Best/most comfortable non-custom hearing protection?

[Jakester]

Does anyone have any recommendations for ‘off the shelf’ hearing protection?

I’ve been using Etymotic/Elacin/ACS ER20s for years, but I’m finding now that they’re a) not fitting as well as they used to, and b) get incredibly uncomfortable after about an hour’s wear time. 
 

I’ve tried Proplugs and they’re useless IME - no apparent attenuation at all. I used to use them but not sure what has changed. 
 

The soft triple flange type plugs go too deep into my ears - the ones with the little ‘pull tab’, and I recently had a pair get stuck when the pull tab broke, so those are out too!

I know the answer is get some ACS custom ones but I’d rather not spend the £££ if I didn’t have to, and I don’t qualify for the MU scheme (and I’m not going to misrepresent my income for it either). 
 

Is there anything I’ve missed out, any aural wonders that will save my embattled hearing off the shelf, or do I really have to get ready to be reamed out for custom ones?

Edited June 23, 2021 by Jakester

[itu]

The ear canal changes continuously through the life of a person. Molded earplugs should be renewed approximately every 5 years.

I have those simple Xmas trees, but our band has decided that volume wars are over. It is better to not need any protection. Less is more.

[chris_b]

1 hour ago, Jakester said:

I know the answer is get some ACS custom ones but I’d rather not spend the £££ if I didn’t have to. . . .

How much is your hearing worth?

[Jakester]

Fab, thanks - two totally useless replies. 
 

I am well aware of the need to protect my hearing - that’s why I’ve been wearing hearing protection for 20+ years. 
 

The ER20s work fine, they really just very uncomfortable and I’m looking for alternatives, that’s all. Do you actually have any practical recommendations?

[Skybone]

Another useless reply, but again, been using the Etymotic / Elacin / ACS ER 20's for years and really like them. I think the trick may be to take them out between songs / short breaks.

Other than the custom moulded plugs, there doesn't seem to be much choice in this area. Those Flare Audio plugs are supposed to be OK, but that's hear say AFAIK.

[chris_b]

6 hours ago, Jakester said:

Fab, thanks - two totally useless replies.

Really? You highlight the solution and then tell us it's too expensive. So my question is very relevant. What do you want to do, save your hearing or save your money? I'm not going to apologise for being blunt. Don't be offended, just get fitted up for ACS earplugs. They would be cheap at double the price.

[Jakester]

Honestly? If someone asked for advice on a small hatchback, would you say 'nah, forget that, you need a Ferrari - does the same job but better'? Or more relevantly, if someone asks for advice on a good starter bass, would you say 'get a Fodera, it's miles better'? No? Thought not. 

There might be a myriad of reasons why someone can't stretch to the £139 cost of a set of custom plugs. 

Frankly your response just came across as crass, and given that the specific question asked, specifically precluded the option of getting custom plugs made, not a little dim as well. 

There are a number of off the shelf options which attenuate volume by around 20dB without having to spend hundreds on custom plugs. I was simply asking if someone could recommend some which were more comfortable than ER20s. 

[itu]

This may be useless too, but this was my impression on...

Molded Elacin plugs were pretty comfortable. They were also quite easy to clean. But the frequency response was so bass heavy, that I lost control of all other players. After a couple of years they became useless in other circumstances, too. I could say they were expensive, but the most irritating issue was the response. I am happy with the cheapo Xmas trees if I happen to need them.

All in all, a suitable set required some testing. I am happy with those I have now (from that German T-shop) and the money spent to few examples was reasonable.

[PaulThePlug]

For the Motorcycle, a good nights sleep, n loud gigs, (listening, Don't play gigs...) i use Howard Leight foams. I use the 'greens' rather than the 'rubard n custard' as the greens are slightly smaller and more comfy for smaller ear canals.

Been using em for about 20 years... not the same pair... that would be gross!

[Skybone]

52 minutes ago, PaulThePlug said:

For the Motorcycle, a good nights sleep, n loud gigs, (listening, Don't play gigs...) i use Howard Leight foams. I use the 'greens' rather than the 'rubard n custard' as the greens are slightly smaller and more comfy for smaller ear canals.

Been using em for about 20 years... not the same pair... that would be gross!

