I need help/advice with earplugs

I'm sure you have audiologists in Portugal. I suggest you go visit one. You'll have to be fitted and they are the folks to do it. I have the ER type with interchangeable filters. I think they go from 7db to 25db in filtration strength and got mine through the audiologist. It cost $250USD including the audiologist's fee. Included in the fee they tested my hearing as well, which I suggest you do to create baseline measurements so you can tell if your hearing is fading, with or without the ear plugs.

Are you currently using hearing protection? If I were playing in a loud metal band I'd probably be wearing ear plugs and a noise cancelling headset together. For many years I used to take photographs in rooms where the bands were extremely loud AND wore ear plugs all the time and yet today I go into a restaurant or room with a lot of echo and I cannot understand the conversation. It is frustrating and I'm sure you don't want to be there in your 40's 50's or 60's.

 

I have been using foam ear plugs for concerts and shooting sports and the automotive repair world for decades.

I have since moved on to custom plugs from my ear doctor. More to hear a bit more music,yet offer the same protection as the foam plugs.

I am so used to wearing and listening while plugged, no matter what I use, I can always hear well.

My ENT doctor stated, it’s because my hearing is not damaged due to the protection I have been using for so long.

The custom fit plugs are worth every penny to keep and maintain your hearing.

Foam plugs are the minimum! If your band is cranking at high levels, believe me, you will still hear everything just fine.

 

The ones my doctor molds for are listed in the link below.
They work great. I have just the 25db reduction and they work perfectly.

PULSE® - Musician Earplugs

 

I have tried a lot of brands, but the type that audiologists fit to your ear are by far the best for me.
Westone is a top brand in the US. Not sure if they are sold or molded in Portugal.

 

Yes. The doctor sends them in and I pick them up from him. I think I have ER but ER and Westone, I believe use the same filters, or at least can. -25db should be good enough. They were too strong for the kind of music I play so exchanged them for -15's. I think I have -7's too, but I think I like the -15's the best.

 

I used E.A.R. brand earplugs when I ride my motorcycles and I used the same brand for a while when I rehearsed with my band.

I wanted something more comfortable, so I went to a hearing aid center (store that specializes in hearing aid) and had a pair of custom ear plugs made for me. Clear silicone plugs. A week later, I picked them up.
I don't know what the brand is, I think it's their (the store's) own brand. They're really comfortable, and I use them every time I rehearse with my band.... well until this pandemic anyway.
So if there's a hearing aid store in your area, maybe you can stop by and have them make a pair for you.

 

To the OP:
When I ride my motorcycle I want quiet and don't want to hear wind noise.
There are a variety of ear PLUGS that can be foam or custom fitted that block out sound.
When I play music with a loud band, I want to attenuate the volume evenly over the entire audio spectrum; like turning the volume down in your car.
Ear plugs that FILTER sound are made for this. I tried 4 brands from Amazon and they were all horrible as far as fidelity goes. The Westone filters are by far the best. I can't remember if mine are 20 or 25dB of attenuation.

 

Pulse, Westone,ER, they are pretty much all the same. I think ER and Westone's filters are interchangeable.

I know a lot of guys resist wearing plugs, but they don't realize that once they have them in for a minute or two the body naturally goes into neuro-sensory adaptation. In other words, your perception seems to "equalize" itself and you become unaware of the any tonal changes. When you remove the plugs everything sounds extra loud until you re-adapt a few minutes later. There are times when I didn't remember that I had them in and had to reach up and feel for them in my ears because I really couldn't tell. I would also say that people playing even at modest levels should wear plugs regularly. I keep mine in a pouch on my belt a lot of the time. Better to have them and not need them, than need them and not have them.