Etymotic Research ER20-SMB-C Standard Headset Ear Plugs- Clear Steam/Blue

I have several neurological and vestibular conditions and one of my greatest problems is a condition called hyperaccusis. That means that when I am subjected to certain noises (they don't even need to be that loud) I get a shooting pain in my inner ear and I get a wave of dizziness. So because of this I have been unable to go to the cinema since my illness started (nearly 3 years ago).I bought these ear plugs after someone recommended them to me and I am so pleased that they did. If you've ever tried basic foam ear plugs that you can buy in Boots then you will know that they block out a fair amount of noise, and what noise is left is very muffled. It's almost impossible to have a conversation with anyone with foam ear plugs in. These ear plugs only block out a certain amount of DB meaning that what you do hear is still as clear as it would be without the ear plugs, just quieter.This means that I have managed to go to the cinema twice and the volume level is more like it would be if I were watching it at home, and the great thing is that I can still hear my sister talking to me in the next seat.So, if you have problems like me then I would definitely recommend these ear plugs. Or even if you don't have problems like me but would like to protect your ears so that you don't get problems like me then go ahead and buy them!I would like to point out that they are never going to be as comfortable as foam ear plugs but I managed to site through a 3 hour film with them in quite comfortably.These do come up a little on the small side. I bought the standard size ear plugs even though I have small ear canals (I know this from lots of ear tests) and they fit me well. If you think your ear canals might be on the large side then I would recommend buying the larger size.

These are great, I’ve been playing in a band for years and finally decided to protect what hearing I have left. I was a little skeptical after reading other reviews. But whilst wearing them during rehearsal I was pleasantly surprised! The sound quality was still there but volume was reduced. The bass didn’t rumble though them like in previous ear defenders I’ve worn in the past (although they were the foam ones) The only criticism I have is when singing, my own voice was quite loud in my own head (if that makes sense?) although because of that I didn’t need a monitor 😂 but could clearly hear the other vocalists so it was quite easy to sing the harmonies. Over all very happy with the results. And best of all... no ringing ears after practice 👍🏼

I bought them as a music teacher for wearing in quite noisy (full band) performance rooms and I'm impressed with how, frequency wise, they keep a balanced sound, just at a reduced level. (I can hold conversations and hear all the instruments, including vocals, well enough. Having recently worn them for extended periods, I can report that they're comfortable and not itchy, as some can be. Recommended.

I bought these for going out to drum and bass events and attending festivals. Used them several times now and they’re brilliant! Really take the edge off the noise and definitely help protect your ears especially from heavy bass. Have a handy piece of string which means you can wear them around your neck without losing them. You can still hear people talk, and can 100% still appreciate and love the music, it just helps protect your ears!! I was worried these wouldn’t fit as I have quite small ears but the standard fits like a dream. 10/10 would recommend.

These are my second set of Etymotics.I bought it again not because my first ones broke, but because they work so well I decided to have an extra pair lying around as back up. I've had my first set for about 2-3 years now, and they work just as good as when I first got them! Easy to clean and insert into your ears.Plus it comes with a transparent box for storage and an attachment string so you can leave it hanging on your neck without losing it.The biggest bonus is definitely not having to repurchase cheap, hard-to-insert ear plugs from a local convenience store that become unsanitary or hardened after two uses if you don't store it properly. I have nothing negative to say about them, they're great ear protection.Would recommend for those jamming (check out Melatonin Owls) or going to music concerts regularly!

