Hearing Protection and Tinnitus: Keep The Tiny Hair Cells Safe — Discuss!

http://acscustomusa.com/product-category/music/hearing-protection-music/?ind=52

 

For airplanes or car - best at cutting low frequency noise the Peltor x5a

Also, since it has enough space inside the muff you can still wear earbuds underneath playing the high frequncy sound enrichment - at low volume - that the brain wants to hear

 

If anyone knows if I can find a pair of headphones under 100$ that offers good passive noise reduction (isolation), I would be interested in it.

 

Alpine Party Plug

https://www.amazon.com/Alpine-PartyPlug-Plugs-Music-Environments/dp/B001QJ1882/
- Cheap and good reviews, SNR is only 19 dB which is a little low for my liking

LiveMus!c HearSafe

https://www.amazon.com/LiveMus-HearSafe-Ear-Plugs-Noise-Cancelling/dp/B00H2F87I8/
- 2 pairs, one with 29dB NRR (is this the same as SNR) and one with 23dB - seems perfect but I can't find an official website for them or any tests against the NRR values

SoundBarren Earplugs

https://www.amazon.com/SoundBarren-Reusable-Protection-Sleeping-Musicians/dp/B01KVTHQ4M/
- 28dB NRR - Can't find the attenuation details for different frequencies

Alpine MusicSafe

https://www.amazon.com/Alpine-Hearing-Protection-MusicSafe-Musicians/dp/B0032BYCWG/
- lots of reviews, how are these different to the party plugs? SNR is 14dB 17dB and 19dB. Again, doesn't seem like enough

Senner MusicPro

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Senner-protection-aluminium-festivals-transparent/dp/B01N21FPDI/
- Good dB SNR but can't find any tests or reviews

Etymotic ER20

https://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-Research-Protection-Earplugs-Standard/dp/B0044DEESS/
- supposed to be 20dB SNR but cant find other the frequency attenuation values

ISOLATE® Earplugs

https://www.amazon.com/ISOLATE-Earplugs-Revolutionary-Protectors-Protection/dp/B01MTUYZNB/
- These looks the best but I find it hard to believe the supposed SNR values


Anyone got any experience with any of these?

 

Best option is to not go to loud parties, why risk your hearing?? If you have to go... any of those will work fine!

 

I have used the LiveMus!c HearSafe and the Etymotic ER20 ear plugs, I have also used Downbeats ear plugs...

The LiveMus!c HearSafe 29 dB ones are easily the best and quietest ear plugs, I use those for concerts.

I also love the Downbeats although they are only 18 dB, I use them for movies and sporting events. These are easily the most comfortable, you can wear them for long periods of time.

The Etymotics are good too, but not quite as much protection as the LiveMus!c HearSafe. I use those for cutting my grass and vacuuming.

 

It's not for a loud party anyway. However, some people might want to go to parties and not let T control their social life.

 

Nor for us , but this seems very good devices for soldier to protect their ears


http://taskandpurpose.com/tactical-earbuds-next-big-thing-soldier-safety/

 

Just got the LiveMus!c HearSafe

https://www.amazon.com/LiveMus-HearSafe-Ear-Plugs-Noise-Cancelling/dp/B00H2F87I8/
- 2 pairs, one with 29dB NRR and one with 23dB

When I put them in it feels like they dont do anything... I've used 28db foam plugs and although i know that foam offer a better seal and more noise reduction these plugs feels like they dont offer any protection... Worth sending them back?

 

What's the best ear defenders with the highest atteuntation (does 40db exist?)

Need them incase an alarm goes off at work. It went off about 6 weeks ago and still have increased noise from it today. Currently have 29db cheap early defenders on standby incase it happens but recently found out the alarms are set at 110db and there's one every 2m of ceiling space!! Need better protecting asap..

 

hi

I have a pair of custom moulded acrylic earplugs and they work really well . I didnt want to take a chance and the filters are easy enough to change but I went for max protection . I use them if im mowing the lawn at home or on the odd ocasion I go to movies with my kids and they do a good job . For work i use a pair of peltor optime 105 ear muffs also really good protection , have to look after what I have left .

Had T for 9 yrs now and was caused by noise induced hearing loss as a result of the enviroment I used to work in and not wearing proper hearing protection.

 

Peltor X5a

28 USD on Amazon

 

@cjbhab I see you got experience with different kind of ear protectors. I would want to ask you about interton silicone ear protectors . Do you know something about them ? Beacuse when I go to nightclubs i wear them but if I stay more the 1 hour I start to feel little pain and in the next 5-6 days my T got worse. I see you mention LiveMus!c HearSafe earplugs. When you go to concert and wear them, do you feel any worse after that or they can protect you even from the most loudest places?

