Protecting Your Hearing at Concerts
As someone who frequently goes to concerts and tries to record the loudest sounds, earplugs are critical to my enjoyment of nearly every show I attend.
For moderately loud sets, I currently use silicone Etymotic ER20XS earplugs, and had the non-XS version before. For the louder rock and metal acts from the front of the venue, I use shiny, closed-cell foam plugs (such as Howard Leight Max). I will switch between different earplugs at the same show depending on the set and my position.
The trick to getting earplugs to sound good is to insert them deeply and expose as much of the outer ear as possible for the highest frequencies. Nobody should be able to see the plugs when standing anywhere in front of you, and they're barely visible even if someone is standing next to you.
While foam plugs seem crude to some, I've enjoyed the loudest sets far more nowadays than back when I only had silicone plugs. I roll foam plugs up, insert them deeply, and hold them in while they expand. I even try to insert plugs several minutes before the start of a set so they can warm to body temperature and stabilize while my brain adjusts.
One of my ears has a shallow canal, so I've cut the first (of three) flanges on my ER20XS and cut roughly 1/8” off the foam plugs to get the required insertion depth without causing pain. Be very careful trying this, though, as you don't want to get an earplug stuck!
In my experience, open cell (dull) foam plugs don't sound good because the openings absorb too much of the high frequencies. Those are great for sleeping, but not concerts. I'm also unlikely to try custom ear plugs since:
- they're expensive and I tend to lose or break things
- ear canals change over time and they need to be re-molded
I buy foam plugs in bulk, and ER20XS only cost $20 USD.