Etymotic ER20XS ETY Earplugs - Standard Size, Clear - High-Fidelity Hearing Protection - Up to 20 dB Sound Reduction - Reusable - Includes Neck Cord & Carrying Case

Having done the orange Mack's earplugs thing for concerts before, I really wanted to avoid the generic in-ear foam plugs (or any over-ear headphones) for going to live concerts. Regular plugs muffle EVERYTHING to the point that the music I've paid to hear sounds like the Swedish Chef screaming into a pillow. I settled on these Etymotic plugs based on a single recommendation after having posted a request for recs on Reddit. The stipulations were: 1) They had to be in-ear. The reasoning being over-ear protection is very bulky for anything that actually protects well enough to use. I'm old enough where I don't care what anyone says about how "uncool" I am wearing ear protection. 2) They had to include a non-flange option. My wife cannot use flanged ear plugs due to numerous ear piercings on different spots of her ears. For the same reason, she cannot wear over-ear pro as in #1. I was pretty sure she'd be stuck with regular foam plugs until I found these. I did see a "moldable" plastic ear plug set exists from another manufacturer, but I read extensively that they are very uncomfortable to wear after only an hour or two. 3) They couldn't cost an arm and a leg to buy without knowing how they'd function. Each set of these plugs was $25 at the time of my purchase, so they weren't about to break the bank for a "risk" purchase based on a lone recommendation. Overall: yeah, these are definitely a winner. The flanged tips were comfortable for me. The foam tips were comfortable for my wife. We were both pretty happy with the total volume reduction (no ear pain/ringing at the end of the concert) and exceedingly pleased with the limited distortion to the music/vocals. There definitely is SOME distortion, but, compared to standard foam plugs, these are definitely high-fidelity. We're looking into professional custom-made plugs for both of us, but I'll definitely return for more of these if the custom plugs don't happen and if/when my current set of these wears out.

I got the standard fit ER20XS, which fit very well. I wore these ear plugs for a 4-day hard rock music festival. The sound quality was very good. The plugs are fairly nondescript when you have them in. Nothing flashy, just effective. No lying in bed with ringing ears. They stay in and aren't painful. I actually wore the Etymotic plugs all 4 days, which for me is really saying something! I was impressed. I'll definitely be using these for the upcoming summer concerts. Once I learned how to take them in and out of my ears, I found it easy to pop them in when approaching a stage versus having them out while walking around or listening from the back. At one point the little storage box popped open without me knowing and I lost the cord, which I wasn't using anyway. Make sure you snap that container all the way shut. I have tried other foam earplugs at concerts before and found they distort the sound and block too much of the music. I always ended up abandoning them. No such disappointment with the Etymotic ear plugs. I definitely recommend these.

Can't give 5 stars because these are the 1st earplugs I've tried! I've had previous experience with etymotic for their iems, which are great at any price and worth the spend. I already experienced the passive noise reduction their triple flange buds provide, so I thought their earplugs might be an option for helping me find a solution for going to loud venues. And the earplugs are no different. I use these in clubs and loud bars and can still hold conversation with people while knowing my ears are being protected. I can even stand near loud speakers without pain, however much that makes anyone following me uncomfortable! I am already experienced and comfortable with the triple flange buds, so I will say if you are new to these, they go in DEEP. I'm already used to triple flange iems so the depth doesn't bother me. Once you get a great fit, you'll see how much sound is reduced. But you can still hear all the music, and hold conversations without yelling like a crazy person! Please follow instructions on putting them in AND taking them out. It might be uncomfortable at first, but that's the price for quality passive sound dampening. And it works! I think the next best thing would be custom made plugs, which can be expensive. These are a great value for the money. Beats foam plugs for me.

First off, I am rating these with the foam ear tips that are available. I highly recommend that you buy those too if you buy these earplugs. The flange ear tips are not as effective at reducing noise as the foam ones. I have used these ear plugs for almost 20 years for various occasions. These are really good for use at rock concerts. You can reduce the volume to a fairly safe level and still hear the music without too much dulling of the sound . Truthfully, I think rock concerts sound better with these because you can really hear the music. Best part is no ringing of the ears after. That should be the main reason why you would want to have these. I can imagine many other needs for earplugs like this where you want very good fidelity and to protect your ears. The price of these and the foam ear tips are so worth your money to protect your ears. That investment will last many, many, many years of use. I still have and use the pair I bought almost 20 years ago. The most recent pair I bought and reviewing was for a friend who was using regular foam earplugs at a concert we recently attended. After seeing that, I felt obligated to give them a pair of these (with the foam tips :-) ) so he can protect his ears and hear future concerts better and safely. I fully recommend these ([broken record playing ] with the foam ear tips).

great plugs!

