7 ms·

Go to concerts dude! Just wear protection. You can get these plugs designed for music. Just have a backup pair with you as well.

by peheje 7y ago

mattmanser 7y ago
I regularly go to concerts with earplugs, often it sounds better with them in, especially if the volume is too loud or treble is too high.
- StavrosK 7y ago
  Yes! I noticed that too, the sound gets all jumbled up without earplugs. Not to mention the pain and damage.
- microtherion 7y ago
  A few years ago, after a Ministry concert which was off the scale loud (or maybe I just have become off the scale old for this kind of music), I bought a pair of Earasers (https://www.earasers.store https://www.earasers.store) and the few times I had to wear them, they worked great, protected my ears while being fairly transparent, and did wonders for my enjoyment of the music.
  - __david__ 7y ago
    I've been using Hearos. I'm curious how different the Earasers are in terms of flatness. With the Hearos I can push them further into the ear to make things quieter, but the more attenuation, the less flat the sound is. I tend to pull them out a bit so that it's a little louder but flatter. Either way, it's real nice to leave a concert without concert-ear.
    - debatem1 7y ago
      I do exactly the same thing with the earasers and some of the other brands, but haven't tried hearos. Just my two bits, but I don't think the different brands are all that different. Some seem a bit bigger or smaller, some cost more or less. Of course I can't say that for sure about a brand I haven't tried though.
      - mattmanser 7y ago
        I just use cheap foam ones (classic 3m ones they use in industrial plants), still sounds tons better. In the UK the bar staff have to have some behind the bar for them to use, and they're usually happy to give them out if I forget mine.
- debatem1 7y ago
  I'm a fan of metal and small venues (something of a double whammy for getting too much volume in one place) and I just can't recommend earasers and similar enough. Literally life-changing. I often wind up going to see live music three or four times a week, and if I didn't wear them I really would be deaf by now.
- hi5eyes 7y ago
  ear plugs for a 2 hour sunn o)) show is a must, glad I started using them in my early 20s going to basement hc/metal shows
pedrocr 7y ago
I know this now. The fact that this is needed just further illustrates my point. We first blast music above safe levels and then expect people to compensate for that with hearing protection. That's just insane.
- peheje 7y ago
  I totally agree my man. Wish you the best in the future.
- debatem1 7y ago
  No, it isn't. There are three related reasons why. First, we don't exclusively experience a concert through our ears. The reason people use words like "thumping" to describe bass is because it's felt as much as heard. That experience is important to many forms of music, and it isn't possible to get it at low volume. The second is that the relative volume of different instruments is usually more important to the sound of a song than the absolute volume at the listener. Given that modern instruments have a huge range of loudness (drums are irreducibly loud, electric guitars very quiet), it's clear that you are going to have to amplify up to around the loudest noise to get the mix correct. Third, sometimes it's just about range. Large concert halls, amphitheaters, etc need to get the mix right across hundreds of yards. Just as you would have to bellow to hold a conversation with someone on the other end of a football field, so a band has to be made loud to do the same. So, sorry if you have to wear earplugs to cuddle the speakers-- but this really is done to a purpose.
  - lazyasciiart 7y ago
    Sure, you shouldn't expect to cuddle the speakers - but I go to live shows in small venues where I'm trying to dig myself into the wall at the furthest point from the speakers because it's too loud. They just need to turn it down.
    - debatem1 7y ago
      You should probably try larger venues, where reason #3 is on your side. The problem with small venues is that often you really need a lot of volume on guitars, vocals, etc to get the mix right with the drums, and then there isn't any space to soak up that energy. Instead it winds up reflecting off the walls and causing havoc, in addition to just being loud as hell. Of course, that's not to say that there aren't bands that would play a full stack in a closet, but most of the time they're just struggling to get the mix right and give people the experience they want.
StavrosK 7y ago
What kind of plugs are designed for music? That's interesting.
- 0-_-0 7y ago
  There's something from Etymotic. It has a hole in it to reduce spectral distortion.
  - StavrosK 7y ago
    Good to know, thanks!
  - filoleg 7y ago
    Yep, been using Etymotic ones for both concerts and riding motorcycle, and I love it. It works just right, and for $15 feels like worth every penny (ER20XS; went with that one over the regular ER20 because of a lower profile shape). They are nearly indestructable and super easy to clean too (relevant if your ears tend to produce a solid amount of earwax). Had to replace them once over the years and only because i lost my original pair. Really comfy, non-descript, very easy to put in and remove, and only blocks out the annoying stuff while making the necessary stuff more prominent (with music, it would be amplifying guitars/synths as well as speech, while cutting down a bit on drums; with motorcycle, it would be amplifying breaking sounds, sirens/horns, and, again, speech, while cutting down on wind and engine noise). I can wear them for hours, eventually forgetting that I even have anything in, despite usually being really sensitive to earbuds and not being able to wear them for prolonged periods of time.
  - blendo 7y ago
    I've used Etymotics for years. Cheap ($20), comfortable, easy to carry, and a wonderfully flat frequency response (at least compared to cheap foam plugs). Also, Etymotics makes great wired ear buds.
- Digit-Al 7y ago
  Just do a search for something like "music ear defenders/protectors" and you'll see plenty of options. Don't go for the cheap disposable rubber foam ones because those just block your ears. Look for proper reusable silicone ones. They are specially designed to block harmful frequencies without muffling or distorting the sound. Good luck :-)
withdavidli 7y ago
There needs to be more education around this. I found out through Reddit that medical tents should have free ear plugs if needed. Many younger people don't know the damage they're doing to their ears. Example, at festival this year overheard couple of girls wondering why bother going if wearing ear plugs when they saw mine. I told them I rather keep my hearing, and they were genuinely shocked at the concept, never crossed their mind being near front stage can cause damage.

