came with a string and a carrying case and I've had them for years. I wear them to every concert and they're very comfortable!!

Edit: Link to purchase Etymotic Earplugs

And here is US amazon link, since above one seems to be Canadian only

Me and my partner have been attending festivals longer than the age of many attendees. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of hearing protection that also preserves fidelity of music. I have had tinnitus that has taken 6 months to resolve. It is not fun. It can be permanent, which would be awful. I recommend Etymotic on price versus performance, but many other good ones also. Eargasm also recommended.

I also bring cheap blue foam plugs that I give to people that need them, but those degrade the music.

UMF is limited to 110 dB at a certain distance, which can certainly do hearing damage. There are louder festivals, but it is enough to cause damage. We are also almost always in first row against fencing so that is directly in front of speakers. Far enough back not as loud.

https://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-Fidelity-Earplugs-Universal-Protection/dp/B015IQ6HI4/ref=sr_1_5_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1550377010&sr=8-5&keywords=etymotic+earplugs

https://www.amazon.com/Eargasm-Musicians-Motorcycles-Sensitivity-Conditions/dp/B019M576XW/ref=pd_sbs_121_2/130-9421963-0405624?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B019M576XW&pd_rd_r=05335e96-326c-11e9-ade1-d126a5984129&pd_rd_w=zk1hZ&pd_rd_wg=rzAmh&pf_rd_p=588939de-d3f8-42f1-a3d8-d556eae5797d&pf_rd_r=APBHMZXYJG8EC3Q81X41&refRID=APBHMZXYJG8EC3Q81X41&th=1

I’d get ear plugs meant for concerts, not foam plugs.

I got these and love them. https://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-Fidelity-Earplugs-Universal-Protection/dp/B015IQ6HI4

I’ve seen KGATLW twice this tour and both times the sound actually improved. You still feel the bass but it tones it down so you can actually hear the vocals and other instruments better. They also cut out a lot of the background crowd noise.

I used foam ones I got from work, cut in half to reduce their effectiveness. Worked pretty good.

Bought a pair of these https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B015IQ6HI4/ref=pd_aw_sim_121_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=58PF4RVFRY0H537ZVHDM&dpPl=1&dpID=51Mve4CQjQL

The first show I went to (revenge, d666 and Watain) they worked great. Saw Primitive Man the other day and they didn't cut it. Not sure if I'm using the smaller ear fitting though. I'm at work so I can't hunt down the package and see.

Funny thing is that in clubs and party's nobody ever realized I'm wearing ear protection. I wear these.

https://www.amazon.ca/Etymotic-High-Fidelity-Earplugs-Universal-Protection/dp/B015IQ6HI4/ref=sr_1_2?crid=DY68SAS5ONHL&keywords=musician+ear+plugs&qid=1556241415&s=gateway&sprefix=musiscian+%2Caps%2C166&sr=8-2

or these;

https://www.amazon.ca/Etymotic-Research-High-Fidelity-Earplugs-Standard/dp/B0044DEESS/ref=sr_1_27?crid=DY68SAS5ONHL&keywords=musician+ear+plugs&qid=1556241529&s=gateway&sprefix=musiscian+%2Caps%2C166&sr=8-27

I wear different ones for guns and other high volume situations though. Long and Mcquade has some other decent earplugs but for the life of me I can't remember the brand. Musicians earplugs make it quite easy to still hear music and have conversations with people.

Buy iems instead. (See next paragraph) ANC headphones in general will not help with sudden noises that well, plus with that budget the anc performance will be meh.

Wait, did I see you say you only need the headphones for noise cancellation and not for music? If that's the case trying to get anc headphones with that budget may be a waste when you can buy high quality earplugs for 20 dollars by etymotic. If you want to go this route you will have to get used to the "deep insertion" fit but in my experience after a week I can't go back to normal iems, plus the isolation they provide is matched by none.

Another great thing about the etymotics, if someone tries to talk to me I can pretty much hear only them talking, even on a loud city street. So I'd imagine they'd function fine in an office.

