Yup, hearing aids are expensive. In the bigger picture of things, hearing loss is even more expensive (not necessarily in $s).
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I know a few people who have done this. It's a pricier than over-the-counter plugs but the audiologist-made ones can fit your ear perfectly and I believe it's a fairly common request for them. You should ask around at hearing-aid fitters and audiologists for more info 'cuz they do do it sometimes
I use Earasers which get like 13-19dB reduction. Very comfy, and relatively cheap at $40 so not the end of the world if they get lost. I always lose earplugs. Flat frequency response. At concerts, I hear better with them.
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The last update in the Hearing Protection sticky is 1/2024... BOLLSEN Music SoundPRO just wondering if any of the newer products are getting Kudos from anyone?
I'm looking for something to wear for practices, we practice in a 10 x 20 room and it gets pretty loud. PA, drum kit, Leslie (Hammond 3500), 2 guitar amps, percussion, and my bass amp... even when everyone turns down, it's still loud (it's a blessing that we don't have a heavy hitter drummer).
I normally use one Hearo ear plug (on the side nearest the drummer), and that keeps things tolerable. With both I can barely hear my bass. I bought a set of the Zounds ear plugs and I find the noise reduction to be too much, even with just one. I try to do annual hearing tests, so far so good - no abnormal loss (at 69). Knowing that the practice room is loud is half the battle, now to find a way to protect my hearing (and still hear myself playing).
I'm looking at these Bollsen Sound Pro units... they have good reviews. Just concerned about the $26 price point, the Hearo's and Zound units are at about the $30 mark and not working as well as I'd like. When you search for products, prices range between $15 and $3K. I would think that there is something decent in the $100's range.
Would appreciate any suggestions for products that have worked well in similar situations.
Cheers
I'm looking for something to wear for practices, we practice in a 10 x 20 room and it gets pretty loud. PA, drum kit, Leslie (Hammond 3500), 2 guitar amps, percussion, and my bass amp... even when everyone turns down, it's still loud (it's a blessing that we don't have a heavy hitter drummer).
I normally use one Hearo ear plug (on the side nearest the drummer), and that keeps things tolerable. With both I can barely hear my bass. I bought a set of the Zounds ear plugs and I find the noise reduction to be too much, even with just one. I try to do annual hearing tests, so far so good - no abnormal loss (at 69). Knowing that the practice room is loud is half the battle, now to find a way to protect my hearing (and still hear myself playing).
I'm looking at these Bollsen Sound Pro units... they have good reviews. Just concerned about the $26 price point, the Hearo's and Zound units are at about the $30 mark and not working as well as I'd like. When you search for products, prices range between $15 and $3K. I would think that there is something decent in the $100's range.
Would appreciate any suggestions for products that have worked well in similar situations.
Cheers
Watching to see what others suggest. We put a decibel meeter in the room and have diligently worked to keep our average well below 100db (90-95 range). Depending not your reference point, that is either good or bad. The meter REALLY helps us all be more mindful and provides an objective indicator of who really is too loud. You might consider one.
I wear IEMs now because all the ear plugs I tried took away too much of the high end to hear well. But when I play with other bands, I'm back to regular ear plugs. I would love something that lowered things by 15-20db without killing all the highs, but as far as I can tell that is a fantasy. Hopefully someone here will have a good suggestion.
I wear IEMs now because all the ear plugs I tried took away too much of the high end to hear well. But when I play with other bands, I'm back to regular ear plugs. I would love something that lowered things by 15-20db without killing all the highs, but as far as I can tell that is a fantasy. Hopefully someone here will have a good suggestion.
During Covid I got a set of IEMs from a company called MEE audio. They were reasonably priced ($150 or so) but I also spent $100 at a local audiologist for molds.
Well, MEE keeps scans of your molds so a couple of years ago I bought a set of their earplugs for $100, without having to go back to the audiologist. My last custom set were made by a different company almost 25 years ago in 2000, cost $280, and the attenuators were always falling out. The MEE plugs are a much better design - the attenuators are buried in the plug so they don’t come out easily. But you can remove them. I got 25db attenuators and a set of 15db attenuators, but I mainly use the 25’s.
Unlike most earplugs that block ALL sound, most custom plugs block harmful frequencies - usually the stuff like cymbals and snares, but let the bass through just fine. I use them on every gig and rehearsal and highly recommend them.
I also got a pair of sleeping earplugs made. Unfortunately they didn’t fit comfortably but the company remade two additional pairs for free until they finally worked. I sleep with them every night.
I’m not sure what their current offerings or prices are, but I highly recommend them.