Funnily enough, I used to swear by the pink "Max" foam plugs for the bike, but then it used to take ages to put them in and get them sitting right. Some batches I had just wouldn't compress enough, or just wouldn't compress at all, so I stopped using the disposable ones, and got some 3M UltraFit Christmas Tree's, because I was happy with the results from the ER20's. Reusable, and same SNR as the HL Max.

/Thread Sidetrack  

[Maude]

On 24/06/2021 at 00:49, chris_b said:

How much is your hearing worth?

It's hard to put a price on a sense, but let's say someone had entirely lost their hearing due to illness/accident and was told an operation that would completely restore it would cost £50,000. That price would probably be seen as a very good alternative to being completely deaf for the rest of their life. 

But how many people would fork out/raise money to pay for ear plugs costing £50,000? Not many I'd expect, especially if a cheaper alternative was available. 

So the blanket, "How much is your hearing worth?" statement seems a bit rediculous to me. 

[chris_b]

14 minutes ago, Maude said:

So the blanket, "How much is your hearing worth?" statement seems a bit rediculous to me. 

It wasn't a "blanket" question. It was asked in the context of the cost and effectiveness of various plugs, from foam to moulded, via the rest. The OP didn't want that discussion, but this is a subject that is very pertinent to many musicians, many of whom play way too loud and don't take enough precautions.

I see many guys on the "circuit" who now use hearing aids. Hearing aids are much more expensive than moulded plugs and never sound as good as natural hearing. It's an important subject to everyone.

 

[Lozz196]

In my latest band we are very loud - it’s the drummer, he is simply the loudest drummer I’ve ever been in a band with. Anyway I had a set of the usual £20 from Amazon jobbies that blocked some noise out but they cut off most of the top end.

Now said drummer and the keyboard player both have ACS plugs and said that essentially with them in the band sounds like stereo at home volumes with all frequencies still there. Good enough recommendations methought so I bought a set. And they’re exactly as the guys said. 

Now I know fitted ACS isn’t the answer to the OPs question but to anyone reading this thread who is in a position to get a set of ACS plugs (or the like) I’d recommend doing so if you’re in a loud band, or even a reasonably loud band. They cut the volume down so much that the band sounds like recorded material, you can hear everything so clearly and focus on exactly what is being played. It really makes playing a lot easier and more enjoyable. I wish I’d had the sense to get them years ago even tho my last couple of bands weren’t really that loud.

 

[mep]

Keeping it on topic, another option is the Flare Audio ones are quite comfortable but I didn't get on with them as they cut the guitar too much for me compared to my custom moulded ones with elachin filters.

[stewblack]

Happy Ears. Unbelievably good. Discreet, hear the entire band and affordable. 

[Jakester]

51 minutes ago, stewblack said:

Happy Ears. Unbelievably good. Discreet, hear the entire band and affordable. 

Ah, tried those too, for my wife’s snoring - unfortunately their largest size is too small and they disappear into my ears requiring tweezers to get them out! 

[stewblack]

1 minute ago, Jakester said:

Ah, tried those too, for my wife’s snoring - unfortunately their largest size is too small and they disappear into my ears requiring tweezers to get them out! 

Ah bum. Don't really want to lose them inside your head 😬 

[Downunderwonder]

On 24/06/2021 at 18:33, Skybone said:

Those Flare Audio plugs

Work great for me.

Former Etymotic user.

[Downunderwonder]

Flares come with a selection of the tips to try out one set each of S M L. Then you order just your size tips when they have a sale on.

[Yango]

On 24/06/2021 at 11:49, PaulThePlug said:

For the Motorcycle, a good nights sleep, n loud gigs, (listening, Don't play gigs...) i use Howard Leight foams. I use the 'greens' rather than the 'rubard n custard' as the greens are slightly smaller and more comfy for smaller ear canals.

Been using em for about 20 years... not the same pair... that would be gross!

I use Howard Leight too. I absolutely love them for both comfort and protection. 
 

I went through all of the custom molds, different shapes of latex, rubber, and foam, then one day stumbled on the Leights at work—generally the airline supplies 3m yellow foam, either barrel or taper—but I happened to be in the garage bays, and the mechanics were all using the Leights. Long story short, I tried ’em, I loved ‘em.

