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Discreet but GOOD hearing protection?

#61
My 1st pair were done at an audiologists office. Second pair was done at home with this kit. Not sure where the worry comes from?
Thorsoundcore said:
The only issue with this is, they say there is a risk of possibly damaging your ear while self molding/ not having a pro do it. They claim the chances are slim, but it's enough to keep me second guessing even time I want to consider giving it a try. That'd really suck to end up with permanent damage just from that!

Anybody have any experience?
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#62
I am 59 years of age and have been wearing hearing aids for 3 years. I was a HS band director for 34 years so I have had a lifetime of abuse from drum lines, pep rallies, stadium PA announcers, loud band halls, etc. I also have played bass and keyboards in bar bands my whole life and never knew anyone who wore hearing protection back in the day. About 10 years ago I developed tinnitus but didn't start wearing earplugs until my last few years to teach. By then it was too late for me. I have a severe frequency roll off beginning around 2500 hz and can hear virtually nothing above 4000. It is classic damage-related loss. I can hear music OK but have extreme difficulty understanding speech which led to my retirement from teaching. Thankfully, I still play lots of gigs because bass is something I can hear well!

I implore you all to wear earplugs no matter what anyone tells you or how conspicuous you think they are. Hearing impairment is a horrible disability, especially for a musician. Usually audiologists and hearing aids are not covered by insurance and I have spent thousands to be able to hear conversation. Also, hearing impairment is the only disability that people will make fun of or joke about.
 
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#63
mike o said:
My 1st pair were done at an audiologists office. Second pair was done at home with this kit. Not sure where the worry comes from?
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Now that I've gone back and located that warning, I'm not sure either anymore. They didn't elaborate much on anything, just a passing mention of a "rare" chance something could go wrong, and you might be more comfortable going to an audiologist if there's any existing damage already.
 
#65
tradernick said:
Absolutley +1.

My tinnitus is terrible. Loud high pitched whine in my ears 24/7. For the rest of my life. I sleep with a white noise machine.

When I gig with younger guys who aren’t using protection, I actually play the dad card and tell them to start using it, and I tell them exactly what I’m currently experiencing.

Please use hearing protection.
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my tinnitus isn't terrible, but it's always there as a hissing with a slight whine in my hearing, and i also have to sleep with white noise. if i could go back and tell younger me to wear ear plugs, i surely would.

Remoman said:
Check out Doc's Pro Plugs. The clear color is pretty discreet, and they don't go into the canal so they are "healthier" and can be more comfortable when wearing them a long time. If you get the vented ones you'll still be able to hear enough of the band to play along, but get some solid ones too for the really loud stuff.
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thanks for the recommendation. i'd rather not have plugs in my canals, so these could be just the ticket.

frankie5string said:
One of my music directors has custom-made earplugs. They have inserts he uses depending on the application (ie: rock vs classical vs jazz) that have different delay/filtration in them. He swears by them!

I personally can't wear the orange (or whatever colour) rolled-foam earplugs. They cause a tonne of occlusion and can make me randomly dizzy.

I've been using Alpines. They very discreet and come with a couple different sets of plugs with various db level reductions. I use the -12db plugs.
Before that I was using D'addario Pacato earplugs, but after a few weeks of use, they develop a bit of occlusion and cause a honk to develop in their sound.

Watching here for other ideas.
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the orange foam earplugs make me dizzy when i use them, but i use them at some parts of places like disneyland when the sound is very loud. the dizziness isn't great on rides like mater's junkyard jamboree where you spin and are flung about.
 
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#66
RickyT said:
Go to a proper audio clinic (where they make hearing aids) and get proper musicians earplugs. They cut the db without muffling the sound and take the harshness from things being too loud

Mine are flesh coloured and barely noticeable. They're worth every cent.
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^
This.. This.. THIS..!

We spend lots of $$ on instruments, strings, amps..
I realize "lots" means different amounts for different people, but seriously - a couple of good custom-fit musicians earplugs should be standard equipment..!
Mine were around 200 bucks. Not cheap, but some of the best money I've ever spend on gear related to playing music!


