[mawmow]

I have seen professional musicians get them off their ears, but I know nothing about the earplugs they use. Are these only different model of mufflers or do they include an earphone ?

Anyone to make a short topo about these things ?

Thanks !

 

[Granny Gremlin]

The best is custom molded (get a mold taken at an ear doctor). But the next best thing (what I use and fits great for most people; not all ears are the same) are the Etymotic ones (there are many clones - the name branded ones are usually cheaper than the music store rebrands - can buy direct from Etymotic). Etymotic also makes the plugs from your custom ear mold.

I have older gen ER20s and they're great. Both for audience and performing/jams. It does take some getting used to if you're singing (cuz you hear only the sound inside your skull vs mixed with external sound from your ears).

The "Musician's Earplugs" are the custom molded ones. Technically better, but try the 20s (or the new ETYs) first. I did and didn't bother with custom.

https://www.etymotic.com/consumer/hearing-protection.html

I also use their in ear headphones. They are so accurate I have mixed on them in a pinch - they block out external sound so you can keep the volume low and not get fatigued. Again, you can get custom molded earpeices for those, but I like the standard triple dome ones; fit really well (comes with other options like some of the earplug packages in the link above). They can also be used as (in ear stage) monitors (which helps a lot with regards to singing being weird as mentionned above).

 

[Kerry Brown]

I got some at Long & McQuade. I believe they are licensed versions of the etymotic. The local store had them in stock, two sizes regular and large. Regular worked for me. They were in the drum section.

Vic Firth - High-Fidelity Hearing Protection Regular

 

[mawmow]

Well , thanks a lot for your kind and fast answers guys.

 

[marcos]

I have bought a few pairs off the shelf and they all performed well. I also had a set made for my ears (aprox. 180.00) that also do the job. My opinion, the off the shelf are just as good as the custom made ones. I really cant find the difference and they cost way less.

 

[Budda]

Buy molded once and never worry about it again. Gonna be around $200 these days.

 

[KapnKrunch]

Molded are expensive to lose.

If you are not mindful enough to keep them, try "Hearos" or any other brand of entymotic as GG recommends. Totally effective protection.

 

[oheare]

I had to replace my earplugs recently, and discovered that the Fender branded ones at L&M were as near as I could tell identical to the Vic Firth ones, but about half the price. And they were in the drum department.

 

[Budda]

Molded are expensive to lose.

Yup, so don't lose them . It's surprisingly easy to keep track of $200 buds haha.

 

[jdto]

I have a set of the $25ish Etymotic ones and they work pretty well. I am tempted to go to the next level and get the custom ones as I don’t want to mess around with my hearing, but these ones have done the job so far.

 

[High/Deaf]

I got some at Long & McQuade. I believe they are licensed versions of the etymotic. The local store had them in stock, two sizes regular and large. Regular worked for me. They were in the drum section.

The drum section? Jeeeez, that's a stupid as having the list of AA meeting sites at the liquor store. I suppose there is some twisted logic to it, but still .......

Buy molded once and never worry about it again. Gonna be around $200 these days.

We get them at work - and are told they are really only good for 5 years, as our ears change shape a bit over time. But work pays for them, so whether I believe in the 5 year replacement thing is somewhat irrelevant. Once the mold is made, I can opt for a second set with a variety of filters (the work ones are full blockers). Once I'm retired, I'll probably actually see how long the fit lasts. I don't use them much anyways - old dog, new tricks kinda thing. Besides, I like blaming the drummers for my hearing impairments.

 

[Budda]

Our drummer has had his for 10+ years with no issues i believe.

 

[Lull]

+1 for the Etymotic ear plugs. I ordered them about 10 years ago when I was playing in a band, and now I wear them when attending shows. With their ~20-dB attenuation across the audible band, I can park myself in front of the stage without my ears whistling for days afterwards.

 

[SWLABR]

I have tinnitus in my left ear, so I couldn't be in a band with live drums or amplified guitars till I went to an Audiologist and had some custom made. They were about $250.... I'd say 5-6yrs ago. Best investment in protecting my hearing I've ever made. I wear the custom one in the left ear, and a generic one I got at a music store in my right if I sing... no singing= both ears have the custom. They don't just muffle the sound, they keep a lot of the clarity, but damper the volume. I wear them to concerts too.

 

[marcos]

I had to replace my earplugs recently, and discovered that the Fender branded ones at L&M were as near as I could tell identical to the Vic Firth ones, but about half the price. And they were in the drum department.

Yep, agree the Fender ones are almost just as good as my custom plugs

 

[isoneedacoffee]

I love the EarAsers. A little pricy for off the shelf at $40-50 but it's not even close in terms of clarity particularly in the higher frequencies.

 

[ezcomes]

I have, and use, Downbeats...cheap, but not cheap quality...work great too

 

[troyhead]

I got the custom ones made years ago as well. Haven't lost them yet. The best thing about them is that they simulate the open ear so if you sing it doesn't sound like you are singing with plugged ears. I don't sing, but it's nice when even talking to not feel like your voice is 100x louder than everything else.

Another benefit with mine is I can swap the filters for different amounts of volume reduction depending on the situation. As the custom mold is the expensive part, extra filters are relatively cheap.