Hey all, I’d like to ask your advice regarding the effectiveness and best examples of said items, which appear to be used increasingly by concertgoers. I’m attending two major stadium shows in the summer (same artist – no name, no packdrill) and am aware that the audiences are going to be insanely loud. I’m totally fine with this, as the atmosphere at earlier concerts by This Singer has by all accounts been off the scale; however, I do actually want to hear the music all too well, so have been considering earplugs as a way of dialling down the peripheral noise a notch or several whilst still being able to enjoy the performance.
Initially, I was looking to make a fairly easy choice between the two apparent market leaders, Loop Experience and Zound. But as I have delved further, I’ve read varying reports of their effectiveness, and have also happened across a number of generally cheaper alternatives. So, I’m asking if anyone has any experience of using any of the following brands, and can perhaps advise me of their efficacy in the primary purpose of reducing noise whilst maintaining sound quality, and also their ease of use, comfort etc. Also, whether paying a premium is a factor in quality, or even if anyone has found them to be not worth the hassle at all.
The brands/choices I have come across are:
Loop Experience
Zound
Eargrace
Alpine Partyplugs
Ropone
Bollsen Music Soundpro Nox Senner.
I’d be grateful for any observations or guidance. Thanks.
I have a pair of Eargrace and will wear them tomorrow at what I expect to be a loud gig. They blunt higher volumes while doing a reasonable job of keeping all frequencies. It is unavoidable that they also create a slight distance between you and what you’re hearing, but I have tinnitus due to loud gigs and would rather it didn’t get any worse so I’ll use them when I think it necessary. Of course with anything like this what fits one ear may not fit another, but the Eargrace buds are pretty flexible.
I have a pair of Alpine which work well for me. They have three different filters so you can adjust the level of control, and a handy storage pot so I don’t lose them. More importantly they fit my ears! I wore them on Friday to see a mate’s band down the pub and without them it was ear damagingly loud but I heard them fine with no ringing at all next morning. I always take them to gigs just in case.
I got a set for Twang Jr too as he plays the saxophone and ear protection is required especially as he was quite young when he started.
Alpine MusicSafe Classic Ear Plugs – Designed for musicians, music – Two interchangeable filter sets – Comfortable hypoallergenic material – Reusable earplugs https://amzn.eu/d/gun3V3Z
I’d suggest wearing the new Apple Vision Pro. It can cancel out noise, plus you can watch the concert on it and it’ll be almost like actually being there, even though you are.
I bought a pair of Loop Experience Plus which is the Experience with an additional removable bit for further reduction.
This is what they say on their website…
“Most earplugs muffle tones because they block sound waves. Loop Experience earplugs combine a patented acoustic channel and mesh to filter them instead, keeping sound quality clear, just at a reduced volume.”
My experience is that, unless they are fitted very loosely, they remove an unacceptable amount of top end and so I don’t use them at gigs. I’ve gone back to carefully adjusted bits of screwed up tissue paper which do the job well for me.
The Loops do work well under a helmet on my motorbikes though. Pretty much comfy all day.
Yeah my Alpines don’t work on the motorbike as they have a sticky out bit, but I use foam ones which work ok . They cut high pitch helmet whistle which plays havoc with my tinnitus.
This may be a little bikerist of me, but it always amuses me that bikers wear earplugs to protect themselves from the appalling noise their bikes make (I’m thinking particularly of the streams of Harleys that infest both my home towns in the summer) but no provision is made for the ears of unfortunate bystanders.
It’s more the wind noise actually. The helmet masks most of the engine noise. I take your point though, and bikers who deliberately make their bikes noisier are selfish t*ssers.
I read somewhere that all bikes leave the factory no noisier than those BMW police bikes, is this true?
There’s no reason for them to be really noisy unless someone wants them to be. There are meaty fines for excessive noise defined as 80 -89db.
In our quiet cul-de-sac, my neighbour and his 20-something son each have a Ford Focus with twin exhausts.
Once they park up and start walking to the house, a mysterious shout of “penis substitute” can be heard around the neighbourhood. Sometimes from more than one direction.
I once asked him if he needed to get his exhaust seen to as it sounded like it was blowing. He apparently doesn’t do irony.
Do they have one of those wastegate/pop-off things that makes a noise like Maria Sharapova serving. ‘Ahhhuhhhhhhhh’.
Yeah, just what you want when he comes home from a nightshift at 4am.
Maris Piper, rammed up each exhaust. Just a thought.
Just what I was thinking of suggesting. Gaffa tape in case the spuds should fall out.
Remember the fuel crisis we had a couple of years ago? That was brilliant, ‘cos they all left the petrol guzzlers at home and used mum’s 1 litre Nissan Micra.
I feel this comment is a missed opportunity for Moosey. That sounds jolly uncomfortable, etc.
Dude, I’m still recovering from Alpine Partyplugs.
My stepson and his partner had a neighbour with a massive and incredibly noisy Harley who used to fire it up to go to work at 4am. (He was massive too, with one of those beards that part in the wind.) That was tough, particularly with a new baby. Fortunately he defaulted on the rent and got kicked out. Great relief all round.
Just picked up some of the earplugs that look like Christmas trees (generic travel ones, £10) as I have a couple of gigs coming up. If I can tolerate using them I may invest in the alpine or the loop ones. Although I’ve been to three festivals in the past two years these will be my first gigs since lockdown.