Best Earplugs for Concerts: Sound Quality, Comfort, and Protection

Large-scale music events can damage cochlear synapses, causing a type of hearing loss not detected in traditional hearing tests¹. Earplugs are a low-cost readily available means to protect our ears from loud music and hearing injury. In recent years, we have seen an uptick in available options specifically geared towards musicians and concertgoers. This is beneficial as it can improve general awareness of hearing loss and music-induced hearing disorders. However, it also brings new challenges as it can be difficult to navigate each company's claims and product offerings.

Musicians' earplugs come in different styles, but they all try to do the same thing: lower the volume evenly across all sounds. The idea is that good earplugs should work like a volume knob, making everything quieter without muffling or changing how the music sounds. Our lab tests reveal which earplugs deliver on this promise.

Loop Experience 2 Plus

Excelling at concerts and for musicians, the Loop Experience 2 (Plus) offers a secure fit that prevents slipping during performances. It delivers fair sound quality with good loudness reduction and an NRR (noise reduction ratio) of 12 dB. The "Plus" version includes the Loop Mute accessory, which adds 5 dB of extra, adjustable noise reduction, along with extra foam tips, resulting an attenuation of up to 17 dB.

Experience 2 features a special acoustic filter and acoustic channel designed to more evenly reduce sound across bass, middle, and treble frequencies, so music maintains overall quality at a quieter volume. The sound quality is okay, but not the best or the flattest earplug I've used. Other earplugs, like the Eargasm High Fidelity, offer more balanced sound reduction. To me, the Eargasm High Fidelity sounds far more natural than Experience 2, though ears and preferences differ. That said, while Eargasm sounds better, the plugs won't stay in my ears. Keep in mind that even a pinhole fit leak dramatically changes both sound quality and protection effectiveness, which is why I choose good fit over acoustic performance.

HearAdvisor's verdict for concertgoers:

At a common concert level of 100 dBA, you would have approximately 2.8 hours before reaching your daily sound exposure limit (100% sound dose). Exceeding this timeframe increases your risk of permanent sound-induced hearing disorders.

I also reviewed these Loop earplugs: Loop Engage 2 Plus, Loop Switch 2, and Loop Quiet 2. The Switch 2 combines the Engage 2, Experience 2, and Quiet 2 in a single set of earplugs.

Etymotic Research ER20XS

Etymotic Research is a pillar in the earplug world - and for good reason. The redesigned ER20XS may be the best no-nonsense earplug on the market offering superb sound quality at an unbeatable price.

ER20 earplugs are a staple in the high-fidelity world and are often regarded as the preeminent non-custom hearing protection device for audio professionals. ER20XS plugs are the successor to this original model offering improvements to both the physical design and acoustic filter response above 4000 Hz. 

My experience with ER20XS earplugs held true to their lineage. They offer a moderate amount of sound reduction (13dB) and remarkable sound quality. Unlike some other plugs in this range, there is an audible openness in the higher frequencies where strings, speech consonants, and cymbals lie. This can likely be attributed to the updated filter and it seemed to minimize my perception of occlusion, or the often undesirable boomy isolating quality associated with earplugs.

Hands-On Review & Lab Test Ratings

Eargasm High Fidelity

Eargasm’s High-Fidelity plugs hold true to their name. The robust silicone earpiece and tuned acoustic membrane make for a true-to-life listening experience. All plugs come with a resilient metal carrying case.

Eargasm High Fidelity plugs are highly acclaimed due to their reported clarity. After unboxing and trying them on a few instruments, I too was impressed with their sound and found them to offer one of the most uniform profiles I have experienced. These earplugs are definitely in the top three regarding sound quality and being able to preserve musicality. 

Eargasm High Fidelity plugs come with both standard and small soft silicone ear tips, one pair of acoustic filters, and a fantastic metal keychain carrying case. While these earplugs are nearly a home run regarding sound quality, getting a good fit was more difficult than I normal experience. The smaller ear tips helped which leads me to think their sizes run a little large.

Hands-On Review & Lab Test Ratings

Minuendo Lossless Earplugs

Minuendo earplugs come at a high price but have a lot to offer. While some may not like the larger profile, their stepless slider and assortment of ear tips ensures your hearing will be protected.

