4 ms·

For people who can't afford custom earplugs, you can find a lot of earplugs with good sound clarity if you google "musician earplugs" or "concert earplugs". You

by pkkm 3y ago

For people who can't afford custom earplugs, you can find a lot of earplugs with good sound clarity if you google "musician earplugs" or "concert earplugs". You may have to try more than one brand before you find something that fits well, but it will still be cheaper than the custom option. I like the EarPeace plugs, though it's not because of sound quality but because they're discreet and I find them comfortable.

giantg2 3y ago
I've seen the custom ones (non-electronic) go for $25. So it might not be as expensive as some people think. It depends on where you go to get them. Independent people who do it on the side are the cheapest.
- andrei_says_ 3y ago
  Could you suggest some sources?
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
  - wodenokoto 3y ago
    You have to look locally. You have to go there physically, so there is no Amazon-type recommendation to give
  - giantg2 3y ago
    If you go to something like a local IDPA match and ask someone people wearing them, you might get some recommendations.
nerdponx 3y ago
I've been a fan of Hearos for many years. Helped me preserve my hearing through many loud band practices and shows.
kazinator 3y ago
I've never had a problem with sound clarity at loud concerts with ordinary foam plugs. I wouldn't use anything else when cranking an amp. Flat frequency response in plugs is nonsense, because due to factors like the Fletcher-Munson curves, there is no correct profile. Foam plugs attenuating more of the high end means that you hear a lot of bass: and in one way that is subjectively pleasing, because due to Fletcher-Munson, the unattenuated loud sound sounds bass-heavy. Thus some of that aspect of the sound is preserved. People who are cork sniffers about flat frequency responses should be going to Bach concerts, not rock concerts. I heard Chick Corea's Electric Band (with Gambale on guitar at that time) via foam plugs. They sounded fine. I heard every note clearly from every instrument. Most people don't give a shit about flat response. Just about every time I've ever rented a car, I had to correct the stereo from cranked treble and bass, reduced middle, back to all zero. No two speaker systems sound alike in the first place.
- Slow_Hand 3y ago
  Flat response in plugs is not nonsense simply because Fletcher-Munson curves already exist. Good plugs eliminate an additional layer of unwanted frequency distortion in the audio that you're hearing. Yes, Fletcher-Munson effects can change our perception of frequency response. But that doesn't mean that we should tolerate additional negative effects. That's like saying that we shouldn't stop the cook from using too much salt in our dish because the chicken is already dry. Clearly it's preferable to have chicken that is ONLY dry, rather than chicken that is both dry AND over-salted. Don't be so dismissive about people seeking a good audio experience. If you're at a concert there's a lot of factors that are out of the audience's control, but good earplugs are low hanging fruit if such things are important to them. And if you're the musician on stage cranking an amp, using cheap ear plugs is going to create a disconnect between what you hear and what your audience will hear. If you have to dial in more top-end to compensate for the dulling effect of the plugs for your amp to sound "right", then your "right" sounding amp setting will be perceived as harsh for the people in the audience who aren't wearing plugs. Finally, if you're at a rock concert (with a sound engineer mixing the band) the engineer will be hearing the concert at the same volume as you. They will already be balancing the band's sound in a way that compensates for the effects of the Fletcher Munson effect that you're concerned about.

by pkkm 3y ago

giantg2 3y ago

I've seen the custom ones (non-electronic) go for $25. So it might not be as expensive as some people think. It depends on where you go to get them. Independent people who do it on the side are the cheapest.

andrei_says_ 3y ago
Could you suggest some sources?
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- wodenokoto 3y ago
  You have to look locally. You have to go there physically, so there is no Amazon-type recommendation to give
- giantg2 3y ago
  If you go to something like a local IDPA match and ask someone people wearing them, you might get some recommendations.

nerdponx 3y ago

I've been a fan of Hearos for many years. Helped me preserve my hearing through many loud band practices and shows.

kazinator 3y ago

I've never had a problem with sound clarity at loud concerts with ordinary foam plugs. I wouldn't use anything else when cranking an amp. Flat frequency response in plugs is nonsense, because due to factors like the Fletcher-Munson curves, there is no correct profile. Foam plugs attenuating more of the high end means that you hear a lot of bass: and in one way that is subjectively pleasing, because due to Fletcher-Munson, the unattenuated loud sound sounds bass-heavy. Thus some of that aspect of the sound is preserved. People who are cork sniffers about flat frequency responses should be going to Bach concerts, not rock concerts. I heard Chick Corea's Electric Band (with Gambale on guitar at that time) via foam plugs. They sounded fine. I heard every note clearly from every instrument. Most people don't give a shit about flat response. Just about every time I've ever rented a car, I had to correct the stereo from cranked treble and bass, reduced middle, back to all zero. No two speaker systems sound alike in the first place.

Slow_Hand 3y ago
Flat response in plugs is not nonsense simply because Fletcher-Munson curves already exist. Good plugs eliminate an additional layer of unwanted frequency distortion in the audio that you're hearing. Yes, Fletcher-Munson effects can change our perception of frequency response. But that doesn't mean that we should tolerate additional negative effects. That's like saying that we shouldn't stop the cook from using too much salt in our dish because the chicken is already dry. Clearly it's preferable to have chicken that is ONLY dry, rather than chicken that is both dry AND over-salted. Don't be so dismissive about people seeking a good audio experience. If you're at a concert there's a lot of factors that are out of the audience's control, but good earplugs are low hanging fruit if such things are important to them. And if you're the musician on stage cranking an amp, using cheap ear plugs is going to create a disconnect between what you hear and what your audience will hear. If you have to dial in more top-end to compensate for the dulling effect of the plugs for your amp to sound "right", then your "right" sounding amp setting will be perceived as harsh for the people in the audience who aren't wearing plugs. Finally, if you're at a rock concert (with a sound engineer mixing the band) the engineer will be hearing the concert at the same volume as you. They will already be balancing the band's sound in a way that compensates for the effects of the Fletcher Munson effect that you're concerned about.