 

I am thinking of buying noise isolating earbuds.
I am wondering, does anyone know if the the Shure se112 are as efficient as the Shure se215 in terms of isolation?
They both indicate a reduction of 37 dB (I know it's not the NRR) but they have a different design

 

...and if anyone has another suggestion regarding isolating earbuds I'll be glad to read it.

 

More than three years later, I found exactly what I was looking for. If anyone else is interested in this kind of plug: the ones I found are called V-MODA Faders. And they only cost about twenty euros. They do not have a big NRR (the product description says "reduces harmful noise levels evenly by 12dB") but they should be more than OK for busy streets, subway etc.).

 

That's interesting. Do you happen to have also hyperacusis?

 

I am especially sensitive to high pitch noises but I would not call it hyperacusis. It creates discomfort, not really pain and they are bearable.

 

If anyone is interested, here are the specs:

 

I plan to get new custom moulded silicone earplugs (Pianissimo brand). Because mine are almost 15 years old and the small protruding "handles" are a bit deteriorated. Also, the ones I have right now don't have any filter.

I looked at the Pianissimo plugs I will get done, and I see they offer 15 dB, 25 dB or 30 dB protection. I am not sure what to choose.

I would mainly wear them in the plane, in metro, in busy streets, probably during some social events (weddings, evening in bar etc..). I will definitely never go to super loud places again in my life, such as concerts.

So I don't know, would 25 dB be appropriate? I admit I have no idea how much noise the current ones I have block.

 

I currently use 20 dB for pretty much everything; classes, nights out, cafes/restaurants etc.

And foam ones for the gym and noisy places (but never too noisy, like concerts, as you said).

I used to use 25 dB, but found it hard to understand my teachers in classes, so lowered the SNR level about two years ago.

 

Thank you @Damocles, did the 25 dB ones you used before have a filter?

I thought I would hesitate between 25 dB and 30 dB, but now I hesitate between 15 dB and 25 dB

 

Oh yeah, sorry, I should have mentioned. Yes, my 25 dB plugs were ACS customs moulds with filters.

These days I find 20 dB filters to be sufficient in offering me the most protection, without sacrificing clarity of speech etc.

Well, when I first got my custom moulds, I bought both 25 dB, 20 dB and 15 dB, so I could experiment with all of them, and switch them accordingly (to fit individual environments and their noise levels). But like I said, over time, I just found I was settling for 20 dB most of the time anyway.

I'd actually recommend always having a pair of 25 dB filters at home though, just in case you're going to be spending time in a noisy bar or something.

 

Thanks a lot for the advice. And I will consider getting both 15 dB and 25 dB ones done.

 

I have custom ear moulds by Westone, they came with two filters. One filter was clear and the other solid. I found when I wore the clear it did not provide enough protection and my ears hurt by the end of the day or outing (about 3-4 hours). I'm going to take both filters with me to my orientation and class at the university. I have no idea what the environment will be like. I'm assuming a classroom or lecture hall. Maybe the solid filters are the 25 dB?

 

Yes, it'll likely not be very noisy, except for maybe the lecturer using a mic? So I think eventually you'll find the lower SNR filters more appropriate.

That said, each class I've been in has given me reason to keep using my customs; be it the buzzing from the projector, group work (where the classroom suddenly becomes akin to a nightclub) or even an overly bloody noisy air-con...

I think you should contact Westone and ask them about the filters @twa.

You gotta know your filters. They're our lifeline in this world.

 

@Damocles that would require some research. ;-D

 

Dear fellow sufferers, the more inputs I will have, the happiest I will be. I am still hesitating at this point, although thanks to Damocles, I ruled out the 30 dB option.

Thank you all for your time

 

I personally use 99% of the time foam earplugs. They block sometimes out a bit too much but I can understand speech most of the time still pretty good.

I personally struggle a lot with custom or musician earplugs, either they don't fit very good or they don't create the right seal. I don't know, I am never satisfied with them. Bought a lot of different types, but I always come back to foam ones. If you are ok with 25 dB ones, I'd go with them. I personally would use foam, but that is just me

 

Hi @Deamon22, thank you for your message. I tried foam earplugs already but I don't find them very comfortable, and it's not very easy to talk with them. I also find that they're not very easy to insert properly :/ So I hope those custom plugs would offer me more convenience ^^