Looking for Best Earplugs for Concerts? Musicians, read this!

Live music concerts are great. We all know that. What’s not that great, however, is the pain in the ears most of us experience once we leave the gig – do you remember the familiar sound of ‘ringing’ in your ears? Yes, it tends to ring for a few hours and then usually everything gets back to normal. But did you know that continuous exposure to noise over 85 dB (and by continuous we mean eight hours or so) can result in the permanent hearing loss? Eight hours seems a lot, but if you’ve been listening to Spotify on your way to concert, chances are that you’re pretty close to that limit.

The normal, every day conversation is around 65dB, which is absolutely safe for your hears. However, a loud hip-hop or rock concert can expose your ears to up to 120 dB which can be devastating to your ears. A three minute blast like this can result in some pretty serious consequences. How to avoid this and protect your hearing while you enjoy the live band playing your favourite songs? Use earplugs. If you’re reading this, chances are that you’re already aware of the threat and are looking for best earplugs for concerts. 

What Makes The Best Earplugs For Concerts?

It’s not easy to pick up the best earplugs for musicians and concerts. There are plenty of different earplug products available on the market and most of them address different issues. Some people need earplugs to sleep calm, some like to swim and look for water-blocking earplugs.

Best earplugs for concerts are much different from regular earplugs though. It does sound a bit counterintuitive when you go to listen the live music and plan to wear earplugs – after all, you want to hear the music well and clear, don’t you? What ear plugs should you choose then?

The best musician earplugs for concerts will be those which do not mute the sound completely. Unlike the foam ear plugs, best ear plugs for concerts will lower the noise by around 12 to 15 dB – which is much less than, for example, the sleep earplugs which can effectively block noise up to 32dB.

You need best ear plugs that can evenly lower the volume of the sound across all frequencies. This way, you will still enjoy every tune while keeping your ears safe and sound!

A Few Words About Ear plugs for Musicians

Personnel who work within the live music industry such as musicians, sound engineers, DJs, live sound mixers, video operators, cameramen etc. need to ensure they take precautions to protect their hearing. Due to the loud sound levels they can often be exposed to, ear protection is vital.

Musicians ear plugs are especially constructed to replicate the natural hearing range of the ear but with a lower decibel level. Music heard using musicians ear plugs have the same frequencies as the original, but delivered to the inner ear at a safe decibel level.

Musicians practice and perform in a wide spectrum of musical styles, thus musicians often require different amounts of protection depending on their situation. Thus there are many ear plugs available offering varying levels of attenuation. Some musicians even use one type of attenuator in one ear and a different type in the other, depending on the source, location and intensity of the sound.

Four Reasons Musicians Should Always Wear Earplugs

More and more, famous musicians are protecting their ears and spreading awareness about ear damage. Did you know that 60% of all inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame have some sort of hearing loss? You’re probably saying to yourself: well they made it there without protecting their ears, so why should I?

So, why should you?

Ear protection is becoming common practice in the music world

Even Sting was an ambassador with the Hear the World Foundation and paired with New York Eye and Ear Infirmary to remind people the importance of ear protection. Musicians are focused on ear protection now more than ever as studies are showing the true damage caused by loud music. You’ll notice in concert Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber and Beyonce and other stars earpieces. This helps them hear what is going on backstage but also blocks outside noise, protects their ears, and even amplifies the sounds of the music.

Tinnitus

Tinnitus is a loud, high pitched, ringing or buzzing in the ears. It can be short term, like the ringing you get if you walk by a drill on the street without any protection. Or, in the cases of many musicians, it can be permanent. It is almost like one of Dante’s Circles of Hell—it is an incessant ringing in the ears that cannot be stopped. Tinnitus is not itself a condition, but it is usually a symptom of hearing loss or ear injury. Once tinnitus sets in, it is even more crucial to wear ear protection to avoid any further damage.

Loss of career or hobby

If you damage your ears, lose your hearing, or have a ringing in your ears, your ability to play music drastically decreases. If you lose your hearing, your career or hobby is gone. Taking care of your ears is much better than losing your passion.

Amplifies sound

A lot of music earplugs actually work to block out background noise and amplify the sound of the music being played. This is especially useful when playing in a loud venue, like a party or concert hall, as the background noise can be equally as damaging to the ears as the loud music itself. This creates a purity of sound that actually helps the musician better hear notes and pitches and thus perform better.