Etymotic ER20XS ETY Earplugs - Standard Size, Clear - High-Fidelity Hearing Protection - Up to 20 dB Sound Reduction - Reusable - Includes Neck Cord & Carrying Case

Having done the orange Mack's earplugs thing for concerts before, I really wanted to avoid the generic in-ear foam plugs (or any over-ear headphones) for going to live concerts. Regular plugs muffle EVERYTHING to the point that the music I've paid to hear sounds like the Swedish Chef screaming into a pillow. I settled on these Etymotic plugs based on a single recommendation after having posted a request for recs on Reddit. The stipulations were: 1) They had to be in-ear. The reasoning being over-ear protection is very bulky for anything that actually protects well enough to use. I'm old enough where I don't care what anyone says about how "uncool" I am wearing ear protection. 2) They had to include a non-flange option. My wife cannot use flanged ear plugs due to numerous ear piercings on different spots of her ears. For the same reason, she cannot wear over-ear pro as in #1. I was pretty sure she'd be stuck with regular foam plugs until I found these. I did see a "moldable" plastic ear plug set exists from another manufacturer, but I read extensively that they are very uncomfortable to wear after only an hour or two. 3) They couldn't cost an arm and a leg to buy without knowing how they'd function. Each set of these plugs was $25 at the time of my purchase, so they weren't about to break the bank for a "risk" purchase based on a lone recommendation. Overall: yeah, these are definitely a winner. The flanged tips were comfortable for me. The foam tips were comfortable for my wife. We were both pretty happy with the total volume reduction (no ear pain/ringing at the end of the concert) and exceedingly pleased with the limited distortion to the music/vocals. There definitely is SOME distortion, but, compared to standard foam plugs, these are definitely high-fidelity. We're looking into professional custom-made plugs for both of us, but I'll definitely return for more of these if the custom plugs don't happen and if/when my current set of these wears out.

I got the standard fit ER20XS, which fit very well. I wore these ear plugs for a 4-day hard rock music festival. The sound quality was very good. The plugs are fairly nondescript when you have them in. Nothing flashy, just effective. No lying in bed with ringing ears. They stay in and aren't painful. I actually wore the Etymotic plugs all 4 days, which for me is really saying something! I was impressed. I'll definitely be using these for the upcoming summer concerts. Once I learned how to take them in and out of my ears, I found it easy to pop them in when approaching a stage versus having them out while walking around or listening from the back. At one point the little storage box popped open without me knowing and I lost the cord, which I wasn't using anyway. Make sure you snap that container all the way shut. I have tried other foam earplugs at concerts before and found they distort the sound and block too much of the music. I always ended up abandoning them. No such disappointment with the Etymotic ear plugs. I definitely recommend these.

Can't give 5 stars because these are the 1st earplugs I've tried! I've had previous experience with etymotic for their iems, which are great at any price and worth the spend. I already experienced the passive noise reduction their triple flange buds provide, so I thought their earplugs might be an option for helping me find a solution for going to loud venues. And the earplugs are no different. I use these in clubs and loud bars and can still hold conversation with people while knowing my ears are being protected. I can even stand near loud speakers without pain, however much that makes anyone following me uncomfortable! I am already experienced and comfortable with the triple flange buds, so I will say if you are new to these, they go in DEEP. I'm already used to triple flange iems so the depth doesn't bother me. Once you get a great fit, you'll see how much sound is reduced. But you can still hear all the music, and hold conversations without yelling like a crazy person! Please follow instructions on putting them in AND taking them out. It might be uncomfortable at first, but that's the price for quality passive sound dampening. And it works! I think the next best thing would be custom made plugs, which can be expensive. These are a great value for the money. Beats foam plugs for me.

First off, I am rating these with the foam ear tips that are available. I highly recommend that you buy those too if you buy these earplugs. The flange ear tips are not as effective at reducing noise as the foam ones. I have used these ear plugs for almost 20 years for various occasions. These are really good for use at rock concerts. You can reduce the volume to a fairly safe level and still hear the music without too much dulling of the sound . Truthfully, I think rock concerts sound better with these because you can really hear the music. Best part is no ringing of the ears after. That should be the main reason why you would want to have these. I can imagine many other needs for earplugs like this where you want very good fidelity and to protect your ears. The price of these and the foam ear tips are so worth your money to protect your ears. That investment will last many, many, many years of use. I still have and use the pair I bought almost 20 years ago. The most recent pair I bought and reviewing was for a friend who was using regular foam earplugs at a concert we recently attended. After seeing that, I felt obligated to give them a pair of these (with the foam tips :-) ) so he can protect his ears and hear future concerts better and safely. I fully recommend these ([broken record playing ] with the foam ear tips).

great plugs!

bien, le bruit est atténué mais reste présent

Veo reseñas que dicen que estos tapones son un timo. Me temo que muchas de estas personas o han comprado mal la talla o no se los saben poner. Recomiendo seguir las indicaciones del fabricante. Para que los tapones funcionen como es debido hay que empujarlos dentro del canal auditivo, profundamente. Son los mejores que he probado. Los resultados son tan buenos que hacen que no merezca la pena pagar 150 euros por unos tapones a medida (también los he tenido y en la comparación los Etymotic no salen tan mal parados). OJO: no son para dormir con ellos. Yo los uso para conciertos (tocando y como público).

I have used these ER-20XS earplugs at a couple of rehearsal now and, in comparison to two other makes of earplugs that I have used in the past, they do a better job of reducing the volume of the sound more evenly across all of the frequencies. My only only issue with them is that even though they are listed as a "universal fit", even the smaller size earplug is slightly too big for my left ear canal for a truly comfortable fit. But, they do the job - they work!

Honestly this are really bad only reduce 5db max and there is hi cut when you use it not flat at all

Went to a live music concert the other day and the only decent place was near the speakers (probably for obvious reasons). Had Etymotic ear plugs in place and had the feeling of being 20 meters away from the speakers. There was no music quality loss and thoroughly enjoyed the concert.... The next day, no buzzing noise in my ears!!!! The people that came with me didn't even notice I had them on... until the end of the concert because I told them. Hopefully they will change their minds also....