Etymotic ER20-SMB-C High Fidelity Reusable Earplugs [Clamshell Box] Ultra-Comfortable Hearing Protection for Concerts, Festivals, Sports Events, 20dB even volume reduction, White Tip Standard SIze

I had gone to a concert for the first time in awhile a few days before I ordered these. After the show I had a slight ringing in my ears for the first time ever which after 20+ years of going to shows and playing in bands put a shock up my spine. I decided in my ever advancing age that I should invest in some decent hearing protection especially since I would be moving soon and going to shows more often. I have always had issue with most earplugs and IEM as my ear canals are smaller than normal people so unless they are custom fit I tend to have a problem getting a good seal. But I had these recommended to me by many of my musician friends and for the price they were worth a shot. I made my order and in two days Amazon got them right to my door. The build quality is excellent especially for the price point. In the package was the ear plugs, a little piece of a thin rope to connect the ear plugs and allow you to not lose them if one falls out or you have them out for a moment and a carrying case. I did a quick fitting to see if they fit ok and threw them in my bag until a few weeks later when I was at a major outdoor music festival. I used the earplugs all day and part of the night for the entire weekend, through various weather changes. They performed like a champ. They have a very good ability to lower db but still give you clear sound unlike many, many other earplugs I have used throughout the years. In fact at one of the after shows I was at if I didn't have them in the entire set would have been a unlistenable mess due to the speakers being too loud. The fit was a little tight for my ears which did cause some discomfort after a extended period of time (5+ hours) and I did have a issue getting a quality seal occasionally but that it excellent for me normally. For those with normal ears should have zero problems. As for durability I believe as long as you keep them clean they should last a very long time. I have about 30 or so hours on mine so far and they look and feel brand new. I would probably change mine out after a year or so but I shall see how they hold up and report back. In my opinion you can not do much better unless you go for custom molded ear protection, which I implore any serious musician to do. But for the average concert goer these are a fantastic solution.

Bueno

I like these. They are the fourth pair of "nice" earplugs I've tried (I'm not counting the regular foam ones, which don't even fit into my ears), and have so far been the best. They fit snugly in my ear and really filter the sound well, and generally stay put well too (I dance in them, including fast spins, and they do not slip out at all - however, like most earplugs, you may notice when you smile or move your face in certain ways, they may open up slightly, or if you exercise vigorously in them like me and get sweaty. I've found this with every earplug I've tried, but these seem to do it less than others). They also are not very noticeable with the clear stems, which I like. They are also easy to insert and remove. The only issue I have is that they are uncomfortably tight - at the end of a couple of hours, while my ears are thankfully not ringing, they are in pain from being squeezed by these things. As a caveat, I do have really tiny ear canals, so it may just be me. They also are better than another pair I tried that was really inflexible and even more painful - these at least have some give. Then again, I wonder if these would be snug enough for large ear canals, but maybe the flexibility would make them adaptable. Regardless, they've worked well for me overall and I find myself reaching for these every time and leaving my other ear plugs at home. I haven't used them long enough to see how they'll hold up, but the plastic seems sturdier than another brand I tried with a similar construction. I would recommend trying them, especially if you have smaller ear canals and regular plugs don't fit. Update 7/16: I have changed my rating from 4 to 5 stars and ordered a second backup pair, because these earplugs have remained a favorite. The main downside is that if you are using them during heavy activity when you are sweating and moving a lot, you might find yourself having to push them back in fairly regularly. I only use them for dancing so I don't know if this would be an issue for other activities. However, compared to the benefits and considering the price, I think these are a great buy. Also, people almost never notice that I am wearing them, even when my hair is up, which is great - I love that they are discreet. They also really filter sound well without giving you that muffled feeling. Highly recommended! Update 5/17: I am still using and enjoying these earplugs. However, I must note that they are NOT sufficient for very high volumes. I recently attended a music event and wore these throughout, but experienced horrible ringing in my ears for days afterwards. They are still good earplugs and have saved me at other times, but be aware that for a certain level of noise you will need something with more protection.

These ear plugs are the best for live music. Unlike the yellow foam/malleable rubber/flange tip construction earplugs, they don't change the actual sound very much. They just make everything quieter. Pros: - excellent sound reduction without changing sound of music - good value - comes with case with keychain ring Cons: - they come in two sizes and it's hard to tell which one to get... these are supposedly the ones that for "most" people but I found the larger ones had a better fit for me [regular sized woman] - the website isn't helpful in this regard, it says that the size of your person cannot determine the size of your ear canals and you should basically order these and hope they ft - the fit takes some getting used to - they're like putting in higher-end headphones (like shure or etymotics) - you have to shove them in pretty far and twist them around to get a good seal - I don't mind this because I'm used to it from using shures but my sister did not like this at all Overall: - highly recommended for anyone who goes to a lot of live shows and cares about preventing hearing damage. I lost my old ones and immediately replaced them right away.

It definitely does the job alright! Seems to be comfortable.Listening to speech is clear and audible although you might have to focus on the speaker a lil bit. It does get a little uncomfortable, so don't expect a soft, tender experience. Ultimate downside is that it requires cleaning and cleaning can take a while especially when ear wax gets stuck under the flanges and this process has generally discouraged me to an extent though I still use it. It sticks out of your ears!! So you might draw weird looks and comments!