Ektopia

At our last gig the band I play drums in had our sound level measured and we were hitting a little over 100db without a PA so with that in mind I shouldn’t be playing without hearing defenders for more than 1.25 hours (according to Etymotic’s research). At rehearsals this isn’t really a problem, I’ve been using various earplugs (foam and rubber) for ages to prevent the post-rehearsal ear ringing but they have all been far from perfect, they are either uncomfortable or just no good at cutting the volume without destroying the quality of the sound. When I’ve played live it’s been a different story though, wearing earplugs has taken something away from the experience so I’ve often not bothered about wearing any. I assume it’s the muffled sound. Anyway, I was really excited to find out about the Etymotic ER20 earplugs. The idea for the Etymotic ER20 was to design some earplugs that would reduce the volume by 20db (decibels) equally over the whole frequency range to “turn down the noise but not muffle voices.”

So how did it all work out for them then? Do they stand up to it? Do they reduce them without degrading the sound quality? Well they are pretty easy to insert, comfortable (due to their construction being made from very soft rubber flanges) and the do indeed reduce the sound level fairly equally across the frequency range. Music remains un-muffled and vocals are indeed very clear. The only pay-off is that music, while sounding un-muffled, has a tiny bit of the high end “whispery quality” missing (for instance, cymbal hits have an altered timbre). A small price to pay in my opinion for minimising the risk of permanent hearing damage, especially for poor little me stuck directly above a cracking snare drum! As well as other peoples vocals sounding nice and clear I was surprised, and grateful, to find that my own vocals sounded clearer. Now I’m not talking about how they sounded out front but how they sounded in my head. The PA at our rehearsal space doesn’t have any separate monitors so I can rarely hear myself when playing but with the I found it much easier to sing backing vocals while wearing the ER20’s. I’m guessing that’s to do with hearing via bone conduction rather than through the ears (that are well sealed with the earplugs in situ). Anyway, that’s a great bonus for me.

You also get a rubber case to store the earplugs in and there’s an optional handy cord available that attaches to both of the earplugs and that allow you to take them out and have them hang around your neck. The neck cord is fine while you’re using them on and off but I found that for keeping them in for long periods I was happier without using the earplugs without the cord. I found that the cords vibrated on my clothes and neck and I found that this vibration resonated into the earplugs and made a quiet scratching sounds, which was slightly off putting when the rest of the band were talking. Without the cord though, there was no problem hearing any dialogue at all volumes. The cord is very handy though and if you need to take them out often they are ideal as you don’t have to find somewhere to put the earplugs, you can just leave them dangling.

Another thing that’s different than the other foam and rubber earplugs that I’ve previously used is that the EC20’s are a completely un-tiring experience, no waiting for a break to take them out and no more sore ears post rehearsal.

It’s great to know that I’m now out of the market for a set of comfortable and efficient earplugs. If you’re in the market from some then I can definitely recommend the ER20’s. You too will be able to safely rehearse for 20 hours without worrying about my ears ringing (unless your guitarist wants to tun the volume up by 20db that is!). If you’re in the UK you can get them from PJ Box for around £12 a set they’re a bargain. I just wish I had discovered them earlier.