Passive ear protection for gigs & rehearsals?

[Horizontalste]

Recently I've discovered that I'm highly sensitive to sound & light to the point of living in a perpetual fight & flight state all of my life. It's most likely a part of a bigger issue that's yet to be formally diagnosed but anyways, that's the background info.

 

I've been trying various ear plugs for daily use & I have settled on my favourite brands. No understatement but this has literally changed my life!

 

What I'd like to ask the greater BC community is for recommendations on plugs (passive only please) that are suitable for gigs, rehearsals & practice under my over ears?

 

I have tried my daily use ones under my headphones but not yet at a gig & they are ok. They keep fatigue at bay & I don't trigger any kind of negative response.

 

I'd ideally like a separate pair designed for loud environments with as much neutral response as possible. They are more expensive tho so I can't afford to try lots of different brands.

If you have a pair you use & like please share your recommendation & why it is you like them.

 

I know we all hear differently so I appreciate that I may experience any recommendations differently but I'd appreciate the input!

 

Ta!

Edited March 20, 2023 by Horizontalste

[wateroftyne]

ACS Pro 17s have changed my life.

 

https://www.acscustom.com/uk/products/hearing-protection/pro-series/pro-17

[Horizontalste]

7 minutes ago, wateroftyne said:

ACS Pro 17s have changed my life.

 

https://www.acscustom.com/uk/products/hearing-protection/pro-series/pro-17

I quite like the look of those, & I've learnt what the occlusion effect is 😁

 

Not wishing to be rude & do feel free to tell me to nob off but can I ask if you wear plugs for protection only?

Only asking to find out if they reduce ear fatigue.

[wateroftyne]

I wear them for gigs 100% of the time.

 

I'm not sure if I understand the definition of ear fatigue, but I've also taken to wearing them in some situations where there's a lot going on, even if it's not necessarily at dangerously loud levels. They just help things feel a little... calmer. And because of the flat response, you can still have conversations.

 

[Mudpup]

I'm getting on well with Happy Ears having tried a few other lower/mid priced options. They seemed to have a more even frequency reduction and I find them comfortable.

Not expensive either. You can buy the Discovery Pack to check sizing - I ended up using the large black ones and the white medium ones fitted the guitarist. 

 

https://www.happyearsearplugs.com/uk/shop/

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 20, 2023 by Mudpup

[Owen]

I wish I had used ACS earlier. Make sure you get the moulds done with your mouth open. It gives a better seal. Get them with strings on. Otherwise you will lose them. Get them in a hard colour. Easier to find. And less "yellowing" to happen. Eugh. 

 

Do not skimp on your ears. You cannot buy new ones. I know, OP, you are looking at them for general attenuation, but hearing damage is super easy to fall into. If you get ACS ones you can buy different rated valves as well. 

Edited March 20, 2023 by Owen
for more wisdom.

[Horizontalste]

25 minutes ago, wateroftyne said:

I wear them for gigs 100% of the time.

 

I'm not sure if I understand the definition of ear fatigue, but I've also taken to wearing them in some situations where there's a lot going on, even if it's not necessarily at dangerously loud levels. They just help things feel a little... calmer. And because of the flat response, you can still have conversations.

 

I experience ear fatigue as a muffling of sound & discomfort accompanied by the persistent urge to find silence.

 

8 minutes ago, Mudpup said:

I'm getting on well with Happy Ears having tried a few other lower/mid priced options. They seemed to have a more even frequency reduction and I find them comfortable.

Not expensive either. You can buy the Discovery Pack to check sizing - I ended up using the large black ones and the white medium ones fitted the guitarist. 

 

https://www.happyearsearplugs.com/uk/shop/

 

 

 

 

 

I had completely missed those in my search for daily's. I've ordered the discovery pack!

Cheers!

[Mudpup]

12 minutes ago, Horizontalste said:

I experience ear fatigue as a muffling of sound & discomfort accompanied by the persistent urge to find silence.

 

I had completely missed those in my search for daily's. I've ordered the discovery pack!

Cheers!

Let us know how you get on with them 🙂

[WinterMute]

I've used Etymotic ER20XS passive earplugs for years, 20db attenuation, flat response, dirt cheap. 

 

https://www.etymotic.com/product/er20xs/

[Lozz196]

1 hour ago, wateroftyne said:

ACS Pro 17s have changed my life.

 

https://www.acscustom.com/uk/products/hearing-protection/pro-series/pro-17

Same, there’s no way I’d be able to be in one of my bands without them.

 

Other ear plugs I found deadened the top end  too much making playing with them pretty rotten, whereas these to me just reduce the whole of the sound to a comfortable level.
 

 

[SubsonicSimpleton]

+1 for ACS, country mile better than using generic plugs, and even on the highest attenuation filters the sound reduction is pretty even so you don't lose the top end.

[joeystrange]

20 hours ago, wateroftyne said:

ACS Pro 17s have changed my life.

 

https://www.acscustom.com/uk/products/hearing-protection/pro-series/pro-17

Genuinely the best piece of gear I’ve ever bought.

[fretmeister]

Another vote for ACS.

 

You can change the filters in them, so you can have high attenuation for gigs and you can use a lower filter for day to day living to help with the sensitivity.

 

It's very easy.

 

Go onto the site and order the ones you want - there is a graph on there showing the attenuation curves for each model. They vary a bit.

 

Then you print off the voucher they email you and you pick a local service to do the ear impressions. Lots of Boots the Chemists do them.

 

Assuming you haven't got a load of wax in your ears, you visit Boots they do the impressions and send them off to ACS and ACS post them to you a couple of weeks later.

 

You can do a once only swap of the filters for a different strength or if you want options you can buy more filters.