 

 I use them on the motorcycle, playing music, going to concerts, and I still use them at work.

 

 

Edited June 29, 2021 by Yango

[Phil Starr]

I use ER20's and they are the only ones that give a decent seal for me whilst allowing enough through to let me hear the rest of the band. They are uncomfortable but my hearing is going and I have tinnitus which is more of a problem than a couple of hours minor discomfort. To be fair you did say you'd go custom if you have to.

The other alternative is to go in-ears. it's not quite as simple as that sounds and you still have the problem of finding something to fit but it has huge advantages. The trouble with ear defenders is that if you do get a seal they cut out all the good stuff too, the bit's you need to hear of your band and that is as frustrating as having something uncomfortable in your ears or things that fall out and need constant fiddling with to be effective. The Leights look interesting and I'm going to try them but strictly for when I'm using power tools or mowing the lawn.

I've just gone down the in-ears route and it's a revelation. I've spent hours trying to get a good seal on the earphones trying dozens of different earbuds and three different in ears. Once you get that fit the sound levels fall as all the background noise is blocked and the bass leaps forward. You even have a volume control on the drums. 

Everyone's ears are different and they change as you get older. It's going to take a lot of trial and error to get the plugs for you. too loose and they are useless, too tight and they will be uncomfortable and then you are asking them to cut out just enough noise for you to hear the band but enough to save your hearing. You are asking for a lot from a simple plug.

 

[Jakester]

Just noticed your reply Phil, sorry I missed it a few months back!

 

I ended up getting a set of these:

 

https://www.alpinehearingprotection.co.uk/earplugs/musicsafe-pro/

 

And they've been pretty good so far. Only annoyance is because of the interchangeable filters, the tether cord is a 'clip' which clips on to the back end of the plug. It's not only a bit uncomfortable unless you get it spot on, unless you get the removal angle just right the clip pings off leaving the plug still in your ear! 

 

I would glue the clip to the filter but I've been swapping between gold and silver depending on what instrument and ensemble I've been playing at the time.

 

Still intending to eventually get some ACS customs but that's a way down the line. 

 

I do have a set of in-ears - Etymotic ER6s, actually, probably very archaic by today's standards but they work well enough for me - but the problem is that I can't use them for every gig - they just don't work in an orchestral setting when nothing else is mic'd up, or for quick short practices in rehearsal rooms where there's no chance of sorting out a monitor mix. 

 

For the rock band live, I'm slowly trying to edge people to IEMs but it's a long arduous process for some members! 

Edited October 6, 2021 by Jakester

[Stub Mandrel]

V-moda Faders are very good, 12dB so they don't stop everything. About £20.

 

https://www.gear4music.com/PA-DJ-and-Lighting/V-Moda-Faders-VIP-Ear-Plugs-Rouge/27ZK?origin=product-ads&gclid=CjwKCAjwkvWKBhB4EiwA-GHjFh-ffEiwyC1ONkJ6pubxSr518CEfws-nnJ0Op5fxmc3VjOcGLetK3hoCVoAQAvD_BwE

[Owen]

If I were to do it again, I would have had a pair of ACS plugs 35 years ago. I did not. It was never going to happen to me. It did.

 

I would happily gig with a mid level Yamaha for all those years and not spent on all those basses (and probably should have). I should have bought a set with the money I did not spend and I could be gigging now. I cannot. Not in any meaningful way.

 

I have a fretless I cannot play beause I cannot pitch properly without hearing it properly. I cannot play without earplugs.

 

Complicated improvised ensemble work? Those were the days. These days? Nope.

 

£135 for a set of moulded plugs BEFORE there is an issue is something I get to regret not doing every day. I KNOW you did not ask about moulded plugs. I cannot think of any reason not to have them. I wish I did not know this.

 

 

[Dood]

Hey Jakester, If you can get on this scheme, this will be the best £40 (£30) you'll ever spend on hearing protection*

 

https://www.helpmusicians.org.uk/health-welfare/musicians-hearing-health-scheme

 

I have heard that the criteria for getting them is flexible if you can demonstrate that you do a lot of work in music.