Well, MEE keeps scans of your molds so a couple of years ago I bought a set of their earplugs for $100, without having to go back to the audiologist. My last custom set were made by a different company almost 25 years ago in 2000, cost $280, and the attenuators were always falling out. The MEE plugs are a much better design - the attenuators are buried in the plug so they don’t come out easily. But you can remove them. I got 25db attenuators and a set of 15db attenuators, but I mainly use the 25’s.
Unlike most earplugs that block ALL sound, most custom plugs block harmful frequencies - usually the stuff like cymbals and snares, but let the bass through just fine. I use them on every gig and rehearsal and highly recommend them.
I also got a pair of sleeping earplugs made. Unfortunately they didn’t fit comfortably but the company remade two additional pairs for free until they finally worked. I sleep with them every night.
I’m not sure what their current offerings or prices are, but I highly recommend them.
Actives Custom Earplugs with Interchangeable Filters
The Actives custom-fit earplugs are built to the exact shape and size of your ears using state of the art 3D printing technology and provide excellent hearing protection and a secure custom molded fit that never falls out, all without sacrificing audio quality.
meeaudio.com
It's a bad idea to wear only one earplug. Basically it comes down to the ability to hear your bass clearly now, versus ability to hear anything clearly later. In addition to hearing loss, expect to develop tinnitus (constant ringing).
There are two hearing protection standards. NIOSH is the more conservative of the two. From; Senpiel Sound Exposure
I used custom Etymotic ear plugs with either ER15 or ER20 filters. It's claimed this type of protection allows natural sound at a reduced SPL. IMHO this is BS, but results may vary from one person to the next. My perception is the ear plugs rolled of the highs and boosted the low mids. AFAIK the bump in the low mids is cause by something called occlusion effect. When you stop your ear, it creates a resonant chamber between the plug and your ear drum. I also felt that the plugs seemed to greatly reduce dynamic range. In short the listening experience is pretty awful. But better to deal with the sound degradation now than deal with hearing loss and tinnitus later.
What I did to overcome the sonic degradation. For decades I have elevated my cab and tilted it to aim at my head. This ensures the full, natural response of the cabinet shoots directly at my ears. If the cab is flat on the floor, the higher frequencies will shoot by below ear level. I also tend to use a fairly bright sound. Between aiming the cab at my ears and boosting higher frequencies, my bass sounded more natural through the ear plugs. This approach helps you hear as well as you possibly can at the lowest possible volume. Try it...you might like. You might also hate it.
With IEMs, AFAIK it's possible to use EQ to compensate for the frequency response degradation cause by custom ear plugs. AFAIK part of the process of fitting hearing aids is to develop a prescription which addresses this issue. So with the right gear and skills you should be able to dial in a more natural sound with IEMs as well.
There are two hearing protection standards. NIOSH is the more conservative of the two. From; Senpiel Sound Exposure
I used custom Etymotic ear plugs with either ER15 or ER20 filters. It's claimed this type of protection allows natural sound at a reduced SPL. IMHO this is BS, but results may vary from one person to the next. My perception is the ear plugs rolled of the highs and boosted the low mids. AFAIK the bump in the low mids is cause by something called occlusion effect. When you stop your ear, it creates a resonant chamber between the plug and your ear drum. I also felt that the plugs seemed to greatly reduce dynamic range. In short the listening experience is pretty awful. But better to deal with the sound degradation now than deal with hearing loss and tinnitus later.
What I did to overcome the sonic degradation. For decades I have elevated my cab and tilted it to aim at my head. This ensures the full, natural response of the cabinet shoots directly at my ears. If the cab is flat on the floor, the higher frequencies will shoot by below ear level. I also tend to use a fairly bright sound. Between aiming the cab at my ears and boosting higher frequencies, my bass sounded more natural through the ear plugs. This approach helps you hear as well as you possibly can at the lowest possible volume. Try it...you might like. You might also hate it.
With IEMs, AFAIK it's possible to use EQ to compensate for the frequency response degradation cause by custom ear plugs. AFAIK part of the process of fitting hearing aids is to develop a prescription which addresses this issue. So with the right gear and skills you should be able to dial in a more natural sound with IEMs as well.
CC,
Thanks for the info, I ordered a set of their design your own Hi-Fi earplugs with the recommended 10db flat response filters. It was only $32 with the Black Friday code. If they work well I may try the molded custom fit.
Cheers... I'll follow up.
