Attending a concert or playing in one should be all fun and games, not irreversible damage to your hair cells. As a music aficionado and frequent surveyor of the NYC concert scene, I can’t stress the importance of hearing protection. Etymotic has recently unveiled a new addition to their hearing protection line-up, Etymotic ER20XS High-Fidelity Earplugs, Universal Fit and I’m trying them out.
Etymotic ER20XS High-Fidelity Earplugs Universal Fit Review
Created with musicians and artists in mind, Etymotic ER20XS is specially crafted to safe guard your ears against damaging instruments and environments – whether you’re a vocalist or a member of a marching band, harmful sound surrounds be it your own instrument or surrounding speakers, monitors, or instruments. As indicated by Etymotic, the Environmental Protection Agency has rated the noise reduction rating at 13 decibels. Etymotic adds that advanced technology evenly reduces sound up to 20 decibels with the use of flanged or foam interchangeable ear tips. The plugs are also considered “high-fidelity” because of their ability to reduce sound evenly, rather than only reducing higher frequencies leading to muffled sounding audio.
These high-performance earplugs are crafted with a discreet design, as in a clear body and clear or smoke-colored ear tips which I think are way more attractive than the bright orange foam inserts I’ve been using over the years. The standard fit flanged tips secure themselves like a dream in my small ears, very comfortable and cozy. Etymotic has even gone the extra mile by including a neck cord which can be secured to the plugs themselves as well as another cord that attach to the portable case making safety it quite easy to take your earplugs from concert A to concert B.
The ER20XS earplugs, as I previously mentioned, are very comfortable – to my surprise. They also reduce a great deal of noise. I plugged them in in the office and found I could hear the radio and voices of my coworkers perfectly unadulterated, but the extremely loud din of NYC traffic was tuned to a hush. Ermygawwsshhhh it was glorious!!! On the day-to-day, as I walk the streets of New York and hear horns blaring, people yelling, sirens screeching and more, I can feel my hair cells tingling and my brain immediately wonders how long it will be until I lose all of my hearing, but these earplugs are able to suppress some of those decibels to a much safer listening volume and I’m thankful. No tinnitus here. ER20XS can definitely help deter the damaging effects of merely commuting in New York City so I can only imagine what that means for concert venues, festivals, and even flights.
If interested in retaining your hearing you can grab Etymotic ER20XS High-Fidelity Earplugs, Universal Fit on Amazon.
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