Best Earplugs for a Concert?

Hi all! I have noise induced tinnitus that I got back in October 2016 due to front row at a concert. I've learned so much from that experience that I wish someone would've told me earlier. Since then I've taken a break from concerts. And there's a concert that I really want to go to in September. I don't want this affliction to take away all of the things I love to do, so I understand I'm taking a risk, but I want to be as safe as I can be?

My question for you all, is what is the best type of earplugs to buy? Is foam or the silicon better? Am I better with the ear muffs?

It's a general admission concert, so I plan sitting in the back.

 

Foam plugs offer the best protection but will ruin/mufflethe music so its pointless being there. Go for some custom moulds if you can afford them, failing that theres an array of musicians plugs out there on amazon.

 

Custom made earplugs if you have enough time to get them done for you.

 

I just got a pair of Etymotic ER20XS earplugs, from the big online retailer mentioned above. The package says, "Richness of music is preserved, speech remains clear, just quieter." Haven't tried them yet, but plan on testing them out this afternoon on a subway trip.

 

Please remember that no earplugs are 100% safe, at clubs or concerts as sound can pass through the skull and reach the inner ear by bone conduction if it is loud enough, so you still need to be aware of loud sounds. Please read the post below that was recently written by an Audio Engineer in this forum. You might be very surprised after reading it. If I were you I wouldn't use foam earplugs. Use "noise reducing plugs" that have filters in or custom moulded.

Michael

@Bill Weir

I'm an audio engineer and now have T. I hate to have to tell you this but there are no earplugs that can protect you in the typical nightclub environment. The best protection will only lower the Sound Pressure Level (SPL) by about 30 db. Assuming the sound is typical, it's going to hover around 105 db A when measured using long term averaging, slow response on a meter. This means there will be peaks well in excess of 120 db"A" weighted. Weighting the scales of measurement on the sound meter gives more accurate readings. "A" weighting approximates what your eardrum is sensitive to... meaning sound with the deep bass filtered out. "C" weighting includes the bass and is generally 15-30 db higher than an "A" reading.

So, 105 db A (typical nightclub or major concert translates into 130 db "C" or more including the bass. How long do people generally stay in the average nightclub? Too long! 4 hour stay is average. A concert is generally 2.5 hours. Many people will stay in the club all night until they are "OK" to drive and be back in public LMAO. The drugs people do screws up their judgement and desensitizes them to physical sensation and people damage themselves without realizing it.

Sound levels pretty much everywhere are TOO loud IMO. Instead of the industry standard 105 db A (Live Nation SPL cap) I like to keep it at 96-98 for people. Why so loud? Above 96 db the fight or flight response begins to kick in and you get that rush of excitement you get at a concert. It's a lot of what people pay for. Deep bass goes in through bone transconductance. You don't "hear" it with your eardrum you feel it This is how it is possible to have bass with headphones. If this transconductance did not occur, the long wavelengths that make bass would not have enough distance to unfold when using headphones. So, earplugs DO NOT protect you from low frequency damage. Not even a little bit.

So, on the one hand, you're going to have 100db + peaks getting through your earplugs in the range above 100 Hz (low note on a 4 string bass guitar is 41.7 Hz) and the bass below will pressurize your cochlea like nothing is even there, straight through the bone. Some of the subwoofer arrays I have installed in places must have security grating around them to keep people from getting within ten feet of the subwoofer array because the array produces well over 150 db down at 35Hz at 1 meter distance and would make them nauseous or in some extreme cases even worse than that.

I can say this definitively from direct personal and professional experience. If you value your hearing and do not want your tinnitus to increase, avoid these places or if you must go limit your exposure considerably.

 

How loud will it be? What kind of music is it? A string quartet or rock band?

