Scientific Earplug Evaluations
Musician’s earplugs are designed to protect your hearing and preserve music sound quality.
Today, we have earplugs for noise reduction, sleep aid, hunting, music enjoyment, and more. However, not all earplugs offer equal performance, and manufacturer specifications often depict ideal conditions rather than real-world scenarios. Given the permanent nature of music-induced hearing disorders, our goal is to guide you towards earplugs that provide both excellent sound fidelity and robust hearing protection.
HearAdvisor employs an advanced methodology involving an 8-speaker array and realistic binaural recordings to objectively evaluate earplugs. Using perceptual models, we assess both music quality and sound attenuation to identify the best musician's earplugs currently available. For detailed insights into our scientific approach, we invite you to explore our whitepaper.
We evaluate earplugs with an industry-standard acoustic manikin (Kemar). Custom matlab programs are used to monitor Kemar’s ears and ensure a realistic representation of each earplug’s sound reduction capabilities. After achieving an accurate and binaurally balanced fit, we present uncorrelated pink noise from our 8-speaker array at near-concert levels and record what Kemar hears. This process is repeated five times with earplugs removed, rotated, and reinserted to account for fit variations. Our testing takes place in a custom-built acoustically treated lab that is both sufficiently quiet and free from unwanted sound reflections.
Our metrics are computed by processing the Kemar recordings through models that simulate human perception of sound quality and loudness. These metrics are presented on a convenient 5-point scale and aggregated into a single grade, the SoundGrade, using a survey-weighted combination of values. Devices that achieve a SoundGrade of A are awarded our prestigious HearAdvisor ExpertChoice Award.
Additionally, we create binaural Kemar music recording using five common genres (e.g., country rock) at near-concert levels. This simulates you listening to loud music in a typical two-speaker stereo setup without anything in your ears. We then develop acoustic filters based on the median response of each earplug's measurements, and apply them to the original Kemar music recordings. This recreates how the earplugs sound in Kemar's ears, and by proxy, your ears. Finally, all audio files are diffuse-field equalized resulting in realistic binaural recordings that immerse you in Kemar's music listening experience. By comparing these sound files, you can better understand the sound reduction each earplug offers and how well they preserve music quality in realistic, concert-like settings.
Musician's earplugs are tailored hearing protection devices for musicians, audio engineers, and concert-goers. Unlike standard foam earplugs, they attempt to attenuate sound more uniformly across frequencies, preserving the clarity of music while also protecting hearing. These earplugs are commonly described as “flat” or “hi-fidelity” and often include interchangeable filters with varying attenuation levels to accommodate different environments and individual preferences.
Music induced hearing disorders (MIHD) are conditions caused by exposure to excessively loud sounds, which can permanently damage hearing. This damage can result in hearing loss, tinnitus, hyperacusis, and other auditory distortions. While symptoms like "fuzziness" or ear ringing after a concert may seem temporary, they indicate underlying injury that accumulate over time.
Decibels (dB) are used to quantify sound because they correspond to how humans perceive sound intensity. Normal hearing spans from approximately 0 to 120 dB, with typical conversation levels at about 65 dB. Concert sound levels vary widely based on factors like venue size, music genre, and listener position. While some venues can exceed 120 dB, 100 dB represents a common average for concert sound levels.
The level of protection you need depends on both the intensity and duration of your exposure to sound. Insufficient attenuation can risk hearing damage, whereas excessive attenuation may diminish sound quality and lead to a sense of isolation. While it is better to error towards higher NRRs, tools like smartphone based sound level meters can help assess your exposure levels. For personalized guidance, find a music audiologist for a hearing test and tailored recommendations.
Earplugs are traditionally tested following ANSI/ASA S12.6-2016 using the real-ear attenuation at threshold (REAT) method. Our testing utilizes an industry-standard acoustic manikin (Kemar), enabling consistent and repeatable evaluations at realistic concert levels without relying on human participants, despite inherent testing method imperfections.
Deliver a better product with HearAdvisor.
Our private, independent hearing aid evaluation lab goes beyond the test box and uses ambisonic recordings presented through an 8-speaker array in a near-anechoic acoustic environment. Our evaluation will identify weak points in your hearing devices and help you understand—privately—how your hearing aids stack up to the latest competition. We'll also provide a list of action items to improve your performance scores, and we'll remeasure your devices after you've addressed any issues, to help make your product more effective, and more competitive.
Choice
Recognizing the best hearing aids in 2024.
HearAdvisor has tested dozens of modern hearing aids to find the best performers for mild-to-moderate hearing loss. Check out our SoundGrade Leaderboard to compare performance scores and audio recordings for all the devices HearAdvisor has evaluated.
