Looking for Best Earplugs for Concerts? Musicians, read this!

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Live music concerts are great. We all know that. What’s not that great, however, is the pain in the ears most of us experience once we leave the gig – do you remember the familiar sound of ‘ringing’ in your ears? Yes, it tends to ring for a few hours and then usually everything gets back to normal. But did you know that continous exposure to noise over 85 dB (and by continuous we mean eight hours or so) can result in the permament hearling loss? Eight hours seems a lot, but if you’ve been listening to Spotify on your way to concert, chances are that you’re pretty close to that limit.

The normal, every day conversation is around 65dB, which is absolutely safe for your hears. However, a loud hip-hop or rock concert can expose your ears to up to 120 dB which can be devastating to your ears. A three minute blast like this can result in some pretty serious consequences. How to avoid this and protect your hearing while you enjoy the live band playing your favourite songs? Use earplugs. If you’re reading this, chances are that you’re already aware of the threat and are looking for best earplugs for concerts. First, let’s see the comparison table:

Concert & Musician Earplugs – Comparison Table

PictureModelNoise Reduction Best for concerts?Our RatingAmazon Link
EARasers Noise Cancelling Earplugs - Reusable Noise Reduction...Earasers Musicians Plugs19 dByes5.0view product
V-MODA Faders Tuned Metal Earplugs - Gunmetal BlackV-MODA Faders VIP12 dByes4.9view product
Etymotic Research ER20XS High-Fidelity Earplugs (Concerts, Musicians,...Etymotic Research ER20XS20 dByes4.3view product
HEAROS High Fidelity Musician Ear Plugs Ultimate In Comfortable And...Hearos Earplugs High Fidelity12 dByes4.5view product
LiveMus!c HearSafe Ear Plugs - High Fidelity Earplugs for Musician,...Hearos Earplugs High Fidelity23 / 29 dByes5.0view product
DUBS Noise Cancelling Music Ear Plugs: Acoustic Filters High Fidelity...DUBS Acoustic Filters Advanced Tech12 dByes4.8view product
EarPeace Music - High Fidelity Concert Ear Plugs - Ear Protection for...EarPeace HD High Fidelity15 dByes4.9view product
DownBeats Reusable High Fidelity Ear Plugs: Hearing Protection for...DownBeats Reusable High Fidelity18 dByes4.6view product

What Makes The Best Earplugs For Concerts?

It’s not easy to pick up the best earplugs for musicians and concerts. There are plenty of different earplug products available on the market and most of them address different issues. Some people need earplugs to sleep calm, some like to swim and look for water-blocking earplugs.

Best earplugs for concerts are much different from regular earplugs though. It does sound a bit counterintuitive when you go to listen the live music and plan to wear earplugs – after all, you want to hear the music well and clear, don’t you? What ear plugs should you choose then?

The best musician earplugs for concerts will be those which do not mute the sound completely. Unlike the foam ear plugs, best ear plugs for concerts will lower the noise by around 12 to 15 dB – which is much less than, for example, the sleep earplugs which can effectively block noise up to 32dB.

You need best ear plugs that can evenly lower the volume of the sound across all frequencies. This way, you will still enjoy every tune while keeping your ears safe and sound!


A Few Words About Ear plugs for Musicians

Personnel who work within the live music industry such as musicians, sound engineers, DJs, live sound mixers, video operators, cameramen etc. need to ensure they take precautions to protect their hearing. Due to the loud sound levels they can often be exposed to, ear protection is vital.

Musicians ear plugs are especially constructed to replicate the natural hearing range of the ear but with a lower decibel level. Music heard using musicians ear plugs have the same frequencies as the original, but delivered to the inner ear at a safe decibel level.

Musicians practice and perform in a wide spectrum of musical styles, thus musicians often require different amounts of protection depending on their situation. Thus there are many ear plugs available offering varying levels of attenuation. Some musicians even use one type of attenuator in one ear and a different type in the other, depending on the source, location and intensity of the sound.

Four Reasons Musicians Should Always Wear Earplugs

More and more, famous musicians are protecting their ears and spreading awareness about ear damage. Did you know that 60% of all inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame have some sort of hearing loss? You’re probably saying to yourself: well they made it there without protecting their ears, so why should I?

So, why should you?

  1. Ear protection is becoming common practice in the music world

    Even Sting was an ambassador with the Hear the World Foundation and paired with New York Eye and Ear Infirmary to remind people the importance of ear protection. Musicians are focused on ear protection now more than ever as studies are showing the true damage caused by loud music. You’ll notice in concert Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber and Beyonce and other stars earpieces. This helps them hear what is going on backstage but also blocks outside noise, protects their ears, and even amplifies the sounds of the music.

