Musicians Hearing Protection – A detailed review of the best hearing protection for musicians and musicians and how to choose the right one for you.
From AC/DC’s Brian Johnson to the great Beethoven, musicians have lived by their sense of hearing. Although their stories seem inspiring, we cannot ignore the fact that it is very difficult to have such conditions.
Musicians Hearing Protection
That being said, hearing protection shouldn’t be a problem. And when it comes to protecting your hearing, taking shortcuts should be out of your mind.
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As a musician, finding the best and right hearing protection is not easy. Just like choosing your next guitar or drumstick, you should take ear protection seriously. Everything from the noise reduction rating to the comfort of using the hearing protection must be well designed.
Noise reduction, as the name suggests, is a function that allows equipment to filter out sound. On the other hand, the noise reduction rating (NRR) is a measure of how well a particular piece of hearing protection can block out noise.
When a hearing protector says it has an NRR of 31, it means that the equipment can reduce noise by 31dB.
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Unlike noise-canceling headphones or other hearing protection devices (HPDs), those made for musicians have a lower NRR. The reason for this is actually very simple. You see, musicians can’t have every little sound blocked – they still need to hear enough of their own music.
The noise reduction rating is easily determined when purchasing an HPD. A simple label read or a quick survey would do the trick.
Also, if you want to know how much NRR you need, you can use an app like Decibel X or Sound Meter. These guidelines will help you determine the size of your environment. In turn, you can measure how much noise you need to reduce.
Why Do Musicians Wear And Take Out Their Earpieces?
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends no more than 85dB. Anything else can be harmful.
Unlike hearing protection for other activities like mowing the lawn or taking pictures, HPDs for musicians should not prevent you from fully hearing your surroundings (or the music). Of course, as musicians, we still want to listen to music.
Amplification is the concept of power reduction, in this case volume reduction.
Musicians Earplugs And Monitors
Unlike speech or normal noise, instruments have more power, so a lot of protection has been put in place to block hearing. Unfortunately, conventional foam earplugs provide too much attenuation. As a result, users can hear a booming sound – like listening to club music from outside.
In response, high precision and acoustic filters were developed. These filters are there to reduce sound levels while maintaining sound clarity. Filters are often made of silicone or other flexible materials.
High-precision hearing protection designed and patented by Elmer Carlson. What it does is match the peak of the resonance in the open ear, so when you wear the HPD it sounds the same but quieter.
Custom Hearing Protection
The occlusion effect is a fairly technical concept in audio engineering. Still, it’s a very important factor musicians should consider when purchasing hearing protection.
Every time we close our ears, we are blocking two ways to release pressure. In addition, pressure builds up inside the ear, causing users to perceive sounds differently.
For singers and brass players, this is an all-too-familiar concept. These performers use a lot of air, which increases the chance of pressure surges when using hearing protection.
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If you want to try the occlusion effect yourself, you can cover one ear and leave the other open. Notice how the sound changes?
Too much occlusion can lead to conditions such as tinnitus and even hearing loss. Also, for musicians, wearing the wrong type of hearing protection can have the same effect.
Fortunately, this difficult problem can be solved with a fairly simple tool. By positioning the earpieces better, you can give the pressure a little more room. When purchasing hearing protection, ask if the product takes the occlusion effect into account.
Eardial Hifi Earplugs
There are two types of hearing protection: headphones and earmuffs. Although different in form, these two have the same purpose. However, the two are used in different scenarios.
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The headphones are more portable and more comfortable to wear. They don’t take up much space and won’t get in the way of your glasses or goggles.
And using headphones is much easier. You can put them on easily and they are easy to take off too. Not to mention, earphones don’t get lost as easily as headphones.
Loop Experience Pro Earplugs
For drummers, ear beats are the way to go. Basically, the headphones stay in place regardless of sweat. Earmuffs can provide additional protection from the pressure generated by the drums. For singers or concert pianists, aesthetically smart earplugs are a must.
True, headphones and earphones are not the most comfortable to wear. They interfere with one of your primary senses, so we can’t say “natural” is the word we’d use to describe it.
However, comfort and fit should never be taken lightly, especially for HPD. Yes, hearing protection can certainly be uncomfortable, but it shouldn’t be a distraction. The last thing you want to do is worry too much about your HPD.
Are Custom Earplugs For Musicians Effective?
When it comes to comfort and fit, there are molded ear tips or different size options. The molded earplugs cover your ears very well and are soft enough that they don’t feel like heavy obstructions. On the other hand, size options also give you the flexibility you need.
The best way to go about it is to try it yourself. You can never go wrong with something you’ve already tried.
It’s worth noting that most HPDs for musicians can’t last as long as Bluetooth hearing protection like, say, 3M Worktunes. However, they should last long enough. A good pair of hearing protection should be able to see your musical growth. Flowery words aside, these aren’t free, so you’d better not change them too often.
Music Pro Elite
Compared to conventional foam protectors, silicone and memory foam are much more durable. The material is what you want to focus on. Before you buy, research what the product is made of.
You can also check if the headphones have waterproof properties. Remember that musicians can sweat a lot and this can cause earplugs to wear out quickly.
To protect the hearing of musicians, degradation is not noticeable until after 3-6 months of use. And specially designed hearing protection can last up to 4-5 years.
Why Do Musicians Use Earplugs?
It’s also wise to find out if your headphones need to be replaced. Some signs to watch for include:
Alpine MusicSafe Pro is the best hearing protection for musicians on our list for a variety of reasons. In retrospect, these headphones offer the perfect blend of comfort and performance. It is also made by one of the veterans of this industry.
Alpine has been designing and manufacturing headphones for over 25 years. The Dutch company is world-renowned for its science-based HPD.
High Fidelity Concert Earplugs, Reusable Musicians Ear Plugs, 24db Advanced Filter Technology Ear Protection For Music Festivals, Djs, Musicians
AlpineThermoShape begins with its amazing features. This patented material gives Alpine products an edge over others, and the MusicSafe Pro is no different. It is a material that softens due to body heat. As a result, it takes the perfect shape of your ear and is even hypoallergenic.
In addition, MusicSafe Pro also has AlpineAcousticFilters at its core. Harmful sounds are necessarily filtered out, and the quality of the music remains the same.
Additionally, it comes with three different noise reduction filters rated at 16, 19 and 22dB.
Earasers Musician’s High Fidelity Earplugs
These headphones are made for concerts, so you can expect them to survive all the sweat and harmful external noise. It even comes with its own cleaning spray and mini box!
Admittedly, they can be difficult to put on at first. Even so, once you get the hang of it, it’s hard to argue why it’s the best overall choice here.
If you’re looking for an HPD musician, the EAROS ONE is the second best option. It has quality and full features, we can also praise. Needless to say, the design of these headphones is probably something you don’t want to miss.
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It features a patented Serpentine Soundbore developed by MIT engineers. This small but ingenious feature allows users to use the full spectrum of frequencies with still low intensity. Combined with EAROS ONE’s acoustic filter, you can hear everything while eliminating hearing damage!
Adding to that, its streamlined shape isn’t just for show. According to the natural contour of the human ear, EAROS ONE perfectly covers the ear canal. Overall, it’s a great choice