Go to concerts dude! Just wear protection. You can get these plugs designed for music. Just have a backup pair with you as well.

by peheje 7y ago

Go to concerts dude! Just wear protection. You can get these plugs designed for music. Just have a backup pair with you as well.

mattmanser 7y ago

I regularly go to concerts with earplugs, often it sounds better with them in, especially if the volume is too loud or treble is too high.

StavrosK 7y ago
Yes! I noticed that too, the sound gets all jumbled up without earplugs. Not to mention the pain and damage.
microtherion 7y ago
A few years ago, after a Ministry concert which was off the scale loud (or maybe I just have become off the scale old for this kind of music), I bought a pair of Earasers (https://www.earasers.store https://www.earasers.store) and the few times I had to wear them, they worked great, protected my ears while being fairly transparent, and did wonders for my enjoyment of the music.
- __david__ 7y ago
  I've been using Hearos. I'm curious how different the Earasers are in terms of flatness. With the Hearos I can push them further into the ear to make things quieter, but the more attenuation, the less flat the sound is. I tend to pull them out a bit so that it's a little louder but flatter. Either way, it's real nice to leave a concert without concert-ear.
  - debatem1 7y ago
    I do exactly the same thing with the earasers and some of the other brands, but haven't tried hearos. Just my two bits, but I don't think the different brands are all that different. Some seem a bit bigger or smaller, some cost more or less. Of course I can't say that for sure about a brand I haven't tried though.
    - mattmanser 7y ago
      I just use cheap foam ones (classic 3m ones they use in industrial plants), still sounds tons better. In the UK the bar staff have to have some behind the bar for them to use, and they're usually happy to give them out if I forget mine.
debatem1 7y ago
I'm a fan of metal and small venues (something of a double whammy for getting too much volume in one place) and I just can't recommend earasers and similar enough. Literally life-changing. I often wind up going to see live music three or four times a week, and if I didn't wear them I really would be deaf by now.
hi5eyes 7y ago
ear plugs for a 2 hour sunn o)) show is a must, glad I started using them in my early 20s going to basement hc/metal shows

pedrocr 7y ago

I know this now. The fact that this is needed just further illustrates my point. We first blast music above safe levels and then expect people to compensate for that with hearing protection. That's just insane.