And - they are a lot more discrete that the foam plugs from Home Depot.

Regards
Mark
 
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#67
Mark_70 said:
^
This.. This.. THIS..!

We spend lots of $$ on instruments, strings, amps..
I realize "lots" means different amounts for different people, but seriously - a couple of good custom-fit musicians earplugs should be standard equipment..!
Mine were around 200 bucks. Not cheap, but some of the best money I've ever spend on gear related to playing music!


And - they are a lot more discrete that the foam plugs from Home Depot.

Regards
Mark
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I've avoided the custom molds mostly because I don't hear a lot of people singing their praises for just noise cancellation. For IEMs they are a must, but it seems like people have been OK with the OTC hearing protection that is widely available.

To get the hearing protection, do you need a referral from a regular doctor, or can you do walk ins for that sort of thing?
Is it ever covered by medical insurance?
 
#69
socialleper said:
I've avoided the custom molds mostly because I don't hear a lot of people singing their praises for just noise cancellation. For IEMs they are a must, but it seems like people have been OK with the OTC hearing protection that is widely available.

To get the hearing protection, do you need a referral from a regular doctor, or can you do walk ins for that sort of thing?
Is it ever covered by medical insurance?
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I got mine covered, as preventive measures. The policy covered hearing aids nothing specific about ear plugs they were not for work.
 
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#71
Get custom molds done. The ear plugs designed for musicians are great and reduce all frequencies. The cheap foam ones tend to let a lot of low end through and can still result in low frequency damage. They are designed to protect speach frequencies only. I’ve worn Westone custom earplugs for close to 20 years. The have interchangeable filters Incase I need more or less protection for a given situation. Though I generally leave the -26db filters in.
Seriously though I see threads all the time on here about shiny new gear and GAS for all sorts of pedals and amps and stuff. But most people seem hesitant to spend money where it counts, and go for some inexpensive hearing protection. If you don’t protect your ears properly and with good equipment, that shiny new bass is gonna be hard to play if you can’t hear it.
Most companies that make custom IEMs also make earplugs these days. It’s worth the investment.
 
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#72
I used to wear 3M E.A.R earplugs when rehearsing, same earplugs that I wear when riding motorcycle.
Two months ago I have a custom ear plugs made for me. I forgot what the brand is, I ordered it from a hearing aid center. It's made of silicone and it's clear, no color.

So if you need a discreet earplugs, my suggestion is to get a custom earplugs.
 
#74
socialleper said:
To get the hearing protection, do you need a referral from a regular doctor, or can you do walk ins for that sort of thing?
Is it ever covered by medical insurance?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure if your particular insurance covers them. Call your insurance to find out. I don't think mine did.

I made an appointment at a Westone dealer to get them fitted. Picked them up two weeks later.
As mentioned, they come with different filters; -9dB(a), -15 dB(a) and -25 dB(a) if I recall correctly.
The nice thing is that they reduce fairly evenly over the whole frequency range, so it doesn't sound all boomy and muffled. Really a big difference with the Home Depot plugs that I used to use.
Don't get me wrong - the Home Depot plugs are better than nothing :)

Regards
Mark
 
#75
No one who plays music should ever wear the big foam plugs. As a sound engineer, I always see musicians wearing them and then they ask me to turn up the monitors.
There are many decent option, like the Earpeace ones. Discreet, affordable, offer various attenuation levels, and still offer some level of acoustic clarity.

The customs molds are great, but hardly seem worth the money. When I started making real $$ as an engineer, I thought it would be great to have them. Spent the $250 (at the time), got them, and then lost them about a month later.

Now I use the Earpeace plugs. They are $20 and sound almost as good. The sensaphonics were good, but not $230 better.
 
#79
RickyT said:
Sorry I've been offline a while. Mine were around $300 Australian.

Not cheap but you can't replace your ears,. Once your hearing is gone it's gone.

Worth every cent.
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I'm OK with that if they are good. I heard "audio clinic" and thought about ear doctors that will sell you hearing aids for US $5000 - each ear.

(I don't need hearing aids, but I have family members that do.)
 
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