ER20 ETY Earplugs - Standard Size, Blue - High-Fidelity Hearing Protection - Up to 20 dB Sound Reduction - Reusable - Includes Neck Cord & Carrying Case

This works amazinggg. I use it when I go to concerts and shows and it works perfectly. I can still hear the bass and the music clearly and I can even hear the people talking to me so smoothly. I only have two concerns with it is that it's slightly tiled, it's not straight, the base of the blue part bends a little bit. I guess so it can fit better in the ear but I wish they told you on the website and as well in the description of the product that it's tilted. Also, one big thing is that it does stick out a lot from your ear. But I've worn it a bunch of times already and I've never been hit one accidentally in the ears. And I'm super short (5 1) so people's elbow height is like my shoulder height so I'm prone to get hit more often in the middle of a crowd if they raise their hand or anything like that. And if I haven't had a problem with getting hit in the ears while having this on you won't either. Overall it's a good product. UPDATE REVIEW: 6/29/16 I bought this in December of 2014 and it still works amazing today! The case that came along with it really is a great tough case and it even has a little key chain to hang it on to places. I keep the earplugs and the case on my key chain since I bought it and it has not broken off or nor has my earplugs ever fell off. When ever I go to an event with loud music I just hook the key chain piece onto my shoe laces so I won't lose them and I just tuck them into my shoe or I hook it onto my bra strap or anywhere that I know won't lose it and it still holds strong with after me dancing all night long. AND on top of that it has a black string that connects to both ear pieces so lets say I'm fixing my hair or I scratched my ear and accidentally knocked the ear piece off I don't have to worry finding it because of the string that's connected to it. Pros: works great, you can still hear the music perfectly, has a string connect to both pieces so you don't lose either of them, the keychain case works amazing. Cons: it's not straight as shown- it's bent a tiny bit where the blue starts, it's noticeable when you ear it so therefore it does stick out of your ears. Overall I would suggest this to others to buy it. It has helped me ears a lot and it does it job right.

These are so comfortable and they actually work. People don’t see them as much and I have tinnitus and many times volume affects the rain in my ear, so I really like it. The fit is perfect.

I'm a concert photographer who has been working live shows for about two years now, and after last weekend when I went home with my ears ringing through the following day (permanent hearing damage, ugh), I decided to make the decision to invest in some good earplugs. I hate those cheap standard squishy ones since those feel uncomfortable, clogging up your ear to the point of total discomfort, and reduce your sense of hearing to garbage. Stumbled across these cheap babies and decided to take a shot. The complete package alone is pretty nice. They come in a cool, very compact semi-rigid case that comes on a beaded chain and it also includes a little cord that attaches both plugs so that you can wear these around your neck between songs, taking a break outside a club, etc. I don't have a concert to attend until Saturday, so I figure I would give them a thorough test run: Every day on my 30 minutes drive home from work, I wear these, just to get used to how they feel. They were a little jarring at first (I dislike things in my ears), but you get used to the feeling very quickly and not long after you truly forget they're there. I was paranoid about them falling out, but they're pretty snug and WITHOUT feeling like you have marshmallows in your ears. So, as far as comfort goes, they're a 10/10 stars for me. I also gave them a "head bang" test via some Pantera and Rammstein tunes, and they stayed in the whole time. Didn't slip once. Now comes the fun part: testing the sound quality and clarity. (Keeping in mind that I'm used to loud music.) My little Hyundai's radio starts becoming a little uncomfortably loud at about setting 20 if I'm listening to the radio and at 15 when I'm listening to my mp3 player via the auxiliary port. The max setting is 35, which I also call "beyond ungodly loud." I put in these earplugs and listened to the normal volume settings, and it did NOT sound the least bit muffled. I could still make out every instrumental part, it only sounded like the volume had been turned down a lot. Then I cranked the radio gradually until I maxed out at 35. (I knew it was loud given that everyone in my apartment complex that walked by and gave me a cold stare and a scowl.) The music was STILL clear, a little loud, but clear and not super uncomfortable. The only distortion I heard were from the crashes in a few Motley Crue songs, but I'm confident that it was merely the speakers in my Hyundai crying out for mercy. I listened to some Rush and Queensryche on every volume setting, namely songs I'm not super familiar with, and I could still make out and clearly identify each instrumental part. These babies do exactly as marketed: no sound is muffled, only made quieter. 10/10 stars for clarity of hearing. SO, to sum up: If you're like me and frequent loud concerts on a regular basis, are constantly exposed to loud sounds, and like me love getting right up front and by the house speakers at shows ... these are a must. The greatest asset to a musician or to a music lover is their sense of hearing: PROTECT IT, and as you age you can continue to enjoy your favorite music!

