Etymotic Research MP9-15 MusicPRO High-Fidelity Electronic Earplugs, 1 pair

I bought there since they are tagged music in their product name and I wanted the advantage which active ear plugs bring. In my band we mostly play metal, while generally doing a decent job some of the frequencies from cymbals go straight through and I had tinnitus after a four hour session, something I’ve never experienced with normal/passive ear plugs. Maybe they work if you play softer music. Mine are collecting dust

Apart from the fact it's quite fiddly to turn them off/remove battery you won't get a better pair of ear protectors for the die hard clubber or festival visitor! They actual seem to make some sound better.

As a pro flute/piccolo player, hearing protection is a must. With these ear plugs, I can hear the quiet nuances in the music, as well as have the hearing protection when playing the loud, high piccolo notes! (not to mention the sound of other instruments as well, like brass & percussion!)

I am an aging rocker that provides vocals and guitar for a rock band playing small gigs. I am often right next to the drummer and close to the speakers. My hearing has suffered marked noise damage in the mid range over the last 40 odd years of playing, resulting in bad tinnitus and pain when exposed to loud noises. I have tried many types of passive earplugs, but these all result in muffled sound, cutting out the midrange, and making it very hard to hear clearly what is going on - everything just gets drowned out by the bass that doesn't get well attenuated. I find it difficult to hear pitch under those conditions, and wander out of key, never a good thing for a singer! Moreover, I thought I was going to have to quit playing because of the continuous ringing in my ears... Then I discovered these. As other reviewers have remarked, they do seem to cut bass quite a bit more than mid range - whether that is a hearing perception or reality I don't know (the makers claim the response is flat). But for me that is extra bass reduction is perfect, possibly because it balances my own midrange hearing loss. Not only do these protectors drop the overall volume, they cut out the booming bass, and allow me to clearly hear my guitar and thus accurately hear pitch and sing in tune. Now, as a vocalist, these devices do take some getting used to. The effect of putting anything in your ears is to increase the coupling of your own voice into your ears (hence singers famously often stick their fingers in their ears to hear themselves more clearly). As everything else is reduced in volume, at first, you get the feeling you are singing far too loud. At lower volumes, in your head, you can even drown out the instruments you are hearing with your own voice, while in reality being too quiet. So when I first used these at practice, I almost gave up. I had problems gauging how loud I was singing relative to the instruments etc. But after a while, I found I 'recalibrated', and now I've got a good idea of how loud I am. At lower volumes, here the 9dB switch is useful, because it actually gives the sound a 6dB lift, and that compensates for the perceived increased volume of your own voice. As things get louder I switch to the -15dB setting. So it does take a few hours of practice and training and getting used to, before you feel comfortable, but the result is a whole lot better gigging experience, and much reduced ringing in my ears the days after. One thing to note about these is that, like any earplug, you have to have a good seal. I use the baffle type earpiece and wet the seal (lick your finger and rub on it!). Test the fit/seal first with no batteries. With no batteries, they act like passive earplugs (unlike noise reduction earbuds for instance, which go transparent when the batteries are dead), so you can test the seal and practice getting it right. When you have got the fit sorted, put the batteries in, and then you're good to go. Of course, at low volumes they don't attenuate, so its hard to know at first if the seal is right, but as soon as it gets loud, you will know if they are sealing. I use these for about 4-5 hours a week, and the batteries last about three weeks, opening the battery door when not in use. But the batteries are cheap (by a 60 pack) so frequent replacement is not a big deal.

I thought these would be great as an orchestral percussionist and drummer. In the end I returned them. It works, that is, it will defintiely limit the sound coming in, but I find ALL of the sound effected in my ear, no matter the volume. I need to sense all of the dynamic frequencies to really be in touch.