Here's the link btw:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015IQ6HI4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_b0gQDbPAR5XB9

JeepProTip: If you drive with the top down, windows off, doors off, etc, pick up a set of these. Wind noise at highway speeds is loud enough to be damaging to your hearing. Even tire noise from a truck driving beside you is bad. These earplugs only attenuate, or turn down, the noise. That means you can still hear traffic, and even the radio--but will knock down the wind noise and protect your ears.

Custom ear plugs are nice, but get something to hold you over until then, I implore you. You can get high fidelity ear plugs on Amazon for cheap with quick shipping. The amount they alter the sound quality is minimal to none, they are only meant to reduce volumes, so long as you go with high fidelity ear plugs. I bought these for my girlfriend and I: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B015IQ6HI4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

​

Please listen to a guy that has had both ear drums rupture twice.

I bought these about a few months ago and have been very satisfied:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015IQ6HI4/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&th=1

Was a bit weary about sticking something directly into my ear canal, but it's nowhere near as discomforting as it sounds.

That feeling when you take them out at the end of the event and your hearing comes back to normal without the ringing.. mmm.

I bring em to raves, festivals, night clubs, whatever.

Entymotics are a good brand. They're made for musicians. They reduce the volume but not the quality and can reduce volume by 20db.

I use these: Etymotic High Fidelity Earplugs, ER20XS Universal Fit Hearing Protection https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015IQ6HI4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

Very happy with them. Stopped my hearing loss cold.

Note: my ears survived many rounds with Sabbath, Priest, Maiden, AC/DC, you name them... never had any measurable hearing loss until... BABYMETAL at HoB Chicago in 2016. Don't risk it. These (and similar) are worth their weight in gold.

Remeber: Tinnitus is forever.

You should consider Frequency reduction values table. Here are the tables for ~$20-30 earplugs for gigs:

Vendor \ Average reduction Value | 125 HZ | 250 HZ | 500 HZ | 1000HZ | 2000HZ | 4000HZ | 8000HZ
---------|----------|----------|---------|--------|--------|---------|---------
Crioxen Earplugs | 15.1 | 15.4 | 17.1 | 19.9 | 26.9 | 17.7 | 29.9
ER20XS Earplugs | 14.5 | 14.2 | 17.1 | 21.1 | 25.3 | 20.5 | 23.3
Eargasm Earplugs | 14.7 | 14.8 | 16.8 | 20.3 | 24.3 | 21.4| 25.7


It can help to prevent negative impact to the quality of the show.
You can find some other comparison for earplugs for gigs.

Give this list a try for Cattle Decapitation.

Some other points:

• Metal Archives is your friend. They keep a log of nearly every metal band that's ever existed (although they're finicky with metal-adjacent stuff so you won't find much nü or -core on there), so whenever you find a new band make sure to look them up. They keep a log of everything you could ever want to know; band members, discography, subgenre information, location, years active, and even similar artists.
  
• If you want to branch out to the wider world of metal music, make sure to give the Subgenre Essentials over at r/metal a look. It's a splendid list of albums that spans the foundations of metal and will give you the context to appreciate most of the scenes and styles of the genre, historical and current.
  
• Don't worry so much about subgenres at first. People are going to throw the terminology at you, but it's probably best not to think too much about it until you've gotten to know more of the genre foundations. I've seen a lot of people get very confused, especially around the edges of certain styles, and it's just not worth the headache. That said, don't write them off as a meaningless formality either, as there is value in being able to classify stuff.
  
• Wear ear protection at concerts/shows. Just do it. Even if it's a small venue. Listening to metal is fun and chances are you'll want to keep doing it in the future. These ones are what I usually see recommended to people although I have these ones and I'm happy with them.

as /u/whereisthemcrib said, these are the earplugs to get.

I like these.