I used the larger size (clear) ear plugs for around 5 years. I still always got ringing after clubbing so decided to buy these standard blue (smaller) fit for a visit to Ibiza (I have tinnitus and found it has been getting worse over the years). I found the standard size fitted better in my ear canal.It is extremely important that you push these in far enough or you do not get the protection they offer. Research has shown that applying lubrication helps get a better fit and thus achieve the intended protection. I find licking them before I insert them helps get a better fit. It is also important to note (as it states in the information leaflet provided) that due to the standard deviation, these plugs only offer 16.3dB assumed protection at 4KHz and even less (14.5dB) at 500Hz. The US rating system gives these an NNR rating of only 12 dB. My local club has been found to have music at 110dB and I reckon it would be around that level in other cities. Safe hearing is 85dB for 8 hours, so from these plugs youd be exposed to 110dB less around 15dB protection which only gets you down to 95 dB. I went clubbing 5 nights in Ibiza and the day after I arrived home I found my tinnitus had got significantly worse (8 weeks home and no change). These plugs do reduce the sound but obviously not enough in loud clubs. Id recommend trying Howard Leight Smartfit Earplugs (SNR 30) £2.99 or Moldex 6400 Rockets Ear Plugs £1.82 (SNR 30) here on Amazon & free delivery. This gets you down to 80dB in a 110dB club. For £1.82 its worth trying them and if youve any hearing problems at all, Id say invaluable.You may also want to invest in custom fit plugs - which I will now be doing. Ive researched extensively on the web and the best company would appear to be Advanced Communication Systems (Chris Martin of Coldplay uses them). They do lots of different plugs - ER25's, AC26, AC27 etc with differing levels of protection. They cost in the range of £130- £164.50. Boots are doing ACS 25's just now for £143 (priority club price).I visited an audiologist and he advised me (given Ive some hearing loss and tinnitus) to go for more protection than any of the ACS plugs offer so Ive bought a pair of "ProtectHear" custom plugs from puretone- Hidden Hearing/House of Hearing both distribute for around £99. The spec sheet states they offer around 33 dB at the higher (most risky) frequencies. I found a Health and Safety study (Market surveillance of custom-moulded earplugs, 2009) that tested 6 different plugs to see how close the actual decibel protection achieved came to that claimed in the manufacturers' specifications. Levels of protection for all plugs were lower than indicated by manufacturers. What that tells you is you cant be sure your getting what manufacturers claim in the specs- even though they are tested in labs and certified. The ProtectHear plugs arrived however a verification test by House of Hearing (tests how the plugs attentuate sound whilst in your ears) showed that whilst they delivered around 28dB attentuation above 2K they only delivered 10-15dB attentuation below 1K (well below manufacturers spec). I rejected them and House of Hearing have ordered a pair of ER25's. I'll update on how close they perform to spec when they arrive.I realise most people cant bring themselves to spend much to protect their ears, but if you have ringing after clubbing you can be reasonably sure your ears are being damaged and you can never know who will get hearing loss (likely most people to an extent) or tinnitus (which is really really terrible), until its too late. Ears simply havent evolved to withstand club level noise. My advice is get custom plugs. If you cant afford them use these, but if you think the music still sounds at all loud, distance yourself from the speaker and thereafter try a pair of Howard Leight ones. The ER20's are probably better than most off the shelf makes, but they arent going to offer you enough protection in loud clubs or concerts.Update: The ER25's arrived and House of Hearing carried out a verification test. The plug performed close to the specification however was a few decibels below spec on 3 out of the 6 frequencies. They were below spec mostly on the less damaging lower frequences, however Im looking for at least 25 dB protection so Ive rejected them and ordered a pair of ACS 26's. The spec for the ACS 26's states around 30dB across the frequencies so is a safer plug in loud environments. I'll update here when the verification test for these plugs has been carried out.

I go to a LOT of gigs and a LOT of band practices (my fiance is a drummer), and we both agree that these ear plugs are the best either of us have ever tried. They are more expensive than other's we have bought but it is totally worth the money! Most earplugs either don't block out the sound enough, leaving you with sore ears, or block out the wrong bits of sound so that you lose out on the overall quality of the music you are listening to.But these are fantastic and instead of compromising on sound quality, they simply reduce the volume of the music in equal measures, so that you do not damage your ears but you can still enjoy a well-rounded sound.

If you're going to be exposing yourself to loud volumes of sound repeatedly and/or over a long period of time, it's essential to protect your hearing. I understand that Etymotic's earplugs are designed with the audiophile, gigging musician and audio professional in mind: they bring down the audible level of sound by about 20 dB in the mid-range, while cleverly rolling off at the less-dangerous low and high ends so as not to dull the sound. They come connected by a handy string, which when worn around your neck helps you not to lose them in the crowd. They are also comfortable to wear for long periods, and allow for conversation with people near you at normal volume.One problem I was worried about before buying was the plastic stem sticking out perpendicular to my ears – would it be possible for a flailing fellow dancer to whack the plug straight into my ear-canal? Thankfully there's no real chance of this; the design tends to protrude at a slight angle, and so far no harm's been done in even the most extreme mosh-pits.I have previously owned ER-20s by Elacin, to which these appear to be identical. However, I'm given to understand that the design is originally Etymotic's. Insomniacs and those with snoring partners should note that the protruding stems make these earplugs unsuitable for wearing to bed. Cheaper foam plugs like Hearos are more suitable.

These ear plugs are the best for live music. Unlike the yellow foam/malleable rubber/flange tip construction earplugs, they don't change the actual sound very much. They just make everything quieter.Pros:- excellent sound reduction without changing sound of music- good value- comes with case with keychain ringCons:- they come in two sizes and it's hard to tell which one to get... these are supposedly the ones that for "most" people but I found the larger ones had a better fit for me [regular sized woman] - the website isn't helpful in this regard, it says that the size of your person cannot determine the size of your ear canals and you should basically order these and hope they ft- the fit takes some getting used to - they're like putting in higher-end headphones (like shure or etymotics) - you have to shove them in pretty far and twist them around to get a good seal - I don't mind this because I'm used to it from using shures but my sister did not like this at allOverall:- highly recommended for anyone who goes to a lot of live shows and cares about preventing hearing damage. I lost my old ones and immediately replaced them right away.

