Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I came down with Tinnitus a couple of years ago and needed something to knock the edge off any loud sound and the ER-20 plugs are perfect. You will never find me without a pair in my pocket or on my key chain. You can't really use foam in moderately loud situations if you want to hear anything. Over 90+% of needed hearing protection is in the 10-20db or less range. I always wear them in Church, watching TV with my family, loud restaurants, and quite a bit when driving the car (road noise) or running my Rainbow Vacuum. They work well in the movie theater or at a sporting event where the crowd has loud outbursts. The ER-20's last a long time and I can wear them many hours at a time at a time and also adjust how deeply I want to put them in. The great thing is you can still hear people talking to you, but they remove background noise and protect you from sudden sounds. I usually order them in sets of about five and give some away to friends. I would never expose myself to loud music or get in a loud situation and leave myself unprotected again. If only I had these growing up, I would not have Tinnitus today!

I play drums in a band. Regular earplugs muffle the sound , these reduce the volume without as much muffle effect. The music still sounds a little muffled, but these type of plugs allow more treble ( highs) through than conventional plugs. I wear them at practice, gigs and when I go to see other bands too. I can sit up near the stage and no ringing ears after.

These easy-to-use musicians' earplugs do exactly what they're designed to do...protect your hearing, while letting you hear all the high, lows, and middle frequencies. Perfect!!

I have a set of walkers game ears and the ear pads are terable to say the least, this can be addapted to work with the game ears.

When i started college my first teacher strongly recommended them, he even gave extra credit. But i was lame and didnt use them too often untill i started to work at a night club and with different bands. I brought them on my second day and they have helped save my hearing so much, no more night with ringing, numb feeling ears. I would recomend anybody that doesnt usually wear plugs to try these out; because i would rather spend 20 bucks and have my hearing then be deaf and not ever be able to work again.

I won't claim to be an audiophile of any sort, so take any comments I make on the audio fidelity of these with a grain of salt. That said, compared to the earplugs of the squishy foam sort, these definitely do a better job of not muddling up the sound that you hear, whether it's music, or someone trying to talk to you in a crowded dance club.

I've used these a number of times now, mostly at places like concerts (esp since I get stuck next to the speakers fairly often), and occasionally at a club or two where the DJ is just playing the music a little too loud. They're fairly comfortable used over long periods of time (my longest was probably four or five hours), and do a great job at reducing the noise as long as you have a solid seal formed in your ear canal.

One thing to be aware of is that even despite cleaning them after every use (which they highly recommend), there's still a tendency for the white rubber pieces to pick up stains and coloring from ear gunk.

I play in a band and was looking for something to protect my ears, but still let me hear the subtleties of the music. I expected the ER-20s to work as advertised, but was still really impressed with just how well they work. The music is still crystal clear, just quieter. The attenuation is virtually flat across the frequency range, so it doesn't affect my perception of tone or eq balance.

I have a pair of Etymotic ER-6i headphones, so I was already familiar with what to expect in terms of fit. I cut off the third flange (smallest) to get the most comfortable and effective fit for my ears.

They also come with a simple carrying case and a cord. I thought the cord, based on the way it attaches, would affect the sound of the earplugs, but it does not. The cord is handy so that you can pull the plugs out and you won't lose them on a dark stage.

The only disadvantage, perhaps, is an aesthetic one. Unlike custom molded earplugs, these are more visible since they protrude from your ear. Given the cost difference between custom molded and the ER-20, though, I don't think this should affect anyone's decision.

I've only used these once for a short time while I was at a concert. They work really good. You can hear things pretty well and it's always a plus not to have so much ringing in your ears after. Sadly, one fell out of my pocket and I lost it. It'd probably be a good idea to use the string that comes with it because it's really easy to lose. I'll probably buy these again sometime soon.

I have tinnitus and go to rock shows at least once a week. These things have completely changed the experience. I used foam earplugs and never enjoyed the muffled sound or the fact that my ears would still feel pain at times. With these suckers, the music is clear and I don't ever have that "too loud" feeling. I will probably buy a few more pairs.

I bought these after I went to a couple of Alice in Chains concerts and had my ears ringing well into the next day. I decided to try these out after reading some of the reviews. I am so pleased with them. I went to a concert last night and they worked amazingly. The music still came through but with a lot less distortion. It did not take away from the experience. In fact, I'd say that they added to it since I didn't wince if the music went too loud. I strongly recommend these to any avid concert-goer.