Ear Defenders

[GRAHAM99]

I am after a new pair of ear defenders for band gigs and rehearsals.
Any recommendations?
Thanks

[Wonks]

Do you mean ear plugs (which go in the ear) or actual ear defenders which are the headphone type things without any speakers?

[GRAHAM99]

Sorry I meant ear plugs that go in the ear.
I need some that attenuate the sound but maintain audio clarity!

[Essex Boi]

I use earplugs from ACS Custom. They attenuate at a relatively flat -17dB across the spectrum meaning I can hear the rest of the band perfectly.

https://acscustom.com/uk/products/pro-series/pro-17/

They’re not cheap, but my tinnitus is already pretty bad and I don’t want it to get worse.

[resistorman]

I use the ACS Pacato 19 plugs, very happy with them.

[Sam Spoons]

I have ACS Pro 17's too, very good and all day comfortable.

[ore_terra]

Another one with ACS Pro 17 here

[James Perrett]

I use the ACS Pacatos and keep them in their tube on my keyring so that I always have them around.

[R_A]

Remember if it's too loud for you. It's also too loud for the audience.

If you need earplugs, so do the audience.

It's a condom on condom situation.

Maybe play softer and bring the sensuality & sensation back.

[Sam Spoons]

To be fair R_A the level on stage can be significantly louder (or quieter) than that in the audience and us musicians and techs may well be exposed for much longer periods and much more frequently than a typical audience member.

[AlecSp]

ACS Pro 17s for me, without question.

I baulked at the price some 12 years ago, until I got them. Then, when I sadly lost them 6-7 years later, I was straight out to get another pair, no questions asked. It's *all* about the custom fit.

Even my wife now has them for occasional gigs and musicals - she also now swears by them.

[R_A]

To be fair R_A the level on stage can be significantly louder (or quieter) than that in the audience and us musicians and techs may well be exposed for much longer periods and much more frequently than a typical audience member.

The 'average' rock concert is apparently 90 - 120 dB.

About 14 mins at 100 dB is enough to do irreparable damage.

About 120 seconds 110 dB is enough to do irreparable damage.

I remember seeing those numbers as young student / trainee and thinking - huh!

[Wonks]

Those are constant SPL values, and whilst hearing damage is always to be avoided (I damaged my own hearing by being careless whilst testing out a PA at home), you do need to look at the figures in context. You need to look at peak and average levels, rather than just one simple dB value that is almost never qualified in the text as to what weighting it's measured at (dB is just a ratio and is never a meaningful level unless qualified by a reference e.g SPL or (A), or U or v or FS etc.

With typical dB (A) SPL weighting, you can have loud bass sounds that don't worry the measuring level meter much. A 100Hz note has to be 20dB louder than a 1kHz sound to register at the same loudness value on the (A) scale. But does loud bass cause the same type of hearing damage as loud mids or treble?

Unfortunately hearing loss through sound level exposure research is very limited in scope because you simply can't expose people to different levels of loud noise and measure the resulting hearing loss effects. It's simply not ethical. So it has to be worked at through statistical methods from people exposed to loud noise at work, with fairly crude data and no single event cause and effect measurements. The figures given are probably therefore a bit on the safe side for exposure, but they still don't explain what say "120dB exposure" really means. I know it's very loud, but if it peaks at 120dB(A) but averages 100dB(A) is that better (or rather 'less worse') for your ears than sound that peaks at 125dB(A) but averages at 95dB(A)? I have no idea!

It's easy to throw numbers around, but they can easily be misused (e.g. so many venue power cut-off sound meters were/are set to peak, not average levels so cut out from an unamplified snare hit).

[Sam Spoons]

The 'average' rock concert is apparently 90 - 120 dB.

About 14 mins at 100 dB is enough to do irreparable damage.

About 120 seconds 110 dB is enough to do irreparable damage.

I remember seeing those numbers as young student / trainee and thinking - huh!

At your average rock concert (as opposed to pub gig) the stage sound level will bear little relationship to the audience level and the latter will be entirely in the hands of the sound techs. Stage levels including monitoring and backline will be, at least partially, under the direction of the musicians but wearing earplugs may still be advisable. Personally I don't wear my plugs when I'm playing/singing but I do most of the time if I'm sound tech and sometimes when I'm in the audience.

[shufflebeat]

My silicon Christmas tree of choice is by Vic Firth:

https://www.andertons.co.uk/vic-firth-e ... ize-white/

I discard the neckband to avoid getting them ripped out of my ears by adoring fans or passing mic stands, otherwise have been great for about 10yrs, probably 5-6 pairs.

[R_A]

Wonks & Sam, yes and yes absolutely valid points - (& ik I'm a little off topic). But if you're having to wear hearing protection to a listening event it's worth questioning whether something has gone wrong / could be done better.

We know from experience that many gigs are simply too loud. For instance a lass at the table next to me in a pub in mid June was chatting to me about what a great time she'd had a James concert - and remarked that her ears were still ringing (it was two days after the gig).

I really don't think that's quite right...

Imagine going to an art exhibit and having to remember your eye protection!

Sound and music is so beautiful and we all want to enjoy it to the full capacity of our senses for as long and possible

I do attend gigs some experimental music events that can be noisy. If the levels get to a silly level I do plug (I use Doc's ProPlugs [would absolutely not recommend them for playing in!]) and if the levels get utterly bonkers, I step outside until the act is over.

I'd like to go to many more gigs with friends, especially dance music gigs... I love techno, house etc but often I find myself declining invites because I know the sound levels will be dangerous - I'm definitely more careful than most, and wish I didn't need to be.

[Sam Spoons]

The last gig I felt it necessary to wear earplugs was Bellowhead* of all people at the Bridgwater hall. The sound was shocking, too loud (by any measure, not just for the building) and way to bass heavy. I would have walked but I had friends and family with me so put my plugs in and went with the flow.

* Just in case anybody doesn't know Bellowhead are an 11 piece folk band so high volume is really not a requirement...

[GRAHAM99]

Maybe all this will prompt an article in SOS if the “management” have seen this?!

[Martin Walker]

A couple of years ago I bought a pair of Loop Experience ear plugs, which work well and come with four sizes of silicone ear tips.

They do the job, and look quite stylish too

[GRAHAM99]

I have ordered some Pacato 19 ear plugs.
I will report back!
I have had some ear defenders for several years but lately they seem to not be attenuating as much.
It has been difficult to get them to “sit” properly.
I am very careful in my studio about volume especially guitar amps.
The problem seems worse in a rehearsal room than playing live.
I guess this is due to the usual small room size.
Not easy to turn a drum kit down!

[shufflebeat]

This has just come to my attention, v interesting for background info and planning:

https://www.derby.ac.uk/news/2025/launch-of-hela/

[GRAHAM99]

I used the Pacato ear plugs last night on a gig.
Very pleased with them.
Plenty of attenuation without a big loss in quality.
Decent fit in my ears as well.

[Wonks]

[FrankF]

I'd never heard of these ACS products, and nor has Amazon!

A link for the needy:

https://acscustom.com/uk/products/pro-series/pro-17/

[Wonks]

I'd never heard of these ACS products, and nor has Amazon!

A link for the needy:

https://acscustom.com/uk/products/pro-series/pro-17/

They have in the UK.

ACS Pacato 19 Reusable High Fidelity Hearing Protectors Earplugs Ear Plugs https://amzn.eu/d/iTqWvzN

And the 16s, but nothing custom fitted for obvious reasons.