The muffs will probably provide the best protection, but you may attract some looks, or some prick will try to take them off your head.
Foam earplugs are the next best thing. I find that the softer foam works better than the hard foam, so you might want to try different brands. I find that I can still enjoy music (or play a fretless instrument in tune) with these, but I'm in the minority.
Custom molded earplugs are next, especially those with the -25 dB music filters. The downside is that these are expensive and not worth it for one concert.
Then there are earplugs like the Alpine MusicSafe. This is the cheaper option if you want earplugs with music filters.

If it's a couple of musicians playing (lightly amplified) acoustic music I'd go with the Alpine's. Otherwise, just use the foam plugs for maximum protection and enjoy whatever is there and you can hear . Insert them properly before your enter the venue and only take them out once your outside again. If you travel by car, you might want to wear earplugs during the trip too, to avoid adding the 3 hrs (or so) of wind noise to the experience.

 

You are right to think so, but if there should be one exception to this rule it should be concerts (as well as loud nightclubs). It implies a very high and dangerous level of noise for hours non stop.

 

My suggestion:

1. Buy foam earplugs. If deeply inserted, they offer good protection. So make sure to insert them deeply.

2. Buy ear muffs, so you can put them on if it feels loud despite the foam ear plugs. Peltor is a good brand. Make sure to have no glasses or ear rings that spoil the seal.

3. When you've done 1 and 2 above, cancel your participaton in the concert.

If you follow this three-step guide, you should be okay.

 

Take it from someome that went to a outdoor festival 3 weeks ago (with 30db Earplugs) and regretted it ever since. In fact it is my single biggest regret right next to catching T in the first place. my baseline T has spiked after a few days and been hovering at 50% higher than what it was before the festival for the last 3 weeks. Thank god i decided not to go on the second day and gave away my ticket or I would be in a even deeper hell right now.

Do NOT think earplugs will save you in a concert. the earplugs does not attenuate low frequency bass very well. I did some research after the fact and made a post here on why earplugs do not protect you as much as the label says.

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/earplugs-do-they-live-up-to-their-nrr.13271/#post-269516

you might get 15dB reduction from a 30dB earplugs at the bass frequency if you are lucky.

the Risk/Reward is not worth it

 

Hello,

I am late to answer but if I went to a concert, I would definitely use the Ear Muffs !

Hope it was ok for you ?

Best

Christophe

 

For best music fidelity I would go with the Earasers, but they don't block that much noise compared to other. Read upon how their technology work.

Then there are the ISOLATE® Aluminium Ear Plugs, works great, blocks allot of noise but you will still enjoy music much better than regular foam plugs.

 

Wow.. this is the first time I logged in since my last post in this thread 2 months go and it popped up again.

So I just would like to caution anyone who has tinnitus and is going to a concert. I wish i heeded some other members caution before going, because as much as i hate to say it. My T has spiked since the concert and it has not come down since almost 3 months ago. At this point I feel like its more of a permanent increase...

So please.. if you must go. When you feel like its much too loud even earplugs. Leave right away! Dont think that everything is OK just because you have earplugs on, like i have done.

 

Don't do it! You're right, it is a risk, even if you're sitting in the back imo. Me personally, I've had earplugs not protect me many many times and i wear 33 db foam inserted deep. You will find many people here who have written about how earplugs don't always protect.

On the other hand, if you are going to do it I would not wear customs. You need the most protection possible and that's with foam. The Hearos Xtreme are what i recommend rated at 33 decibels. Make sure you insert them properly and deep - so important. ... i wouldn't go though. Going to 1 event is not worth further f-ing up your ears!

oops just saw the date on this posting... concert has prob already occurred. Guess i'll post this anyway, just to put it out there.

@alyssalee97 , did u go?

 

2 hours of fun vs lifetime of suffering?

 

My thoughts exactly

 

Agree 2x. I didn't go see Mastodon a month into T for this very reason. I'd been dying to see them live for years. Most of them must have T. I know at least one of their guitarists does. I'll stick to videos of them performing live from now on.

 

The best hearing protection for going to a concert is to not go to a concert.