Functionally they're fine. Not as muffled as foam plugs. They reduce overall noise levels, yet also do preserve enough of the mids / highs to allow for conversations to still be had, and I can certainly see how they'd allow for more of the richness of music through at a concert (hence the "high-fidelity"). As others have said, they do tend to make ears itch after a while, and it can take a few tries to get them to fit right. If any of the ridges don't seat right in the ear canal, they do hurt. Getting them wet, and pulling the ear out & back before insertion does help with getting them to fit right, and once they do they do a good job. But let's be honest ... There's maybe 30 cents of material here. And being my first pair, I got sampler kit with the 3 tip options. The foam ones I got were dried out and very uncomfortable. The neck cord is pretty much worthless. And the new case is terrible. It doesn't stay closed at all. Very disappointing. For the price Etymotic should offer a MUCH better case. Fortunately I had a nice clamshell case from another brand that I could use instead. Ended up staying with the default silicone tips. But I wouldn't buy again. I'd definitely try a different brand.

Fantastic! I bought these to wear at a recent rock concert at a small, loud venue. I knew the crowd was going to be exuberant and I wanted to be in it so I was worried that the regular ER20 with the long stem might pose a problem, so I went with these low-profile versions instead. They worked beautifully. Was the music as sharp and clear as if I hadn't worn earplugs? No. HOWEVER: Were my ears hurting and ringing by the end of the night? No. Could I hear everything well enough to still feel like I was hearing them loud and live, including guitar and soft vocals? Yes. Could I still hear people around me? Yes. Did they stay in my ears comfortably through all three bands' sets during which I was in the pit the whole time getting shoved around, jumping up and down, singing, sweating, and having a blast? Yes. Yes. Yes. I bought the universal fit package because I have a hard time wearing ear buds and so I was unsure of the fit if I only got the standard and I only had a few days before the concert. When they arrived, I put the standard fit in to see how they were and to get used to them before the show. They did seem to go in a little far and I could feel the stems but, given other reviews, I thought maybe it was just something to get used to. After about a half hour of wearing them, they actually hurt more and I took them out, swapped out the standard tips for the large tips, reinserted them and they did not hurt at all. I did not bother to remove the tabs either because they do aid in the removal of the earplugs. With the angle these plugs sit in my ears, I could swivel the tab around so it didn't just stick straight out. Everyone's ears are a little different though so I can't say if this would work for anyone else. (Though I also bought a pair of these in just the standard size for my sister who was also going to the same show and she swiveled the tabs around too to keep them more out of the way.) The low profile earplugs were nice too in that I wasn't worried about an elbow to the ear knocking the plug further in or completely out. I highly recommend these earplugs to anyone attending concerts, especially if you know you're going to want to be part of the main floor/pit crowd.

Read a lot of reviews for many similar items before taking a chance on these. Arrived quickly and as described, no surprises. Not much to these things; figure out what size you need (could have saved myself $5 if I’d known, as I suspected, the large), put the plugs on the stems (a bit of effort but nothing crazy), attach the lanyard (if desired), and you’re Ready to use them. Form: the tech is not high but it is clever. A small piece of plastic with a hole in each end allows some sound to enter from outside the ear pass through the changeable mounted tip. Fit: okay, I’ve got large ear canals so I choose the large silicon inserts. They are a decent fit although to seat them well (and not have the plastic bit used to grab and remove them sticking out). They have to go quite far in the ear canal. This it a bit uncomfortable at first, takes some getting used to, but I felt the slight discomfort was worth the overall result. I’m glad that I got the universal set as I see being able to use the large foam tips as a secondary before reordering the large ones again. Function: I’m surprised I like these as much as I do. They cut the wind slap on my ears and reduce the pain on any length ride...in both my full face helmet and half helmet! I feel I’m riding better because I can hear the engine more clearly and I’m not distracted by the irritating noise in my ears. I can still hear my music well from the fairing speakers! I haven’t had to turn them up and the fidelity seems better. Summary: I think these are worth the price! If I lose them or the become damaged I will buy another pair. Biggest hassle so far with these is the lanyard. I’m certain I would drop these, step on them, lose the, without it but trying to wrangle that thing back in the box after use is super frustrating. I’ve figured out if I wrap the cord around the earplugs and place them in the box with the end of the lanyard down (under the wrapped plugs) and move with the speed of a mongoose, I can get the lid shut without part sticking out roughly 80% of the time. Final thoughts: I’ve ridden a few times the past few days with both helmets WITHOUT the earplugs and regretted it.