Etymotic Research ER20 High-Fidelity Earplugs (White with Blue Stem)

by Etymotic Research

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 6 x 4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0015WJQ66
• Item model number: ER20-BSCa
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: December 21, 2007

Product Description

ETY-Plugs (TM) earplugs use patented technology that replicates the natural response of the ear canal so that sound heard with these earplugs is as clear as the original, just quieter. ETY-Plugs earplugs have nearly the same fidelity as Etymotic's Musicians Earplugs (TM) (custom earplugs worn by professional musicians) and are a low cost alternative. Hearing loss is a function of exposure time, the average sound level, and the peak level of very loud sounds. Exposure to excessive noise can cause permanent hearing loss depending on the intensity and duration of the sound. Some persons are more susceptible to hearing loss from high-level sound than others. Protect your ears. In high-noise environments, wear Ety-Plugs. Includes one pair of Ety-Plugs, carrying case, black neck cord and instructions.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent hearing protection / sound attenuation, June 3, 2009

By 

Kurt Veggeberg (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Etymotic Research ER20 High-Fidelity Earplugs (White with Blue Stem) (Electronics)

These hearing protection plugs are marketed as offering 20 dB sound reduction at all frequencies. I tested them with measurement grade microphones on a HATS (Head and Torso Simulator - artificial head) and found they meet or exceed this specification overall. Most hearing protection devices attenuate the higher frequencies more than the lower frequencies making speech and other sounds muffled. These offer fairly equal broadband attenuation which is more like simply turning the volume down. I was considering a "musicians" ear which is a custom set of earplugs with filter to attenuate broadband sound, but cost much more. The only disadvantage is that they stick out somewhat from the ear. Come with a nice case and string to keep them together as a pair.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another good etymotic product, March 21, 2010

By 

B. Caldwell (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Etymotic Research ER20 High-Fidelity Earplugs (White with Blue Stem) (Electronics)

I am a musician and music enthusiast and I think that these earplugs do exactly what they claim to do. Without actually testing the attenuation over the frequency spectrum (which i am less concerned about), I will say that I tried them in a variety of real world situations and i was very pleased. I will outline below.

In a relatively loud bar setting with live music playing:
I was able to hear the music clearly and at a more reasonable level, which i really appreciated because as a musician, hearing the band accurately and without pain makes the experience much more pleasurable. I did find it a little bit hard to hear a conversation across the table, but they were speaking at a normal volume.

In a dance club, aka very loud music atmosphere:
Out with friends last weekend in Chicago, i tried these out in a club atmosphere and I walked out of the bar after several hours and did not have the typical muffled hearing and ringing in my ears, which made me feel a lot better about actually spending time in that loud of a location.

At work with normal distracting office noise:
I manage an accounting department at a small freight company, and i get easily distracted when there is an abundance of office noise and conversations happening around me, which makes it hard to concentrate and be productive. I have used foam earplugs to alleviate this, but they work almost too well in that i cannot hear people come up behind me or start talking behind me at normal voice levels. With the etymotics, i could hear people speaking pretty clearly, but it took out a lot of the low level white noise that can be fatiguing after long periods of time. I was quite pleased, and i didnt have to take them out if someone did need to speak to me.

I think the "stalks" are a little long, but i am sure it was engineered this way to be the most effective. I wore them at a club in a dark environment and nobody commented on them, so i must assume that they are not THAT noticeable. Regardless, i was not losing my hearing and they were, so that is enough to get over the cosmetics. I would like to try these at a rock concert but i havent had the opportunity yet.

Overall, i think this is another great product from Etymotic. I also have some of their lower level in-ear monitors, which i like/liked pretty well.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent product.., April 8, 2009

By 

John P. Loughran "BassSax" (Windsor, Ct) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Etymotic Research ER20 High-Fidelity Earplugs (White with Blue Stem) (Electronics)

These are excellent earplugs for those situations where you want to hear well - but softer.
I've been wearing them for several years playing in symphonic ensembles - I can hear myself better with than without them - and I can hear everything around me well without any distortion (no changes in pitch, etc.)
I also wear them in noisy auditoriums and at the movies (they are too loud these days also!).
I bought a pair for my wife (not a musician) and she loves them also-