<story><title>Build your own hi-fi ear defenders</title><url>https://spectrum.ieee.org/hi-fi-ear-defenders</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>Slow_Hand</author><text>Glancing at the article, this seems like a baroque approach to a problem with a much more elegant solution.&lt;p&gt;I’m a professional musician and audio engineer and for years I’ve been using custom earplugs that I acquired through a visit to an audiologist. They took an impression of my ear canals and within a week provided molded custom-fit plugs. These plugs provide passive attenuation spec’ed to my preference (-15dB, -20dB, -30dB, etc) and they do so in a way that attenuates evenly across the frequency spectrum, rather than over-attenuate the high frequencies like foam earplugs do, so that you don’t experience muffled sound. They’re comfy and work flawlessly. I’ve never taken them out due to discomfort.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>RowanH</author><text>This is what&amp;#x27;s used a lot in motorsport as race cars are insanely loud. Mine was pumping out north of 120db at one point at a 1m static noise test at 4500rpm (went to 7600rpm... and you sit less than 1m from the exhaust..)&lt;p&gt;I had full impressions done with custom in-ear monitors and I&amp;#x27;ve never been happier. Makes plane flights absolutely tolerable too.&lt;p&gt;In-ear monitors vs sleeved (like eytomtic slip-ons) are much better practically day to day as the wires exit flush with the bottom of your earlobes (needed for getting helmets on and off) which means beanies, sleeping on a plane etc you can rest the side of your head on something without wires&amp;#x2F;end of the monitor.&lt;p&gt;Around $700NZD &amp;#x2F; $300USD done here in NZ.</text></comment>
<story><title>Build your own hi-fi ear defenders</title><url>https://spectrum.ieee.org/hi-fi-ear-defenders</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>Slow_Hand</author><text>Glancing at the article, this seems like a baroque approach to a problem with a much more elegant solution.&lt;p&gt;I’m a professional musician and audio engineer and for years I’ve been using custom earplugs that I acquired through a visit to an audiologist. They took an impression of my ear canals and within a week provided molded custom-fit plugs. These plugs provide passive attenuation spec’ed to my preference (-15dB, -20dB, -30dB, etc) and they do so in a way that attenuates evenly across the frequency spectrum, rather than over-attenuate the high frequencies like foam earplugs do, so that you don’t experience muffled sound. They’re comfy and work flawlessly. I’ve never taken them out due to discomfort.</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>pkkm</author><text>For people who can&amp;#x27;t afford custom earplugs, you can find a lot of earplugs with good sound clarity if you google &amp;quot;musician earplugs&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;concert earplugs&amp;quot;. You may have to try more than one brand before you find something that fits well, but it will still be cheaper than the custom option. I like the EarPeace plugs, though it&amp;#x27;s not because of sound quality but because they&amp;#x27;re discreet and I find them comfortable.</text></comment>