Music is there for every occasion. It celebrates joyous events, brings us through mourning, calms us during crises, soothes us to sleep and provides entertainment.
Music is also known to calm the effects of Alzheimer’s in patients. It makes some folks want to move into nursing homes. Some doctors dance for their kids in pediatric practices to make them feel better.
While it provides so much emotion, it can also be harmful physically. The noise that it produces at concerts and other venues is harsh and creates damage. Over time, that cumulative deterioration can result in permanent hearing loss.
That can be prevented, though, and not by avoiding music. It just takes wearing the proper protection, which would be musician earplugs. Two earplugs that we’re going to talk about and compare are Etymotic vs Earpeace.
The Etymotic earplugs are actually used by those performing in front of crowds. They come with a hard, plastic keychain case, neck cord, one pair of silicone, three flange ear tips and one pair of foam tips.
Their unique design features a hole for the sound to filter through instead of having filters. As a result, they should fit tight and seal without protruding. There is no stem with the ER20XS, just a small tab to pull the piece out.
You can buy them in two sizes: regular and a larger size. The standard is suitable for most canals. You can wash them with a clean, damp cloth. Don’t immerse them in water. If you use them a lot, they can wear out over time and break. It’s recommended to replace them about every four or five months.
The way they work is they diminish sound. But, they don’t cancel noise. So, the earplugs will make the loud music sound as if it’s just been turned down to a more bearable tone.
Pros
- Available in two sizes.
- They allow for a good, secure fit without protruding outside of the ear.
- They’re compact. Easy to transport.
- Used by professionals.
- Rated the top out of ten for musicians.
- Has a neck cord so more difficult to lose.
- Good NRR rating. They lower sound levels by 20dB evenly.
- Discreet once in your ear.
- Reusable.
- Washable.
- Comfortable.
- Sound is unchanged, natural, just reduced.
Cons
- The Etymotic eartips are not very durable. It is suggested to replace them regularly after about four months. But if you use them hard, they may break sooner.
- These plugs are difficult to insert. For the silicone tips, you’re instructed to moisten the tip and pull your ear up and back before inserting deep into the canal. With the foam, you need to roll or compress and hold your ear up and back prior to inserting deep into your ear canal. Then hold it in place for five seconds until it expands.
- There are no filters.
Etymotic Musician Earplugs Reviews
The biggest complaints with the Etymotic were comfort and the NRR rating. Some thought the rating was generous, and a few felt the plugs were not comfortable after wearing them for a length of time. But, overall, they felt the sound quality was good, an audiologist recommended them, and they were said to be durable, effective and comfortable—a good deal for the price.
The Earpeace HD earplugs are made of hypoallergenic silicone, which is a hospital-grade material. They come with aluminum, a screw-cap keychain case, three plugs and three filter sets for higher, lower and median sounds.
The three filter sets allow you to choose at hearing protection you want to use for a particular event. For example, you can choose between Medium, High and Max. This way, you can reduce the noise reduction of the sound between 17dB to 26dB, depending on your preference.
If you want to clean them, you should immerse them in warm, soapy water to clean them. There is no set length of time recommended to replace them; however, you may want to replace them with new ones when they show signs of wear.
Once they’re in your ear, there is a small tab to pull them out. You can stretch them to fit most ears. The manufacturer will be releasing Earpeace Petite very soon to accommodate small canals. After placing these plugs, you don’t realize you’re wearing them with the comfort factor.
They are virtually invisible with skin tone coloring. As with the Etymotic, the sound is not completely canceled; it is just reduced to a more tolerable level.
Pros
- Three earplugs are included in case you lose one.
- You get three filters to choose between 17dB to 26dB noise reduction.
- Discreet once placed particularly with skin tone colors available.
- Very small, thin, light.
- Nice aluminum keychain case.
- Made of hypoallergenic, hospital-grade silicone, so durable.
- Comfortable.
- Manufacturer is introducing a petite version for the small ear canals.
