Musicians Earplugs

What Are Custom Musicians Earplugs?

Musicians Earplugs are the go-to solution for hearing protection when the sound source is Music. Musicians Earplugs are custom earplugs made out of a soft silicone material with a specially designed filter that reduces the intensity of the sound entering the ear in a relatively balanced manner. This allows for even attenuation (reduction) of the sound levels without unwanted coloration of the frequency spectrum, or timbre.

Why Do I need Musicians Earplugs?

Oddly enough, you need custom filtered earplugs because traditional foam earplugs do too good of a job. That's right, those colorful $0.25 foam cylinders perform brilliantly! Foam earplugs block out as much sound as physically possible from traveling down your ear canal and interacting with your auditory system. Proper use of foam earplugs essentially removes the risk of hearing damage from most conceivable sound sources.

So what is the problem? Music. Music is always the problem. Whether you are listening to it or creating it, music is not like most sound and noise sources: we don’t want to block out all of the music. We only want to reduce the levels so that we can listen and perform for longer periods of time without risking hearing loss or the development of tinnitus. Ideally, we would like to be able to accomplish all of that without changing the balance and timbre of the sound.

WHAT DO Musicians Earplugs SOUND LIKE?

In the simplest terms, music heard through Musicians Earplugs sounds like the original signal - but quieter. If you're feeling particularly lyrical, it could be said that they are the closest thing to a volume control for the real-world. You can listen to a demonstration of the sound of Musicians Earplugs on the Boston Audiology Consultants webpage. Dr. Brian Fligor created these examples using data from in-ear sound level measurements. 

Though Musicians Earplugs are often marketed as "flat" or "uniform", it is important to point out that nothing is every truly flat. If you've ever worked with any sound device, electronic or acoustic, this is an accepted and understood fact. It would be more fair to describe Musicians Earplugs as "balanced" and "accurate", as they maintain the relative balance of tonal components and harmonics across a very broad spectrum. Everyone has a different perception and response, so check out the tutorials section for individual reactions.

FURTHER READING ABOUT MUSICIANS EARPLUGS

Contact Earmark Hearing Conservation to discuss whether custom earplugs are right for you and your individual situation. For more information about our other services, please visit our services page.

If you already have your custom earplugs, or are interested in learning more about them, check out our Custom Earplug Fitting Guide page.