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Me encantan. Me los pongo para cualquier cosa. Son muy cómodos y aislan muy bien el sonido (soy hiperacúsica y me elimina los pitidos por sonidos fuertes). No son profesionales pero para el precio que tienen son perfectos. Los azules son para oídos pequeños ,si los tienes más grandes, mejor los blancos.

Ich suchte nach einem guten Gehörschutz für Clubbesuche / Konzerte mit elektronischer Musik.Bisher habe ich die bunten überall erhältlichen Oropax verwendet. Das sehr starke Bassgefühl der Oropax hat mich jedoch sehr gestört, da man eigentlich nur noch Bass gehört hat. Ausserdem waren mittlere Frequenzen weitgehend ausgeblendet.Meine Kaufkriterien:Sehr wichtig war mir, dass der Klang weitgehend vollständig erhalten bleibt, nur auf ein verträgliches Niveau reduziert wirdUnauffäligkeit im Ohr (deswegen sind z.B. die teuren Alpine's für mich keine Alternative)Guter TragekomfortDer Preis war erstmal zweitrangigGekauft habe ich letztendlichEtymotic ER20 (15eur)3M Clear EAR (5eur)Beide Modelle wurden gestern geliefert und hatten gleich in der Nacht ihren einen 5 Stunden Einsatz im Ludwigshafener Loft Club.Mein Favorit sind die ER20. Sie sind weniger basslastig als die von 3M. Insgesamt decken sie ausserdem das Klangspektrum viel natürlicher ab. Wobei sich die 3M und die Etymotic klanglich bis auf den Bass wirklich nur sehr gering unterscheiden.Allerdings sind die 3M sehr kurz, vor allem, das, was aus dem Ohr rausguckt. Damit punkten sie zwar sehr bei der Unauffälligkeit, aber es ist garnicht so leicht, die wieder raus zu bekommen. Vor allem, wenn man sie mal etwas zu weit ins Ohr geschoben hat. Die ER20 dagegen haben einen ca 2/3 längeren "Stift" als die 3M, der aus den Lamellen herausragt. Ausserdem besteht der Stift bei den ER20 aus transparentem Hartplastik und ist damit sehr gut fassbar.Länge des Stifts nach den Lamellen:3M ca 4mmEtymotic ca 15mmDadurch sind die ER20 von aussen auf jeden Fall eher zu erkennen als die von 3M. Da die Stifte jedoch von beiden Modellen transparent sind, sind sie trotzdem ziemlich unauffällig.Gewundert hat mich, dass die 3M einen kleinen Kanal im Stift haben, der von innen nach aussen durchgeht. Die Etymotic haben zwar auch einen Kanal, allerdings ist die äussere Kunststoffhülle geschlossen. Der Kanal geht also nicht ganz durch. Das hat mich gewundert, aber es soll so sein und der Klang ist trotzdem, wie bereits geschrieben, besser.Ausserdem fühlen sich die 3M etwas glitschig an, was an der fast glatten silikonartigen Oberfläche liegt. Die ER20 sind angemattet und das fühlt sich angenehmer an. Die ER20 sind auch etwas kleiner und haben dafür ein festeres Material. In meinen Ohren fühlten sie sich sehr gut an und sowohl nach dem Einsetzen als auch nach mehreren Stunden haben sie mich nicht gestört. Ich habe sie eigentlich garnicht im Ohr gespürt.Fazit:Wenn man den höheren Preis der Etymotics mit den 3M in Relation setzt, so mögen sie ungefähr in der selben Liga spielen. Der natürliche Klang bei den Etymotics ist für mich jedoch ausschlaggebend, diese den 3M vorzuziehen und weiterhin zu verwenden/kaufen. Ausserdem, ist das Gefühl der ER20 bei mir im Ohr angenehmer als bei den 3M. Wem 15eur zu viel sind, der macht mit den 10eur billigeren 3M jedenfalls keinen Fehler. Noch dazu, dass diese unauffälliger sind.Update 23.12.13: beim letzten Clubbesuch hatte ich wieder beide getestet und hatte den Eindruck, dass bei den ER20 auch die höheren Töne etwas besser zur Geltung kamen. Allerdings finde ich es ziemlich schwierig, Klangverhalten zu rezensieren.Update 06.05.14: benutze sie fast jedes Wochenende für mehrere Stunden und bin immernoch, auch klanglich, sehr zufrieden. Sowohl die Plugs als auch das Case sind noch ohne Mängel oder Verschleiß.

I use these in an environment with very loud music to the point that it was hurting my ears. I still needed to hear what was going on and I generally don’t like the feeling of ear plug or headphones. These worked well for me because they stay securely in place and I could still hear the song lyrics and what people were saying, but at a safe level that wasn’t damaging my hearing.