Etymotic Research ER20 High-Fidelity Earplugs (Concerts, Musicians, Airplanes, Motorcycles, Sensitivity and Universal Hearing Protection) - Large, Clear Stem w/ White Tip

Introduction: When I first entered college, I discovered that the dorm is often a loud place. There are students talking in the hallways, doors shutting everywhere, and often bass from a distant party. For the first few weeks, I wasn't getting very much studying done and sleep since I was used to quietness. I decided to order these ear plugs. Included with the package: The plugs came with a small carrying case and a string with little plugs on each end for securing the plugs around the neck. What the earplugs do and when they are useful (in my experience): These plugs work great. They block out most of the noise but still allow you to hear what is going on since they seem to just lower the sound level. By that I mean that distinct words from the conversation outside became lowered so it felt like I was in a relatively quiet coffee shop and conversations were not distracting me as I was sleeping or studying. Music and other sounds became lowered so I could barely hear them. If I could hear them, the sounds had to be pretty loud (which they are sometimes in college.) That being said, I could still hear sounds from any alarms or anyone calling for me. The bottom line is that these ear plugs work great if you want to hear what is going on, but at the same time just want to hear less of it. These plugs are best for studying or when you need to perform a task but still be aware. They work decently for sleeping. The biggest drawback is that the transparent cylinder part sticks out of the ear so you can't sleep on your side. You can also still hear what is going on so if you need perfect quietness, these plugs are not be enough. These plugs work well with any activity near loud objects (machinery, instruments, etc.) If someone calls for you, you can clearly hear them through all the noise! These plugs do not work for things as loud as firearms so do not attempt to use these as my ears were ringing after firing a 9mm. (The best way to see if these plugs work for what you're doing is to get a pair and try them out.) Maintenance and how to use them: The life of these ear plugs is exactly one year. The flanges started to tear on mine after one year of use. To clean them, you just have to use warm water and soap and then leave it out to dry. To insert them, you have to pull back the earlobe toward the back of the head and then insert the plug until the last flange seals the ear canal. Overall, the use is pretty simple. Conclusion: If you just want to lower the volume in your life for a while, just get these. Make sure you find the right size for your ear! I'm a male college student that's toward the big side and the white, large ones fit well. If you want perfect quietness or protection from extremely loud environments, get something more effective.

Initial impression is good. I have only worn them for about 2 hours in an office. My first day with them happens to be the Monday after a burst pipe over the weekend flooded part of the office, leading to there being several high output(noise) blowers running all day. These plugs mask sound exactly as expected. Not -flat- attenuation. Clearly more sound suppression at higher frequencies, but not enough that I cannot hear speech clearly. I can also still hear the clickity clack of my keyboard. Sound levels while wearing are reduced but not muffled, as described. Cant wait to try them at a show/concert. The reason I got them was a due to a bit of a tinnitus scare. I was at a local club... 3rd of 4rth band went on with an absurd number of amps and extra speaker stacks. Loudest music I have ever heard. I had a very light ring in my ears for a week :o Its fading now, and just about gone. Hearing seems to be back to normal. (And back to very very low levels of background tinnitus). I dont go to shows often. I was not prepared, did not have plugs with me. Again, never experienced anything as loud as this. I also find myself working in large data centers. According to me phone sound-meter app, the noise in one of our current data-centers is 100-105 db steady depending on where you are standing. I will update my review if they do not impress me next time I am in the data-center. Foam plugs work fine, but need to be pulled out anytime you want to talk to someone, unless they are really shouting. Edit: 2014-03-30 They work very well. Got to use these in our loudish datacenter for a few hours straight. Worked perfect. Could hear details of peoples voices, could hear everything very clearly, just significantly quieter. My ears are not calibrated to attest to wether it was 10 or 20 or whatever db of attenuation. It was quiet enough that when I took them off my ears had adjusted to the quiet that my hearing felt super-sensitive/clearer than usual for the next 20 minutes. It was the same effect that I had when I went to the doctors with a bad cold and they told me I had wax buildup in my ears. They flushed my ears out. Felt like I had super-human hearing for about a month. lol.

These earplugs provide good protection and do work as described. Music still sounds quite natural. It is not muffled like when using foam plugs. I wear them to concerts and am able to hear the bands clearly. I also use them when performing music with a drummer. I find it easier to hear what's going on around me when wearing these, as they bring drums and amplified instruments down to a safer level. I was unsure if these would fit me. I believe that I have smaller ear canals. These fit me well and have a great seal. The manufacture states that this size (large) should fit most. Pros: -Reasonably priced -Reusable: These can be cleaned, but be careful not to get them wet. I use a damp paper towel to clean the flanged eartips. -Helps protect your hearing and maintain fairly natural sound in live music situations -Comes with a nice carry/storage case. Time will tell durable the case is. Cons: -The clear tip sticks out pretty far when I'm wearing these. Even though they are clear, people will notice you are wearing them. -They may be difficult to insert and remove if you aren't used to wearing earplugs properly. They need to be inserted fairly deep in the ear canal to provide good protection. My pair included instructions explaining this.

This is probably the 5th or 6th pair I've bought. As a referee in a very noisy indoor sport - roller derby - hearing protection is vital. These are tons better than loops (which I also like but they're just not good enough for sport). They come with a strong cord too which means I can pop them out with no worry of losing them.

Great for listening or playing in Heavy jam band practice

Adepte de concert hip hop, c’est parfait pour se protéger les oreilles. J’avais peur de moins bien profiter du son, mais non ca filtre parfaitement et on peut mm tjr discuter si besoin. Les oreilles disent merci le lendemain matin !

This type of earplug was initially recommended to me many years ago by a musician. I have used them for 8-10 years hunting with my dogs... for protection against shotgun blasts, and more importantly protection against my shrill dog whistle. Has worked well on both counts. The plugs are sold in STANDARD SIZE and LARGE SIZE. I bought some of each.... and found the standard size just fall out of my ears. I'm only 5' 8"... not a big man. Had a friend of mine try these...same thing... standard size just wouldn't stay in his ear. So... this is a good product... but sizing is important.

Ces écouteurs se sont avérés trop larges et donc totalement inutilisables: ils ne rentrent pas du tout dans mes oreilles. Il y a une version pour oreilles "normales" disponible sur l'Amazon américain (je ne sais pas ici), et cette version ne convient qu'à une minorité d'utilisateurs. Je regrette qu'il n'y ait pas eu d'avertissement clair là-dessus. Il est bien mentionné que c'est un "large fit" mais il faut bien regarder.