Audiokio Productions

LISTEN UP. BUY EARPLUGS.

Allow me to lecture you for a minute. Yes, I’m talking to you. You go to some loud concerts, you’re in a band, or you go to clubs. The music is crazy loud and yet you never use any sort of hearing protection. Concert venues can be 105 dB (or more), only safe for 1 hour of daily exposure according to OSHA guidelines. Your ears sometimes ring afterwards (this is known as “tinnitus”). You may also experience a “threshold shift” – everything is painfully loud but then your ears adjust. These are both signs of hearing damage.

Ears are very delicate instruments. Unfortunately once your hearing is lost it can never be recovered. Maybe you tried those foam earplugs but they make everything sound muffled and crappy.

You should get some earplugs made by Etymotic Research. They are great. They sell a pair called the ER-20 (“High Fidelity Earplugs”) that cost $12. You get 20 db of volume reduction and they come with a plastic container to keep on your keychain. They leave the sound almost the same as your naked ear, just a bit quieter! Etymotic Research also does custom mold earplugs, but you need to get them fitted by an ear doctor. These are less obtrusive and offer multiple levels of volume reduction but are much more expensive. Try out the ER-20s first: they may be just right for your needs.

Even if you only use earplugs when you’re directly in front of a speaker in a club it will be worth it. I’ve even used my ER-20s in a particularly loud movie theater. Do yourself a favor and protect your ears.