Update: 9/16/2015 I only use these as a back up pair now. My new favorite pair of hearing protection is by far the Earasers. I feel like they turn down the volume instead of blocking so many frequencies like these do. These are almost overkill. If you are in the front row or in front of some of the biggest stages in the world, then perhaps these are your choice, but for clubs and being in the middle of the crowd, Earasers hands down. Original review: These are the first ear plugs I've used to lower the volume at a concert. I thought these would lower the volume, which they did, but it's just not the same as not using ear protection. They do as advertised, which is block harmful bass hits or just loud volume. I had no problem hearing my friends or any one speaking, but when I talked to them, they couldn't hear me because I couldn't tell how loud I was speaking. Odd, but who cares. I knew I had small ear canals because I always use the smallest earbud whenever I use earphones and even though I'm a large grown adult, I need the smaller ear plugs (blue). I thought they fit well and were comfortable. The one outdoor concert I went to, I had them in 90% of the time and I experienced no hearing loss or discomfort after the show. My friends said their ears were ringing for quite some time into the next day. So they do the job they are meant to do. But I consider myself and audiophile and I can pick out a lot of frequencies, not to brag or anything, but I've even done tests where you can compare which frequencies are +1 decibel in the frequency range or -1 decibel. I also have a pretty high end home theater system and love listening to music all day, so I definitely have a good ear for sound quality. With that in mind, these lower sound quality and block some of the frequencies depending how the venue is set up and what frequencies they want you to hear. They do a good job blocking the extreme highs and lows. Overall they did their job of protecting my ears, but I thought I would get a little more quality sound out of them. Also, once in the ear, you can only see the straight clear part. I'd like to try a couple of different hearing protection devices to compare, so this makes it kind of tough to rate. I'd like to give them a 6.5/10 or 3.5/5...

I've always had some noise sensitivity issues, especially in places like malls or downtown areas. The low-frequency noises caused by general crowd babbling ("rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb") or passing heavy traffic really rattles me and gives me a headache. I actually tried to avoid any places with this sort of noise. A friend of mine who's a musician told me about these sorts of earplugs, which basically dial down the volume of the world without as much muffling as regular earplugs. I really like these. They come with a little plastic pouch for easy storage and carrying that I slip into my pocket. When I put these earplugs in, they effectively dampen the sound of my surroundings. It's actually easier for me to converse with someone in a crowded place because these block out the background noise. I'm assuming they're tuned to let in the frequency used for music and speech because, when I go to the mall and put these in, I can hear people and the store music, but little else. Also, I've found these really good for attending movies at the cinema. I never really enjoyed the cinema before using these; the volume is set too high for me in them usually. I still don't go often, but now at least I can go with friends when they want me to go with them. At first, these things were slightly difficult to learn to put into my ears. They came with a set of instructions for care and use, though and those helped. I find it easiest to twist these things into my ears. They're relatively discreet too, so I don't look like too much of a moron while wearing them. The little "flutes" stick out of your ears, but not really enough to make them noticeable. Once, at the mall, a toddler standing in front of me asked what I had sticking out of my ears. I told them I was a robot and the things sticking out of my ears were "environmental audio sensors", which was great fun. Overall, these are built well. They're not going to last forever, but I don't see myself replacing them more than once every two years. The things feel fairly comfortable in my ears, although I have an odd suspicion I should've bought the large size. Sometimes they feel like they're inching too deep and get a bit uncomfortable after they've been in my ears for over an hour or two. Usually, all I need is to remove them and reinsert them. It hasn't been a major issue and certainly outweighs the issues I was having before. I'm pleased with my purchase.

So, I initially bought these because I was planning to go to a concert, and I knew that concerts have always felt WAY too loud for me, and I usually take a whole day or two after to recover. I thought I would try to be smart this time so I purchased these. When I got them in the mail, I did a comparison between wearing some pretty nice headphones at max volume with the earplugs in, versus no earplugs. These definitely made a difference! My headphones were painfully loud without earplugs at max volume, and with the earplugs in at max volume, it was still loud and clear but not painful whatsoever. So I suspect a concert that feels painfully loud would be attenuated just enough to be perfectly enjoyable without crossing that threshold. However, when I actually went to that concert, I got cold feet and didn't put my earplugs in because I was afraid it would look silly. And of course, I realized afterwards that the concert was too loud because I felt extremely deaf. Hah, oh well. Next time I will wear them for sure. Anyways, after the concert, I still had the earplugs and I wanted to make some use of them, so I carried them around for a few more experiments. I've worn them on public transit, while studying in quiet spaces and louder spaces and I've found them really really terrific for these kinds of purposes. For me, turning down the "outside world volume" a notch or two turns out to be surprisingly helpful for my concentration. I can also eat food or chew gum without the noises from those activities distracting me. Higher-rated earplugs, in contrast, make everything too quiet which I find unsettling, and they make eat eating food or chewing gum far too distracting to tolerate. In addition, I really like design. Simple, and I like the color blue much more than I like safety orange or bright purple. And they are pretty inconspicuous when in place. They are also easy to insert, and come with a good carrying case! To sum up: + Probably good for concerts + Good for making the world just a little bit quieter + I can eat or chew gum without being distracted by the noise + Look good, feel good, don't stand out and they are reusable

