Tested: Do Concert Ear Plugs Ruin the Show?
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Concert earplugs may scream “boomer loser” to the diehard fans who line up early at the venue, but to anyone who has lost sleep because of incessant ear ringing, they’re a no-brainer. Formally known as tinnitus, that muffled ear ringing is damage to the hair cells of the inner ear brought on by loud sounds overworking them. One night out is unlikely to cause permanent damage, but months of exposure to sounds above 80 decibels or a sudden exposure to a sound at 120 decibels or above can kill cochlear cells.
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The average noise level of a concert sits between 100-105 decibels, but some can go far beyond that. Taylor Swift’s most recent Eras tour topped 118 decibels on some stops and a 2009 Kiss concert in Canada maxed out at 136 decibels as one of the loudest rock concerts of all time. In other words, if you’re going to a concert anytime soon, you should probably invest in some protective earplugs.
Concert earplugs, unlike regular earplugs designed to block out all sound, are built to protect the ear from damage without muffling the music. Many of them use membrane filter technology that balances the frequencies of the sound coming from the stage so the integrity is still intact, but the force exerted on the eardrums is lighter.
According to the American Academy of Audiology, the prevalence of noise-induced tinnitus is on the rise, especially in young adults aged 18-25. SPY tested out a few of the most popular pairs of concert earplugs, at actual concerts and loud events, to see which provided hearing protection without sabotaging the audible experience of the show.
The Testing Process
SPY’s Designated Concert Enthusiasts Tyler Schoeber and Avery Stone attended separate noisy events wearing multiple pairs of concert earplugs to see which ones kept them from damage without ruining their experience.
Tyler Schoeber attended Lollapalooza, an annual music festival in Chicago’s Grant Park. Avery Stone wore them at a friend’s wedding reception to test not just the noise protection but whether or not a friendly conversation is possible while wearing them. Note: normal wedding merriment was had, but she looked slightly silly doing so.
Each tester wore the earplugs over the course of a number of hours and gauged the following: pros/cons, comfort level, noise quality, and their overall impression of how likely they are to wear them again. Again, they’re looking for hearing protection that doesn’t totally block out sound. The point is to still be able to hear, quite well in fact, but prevent damage to the hairs of the inner ear.
SPY is a band of music freaks, and concert-driven euphoria is not something we’re going to give up in the name of cochlear integrity. These products promise to deliver both to wearers, here’s how they stack up.
Sennheiser SoundProtex Plus Earplugs — Reviewed by Avery Stone
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“These earplugs felt super abrasive in my ear at first, and they stick out of the ear slightly which turned me off a bit when I first put them in,” said Stone.
“I started by working my way up the three ear tip options (small, medium, and large) to find the right fit, which turned out to be large. The fit was snug, as it should be — you don’t want the earplug to fall out or let in unnecessary sound — but it felt a little abrasive or hard at first,” said Stone. “I was pleasantly surprised when the abrasive feeling faded away fairly quickly. After a few minutes, I forgot I was wearing them.”
Sennheiser’s earplugs also come with different noise filters so the user can decide how much sound they want. In a sense, they’re adjusting the volume of their concert earplugs.
“Because these earplugs come with three different acoustic filters (low, mid, and high), as well as a full block filter, it was possible to customize the sound reduction to my desired level, which I loved,” said Stone.
“I wore these earplugs in one loud setting (a wedding reception with a live DJ) and a quiet setting (in an office) and tried all four filters in each place. Particularly during the wedding reception and when I used the mid filter, I could hear conversations near me but I could still hear the DJ’s audio clearly. Also, when I wore these in my relatively quiet office on the low filter, I was able to hear a colleague talk to me from his desk several feet away.”
Stone noted that a major con is the price tag. They hover at around $80, so they’re not a budget-friendly purchase for most, and while they’re far from disposable, that’s a steep price to pay for something that, at its core, simply blocks sound.
She did note that this is far from her last time using them.
“I attend a lot of shows, and — shamefully — this was my first time wearing legitimate earplugs. (Legitimate as in not the foam-like orange ones that expand in my ears.) The difference was pretty remarkable. I will be keeping a pair with me wherever I go.”
Etymotic Research ER20m Fidelity Earplugs
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Tyler Schoeber wore Etymotic’s ER20 earplugs during Lollapalooza, popping them in and out throughout The 1975, Billie Eilish, and Lana Del Rey’s sets.
“The noise quality with these earplugs was honestly great. I could feel that the music wasn’t causing hearing damage but the sound was almost the same which was neat,” said Schoeber.
Schoeber noted that the base is most noticeably quieter with the Etymotic ER20 earplugs. He also said they stick out quite a bit from the ears so every little bump from the crowd made him worry one would fall out.
“I would say these are designed perfectly for folks who don’t want to miss a beat but prioritize their health,” said Schoeber. “The two flaws are that they’re uncomfortable and they stick out. That said, this design allows for higher quality sound which is the whole point of buying them. I would just like them to be a bit softer.”
Loop Quiet Ear Plugs
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In an effort to see whether or not a regular, and cheaper, pair of earplugs will also do the trick during a show, Schoeber also tried out the Quiet Ear Plugs from Loop. These are not designed for use during live music and block out sound rather than deaden and preserve the frequency of a loud performance. They are also less than a third of some of the most expensive concert earplugs you can buy.
It turns out, the product category exists for a reason.
“These are not made for music. These are made for airplanes, people snoring, etc. I wasn’t able to get music quality in any way wearing these. Essentially, I was canceling the music out entirely,” said Schoeber.
Loop’s best-selling earplugs have over 35,000 5-star reviews on Amazon for noise cancellation, not enhancement. Schoeber noted that he couldn’t hear the music, but they came in handy during another barrier-busting event.
“I wore these to watch the Chicago Air and Water Show last weekend and they saved my life,” said Schoeber. “The show is LOUD. Like, I’ve never experienced louder sounds. These were able to block out the noise that otherwise made me fear eardrum damage. I would have left a lot earlier if I hadn’t worn these. In fact, one of my friends did. These were my savior.”
Schoeber also noted that they’re very comfortable, squishy, and soft.
“I’ve been to many music festivals and this was my first time wearing earplugs. Because I was wearing them, I was able to look around and notice just how many others were also wearing earplugs,” said Schoeber.
“I don’t think I found my go-to pair of earplugs, but I’m interested in trying out more in the future because of how normalized they feel at concerts in 2023 and given how interested I am in keeping my eardrums safe,” said Schoeber. “If they weren’t as widespread, I think I would feel a little silly wearing them, but so many people wear them. Wearing earplugs doesn’t make you an odd one out, it makes you amongst the smartest people at the venue.”
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