Earplugs!

[SwedishSImon]

Hey TT people!
Just wanted to start a tread about all the different kinds of ear plugs out there. Which one do you use and in what situations? What's your thoughts about them?

I regularly use plugs I get from the pharmacy here in Sweden, they are transparent, in a silicon material that you can shape however you want. I find this especially useful when I'm out clubbing and don't want the plugs to stand out so much. That's the plus, the downside is that sometimes if you don't put them in right, you will get some spikes the day after....

At concerts I always use the classic yellow ones, or also some that my pharmacy sells, that are for swimmers and blocking out water. Works well at loud concerts!

What do you use?

 

[attheedgeofscience]

I wasn't aware that earplugs were a treatment for tinnitus.

 

[Reinier]

I wasn't aware that earplugs were a treatment for tinnitus.

Not for...but to prevent
Post NIHL I used the "otoplastics?". Before that I used the yellow ones. For the simple reason they reduced most and where quit comfortable. Despite the level of reduction it was still easy to understand people. Unfortunately I did not use them when the explosion ruined my ears. You can not always prevent.

 

[glynis]

These are the earplugs I use when I need them from the chemist and work great .....lots of love glynis

 

[Nonna]

I got some shooting headphone protection, or heavy machine type protection. Less pressure in ear

 

[Zora]

@swedish simon hi, i wear the foam -33db ones at things when I dont have to communicate. In other situations I can highly recommend the alpine one 16-20 db reduction. But you can still undertsand voices perfectly. so you still go to clubs and parties? How loud would you rate your?t on a scale 1-10?

 

[Reinier]

This research makes me sad for more than one reason. I feel that money, energy an talent could have been spend more wisely.
http://archotol.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2507069
How much more research needs to be conducted to prove that plugging your ears during loud events will actually protect your hearing?

 

[Mr-T]

Hi Simon,
I use ACS pro ear plugs. I have two pairs. 15db and 25db reduction. They are amazing for listening to loud music. The 15s are a total flat reduction across all frequencies, the 25's are 25db reduction across low and mids and up to 30+ reduction in higher frequencies.

I'm a working musician so I need to be able to communicate and hear what I'm playing. I find these plugs are fantastic for this, though if you read my other thread they are not great for singing in, oclussion effect etc.

If I didn't need t communicate I would probably wear my pro ear plugs 25's and ear defenders over the top. I think that's the only way to get maximum protection up to about 40db. Anything over 40db, eg concert, footy games etc apparently reaches your ears via bone conduction.

Remember ear plugs increases your 'safe exposure time'. I would always check with any ear plug exactly how long this is.

 

[Sven]

@Mr-T Are they hard? In that case they seem a little like the Earfoon ones I'm using.

At any rate, @SwedishSImon , I've always used Earfoon, as I mentioned above, and the last 10 or so years I've avoided concerts and such. Now however, I've decided to go to a concert this summer and I'm wondering whether;

1. My current Earfoon, 10+ years old will do?
2. I should use standard yellow ones
3. I should get brand new Earfoon plugs (since the ears change)
4. Other solution.