Etymotic High-Fidelity Earplugs, ER20XS Universal Fit Hearing Protection https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B015IQ6HI4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_vMlkDbB69H1MJ

I picked them up on Amazon. The plugs come with three different size attachments, standard, large and foam so you don't have to worry about picking the right size because it comes with all of them.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015IQ6HI4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Agreed. I've never been in a data center long enough to require them but if you want something better than those throwaway orange foam plugs something like this is like $20 and should do you just fine. I got these for some concerts this summer and it's pretty similar to wearing earbuds

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B015IQ6HI4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

>Wear earplugs. If you shoot concerts a lot and want to enjoy the music, you can get fancy specially-attenuated plugs that make everything sound exactly the same, just quieter.

They're honestly not too bad. Like $20-$30 for a great reusable pair.

I've got the Etymotic ER20XS, and wouldn't go to a concert without them.

Being able to hear when you're 50 is pretty punk. I always bring along a pair of earplugs to a show unless I'm absolutely sure it's going to be low volume (like an acoustic coffee shop performance).

I like these earplugs from Etymotic. They reduce a huge level of volume but retain most of the sound quality except for a little high end rolloff. It's a trade I'm more than willing to make. I first wore these to a John Mayer concert in an arena and it still sounded fantastic. They even come with a little rubber carrying case and a kevlar cord to keep them together.

If you don't feel like shelling out $25 for earplugs, at least get a bulk pack of foam earplugs and stick them in your glovebox. You can usually seat them just right in your ear so that they reduce volume but you can still hear the show pretty well.

As someone who has tinnitus from too many, too loud gigs, I'd suggest that you look into noise reducing earplugs, providing they don't interfere with your job (sounds like you're a driver) or H&S.

Get yourself some noise-cancelling earplugs. I have a pair and they're the only reason I haven't gone deaf yet.

Second this. I have pretty bad hyperacusis and recruitment related to my hearing loss, and going to the movies is often a painful process. I use these Etymotic ear plugs and have been very pleased.

I use these https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015IQ6HI4/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

My coworkers made fun of me when I told them to buy earplugs for the concert, but then I told them something along the lines of "Either you listen to me, or I'll get to say I told you so. But then again, you won't be able to hear me because your ears would be ringing for a week straight"

I'm no stranger to loud shows, hah, so I got these awesome earplugs. The loudest show I've ever been to was Sunn O))). My entire body was numb after that show!

I like the comfort of them in general. But find I sometimes pull them out of my ears when sleeping (Not on a plane)

Why wouldn't u go with standard earplugs for sleeping like these: Etymotic High Fidelity Earplugs, ER20XS Universal Fit Hearing Protection https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015IQ6HI4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_HETMDbW0DQVGM

I have these also. The pull out tab is removable so you can sleep on the side easily.

Sorry, thanks for that. Was doing that on the phone at the time.
And there is no difference between those in my previous comment and these. The motorcycle is just in the name but no difference. The difference between the Universal Fit and the Standard or Large Fit is that addition of different sized ear tips, along with the foam ones. The Standard and Large each just come with one set of ear tips.

No music, I use Etymotic ER20XS

For music, I use Etymotic MC5

https://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-Fidelity-Earplugs-Universal-Protection/dp/B015IQ6HI4/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=etymotic%2Ber20&qid=1565102302&s=gateway&sr=8-3&th=1

The thing about Etymotic and other flat response plugs is they don't change the sound, they just make it quieter. You know how you put in plugs and everything goes boomy? Not so with FFR plugs. This means you don't need to take them out for conversations, and you won't miss high frequency sound cues.

These are awesome, I have used mine in indoor and outdoor venues...

Etymotic High Fidelity Earplugs, ER20XS Universal Fit Hearing Protection https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015IQ6HI4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_NOZQDb3TFBVR0

OK there aren't really many choices in that price range unfortunately. So you pretty much don't have enough for custom ones or active ones which means passive. So you should probably go with the best passive out there. Here is an article: http://djtechtools.com/2015/11/09/best-dj-earplugs-for-the-club/

Personally I suggest the $25 ER20xs I linked above or the $20 V-Moda VIP

Get some ear plugs for concerts that block the ear canal. Example