 

ACS keep the impressions on file for 4 years in case you need more to be made. After 4 years you need new impressions as your ears are likely to have changed shape a bit.

 

If you think you have got some wax building up then get some medicated Olive Oil like this:

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B010O26AXE?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

 

and put it in your ears when you go to bed, and then have a shower in the morning. Do that for a week or 2 and your ears will be free of wax and the impressions can be taken. I had to do that - the oil feels weird but it did the job without any of the harsher options.

 

As it happens I went for new impressions today and it was all done in about 25 mins. Can't wait to get my new plugs.

[Bolo]

Have a look at Flare audio 

https://www.flareaudio.com/products/earshade

 

That said, please see a medical audiologist and/or a psychologist specialised in hyperacusis. It sounds a bit like that's what you're struggling with.

 

 

[Skinny]

Boots chemist now do their own brand silicon plug on the shelf which contains a filter for a tenner. They work for me at gigs better than foam plugs which sometimes did not protect fully depending on the band. 

[Earbrass]

As an alternative approach - as said you wanted plugs to go under your over ear phones, have you considered over ear headphones that are themselves hearing protectors? I've been using these since joining my latest band and am very happy with them. You don't have to do the wireless/bluetooth thing, they also have a jack socket, though it's just a 3.5mm one. You don't need to power them if you use them wired. I find the level of attenuation is comparable to the industrial style ear-protectors I use for lawn-mowing and using power tools. If you just want to hear the signal that's coming to your phones anyway, they're great.

Edited March 21, 2023 by Earbrass

[TRBboy]

I've tried a few different brands, but keep coming back to Alpine Musicsafe Pro. Comfy, I can hear what I need to just quieter, and you get 3 different attenuation filters with them. The fact they're pretty cheap is a plus. 😅

 

The unexpected bonus for me is it helps me massively with vocals; I can 'hear myself' in my head when I'm singing! 👌

 

Been using musicians plugs for years, and I think I'd find it very uncomfortable gigging without them now. 

[chris_b]

I've used ACS plugs on every gig for the last 12 years or so. I started with ER17's, then Pro20's.

 

I also use them when I go to concerts and Santa Pod. I had a holiday in Atlanta and we went to a Falcons game. I took the plugs out for a second and the noise hurt my ears.

[MrDaveTheBass]

I've used both Etymotics and Alpines. They both work really well. I find the Alpines slightly more comfortable. I always carry a pair with me and never rehearse or gig without them.

[iconic]

I personally don't believe you need to spend a small fortune. 

 

I use the simple but, effective Mack's musician/audio foam plugs, they are 22SNR, way down the usual 36 I wear on my motorbike...they work for me.....the Mack's are Caucasian skin colour. 

 

3M do ear caps, plugs on a head band, again way down on the SNR scale, the blue band and yellow ear cap is a little sudden though. 

 

I'm wearing the Mack's for watching open mic nights now. 

Edited March 23, 2023 by iconic

[Horizontalste]

On 21/03/2023 at 19:55, Bolo said:

Have a look at Flare audio 

https://www.flareaudio.com/products/earshade

 

That said, please see a medical audiologist and/or a psychologist specialised in hyperacusis. It sounds a bit like that's what you're struggling with.

 

 

Thanks Bolo, I'm on the NHS waiting list but I have seen the occy health psychiatrist & I'm now considered neurodivergent until proven otherwise.

 

Thanks everyone for all the great advice, I've got flares & happy ears coming in the post & another brand that I can't remember.

 

The ACS plugs look like a safe long term solution!

 

Thanks again!

[fretmeister]

My new ACS plugs arrived today and they fit perfectly.

 

Rehearsal is on Saturday so I'll give them a test run then.

[Woodwind]

I Suffer from tinnitus and want to do everything I can to make sure it doesn't get worse.

I use hearing protection exhaustively.

 

For My day job I use Quies foam 35db plugs (the best foam ones I have found in 20 years ) which go in as soon as I arrive in the workshop and I wear 3M ear defenders over the top when I'm using any of the machines (lathe, linisher, bandsaw etc etc).

 

For social engagements I use the same Quies plugs maybe moving to ACS 15 plugs.

These usually serve to make hearing people easier, rather than protect against noise. One of the worst effects of tinnitus for me has been the cognitive aspect of hearing (how the brain interprets and filters sounds we are "listening" to verses those we just hear. There is lots written on the topic).

In a noisy bar I can follow someone talking across the room, but can't hear a word my friend standing next to me is saying.

The ear plugs address this nicely.

 

For music performance the ACS ER 15s go in before soundcheck and depending on volumes and stage monitoring I may then go up a league to my custom molded ACS 21db.

 

My ideal is to have monitoring at a level where I don't need to perform in plugs, but proximity to the PA and size of venue will have a bearing on this so I might need plugs.

The sight of them dangling round my neck has often drawn comments from people looking at my gug photos 🤣

 

Edited April 19, 2023 by Woodwind

[Horizontalste]

I've looked into the various ACS plugs & I'm going to invest come payday.

 

My right lug'ole is slightly larger than the left which creates a slight comfort issue with the cheaper offerings.

 

The Flares work well for me but the right one is looser. The Happy Ears I really have to faff about with to get them to sit nicely.

[uk_lefty]

11 hours ago, Woodwind said:

In a noisy bar I can follow someone talking across the room, but can't hear a word my friend standing next to me is saying.

I'm the same! But I don't think I've got hearing damage, I've had tests done and my hearing is fine... In my case I'm investigating whether it's some other condition to do with how my brain interprets and reacts to things...

Edited April 20, 2023 by uk_lefty