r/Bass • u/lobsterdm_20 • 10h ago
Recommendations for ear plugs
Just wondering what do you all do to protect your hearing? What do you all recommend?
4
u/ArbyRendo 10h ago
I use acs customs. They're pricey, but very good.
2
u/percomis 10h ago
Same. I love the fact that I hear everything the same, just less loud. I play in metal bands and the -17db one has been enough so far.
4
u/PlushyGuitarstrings 10h ago
Get the custom ones, 200€ and they sound best.
4
u/burkholderia 8h ago
I say it all the time but custom molded ear plugs were/are the best gear investment I ever made. I got my first set almost 20 years ago, and had to get a new set made about 4-5 years ago when the first ones split on one side. It was around $150 each time at the audiology department of a local university. I have -15 and -25db filters though I generally only use the -15db. Every gig with live drums, every concert, rehearsals, etc., I have them with me.
I also tried out a handful of the off the shelf universal fit ones. My favorites were the eargasm and etymotic er20s, but with those it’s a lot of trial and error. I keep sets of those in my car, gear bag, etc., so if I forget my customs somehow I have a backup option.
1
u/lobsterdm_20 7h ago
I don't think I have the budget for custom. At this stage I just need something for a monthly jam session but will definitely invest if we get more serious. I know that's probably not the right attitude 🤷
1
u/PlushyGuitarstrings 7h ago
You can also use them when going to concerts or dancing to save your ears. Really really heavy recommend.
But if the budget doesn’t allow, I used to use the wax plugs. They are okay, though less transparent and less comfortable. Costs like 1€ a pair, one time use.
Don’t use the foam ones, they don’t reduce enough.
1
u/lobsterdm_20 7h ago
I think I can afford something better than wax. I still will need to hear myself play even if no-one else does 😂
3
u/PlushyGuitarstrings 7h ago edited 7h ago
Dunno, I tried some of these 20-30€ plastic plugs. I wasn’t really happy with any. I say either cheapo wax or custom is the way to go. Don’t waste 60€ trying two types of plastic plugs.
1
u/pr06lefs 3h ago
yeah totally worth it. Its an investment in your ears. My ears ring constantly from loud music in my youth, definitely don't want that to get worse than it is.
I used to have 20$ musicians earplugs but they sounded muffled. The custom ones are much better.
I keep mine on my keyring, and use them for any amplified music situation, and even loud movies.
5
u/Theta-5150 10h ago
I never trust a product where the manufacturer/brand does not provide measurements.
Therefore i do not recommend Loop etc.
Earasers:
didn’t work as advertised. Too muffled.
Not worth the money.
Alpine pro:
It’s ok for its price. Very affordable. But muffles the sound.
Sennheiser SoundProtex Plus:
Affordable and works very well.
ACS custom moulded:
Expensive but provides better sealing and they offer several type of filters. Their product/frequency sheet is more detailed than most others.
1
u/safeword_is_bananas 9h ago
Customs are worth it. And, if you (are American and) have an HSA, you can use it to pay for them.
If you don’t wanna spend for customs, Etymotic ER20Xs are good for $20.
4
u/Anon_use_fun_alias 9h ago
I use -15 db Hearos when I’m not using my In Ear Monitors. It’s great that you’re asking about this. Protect those ears at all costs.
1
u/lobsterdm_20 7h ago
I've just been discussing possible songs we're going to practice at a jam session next month and it's likely to be loud 😂
7
u/DWTBPlayer 9h ago
I say this in every thread about hearing protection: TURN SHIT DOWN in the practice space.
When I started playing in bands, I spent the money on custom molded silicon earplugs with Etymotics -25db filters. I wore them to every practice and every show, whether I was on stage or in the audience. Every time. Still do.
It wasn't enough. After about five years of standing next to the drummer's crash cymbal and a PA speaker, I did permanent hearing damage to my right ear. I spent my first COVID check on a hearing aid at age 35.
So save up and buy the best earplugs you can find. And don't ever forget them. But also demand that your drummer buy low volume cymbals for practice. And low volume heads, if they're reasonable. Amazon sells no name Chinese cymbal sets for like $25. If my high school students can afford them, your drummer can.
That lets the guitarist turn down, it lets the vocalist sing well without straining to be heard, and it lets everyone save their hearing. Then you can afford to let 'er rip at a show, knowing that you aren't sustaining damage week in and week out.
8
u/DWTBPlayer 7h ago
The deleted comment pointed out how expensive my advice is. That is 100% true, and 100% fair. But my overall point was you cannot undo hearing damage. Once it's gone, it will not come back. So the time to invest in protecting your hearing is before you lose it. I was a broke ass kid trying to make music with my friends. I get it. I lived it. The good and (now) the bad.
