For many people, live amplified music is an important part of their life. However, it can cause irreversible hearing loss. Custom made musician earplugs are the best option to protect a Musician’s hearing. They consist of a filter attached to a silicon ear plug moulded to the shape of the ear.
Musician’s earplugs are designed to reduce the overall sound level without compromising on the music quality. This is how they differ from standard foam plugs you can find at the pharmacy. Foam plugs will attenuate the sound level, but not evenly across frequencies. This compromises the music quality. In contrast, Musician’s plugs have a specialised acoustic filter. This filter replicates the normal response of the ear so that the sound heard is a natural one. You can choose from 10, 15 or 25 dB attenuation. The number corresponds to the reduction in sound as measured in decibels. Here are some recommendations on the type of filter you may require:
ACOUSTIC FILTER |
RECOMMENDATION |
| Minus 10 decibels | Ideal for vocalists, guitarists and people who attend regular chamber music concerts in small rooms |
| Minus 15 decibels | Ideal for classical musicians, guitarists, bass players and concert goers |
| Minus 25 decibels | Ideal for drummers, percussionists, rock musicians and regular concert goers |
Your audiologist can advise on the best filter for your musical profession. Find out more on how music affects your hearing by clicking here. Call Active Audiology on (03) 9398 3331 to arrange for your musician plugs.