Let's face it: it's much more fun without ear plugs, but wearing them will keep us stay able to enjoy music in full trains.
In my opinion it still does not exist enough scientific knowledge about hearing loss and tinnitus. There are so many assumptions but few facts.

For example some people say that with every concert your hearing gets a bit worse, because some of the tiny hair cells in your ear canal break off. It just takes many concerts until you notice, because there are thousands of those hair cells.
Other people say that if the concert is not unusually loud your ear will activate a self-protection mechanism, which is why your hearing is muffled after the concert. After a while it goes away and your hearing is just like before.
But then again some people claim that this is actually hearing loss, the brain just gets used to it. Everybody says something different. That's the problem.

So all we can do is to listen and learn from the people who have much experience with the subject. That is what I want to do with this thread.
I hope that you can tell me about your experiences. Espencially it would be interesting to hear from people like Bjornulf or Dean Goodman who attented hundreds of shows.

For me at the moment it's a bit like with smoking or heavy drinking. Either it's worth yourself enjoying the moment and taking the risk of health issues, or you take care of your future.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-02-20 16:34 by StonedRambler.

Use them, StonedRambler.

Here's a thread on the subject:

[www.iorr.org]

I've only ever used them one time; standing right in front of Leslie West's Marshall stacks at a Mountain gig that was in a tiny club. When they played a cover of "Sunshine of Your Love" I said, "Oh, hell, I've got to HEAR this!" and I took them out. The ROAR of sound that came flooding into my ears made me realize just how much I'd been missing, and how muffled the ear plugs had made everything sound, but the next song was "Mississippi Queen" and I got scared and put them back in.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2016-02-20 16:59 by tatters.

eh? SPEAK LOUDED, I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!

I've been to over 300 concerts since 1975. My hearing is OK. Not the best but OK,
I think I lost some of my haring by cranking the car stereo.
My advice is don't worry about it at concerts.

Using my lawn mower is more deafening. I use earplugs then.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-02-20 17:15 by More Hot Rocks.

Quote
latebloomer
Use them, StonedRambler.

Here's a thread on the subject:

[www.iorr.org]

Very interesting thread, thank you! Espencially I find it interesting that Bjornulf did his master degree on the subject. He often mentions the stapedus muscle in this thread, which protects the ear from getting damaged for about two hours.
Which makes me wonder: Muscles can get trained by using them regularly. Is this also the case with the stapedus? Is it more dangerous if you go to concerts rarely because your stapedus is not trained?
I always take ear-plugs with me. But often I just can't help and take them out again because it's more enjoyable. But there were also situations when I was lucky to wear them.

Bjornulf - I (and I guess many others here) would be really thankful if you would give us some information about the topic from the current state of knowledge, if you have time. The concerts in SA must be very loud because of the audience.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2016-02-20 17:26 by StonedRambler.

Quote
latebloomer
Use them, StonedRambler.

Here's a thread on the subject:

[www.iorr.org]

Read that thread, lots of good advice in it.

TL/DR EVERYONE should invest in a nice pair of quality ear protection.

The $5.00-$10.00-$30.00-$100.00 you spend protects one of your keys senses.
If/when you damage your ear, IT DOES NOT HEAL! It stays damaged for life.

Take the pair of ear protection to EVERY concert, keep them in your pocket.
If/when it becomes louder than your body is telling you is OK, put them in.
Feel free to remove them often at a show or for quiet songs, in/out/in/out is OK
Feel free to only have one of them in... the ear facing amps.
Feel free to alternate having only one ear protected and then the other, back and forth.

If you care too much what (you imagine) people think of you looking funny or being a pussy with ear protection, stop caring about that. This is your hearing we are talking about.

Do some research to find some really nice ear protectors for sale out there.
You are looking for noise reduction, not ear plugs.
These are not for swimming, these are to allow proper levels of sounds in and block the dangerous levels.

There is no reason to not obtain and take ear protection to every concert you go to.



Tip- After you do not take this advice, or it is too late to help....
Out in life when some smart ass goof (usually a young waiter/waitress/counter person) wants to play games and mumble under their breath, quiet talk, make them self hard to understand... do not bother saying "WHAT?" or asking them to speak up.... instead you start mumbling and quiet talking under your breath and make your self UN-understandable able. I have heard this cures these douche's quiet speaking BS aka they will get the point.


