High fidelity ear plugs? That's been my go-to for years to deal with loud environments because of this. Bonus being you can actually hear people talking better. I don't think I'm as severe as you are tho.
* Eargasm -- Do not recommend, they're really hard to get a seal, the noise protection seems worse than advertised, and if it's hot and you sweat they fall out and getting a seal again is a huge PITA.
* Etymotic ER20 -- Highly recommend, super easy to get a seal, good sound quality, good nose reduction. The only negative is they're a little hard to get used to since they go really deep in your ears and they're hard plastic. Some people it really bothers when they borrow them.
* Loop -- Also highly recommend, I would spend the extra for the thing you put in the middle that gives you the extra dB reduction. These plugs are weird AF but they sit on the outside of your ear, are very comfortable, stay sealed, and don't fall out because they use your own ear to hold it in.
* Vibes -- They had the same problems as the Eargasms for me but also reduced noise less. Might be worth for "above average loudness social event" but for actually loud events I couldn't use them.
* Any Noise Cancelling -- Hate these fuckers. I've tried so many of them but they all make me feel like I'm in an airplane and they make me hear my tinnitus worse. It's not like it's louder but something about the noise cancelling makes me focus on it more. I'm sure they're great for regular ears but they can't cancel the noise coming from inside the house.
* Dark horse pick that aren't actually high-fidelity are 3M E-A-R UltraFit Corded Ear Plugs those bright neon yellow things with the blue cord. Ugly as sin but really effective. Super cheap too. In slightly noisy environments I keep them a little bit unsealed. They're my backup for when I need more dB reduction than high-fidelity filters can provide.
I'm scheduled for an appointment with an audiologist to get the custom molded -25 dB plugs. I think the woman said they'd be like $200 but I wanted something I could take to like concert concerts.
Been playing drums for 30+ years. I ended up with tinnitus after an extremely loud concert wearing Hearos, which are a brand name for Etymotic ER20s (as with all things hearing it probably was not just that concert, but that was the single point at which tinnitus started and didn't go away). After that I decided to just spend big and buy custom molded ear plugs (In my case 64audio). Even when wearing the -20db cartridges they were significantly more effective for me than the ER20s. My theory is the shape of my ear canal makes it hard to get straight plugs in to get full protection (even the foamies I can't get in far enough). Over time I have gotten used to the tinnitus and with the use of IEMs and the custom Ear plugs, which I've been using for 10 years now, my hearing hasn't gotten worse and the tinnitus levels have remained low.
+1 for the ER20s. I've got some of the early Loops (no inserts or anything fancy) which are decent enough (and can be used for sleeping in an emergency.) Also got some of the early Flare Audio titaniums which do a decent job.
(For sleeping I buy the Leight Laser Lite in bulk because anything with a stiff/solid stem tends to be uncomfortable. They also work reasonably well in gig scenarios.)
I'm a musician, and I like the ER20's a lot. They're cheap enough that I can make sure to have a pair in each instrument case, and some spares. I find they're pretty comfortable. The part that goes in your ear is soft. There are two sizes.
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High fidelity ear plugs? That's been my go-to for years to deal with loud environments because of this. Bonus being you can actually hear people talking better. I don't think I'm as severe as you are tho.
Like? Those passive ones made by Loop? Or some active?
Okay so one's I've tried:
* Eargasm -- Do not recommend, they're really hard to get a seal, the noise protection seems worse than advertised, and if it's hot and you sweat they fall out and getting a seal again is a huge PITA.
* Etymotic ER20 -- Highly recommend, super easy to get a seal, good sound quality, good nose reduction. The only negative is they're a little hard to get used to since they go really deep in your ears and they're hard plastic. Some people it really bothers when they borrow them.
* Loop -- Also highly recommend, I would spend the extra for the thing you put in the middle that gives you the extra dB reduction. These plugs are weird AF but they sit on the outside of your ear, are very comfortable, stay sealed, and don't fall out because they use your own ear to hold it in.
* Vibes -- They had the same problems as the Eargasms for me but also reduced noise less. Might be worth for "above average loudness social event" but for actually loud events I couldn't use them.
* Any Noise Cancelling -- Hate these fuckers. I've tried so many of them but they all make me feel like I'm in an airplane and they make me hear my tinnitus worse. It's not like it's louder but something about the noise cancelling makes me focus on it more. I'm sure they're great for regular ears but they can't cancel the noise coming from inside the house.
* Dark horse pick that aren't actually high-fidelity are 3M E-A-R UltraFit Corded Ear Plugs those bright neon yellow things with the blue cord. Ugly as sin but really effective. Super cheap too. In slightly noisy environments I keep them a little bit unsealed. They're my backup for when I need more dB reduction than high-fidelity filters can provide.
I'm scheduled for an appointment with an audiologist to get the custom molded -25 dB plugs. I think the woman said they'd be like $200 but I wanted something I could take to like concert concerts.
Been playing drums for 30+ years. I ended up with tinnitus after an extremely loud concert wearing Hearos, which are a brand name for Etymotic ER20s (as with all things hearing it probably was not just that concert, but that was the single point at which tinnitus started and didn't go away). After that I decided to just spend big and buy custom molded ear plugs (In my case 64audio). Even when wearing the -20db cartridges they were significantly more effective for me than the ER20s. My theory is the shape of my ear canal makes it hard to get straight plugs in to get full protection (even the foamies I can't get in far enough). Over time I have gotten used to the tinnitus and with the use of IEMs and the custom Ear plugs, which I've been using for 10 years now, my hearing hasn't gotten worse and the tinnitus levels have remained low.
+1 for the ER20s. I've got some of the early Loops (no inserts or anything fancy) which are decent enough (and can be used for sleeping in an emergency.) Also got some of the early Flare Audio titaniums which do a decent job.
(For sleeping I buy the Leight Laser Lite in bulk because anything with a stiff/solid stem tends to be uncomfortable. They also work reasonably well in gig scenarios.)
I'm a musician, and I like the ER20's a lot. They're cheap enough that I can make sure to have a pair in each instrument case, and some spares. I find they're pretty comfortable. The part that goes in your ear is soft. There are two sizes.
Are any of those more effective than very deeply inserted
https://www.moldex.com/product/sparkplugs/
?
I feel like I am at the ansolute maximum with them, but I would always like more silence.
Amazing, thank you for this!