question about moulded ear protection and filters

[janne jansson]

I had a rock gig 3 weeks ago and had the wrong filters put in my moulded ear protection
I put the 9 db instead of of the 25 filters in..and my old friend tinnitus who have been pretty kind to me
the last 15 years stayed in my right ear ever since

I must buy some new earprotection and filters,,
I have used Etymotic ER-Filters almost 20 years and want to ask if
they still are the best or has anything new come up in the world of moulded ear protection and filters?

Janne Jansson

[DSOP]

I found the 25 dB to be too much, and prefer the 15 dB (for drumming and motorcycling). I don't know of anything better.

http://www.etymotic.com/hp/erme.html

[Andy Vermiglio]

The greater the attenuation (reduction) in sound level the better!

My "not so loud" rimshots with Hot Rods were measured at 140 dB peak SPL. A 15 dB filter will only knock this down to 125 dB SPL. This is still hazardous to your hearing.

As time marches on the cartilage in our ear canals will change shape. This change can cause leaks with the molded plugs. When this happens, you should go through the process of obtaining a new set of molds.

One other issue is that if you already have a significant hearing loss, it may be more difficult to hear what to need to hear with earplugs than someone without a hearing loss. So, in this case it becomes a trade-off. How much do you want to hear now and how much do you want to hear later?

Whichever earplug you decide to use, it is best to have the actual attenuation of the earplugs measured while you are wearing them. The attenuation should be measured across a broad range of frequencies (say around 125 - 8000 Hz). Look for a fairly flat attenuation across these frequencies. This will provide the best sound quality for you on the gig!

[janne jansson]

Thanks!
I guess the 20 year old filter construction still are the best....
I have made 4 or 5 moulds and bought filters from Etymotic before and i guess
they still are the best then...

Andy!
I did not know you could have attenuation of the earplugs measured while you are wearing them...

[DSOP]

The 25s definitely offer more protection, but if I end up playing horribly as a result, there's no point wearing them.

Even on the motorcycle, the 25s cut out way more noise, but I didn't feel safe if I couldn't hear ANY ambient noise.

I never thought about the changing cartilage though. I got an extra set of plugs to wear on the bike recently, and they definitely feel more snug. I thought it was just a result of a different audiologist's technique.

[Andy Vermiglio]

janne, to determine the actual attenuation of a set of earplugs the audiologist would need to determine your sound field thresholds without the plugs and then again with the plugs. You simply subtract the unplugged thresholds from the plugged thresholds. This will give you the attenuation for each ear. During this procedure the non test ear should be "masked." This is rarely done in the clinic. Years ago when I was a new clinical audiologist, I would do this all the time.

DSOP, you're right. If the plugs have an adverse effect on your playing then you need to change to something else that will work for you while you are still protecting your hearing.