TL/DR Obtain and take ear protection to every concert, you don't have to use it.

Please pass this advice along to young people.
Most old people have blown up their ears long ago, but there is still time to help the kids.

Use it.

I have always two or three pairs of earplug in mi travel kit - choose ones which are tied with a thread, so you have the kit on your neck - nothing like having the ear plugs in your pocket - you lost it in a minute..

The trick is to tamper and protect your ears more or less according to the volume... Very high volume, you push deep in you ears... Less volume, you wear it a little more "open"

Yes! I use these ones. They don't diminish the sound, actually sounds better with them because they seem to remove the muddiness that excess volume can cause. I used them at all 6 shows last summer (not in Quebec, was too far back), sound was excellent and my hearing was fine immediately afterwards. They do have a cord so harder to lose, come in a little case, never travel without them!

my ears were ringing for a week after a Ramones concert

Either wear ear plugs or go to a rock show.

Quote
everwest1
EVERYONE should invest in a nice pair of quality ear protection.

The $5.00-$10.00-$30.00-$100.00 you spend protects one of your keys senses.
If/when you damage your ear, IT DOES NOT HEAL! It stays damaged for life.
Take the pair of ear protection to EVERY concert, keep them in your pocket.
If/when it becomes louder than your body is telling you is OK, put them in.
Feel free to remove them often at a show or for quiet songs, in/out/in/out is OK
Feel free to only have one of them in... the ear facing amps.
Feel free to alternate having only one ear protected and then the other, back and forth.

This! I have the same kind as STG and while I don't have both of them in through whole shows,
I sure am glad I invested in them. Recommended!

Quote
with sssoul

Quote
everwest1
EVERYONE should invest in a nice pair of quality ear protection.

The $5.00-$10.00-$30.00-$100.00 you spend protects one of your keys senses.
If/when you damage your ear, IT DOES NOT HEAL! It stays damaged for life.
Take the pair of ear protection to EVERY concert, keep them in your pocket.
If/when it becomes louder than your body is telling you is OK, put them in.
Feel free to remove them often at a show or for quiet songs, in/out/in/out is OK
Feel free to only have one of them in... the ear facing amps.
Feel free to alternate having only one ear protected and then the other, back and forth.

This! I have the same kind as STG and while I don't have both of them in through whole shows,
I sure am glad I invested in them. Recommended!

We would all agree that using ear plugs/ear protection is better for our ears than to do not.
But I think we would also all agree that using no ear plugs is usually much more fun - even if you have a high quality protection.
So the question is: How do you know if you should use them?
everwest wrote that he uses them if his body tells him that the volume is too loud. I have the problem that I can't assess it that well.
It somehow depends on the quality of the speakers. With low-quality speakers it already seems to loud at low level, with high-quality speakers it's not so easy to know if it's too loud.
Also with headphones I can listen really loud and it doesn't feel unhealthy. Only when I take them off I notice that my ears are already ringing.
The whole topic seems so inscrutable to me.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-02-20 20:30 by StonedRambler.

You know what volume on your headphones is too high, because when you take them off your ears are ringing.
So turn 'em down! It ain't rocket surgery :E

At concerts, when in doubt, start with baby steps:
Do you want to damage your hearing getting blasted by a warm-up band you never heard of?
So put in your high-quality hearing protectors for that part of the show. And proceed from there.

Sometimes I wear a headset plus my ear plugs. That's when the ringing is more serious than other times. And this is for "can't miss" concerts. Otherwise I don't go. Plus I don't play music loud much anymore. I would be deaf very soon if I did. Just hanging on, like some other people here I suspect.

never wear them, but really been thinking about it lately. I might start, I can't bear the thought that I might someday lose my ability to hear great music.

I've been to many loud concerts, including metal bands, and so far so good, but like one said, maybe it is happening so slowly that i don't notice it.

I abandoned head phones for casual use long long ago. Of course there are times when head phones are required, but I make sure to keep them way low and not allow them to get loud and get louder and louder until BOOM!!!