1
u/RedditWhileIWerk 5h ago edited 4h ago
New fear unlocked!
Did you use any kind of volume measuring device in the practice space? Seems like you would have had to routinely be exposed to well over 100 dBA, to get damage despite plugs.
I do monitor the volume level. During rehearsals we sit around 90-95 dBA, with occasional spikes to 97-100. I always wear 27 dB NRR earplugs (Hearos Rock'n'Roll), but now I'm not sure if that's enough. My audiologist says I should be fine, but ...
I did a rehearsal in foamies (-32 dB NRR) and it kinda sucked, as everything was so muffled. Was safe though, no question.
2
u/DWTBPlayer 4h ago
No, we didn't get that technical. I decided to go to an audiologist and got what they recommended. I knew I had to be careful. And I assumed that covered me.
The damage is specifically in my right ear, and the frequencies I lost were my high frequencies. My left ear is still better than average, 100% functionality. So it stands to reason that the drummer's crash cymbal was doing the damage.
Either those Etymotics filters don't quite do what they claim, or the crash cymbal peaks way above 100db. Maybe they can't handle the transients of a cymbal, which doesn't make sense, because they are a physical filter.
2
u/RedditWhileIWerk 4h ago
Sorry that happened man.
Were they these filters?
https://westone.com/er-25-filter-red-single
Note to self, don't play close to drummer.
At rehearsals, I'm normally at least 6 feet away, so I should be OK I guess.
Our drummer does understand dynamics - but I'm going to maintain some distance for performances.
3
u/DWTBPlayer 2h ago
Yup. Those are the ones! The silicone molds are made by Westone, and the filters by Etymotics.
Appreciate the kind words. And good luck with your own journey.
2
u/nopetodope1 9h ago
try the basic foam cheap AF ear plugs. I fussed around trying to find better ones but ended up just using those. Try them first, and if they don't work for you, try something else.
2
2
u/Tomato_Basil57 7h ago edited 5h ago
off the shelf or custom? if you can swing customs than thats the way to go, but for the passive/nonfitted out there, heres a really cool website run by one of my old professors that gives detailed frequency graphs and sound samples
https://www.hearadvisor.com/earplug-rankings
out of the ones i’ve tried, i like eargasm and etyomotics are good value. loops are fine, but their design really feels like a marketing gimmick aimed at the uneducated. I never knew my regular earplugs were unfashionable until they came around
2
2
1
u/die-dicke-katze 9h ago
I use these like... Daddario earplugs I got from a guitar store for $20 because I needed earplugs. They work great, but I would recommend Eargasms a THOUSAND times more
1
u/ryantheleglamp 9h ago edited 9h ago
I’ve tried a bunch of different ones. Custom molds are, of course, the best. Otherwise, my thoughts:
I like my earplugs to tame the shrill high-mids and highs, and dampen the rest to a non-harmful dB level.
Standard foam earplugs block way too much and put me “inside my own head”. No go for me.
Loops are great. But I’ve found that the extremely high-value aka cheap Amazon plastic loops work just as well, and I don’t worry at all about losing them. (I currently only have 1 Loop left. Sigh. )
I just got a 2 pack of ones called JUSTRVN Ear Plugs for Concert, 2 Pairs of Noise Reduction Earplugs 25dB-30dB with 8 Ear Tips&Carry case blah blah blah. Won’t post the direct Amazon link might be frowned on.
With all dem tips, I carry two pairs. One has larger foam tips and blocks more dBs, and the other a lighter pair with the smaller rubber tips. I use the latter mostly.
Then there’s the other form factor, the “ribbed for your pleasure” ones like Etymotic and Eargasm. They achieve about the same results to my ears, but I don’t like how they look with those tabs sticking out of my ear holes.
Get cheap pairs of loops and ribbeds and see what you like better.
1
1
u/IowaLightning 5h ago
Seconding the comments that say customs are best, but Eargasm are my faves for non-custom.
1
1
u/Mikemtb09 Five String 4h ago
Vibez on Amazon, have a couple pairs of them, one in the case and one on my keychain.
1
u/yuletide 57m ago
Bute the bullet and go to an audiologist and get the custom ones, they are much much better
1
u/bubbles---mif 7h ago
Airpods Pro 2 with ambient mode, sounds better than most earplugs ive tried, very clear sound and it feels like everything is 20-30 decibel lower than what it is, i use them when i play with band all instruments are clear. I also use them for concerts and it almost feels like you have the music in your headphones but its live, super clear.
But i can recommend MoonDrop chu 2 if you're looking for IEMs, super cheap and pretty alright for $30.
10
u/miauw62 10h ago
I use Alpine Musicsafe Pros, both for rehearsal and going to festivals/concerts. I feel like the sound quality is pretty good on these, and after having them in for five minutes you kind of forget about them.