Earplugs?

[radiophonic]

I've seen various brands that purport to keep the frequency balance intact and just attenuate. Prices vary wildly though. What do folk recommend?

[ambient]

ACS are pretty good.

[franzbassist]

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1506631529' post='3380110']
ACS are pretty good.
[/quote]

Agree 100%, they really are just like turning everything down.

[T-Bay]

I have the off the shelf ACS ones and they kill the bottom end. I am looking at getting custom ones made. Hopefully they will be better.

Edited September 28, 2017 by T-Bay

[geoham]

+1 for ACS

I also liked how Flare Audio Isolates sound, but the foam tips just kept falling apart on me. No such problems with ACS.

[Mykesbass]

Specsavers moulded. Perfectly balanced reduction, can hear everything, just much quieter. Only issue I have is the drop in volume feels like a drop in energy too. Just need to get used to it as I now have noticeable tinnitus.

[T-Bay]

[quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1506631777' post='3380114']
Specsavers moulded. Perfectly balanced reduction, can hear everything, just much quieter. Only issue I have is the drop in volume feels like a drop in energy too. Just need to get used to it as I now have noticeable tinnitus.
[/quote]
How much were they? Looking at the ACS mounded and specsaver ones but no price for the latter on their website.

[radiophonic]

[quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1506631777' post='3380114']
Specsavers moulded. Perfectly balanced reduction, can hear everything, just much quieter. Only issue I have is the drop in volume feels like a drop in energy too. Just need to get used to it as I now have noticeable tinnitus.
[/quote]

Didn't think of spec savers. What kind of money?

[3below]

Just started using ACS off the shelf plugs as has my drummer. Comfortable over 3hr rehearsals. Seem pretty good to me. An additional benefit is the drums and my bass sound much 'tighter' less 'washy' sound. Both drummer and myself think the plugs have improved our playing. Vocals can be a bit indistinct and I find I need to remove one plug for normal talk, not used to the volume reduction.

[Mykesbass]

[quote name='radiophonic' timestamp='1506632280' post='3380118']


Didn't think of spec savers. What kind of money?
[/quote]
About £130/140.

[FinnDave]

ACS pro have been good for me for the last 4 years

[chris_b]

ACS for me. I used ER15's for 10 years and have now switched to the PRO17's.

Of course ear plugs change the sound, but not as much as the issues you get with hearing loss and IME the differences caused by ear plugs are easy to deal with.

What's the alternative? Massive tinnitus, giving up gigging, hearing aids and partial (if you're lucky) deafness. Great choices!!

All of these problems are preventable. If you're in a gigging musician then hearing protection isn't a choice it's a necessity.

[shamrock198804]

I've been using Alpine Music Safe Pro for many years now and I couldn't be more happy with them. Note that their price is much more reasonable (for such a simple item) than ones recommend above.

[Drax]

ACS ER20 off the peg are decent enough.
For anything where the dynamics matter, customs are best option. Reed Audio are great, similar price point to custom ACS and it seems, Specsavers..

[phil.c60]

ACS custom moulded for me via Boots. Great service. The reduction in volume took a little getting used to but I have worn them for 3 hrs at a time with no discomfort.

[uk_lefty]

I recently bought ACS off the shelf ear plugs based on recommendations here. First time I used them I didn't feel "connected" with the band but I know my hearing has been damaged in the past and isn't going to get better. I have used them once since when we had rubbish boomy PA speakers in the practice room and felt far more comfortable and involved. I can only guess the custom sets will take things up a notch.

[mcnach]

I've used a lot of different off-the-shelf ones with mixed results. Then I went with ACS and got a pair of custom moulted ones with the 17db filters. They're nice. They were on offer too, so only £110 or so last January.

HOWEVER... I then tried some earplugs that on paper I did not think they'd work but my guitarist loved... the Flare Audio ones. Around £25-30. That is all I use now.
They cut a lot more sound, but I find very easy to get used to it. They're very comfortable (they come with 3 sized tips to try), and I hear everything clear, including myself. I just won't gig without them these days.

I read their overhyped advertising and it put me off a lot. I criticised their published graphs which they later removed (but google and you can still find them), but whatever... they just work for me better than anything else. And before anybody says anything, my audiologist was commenting on how good my hearing was regardless of age

Some say the tips fall apart for them with a few uses. I'm still using the tips that came with them and it's been around 6-7 months now of regular use. I keep them clean with a bit of water, that's all I do to them. I also have a set of 3 spare ones I bought just in case.

FLARE ISOLATE just works.

[leroydiamond]

I have been using ACS customs for the past 10 years and regular check ups at the Audiologist indicate they are doing a very fine job.
I can hear everything when I gig. It feels like the volume is turned down to very comfortable level. Best cost effective investment I have ever made

[6feet7]

I was at the South of England Show and mercury custom fitted ear plugs were there (I've seen them elsewhere too). £110 custom fitted -I had 17db filter, but you can change that anytime you want for another £15 (or £25 - I can't remember). I wear them all the time now. I had flare audio but they cut out all the guitarist (I know, usually a good thing, but not when you can't hear them at all).
The best £110 I've spent in ages

[only4]

Just started using ACS custom earplugs and can heartily recommend them, far superior sound when wearing them compared to all other cheaper off the shelf options I’ve tried.

[naxos10]

As chris b say's:

"What's the alternative? Massive tinnitus, giving up gigging, hearing aids and partial (if you're lucky) deafness. Great choices!!"

I have everything except the 'giving up gigging' bit caused by a rock concert I went to. I use custom earplugs, wouldn't recommend anything less.

[mep]

I first bought Flare Audio Isolates but the loss of top end was not good for me.

Got some custom moulded Elacin's with ER15 filter through the NHS for £160. These are amazing quality and fit. It's like turning the volume down and the ER15' seem ok for now, although I'm considering the ER25's.

[ezbass]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1506636069' post='3380154']
ACS for me. I used ER15's for 10 years and have now switched to the PRO17's.

Of course ear plugs change the sound, but not as much as the issues you get with hearing loss and IME the differences caused by ear plugs are easy to deal with.

[/quote]I've been using ER15s for absolutely ages, but I am now noticing a deadening of the top end of my rig's sound when I wear them (which is always in a band situation). This may be down to my own top end loss being accentuated by the Elacins, either way I'm thing of changing the filters. What's the difference between the ERs and the PROs?

[Skybone]

Another vote for ACS ER20's.

I've looked into custom made earplugs, but I never have the spare cash for them, or can never find a set that can offer a similar level of attenuation to the ER20's.

I use some 3M industrial ones while on the motorbike, and there's not one custom made option that comes anywhere near their level of attenuation.

[chris_b]

[quote name='ezbass' timestamp='1506692345' post='3380475'] What's the difference between the ERs and the PROs?[/quote]

I have no idea. I don't analyse them. There's probably not a big difference between the ER's and PRO's but I wanted a second set, got a discount voucher last Christmas and bought the latest model.