  2. Tinnitus

    Tinnitus is a loud, high pitched, ringing or buzzing in the ears. It can be short term, like the ringing you get if you walk by a drill on the street without any protection. Or, in the cases of many musicians, it can be permanent. It is almost like one of Dante’s Circles of Hell—it is an incessant ringing in the ears that cannot be stopped. Tinnitus is not itself a condition, but it is usually a symptom of hearing loss or ear injury. Once tinnitus sets in, it is even more crucial to wear ear protection to avoid any further damage.

  3. Loss of career or hobby

    If you damage your ears, lose your hearing, or have a ringing in your ears, your ability to play music drastically decreases. If you lose your hearing, your career or hobby is gone. Taking care of your ears is much better than losing your passion.

  4. Amplifies sound

    A lot of music earplugs actually work to block out background noise and amplify the sound of the music being played. This is especially useful when playing in a loud venue, like a party or concert hall, as the background noise can be equally as damaging to the ears as the loud music itself. This creates a purity of sound that actually helps the musician better hear notes and pitches and thus perform better.


Best Earplugs for Musicians & Concert: Our Top Picks

Here are the best earplugs for musicians & for concert that we’ve found and evaluated. All of those have passed our reviewing criterias and have been also verified by hundreds of music fans (you can check Amazon reviews for each product). Here goes the list of recommended best concert ear plugs:

Etymotic Research ER20XS

Etymotic Research ER20XS High-Fidelity Earplugs (Concerts, Musicians,...

(click to see larger photos on Amazon)

Etymotic ER20XS are small, low cost and discreet earplugs that not only look good, but most importantly they do very good job in protecting musicians’ ears while preserving sound quality. The response characteristics and the overall performance is at a high level.

These earplugs don’t muffle the music, they make the sound feeling less noisy. ETY earplugs come with a smart pull tab that allows for easy removal. They’re corded and because of their size (they are small), they are comfortable to wear under any kind of headgear.

Available in two different sizes: standard fits most, while the large size has been developed for larger ear canals.

V-MODA Faders VIP Tuned Metal

V-MODA Faders Tuned Metal Earplugs - Gunmetal Black

(click for more info on Amazon)

V-Moda’s Faders earplugs are definitely one of the best earplugs for concerts. Used by thousands music fans and musicians worldwide, the earplugs earned their reputation for lowering the sound volume without compromising its quality.

What these babies do is that the lower the sound exactly by 12 dB which in most cases is enough to ensure you continue to hear crystal clear music but won’t be exposed to a dangerous volumes that can lead to the hearing damage.

Faders VIP come with BLISS hybrid silicone fittings available in 4 different sizes so you won’t have troubles picking up the right size. They also come with a case for safe storage and instant access.

DUBS Acoustic Filters Advanced Tech

DUBS Noise Cancelling Music Ear Plugs: Acoustic Filters High Fidelity...

(click for details – Amazon link)

Not only Dubs Acoustic earplugs look great and sleek, but they’re also effective. These reusable best earplugs for musicians utilize dynamic attenuation to reduce the sound volume while effectively preserving sound fidelity.

This product has been designed to alter mid-range frequencies where the risk of damage – because of the sensitivity – is highest. Interestingly, the product is comprised with 17 individual premium materials such as the stainless steel, ABS, polymer foam and of course the silicone.

Dubs Acoustic comes in standard size fitting most adults. Portable case is included for easy storage.

LiveMus!c HearSafe Ear Plugs

LiveMus!c HearSafe Ear Plugs - High Fidelity Earplugs for Musician,...

(click to see more photos on Amazon)

Those stylish earplugs provide excellent protection against the noise and will make you feel great once you leave the concert or club after the show. LiveMus!c earplugs retain music and conversation volume through attenuation filters which come in two types: the white filter has a noise reduction ratio (NRR) of 29 dB whereas the green filter provides protection of 23 dB – which is just perfect for the music concert or a jamming session with friends.

The highest quality of LiveMus!c earplugs is backed by the unique, lifetime guarantee. Needless to say, these amazing earplugs come with sleek aluminium storage case. Are these the best concerts earplugs? Many our readers says so – and we can understand why.


Last Updated: 01/30/2017

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. If you click on the link and purchase the item, we may receive an affiliate commission, at no extra cost to you. Learn more


Last update on 2024-03-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

4 Comments

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  • My church rocks with loud music and I want to lower the volume but still have fidelity. My ears constantly ring from being around loud equipment for decades. I still work around noisy equipment 8-12 hours daily, but I must hear others when they speak to me. Currently I use “plant site OSHA approved” basic hearing protection. Which brand has the best comfort for 8-12 hours of continual usage, allows for the ability to hear other speak, lowers overall volume, and provide fidelity?

    • Hi Mike, thanks for your comment. You may want to consider Earasers – check out our table within the article above (t’s the first product listed). Earasers should do a fine job, they’re actualy one of the best rated earplugs for reducing noise levels without sacrificing fidelity.

  • I just want to thank you guys for the wonderful job you guys are doing and I am arranging for my own too, once more Thank you guys and keep it up…….