I will add if anyone is ever going to be around guns be shot, all it takes is one shot and Boom ears ringing and damaged. Just one shot. If they might shoot guns, got your protection on early.

Quote
with sssoul

Quote
everwest1
EVERYONE should invest in a nice pair of quality ear protection.

The $5.00-$10.00-$30.00-$100.00 you spend protects one of your keys senses.
If/when you damage your ear, IT DOES NOT HEAL! It stays damaged for life.
Take the pair of ear protection to EVERY concert, keep them in your pocket.
If/when it becomes louder than your body is telling you is OK, put them in.
Feel free to remove them often at a show or for quiet songs, in/out/in/out is OK
Feel free to only have one of them in... the ear facing amps.
Feel free to alternate having only one ear protected and then the other, back and forth.

This! I have the same kind as STG and while I don't have both of them in through whole shows,
I sure am glad I invested in them. Recommended!

Another vote for the etymotic ear plugs - I've always got them with me at a concert, but don't use them unless I find the volume is distorting the sound - and then it's actually better with them.

Wished I had have ear plugs after I attended Who and Led Zep concerts
in the early/mid 70s.

Quote
Green Lady

Quote
with sssoul

Quote
everwest1
EVERYONE should invest in a nice pair of quality ear protection.

The $5.00-$10.00-$30.00-$100.00 you spend protects one of your keys senses.
If/when you damage your ear, IT DOES NOT HEAL! It stays damaged for life.
Take the pair of ear protection to EVERY concert, keep them in your pocket.
If/when it becomes louder than your body is telling you is OK, put them in.
Feel free to remove them often at a show or for quiet songs, in/out/in/out is OK
Feel free to only have one of them in... the ear facing amps.
Feel free to alternate having only one ear protected and then the other, back and forth.

This! I have the same kind as STG and while I don't have both of them in through whole shows,
I sure am glad I invested in them. Recommended!

Another vote for the etymotic ear plugs - I've always got them with me at a concert, but don't use them unless I find the volume is distorting the sound - and then it's actually better with them.

Yet another vote for these. Plus, you can adjust them so that they're only partially inserted, and they're comfortable to wear for long periods.

If there not inserted properly there worth less.

Quote
ohmercy61
If there not inserted properly there worth less.

worth less (less good) or worthless (no good at all)?

It also depends what you mean by "not inserted properly." They can be inserted halfway into the ear canal, in which case they will obviously block less volume than if they're completely inserted, but sometimes you don't need that higher level of protection.

Edit: which is not the same as "worthless." They still offer some level of protection even if only partially inserted. I recommend these, they come on a necklace that attaches magnetically around your neck, making them harder to lose. Plus they look cool. http://www.noiselace.com/



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-02-21 02:45 by Aquamarine.

Would never go to a concert with air plugs, either you go or not.

Quote
mtaylor
Would never go to a concert with air plugs, either you go or not.

Depends how much hearing you're willing to lose over time. I reached the point where I'm not prepared to risk losing any more. And it's not like the music isn't still loud, in fact it's often clearer, too.

to me, it`s much more fun without earplugs, be it going to concerts or my own playing, which is as loud as can be. This is of course irresponsible in the long run. I`ve got tinnitus and, at 57, will soon have to get hearing aids.
There`s a price to pay. I don`t regret it, it was and is so much fun. Headphones at full volume for hours though, I think that`s the worst. Don`t, if you care to avoid.
Oh, the beautiful silence around me...

It's like wearing a condom in the shower

or...a raincoat while having sex.

Yeah, that's it!

It does suck not being able to enjoy the full concert experience because of earplugs. The alternative is not happening either (not going). Once in a while for a favorite song I remove the plugs and damn it sounds so good and loud. Wish I could do it like I was younger but I just can't. I like the comment above about sex with a condom, yeah basically it's the same with earplugs. You're right.

I wore my Etymotics last night in Rio after being a bit lazy using them this tour. They make the show more pleasurable, actually. About halfway through, I took them out for a minute, and my head almost exploded. The show is sooo loud. I haven't seen anyone wear earplugs on this tour. A girl last night asked if I was a security guard.