In ear? Which one is good for drummers?

[David Floegel]

Hey,

i'm currently looking for some In-Ear system...

I have the elacin hearsafe:
http://www.yopi.de/image/prod_pics/227/e/227633.jpg

And heard, that I could use this headphones which fit for the hearsafe:
http://rockshop.de/webbildergross/100/1047960_01.jpg (sth. like this..)

But I had a few questions: How is the dampening of outside noises?
Is the headphone tight enough in the elacin-hearsafe?


I also thought about some UE Inears.. But the cheapest Custom-thing would cost about 400€ in Germany..


Does anybody here has some tips?

Thanks!°

[ecpietscheck]

hey there man
im a in-ear headset fan
i own plenty of headphones
and the best advice i can give you, is buy etymotic er4 from amazon
why? it is the best quality youll get for the price
and most importantly, 3 flange eartips are this company's standard
i own these headphones, and the isolation is good!!! (to make you a clear example, you wont hear engine sounds when inside an airplane WHILST listening to music)
only con with these, is that you will have to get used to them (inserting these headphones onto your ear canal perfectly will take you time, and in the beginning it will hurt)
if you have further questions about it, contact me!

[matthew]

My earplugs that were moulded for my ear canal look like the elacin hearsafe you linked to. I keep getting ear infections after using them. ive gone through a series of separate bouts of painful ear infections which while very annoying can be treated...

mind you, you mention systems, and im just talking about moulded hearing protection, but the moulded part would be the same.

i dont use them any more. I opt for the cheap foam ones that you get at a chemist for 5$.

Furthermore, I got these expensive ones for the belief that they bring the volume down evenly over the entire frequency range. I prefer the EQ'd sound that the cheap ones provide when they just bring down the high pitched frequencies...

furthermore, the lower frequencies arent able to destroy your hearing at higher frequencies* as the hairs on your ear are larger and down get ripped off or bend down permanently as easy.

*I'm not a trained doctor. seek professional opinions

[Florian]

I use JH-16s. Jerry Harvey was the guy who invented Ultimate Ears. He has his own company now and the -16s have 8 drivers per ear....just fantastic sound.


F

[deftdrummer]

I have use the same pair of Shure EC2's for the last 6 years. They are not as good as triple flanged or anything, but I find that with the orange foam tips they tend to last long and keep the sweat out from the inside of your ears.

They are also especially durable for the drumming application, since we tend to unplug and jostle the cables quite a bit. I like to let them sit on my neck while listening to my deskop monitors or just to talk out parts with the band.

As with any good pair of in ear monitors you want to take care of them and clean them so that you can prevent things like ear infections. I also frequently change the wax guards on these models, and it keeps the build up down.

furthermore, the lower frequencies arent able to destroy your hearing at higher frequencies*

Firstly, just a correction of terminology - lower frequency, higher amplitude.

It is true that your ears are more susceptible to damage in the high-frequency range. The membrane in your cochlea (in your inner ear) are covered in small hairs that are connected to nerve cells that connect in turn to your brain. The higher-frequency hairs are more delicate and loud cymbals are what really starts killing your hearing, as well as the top end of snare hits.

That said, any frequency of sound can damage your hearing if you are exposed to it for prolonged periods. It is very important to wear good ear protection. The cheap foam plugs do work, but it's best to buy industrial if you're going with those - just to be safe. Pneumatic drill operators and the like are exposed to similar ear strains, so if it's good enough for them, it's good enough for you. At least medically.

In terms of what you need as a musician, the requirements are a little different. Although wearing foam ear plugs is tempting because they make your kti sound nice (and they do sometimes!) it's actually far better for you as a player to use ear plugs designed with a flatter frequency response. It gives you a far more accurate representation of what you actually sound like. It also equips you better for playing with in-ear monitors, by making you have something in your ear!

So. To conclude. Always wear hearing protection. Any sound can damage your hearing if it's loud enough, but high frequencies are more susceptible to damage and if in doubt about ear protection - go industrial.