Was,
I was a heavy equipment mechanic for 25 years (until I was 40)... and played in rock bands. No idea why my hearing is still OK (knock on wood), and the tinnitus is minimal. Thanks for the detailed response. Playing Live I use a small stack, so my gear is a ear level (and usually in a more open space than the practice room (it's at a church school, so it's not only small but has block walls). Hoping this will work... I keep an Ampeg BA115v2 at practice and have tried the angled monitor position and it's still hard to ear with earplugs. Hoping this will work
.
Thanks for the info, I ordered a set of their design your own Hi-Fi earplugs with the recommended 10db flat response filters. It was only $32 with the Black Friday code. If they work well I may try the molded custom fit.
Cheers... I'll follow up.
Was,
I was a heavy equipment mechanic for 25 years (until I was 40)... and played in rock bands. No idea why my hearing is still OK (knock on wood), and the tinnitus is minimal. Thanks for the detailed response. Playing Live I use a small stack, so my gear is a ear level (and usually in a more open space than the practice room (it's at a church school, so it's not only small but has block walls). Hoping this will work... I keep an Ampeg BA115v2 at practice and have tried the angled monitor position and it's still hard to ear with earplugs. Hoping this will work
.
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I use Earga
I use Eargasm earplugs. I use a pair for smaller ears, seem to fit better then regs. Guitar player doesn't use any ear protection. That explains his hearing loss and always turning his volume up.
I use Eargasm earplugs. I use a pair for smaller ears, seem to fit better then regs. Guitar player doesn't use any ear protection. That explains his hearing loss and always turning his volume up.
I've used several types over the years, inc custom molds, Etymotic, Doc's proplugs, Alpine, Eargasm, Earasers and my AirPod Pro's set to transparency mode. My preferred solution at the moment is the Loop Switch 2. Inexpensive and decent tone that doesn't seem to muffle the treble too much. Very comfortable too.
Oh, you might find this useful...
www.hearadvisor.com
Oh, you might find this useful...
Ear Plug Rankings by Sound Performance in 2025
Independent lab testing of ear plugs for noise reduction and sound quality.
Good info,
The Vibes solution looks similar to the Hearo's product (with the tube), glad to hear they get a good review. I was looking at the Loop product line, they do look interesting and also get good reviews. I like that the MEE product offers different levels of reduction and went with the 10db flat response to see how that plays out (the filters are interchangeable). Playing live I go without, because I do the mixer setup, and really need to hear the entire mix clearly. But, if these work OK for practice, might get set for live.
GA,
That Ranking chart is great... the Hearo's that I have are on the chart and matches my experience (really dulls the sound quality). Thanks
The Vibes solution looks similar to the Hearo's product (with the tube), glad to hear they get a good review. I was looking at the Loop product line, they do look interesting and also get good reviews. I like that the MEE product offers different levels of reduction and went with the 10db flat response to see how that plays out (the filters are interchangeable). Playing live I go without, because I do the mixer setup, and really need to hear the entire mix clearly. But, if these work OK for practice, might get set for live.
GA,
That Ranking chart is great... the Hearo's that I have are on the chart and matches my experience (really dulls the sound quality). Thanks
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They all muffle the sound considerably in my world so I go with Walgreens foam. It got expensive trying out ear plugs only to find they either don't work or all sound the same to me. Hard no to Eargasm for this kid.
I use the ones that come from the machine shop, the foam ones. As far as I'm concerned, if other musicians are playing so loud that I need to use hearing protection, they don't deserve my best playing, so I don't worry about whether I can hear what I'm doing perfectly.
Also have been known to bring out the bright red shooting muffs in extreme cases.
Also have been known to bring out the bright red shooting muffs in extreme cases.
The MEE earplugs arrived today and I did quick comparison test between the three sets that I own. It was actually a little easier to test in my studio, playing along with Pretzel Logic (Steely Dan) through my PA at pretty good volume (don't have a decibel meter). Probably not as loud as our band room gets, but it was a consistent test between the brands.
Cheers
- Hearo's: Was about the clearest, with the least volume reduction.
- MEE's: Drums and highs came through clearly, a bit more muffled than the Hearo's (not bad)
- Zounds: Muffled across the spectrum, lost my place a few times.
Cheers
I had some custom ear plugs made from my IEM molds by Alclair. They fit perfectly
and have a filter that let’s just a little in but very little. They definitely cut the sound down. If you’re looking for something lets a lot of sound in and you have hearing loss, these may not be for you. I have lost quite a bit of hearing and chose the ones that let in the most sound and I hear very little detail with them in. I mainly wear them to concerts and listening to loud bands.
Full Ear Musician and Concert Earplugs
Custom and Universal In-Ear Monitors and earbuds for stage musicians and vocalists, studio engineers, hi-fi music lovers and audiophiles.
alclair.com
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