I would highly reccommend you check out some Bose isolation headphones. They're the most comfortable headphones you'll ever wear, and they work great.
i'm with T.Underhill
I just go to the pharmacy and grab some earplugs, but not for $20.
I have been playing guitar for 13 years with two full stacks and now big drums, I still can't see a reason for spending so much money on them. Cheapie ones have worked for me this far!
i could be completely wrong : )
Peltor II ear defenders in the home
i gotta get a pair of those vic firth headphones....my ears start feeling weird and start ringing after im done playing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by yabasta!
i'm with T.Underhill
I just go to the pharmacy and grab some earplugs, but not for $20.
I have been playing guitar for 13 years with two full stacks and now big drums, I still can't see a reason for spending so much money on them. Cheapie ones have worked for me this far!
i could be completely wrong : )
I find it strange that many musicians don’t value their hearing more. I often see people play rehearsals and gigs with no protection at all.
We pay a lot for gadgets and other more or less necessary equipment, but we back away from an investment of USD 150 to 200 that will ensure that our hearing ability survives our playing.
I’m always using my custom moulds. I hear the music very good, and my ears are never “ringing” after a gig or rehearsal.
/Oldie
It took me a long time to get over the old, "Well, it doesn't sound too loud right NOW," during sound check. Tinnitus and damage is cumulative. The louder the sound, the less time you can spend in it before doing damage to your ears. They say now that sound over 85 dB will do damage after 8 hours. 85 dB is the sound level of a bulldozer idling (not doing work, just being on). It's also the level of regular city traffic.
88 dB can be harmful after 4 hours. That's about the volume of a gas mower or a hair drier.
94 dB can be harmful after only 60 minutes. This is about the volume of a tractor. It's also the average level of my band's indoor rehearsals if we have a mic set up.
100 dB is about the volume that your iPod or other personal music player can hit... at half volume. If it was blaring at 100 dB consistently, your hearing could be damaged after 15 minutes!
A typical rock concert peaks around 110 dB. This means after only the opening song, you're looking at doing damage. One brass or woodwind instrument at full blast can hit 105 dB. That means that an unamplified big band with 15 horns blasting at fff can produce sounds well over 120 dB (which can cause immediate damage)! These times, of course, are approximate. I find that I feel uncomfortable (ears hurting) at a few dB lower than this chart shows. I don't know if I'm doing damage, but it does hurt.
My point is this- a lot of noise that doesn't FEEL loud at first (for example, my band's 95 dB sound check) can become damaging before you know it. Wear those plugs. Wear those mufflers. And PLEASE check out the NR rating on the packaging. If you're blasting away at 110 dB (drumset in a small bedroom can easily accomplish this), the 8 dB swimming earplugs will certainly help, but not protect you at all from a 2 hour practice session.
Shoot the first doctor. Paper rolls are not nearly good enough.I have spoken to two separate ear specialists about this issue. Both of them emphasized the importance of hearing protection, though one of them said not using them isn't as bad as some people claim it is, whereas the other was a little more careful. That first doctor recommended me to use pieces of toilet paper for earplugs when I asked him about custom moulded ones. I have done so for years and frankly, it works well enough. But it looks unprofessional at gigs so I bought the Vaters.
Shoot the first doctor. Paper rolls are not nearly good enough.I have spoken to two separate ear specialists about this issue. Both of them emphasized the importance of hearing protection, though one of them said not using them isn't as bad as some people claim it is, whereas the other was a little more careful. That first doctor recommended me to use pieces of toilet paper for earplugs when I asked him about custom moulded ones. I have done so for years and frankly, it works well enough. But it looks unprofessional at gigs so I bought the Vaters.
I just wouldn't personally recommend the Vic Firth headphones because the wire-style headband that they have is, IMO, cheap and easier to break. I would think you can find another brand of isolation headphones that is sturdier in the same price range.
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