ears!

[juliet]

Was reminded last night that I probably haven't pimped these for a while, so, for the benefit of my readers who occasionally attend events where Loud Music is played: the best earplugs ever. They work evenly across frequencies, so you hear the same music, just about 15-20 decibels quieter (i.e. enough to stop it hurting). Unlike the Boots/etc foam ones, which have a muffling effect.

It's worth bearing in mind that noise-induced hearing loss is gradual (so you don't necessarily notice it happening) & permanent once it's happened. Someone I used to know on a mailing list had given themselves tinnitus from loud music so badly that by their mid-20s they could no longer go to gigs/clubs at all (which scared the hell out of me, personally!). I know my hearing isn't as good as it used to be (I'm worse than I was at hearing speech in loud places), & I *really* don't want it getting any worse.

Anyway, yeah: £12, not disposable, stop your ears hurting, should significantly reduce damage being done, & as an added bonus mean you can actually hear people talking when in clubs/gigs! (dogrando's & my theory is that the very loud music makes your ears vibrate overmuch, like when speakers are turned up too high, & that reducing that makes you able to distinguish between noises, e.g. speech & music, again). Best £12 I ever spent.

(nb I have no affiliation with these people, I just really really like their earplugs & tell everyone about them in an over-evangelical fashion)

Update: slightly cheaper suppliers here.

Comments

[pir.livejournal.com]

Etymotic are my heros. I've had a pair (and later two pairs) of their ER4P headphones for a long time now and have had wonderful sound from them all that time along with excellent service from the company (including once replacing expensive bits free when they were well out of warrenty). Not cheap. Worth every penny, many times over for the great sound while blocking out the screaming babies on planes (they reduce ambient noise more than active noise cancelling headphones).

ER20 earplugs are what I wear to clubs and gigs, always. I can have a conversation during loud music (foam earplugs, like I wear on the motorbike, muffle high frequencies too much for me to talk to a lot of people) and I don't get hearing damage while still being able to enjoy the music.

Basicly I can't speak highly enough of them. If it seems superlative that's because I like their products that much and anyone who knows me well knows that's a rare thing (no association, etc).

If people want more ER20s without the UK pricetag, next time I'm coming to the US I can order some more (they're $12 here). I usually keep a couple of spare pairs around since they don't last forever.

[juliet]

I am sufficiently keen on the ER20s that I'm considering printing out a bunch of little flyers & dishing them out at the next club night I go to :-) I'll think about your offer re the US; but I kind of feel that £12 is entirely affordable, & since that lot seem to be the only folk that do them in the UK I want to make sure they *continue* doing them!

The ER4P headphones do sound rather ace, but well outwith my price tag given how seldom I use headphones :-/