- The sound is brought down to a more normal level, not canceled, just bearable so you can listen without it being overwhelming.
Cons
- They’re very small and could be easily lost.
- Using the filters could make for a more muffled, muddied sound.
- They are stretchable to fit but what if you stretch them out of shape?
- They are said to be thin, would they tear? Maybe not if hospital-grade but that is a concern.
Earpeace HD Musician/Concert Earplugs Reviews
One complaint with these was the sound quality. They felt it was muffled. Overall, people were happy with the Earpeace. They found them comfortable, liked the compactness, were able to speak with friends while enjoying a concert, and some were going to buy several to have on hand. They said there were none as good.
Etymotic vs Earpeace
In general, there is probably a love-hate relationship with earplugs. But, you know you have to have them. They’re doing you a service to your health.
The fears, though, are that you’re going to lose the sound quality. You’ll be experiencing discomfort or even pain, so the joy of what you’re listening to will be lost. Bigger than even that, you’re afraid you’ll look like an alien with these things protruding out of your ears in who knows what colors.
Well, luckily for you, the two we just looked at can squash your fears. The Earpeace HD vs Etymotic gives you the option to choose between two really great products that enhance sound.
They are made with materials that allow wearing them for long periods of time without realizing you’re wearing anything at all. Both of them get deep into the canal, so there is a low profile.
In this picture, you can see how the Etymotic ER20XS looks when a person wears them. They are designed to have a clear low profile stem. This allows you to wear them under helmets, hats and other headgear.
How do you know which one is right for you? For the most, that’s a personal preference by doing research, trying them out, seeing how they feel, sound. But, some of the work has been done for you. Let’s look.
Earpeace vs Etymotic Hearing Protection (NRR)
The Etymotic musician earplug’s NRR rating is 20dB. The Earpeace musician earplugs NRR rating with the strongest filter in place is 26dB. That’s significant. Even if Etymotic is off a little bit like a couple of reviewers suggested, it still beats the Earpeace in sound quality, and that’s what earplugs are all about.
Earpeace is said to translate the sound in a muffled or almost muddied fashion. Etymotic is clear. It makes you wonder if that filter is essential?
Used by Professional Musicians
A few other things that stood out for the Etymotic, it is a plug chosen by professionals. That’s the best reference or testimonial a product can have.
It was ranked number one in the top ten for musicians for sets. But, of course, these have to go through heavy review boards to make these lists, plus for the Etymotic.
The only real issue is comfort. Earpeace seems to have the market on comfort. Although there have been favorable remarks on comfort for Etymotic, the winner there are Earpeace musician earplugs.
Overall, having to go and buy a set based on the findings here would have to be Etymotic musician earplugs, hands down.
Conclusion
Reading this comparison is a good way to figure out which way to go when buying a product important to your health. Your hearing is one of the most important things about you, so you need the best possible protection.
The Etymotic Research ER20XS High-Fidelity Earplugs offer good sound quality while reducing sound levels by 20 dB. In addition, they are reusable and have a low-profile design.
On the other hand, the Earpeace HD Music earplugs come with 3 filter sets so that you can customize their noise reduction level. You can choose between Medium, High and Max for 17dB to 26dB hearing protection. They are comfortable to wear and also have a clear low profile design.
There are two great products, suitable for listening to music at concerts, festivals or nightclubs. No one wants to be unable to hear the music because we let our hearing go. It’s a source of happiness, comfort, peace and will be our entire lives.
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Nice comparison of the hearing protection alternatives. Given the method of noise reduction, wonder if the spoken words (like song introductions) come through as well as the music? We still love live music but know the challenges of hearing loss. This is a good reminder to protect the instruments (the ears). Unfortunately, hearing protection and enhancement (hearing aids) are generally not covered by insurance, Medicare, most Medicare Supplement, or private insurance for those of us under age-65. For more information on health insurance for early retirees, you can see a recent article by Aging With Freedom. . .
Very good comparison of hearing protection products. I still have some questions, but I do not have your email adress. please PM me！