i just received these earplugs today and the difference was immediately noticeable. i have an old pair of plugs that my friend gave me whom i used to be in a band with. i used them for our practices, but even then i could tell sounds would occasionally ring through, particularly the drummer's cymbals. also, i recently got a drum set and have been using those old earplugs, and the quality was not that good. now i have these earplugs and used them while playing the drums today and the difference was fantastic. they keep the noise out of your head and are pretty comfortable, too. my old earplugs weren't too comfy and kind of irritated my ear passages, but these ones are nearly perfect. my only thought that could be construed as possibly a complaint is that they did feel kind of deep inside my ears, although i might have just put them in a little too far. still, they felt fine regardless of whether it was operator error or maybe these plugs just sit a little far in my ears. i also found myself playing the drums a little harder and seeing what these plugs did for it. i could hear fine, and there was no distortion or muffling, it just seemed like the volume had been taken away. i got on my guitar and cranked the volume a bit to see how it sounded. great! i should also say that i was plugged into a Zvex Fuzz Factory, which is quite a noisy pedal if you're unfamiliar. the sound/noise did not penetrate or hurt my ears and i could hear everything fine. i'm thinking tomorrow i might turn my amp up really loud (i have a fender frontman 212, which is unnecessarily loud in my opinion) and see how these plugs fare when you're getting blown away. my guess is that it'll be slightly louder, of course, but the plugs will protect my ears. lastly i just want to say that i think these things seem to be well constructed and will not deteriorate. the instructions say to just wipe them with a moist cloth and to never submerge them or use chemicals to clean them. they came clean pretty easily, although i keep my ears clean so i suppose if you have a lot of nasty stuff in your ears then maybe you'll have to spend a minute to clean these plugs. overall i say bravo! these are great earplugs and are extremely affordable for anyone. i have been thinking about getting a new set of plugs for a while now and i am glad i found these. i'll make sure i bring them to every concert i attend as well.

I purchased my earplugs in November of 2011, and have worn them many times to clubs and EDM events. A few times, especially after I'd initially purchased them, I'd forget to bring them... but the ringing in my ears afterward, sometimes lasting for a day or two, was unpleasant enough that I never forget them any more. They are simply a part of getting ready to go out! I find the initial experience of inserting them to be a bit uncomfortable. There's a feeling of "pressure" as I push them in, but once they're in, I quickly forget about them. When my friends speak to me, I can hear them clearly -- in fact, it feels as if I can hear them more clearly than I can when I'm not wearing earplugs. Some reviewers have complained that they're too visible. I personally prefer the longer stems because it makes removing the earplugs very easy; and I've only ever had one person, who was sitting next to me and talking into my ear at the time, notice I was wearing them. I don't care whether they're noticeable or not -- I really love going out dancing, and I really love hearing, these earplugs at least limit the damage caused by the loud music. When I see someone else wearing earplugs, I just think they're an intelligent person. I don't think my experience is reduced in the slightest when I'm wearing these; I'm only sorry I didn't start wearing them years earlier. Sometimes I put the earplugs in before entering the venue, sometimes I put them in while I'm there. If I put them in while I'm listening to the music, it seems to me that the high tones are somewhat muffled, and the bass seems stronger, but the overall experience is still the same. I quickly forget I'm wearing them, and enjoy the heck out of several hours of dancing and music. I went to Denver's Decadence NYE party last week, wore them for five hours, enjoyed myself immensely... and then, unfortunately, lost them after I removed them and thought I'd replaced them in the carrying case. I simply won't go to loud clubs or concerts without hearing protection--it's utterly foolish, and I already know one guy with permanent tinnitus from years of raves and concerts. Because I don't want to be like him, I'm going to order a replacement set ASAP. Before making that purchase, I've been checking out a lot of other models and brands, and these get the best and most consistent reviews, both here and on other sites. I've been tempted to try other brands, particularly Alpine MusicSafe and DownBeats, but when I read the 1-star reviews, a significant number of people complain about difficulty--sometimes a lot of difficulty--removing the ear plugs. I don't want to deal with that. One reason I wear these consistently is because they're easy to insert and remove. I haven't had any problem wearing what are now called "standard fit" and what were, in 2011, called "small." As I mentioned, when I first insert them, there is a slightly uncomfortable initial feeling of pressure, but it quickly goes away and I forget I'm wearing them. Pulling gently on my ear to widen the opening as I insert the earplugs seems to help a bit with insertion, and allows me to gently push them in more deeply. I have never used them with the cord attached, and I've never had any trouble removing them, or having them stay in. I can't use these to muffle noises at night when I'm sleeping -- the stem doesn't stick out very far, but it does stick out far enough that as a side sleeper, the plugs shift uncomfortably as the stems and the pillow move against each other. For sleeping, I'd use standard drugstore-foam earplugs. I'm giving them four stars, not five, because as another reviewer pointed out, I'm confused as to whether or not these offer 20db protection or 12db protection; and I wish Etymotic would make that more clear. My guess is that they offer 12db of sound reduction, so I'm not sure why they're advertised as reducing sound by 20db. Regardless, when I wear them, I do not experience any ringing or high-pitched tones in my ears after the event. I think the only thing better would be to have some earplugs custom-molded and use interchangeable filters... those would be five-star earplugs, but they're a bit out of my price range.