Musicians Plugs

Musicians Earplugs are a custom product, make individually for ear user, though Etymōtic Research Inc. They can be purchased only from licensed hearing professionals. Features

• High fidelity custom hearing protection
• Sound quality is clear and natural, not muffled
• Noise fatigue is reduced

Conventional earplugs tend to muffle speech and music. They reduce sound more in the hIgh frequencies than in the low and mid frequencies, which make music and voices sound unclear and unnatural. Deeply-inserted foam earplugs can provide 30-40 dB of sound reduction, likely more than is needed for music.

Musicians Earplugs are designed to replicate the natural response of the open ear. Sound heard with these earplugs has the same quality as the original, only quieter. The result is that speech and music are clear—you still hearing the blend clearly, feel the bass, and distinguish each tone. Accurate sound reduction is achieved by combining a patented filter with the specific acoustics of a custom earmold. The combination of the two produces a resonance at approximately 2700 Hz (as in the normal ear) resulting in a smooth, flat attenuation.

Three types of attenuator filters are available: ER-9, ER-15, and ER-25. The number corresponds with the amount of sound reduction provided in decibels (dB).

Which Musicians Earplug is Right for You?

Musicians practice and perform in a variety of different settings and they are exposed to high levels of sound, sometimes for long periods. They require different amounts of protection depending on the sound levels they encounter during rehearsals and performances. Some musicians use different filters in each ear (e.g., ER•9 in one ear and a ER•25 in the other) depending on the location of the sound source.

	ER•9	ER•15	ER•25	Harmful Sound Comes From:
Small strings	•	•		Own instrument, other strings
Large strings	•	•		Brass
Woodwinds		•		Brass, percussion
Brass		•	•	Own instrument, other brass
Flutes		•		Percussion
Percussion		•	•	Own instruments, other percussion
Vocalists	•	•		Own voice, speakers, monitors
Acoustic guitar	•	•		Drums, speakers, monitors
Amplified instruments		•	•	Speakers, monitors
Marching bands		•		Multiple sources
Music teachers		•		Multiple sources
Recording engineers		•		Speakers, monitors
Sound crews		•		Speakers, monitors

The above table was adapted from: Chasin, Marshall (1996). Musicians and the Prevention of Hearing Loss, Singular Publishing Group, Inc., San Diego, CA.

Who uses Musicians Earplugs?

About Noise Reduction Rating (NRR)
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.

Additional information can be found at: www.etymotic.com