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High Fidelity Hearing Protection
Musicians Earplugs Frequently Asked Questions
Q What's wrong with conventional earplugs?
A They muffle speech and music. Conventional earplugs reduce sound more in the high frequencies than in the low and mid frequencies, which makes music and voices unclear and unnatural. Deeply-inserted foam earplugs not only muffle the sound, but can provide 30-40 dB of sound reduction when only a small amount is needed.
Q How much protection do people need?
A Hearing loss is a function of exposure time, the average sound level, and the peak level of very loud sounds. Some persons are more susceptible to hearing loss from high-level sound than others. Most musicians do not need maximum protection, and many industrial workers can be adequately protected with as little as 10 dB of sound reduction. The majority of eight-hour-equivalent noise exposure in industry falls between 85 and 95 dB.
Q Why are deep earmolds required for Musicians Earplugs?
A Earmolds need to seal deeply in the bony portion of the ear canal or the wearer will hear a hollow or boomy sound in their own voice when speaking, singing or playing a brass or wind instrument. This unpleasant or distracting sound is called the occlusion effect. Deep earmolds (past the second bend of the ear canal) will eliminate this problem.
Q Is there a non-custom high fidelity earplug?
A Yes. ER•20 High Fidelity Earplugs are ready-fit earplugs that preserve sound quality while reducing sound levels approximately 20 dB at all frequencies. ER•20s reduce harmful sound without distorting speech and music.
Q What does NRR mean?
A The EPA requires manufacturers to print a noise reduction rating (NRR) on all non-custom earplugs. The NRR for ER•20s is 12 dB, but actual clinical measurements of properly inserted ER•20s indicate that these earplugs provide almost equal sound reduction (20 dB) at all frequencies in real ears. The required formula used to determine NRR includes an adjustment for individual variability and for those persons who do not wear ear protection as instructed. Many investigators have found no consistent rank order correlation between the real-world NRRs and labeled NRRs. NRR is computed from laboratory data that are not representative of the values attained in the real world by actual users.
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