peheje 7y ago
I totally agree my man. Wish you the best in the future.
debatem1 7y ago
No, it isn't. There are three related reasons why. First, we don't exclusively experience a concert through our ears. The reason people use words like "thumping" to describe bass is because it's felt as much as heard. That experience is important to many forms of music, and it isn't possible to get it at low volume. The second is that the relative volume of different instruments is usually more important to the sound of a song than the absolute volume at the listener. Given that modern instruments have a huge range of loudness (drums are irreducibly loud, electric guitars very quiet), it's clear that you are going to have to amplify up to around the loudest noise to get the mix correct. Third, sometimes it's just about range. Large concert halls, amphitheaters, etc need to get the mix right across hundreds of yards. Just as you would have to bellow to hold a conversation with someone on the other end of a football field, so a band has to be made loud to do the same. So, sorry if you have to wear earplugs to cuddle the speakers-- but this really is done to a purpose.
- lazyasciiart 7y ago
  Sure, you shouldn't expect to cuddle the speakers - but I go to live shows in small venues where I'm trying to dig myself into the wall at the furthest point from the speakers because it's too loud. They just need to turn it down.
  - debatem1 7y ago
    You should probably try larger venues, where reason #3 is on your side. The problem with small venues is that often you really need a lot of volume on guitars, vocals, etc to get the mix right with the drums, and then there isn't any space to soak up that energy. Instead it winds up reflecting off the walls and causing havoc, in addition to just being loud as hell. Of course, that's not to say that there aren't bands that would play a full stack in a closet, but most of the time they're just struggling to get the mix right and give people the experience they want.

StavrosK 7y ago

What kind of plugs are designed for music? That's interesting.

0-_-0 7y ago
There's something from Etymotic. It has a hole in it to reduce spectral distortion.
- StavrosK 7y ago
  Good to know, thanks!
- filoleg 7y ago
  Yep, been using Etymotic ones for both concerts and riding motorcycle, and I love it. It works just right, and for $15 feels like worth every penny (ER20XS; went with that one over the regular ER20 because of a lower profile shape). They are nearly indestructable and super easy to clean too (relevant if your ears tend to produce a solid amount of earwax). Had to replace them once over the years and only because i lost my original pair. Really comfy, non-descript, very easy to put in and remove, and only blocks out the annoying stuff while making the necessary stuff more prominent (with music, it would be amplifying guitars/synths as well as speech, while cutting down a bit on drums; with motorcycle, it would be amplifying breaking sounds, sirens/horns, and, again, speech, while cutting down on wind and engine noise). I can wear them for hours, eventually forgetting that I even have anything in, despite usually being really sensitive to earbuds and not being able to wear them for prolonged periods of time.
- blendo 7y ago
  I've used Etymotics for years. Cheap ($20), comfortable, easy to carry, and a wonderfully flat frequency response (at least compared to cheap foam plugs). Also, Etymotics makes great wired ear buds.
Digit-Al 7y ago
Just do a search for something like "music ear defenders/protectors" and you'll see plenty of options. Don't go for the cheap disposable rubber foam ones because those just block your ears. Look for proper reusable silicone ones. They are specially designed to block harmful frequencies without muffling or distorting the sound. Good luck :-)

withdavidli 7y ago

There needs to be more education around this. I found out through Reddit that medical tents should have free ear plugs if needed. Many younger people don't know the damage they're doing to their ears. Example, at festival this year overheard couple of girls wondering why bother going if wearing ear plugs when they saw mine. I told them I rather keep my hearing, and they were genuinely shocked at the concept, never crossed their mind being near front stage can cause damage.