Minuendo Lossless Earplugs are a newer hearing protection device offering adjustable sound attenuation. A sliding lever on the device’s outer shell allows you to gradually change the sound reduction from a reported NRR of 7 to 25. This can be a very handy feature as sound levels and hearing needs vary in music situations. I find this feature very convenient and reach for the slider regularly when using these devices. 

For those prone to fit issues, Minuendo may be worth considering as they offer an array of both silicone and foam ear tips. This made getting a good acoustic seal, and overall fit, easy. Regarding sound quality, the stepless slider works well and offered me impressive control over sound entering my ear canals. With the adjustable lever closed, there is considerable sound reduction. Adjusting the lever towards the open position with less reduction drastically changed the sound profile providing more openness and high frequency audibility. 

Hands-On Review & Lab Test Ratings

Alpine MusicSafe Pro

While not as “hi-fidelity” as we had hoped, Alpine MusicSafe Pro comes stocked with everything needed to protect your hearing. Multiple filters, a case, and cleaning supplies are a few of the included accessories.

Alpine is a contender within the earplug world offering an array of solutions for motorsports, sleep, water, travel, and more. Their MusicSafe devices are engineered specifically for the musical realm and were my go-to choice for years due to the multiple filters and comfort. Their design has improved throughout the years which lends confidence to the product and the company's commitment to hearing conservation. For example, the silicone ear tips have become more robust and their acoustic filters are now cased in a larger more resilient plastic housing.

While these devices have much to offer, their sound attenuation is not very uniform as all filters provide significantly greater reduction in the higher frequencies. This amounts to a more muffled sound quality and greater perception of occlusion. While this is undesirable from a high-fidelity standpoint, they fit well and can therefore provide greater protection on a consistent basis. 

Hands-On Review & Lab Test Ratings

NPR Music x EarPeace

The NPR Music x EarPeace offers reliable protection at a modest cost. These earplugs are extremely comfortable and easy to get in, though other devices may offer a more musical sound quality.

EarPeace recently collaborated with National Public Radio (NPR) creating the NPR Music x EarPeace earplugs. This exclusive device offers their “true to life audio experience” and boasts a newly patented contoured shape which improves fit and comfort. While Music x is unique due to the collaboration and shape, EarPeace confirmed that it is otherwise identical to the highly acclaimed Music Pro earplug with high protection filter.

The soft silicone multi-flange ear tips are certainly comfortable and, as multiple sizes were included, I easily found a good fit. The extended pull tab also helped with getting these devices in and out as the earplugs sat nearly flush with the opening of my ear canals. Regarding sound quality, I was slightly underwhelmed as clarity diminished considerably with NPR Music x EarPeace inserted. They were more characteristic of industry oriented hearing protection and I did not find them to hold up to the “high-fidelity” uniform attenuation claim.

Hands-On Review & Lab Test Ratings

Vibes Hi-Fidelity Earplugs

Vibes High Fidelity earplugs are lightweight and offer a nearly invisible fit. While the overall design makes them great for long term wear, our testing suggests other devices may provide more uniform sound attenuation.

Vibes are a newer earplug on the market claiming to provide that clearer sound quality with equal reduction from bass to treble regions. This is thanks to their specially designed sound tube and acoustic filter. Vibes lists an NRR of 15 dBs with approximately 22 dBs of average sound attenuation. 

Vibes have a smaller profile due to the slender sound tube and singular flange silicone ear tips. As a result of this, Vibes were lightweight and sat deeper in my ear canals making them less visible. I was also able to obtain a good fit with the two provided sizes. While I liked the overall fit of Vibes and found them comfortable, I did not find them to preserve the high frequencies as well as other devices on this list. This was reflected in our Uniformity rating which objectively measured their “flatness” between 250 and 4000 Hz.   

Hands-On Review & Lab Test Ratings

How We Picked the Best Earplugs for Concerts

To identify the best earplugs for concerts, we’ve tested nearly 30 different earplugs designed for concerts, conversation, parties, and general use. Our evaluation process combines both objective measurements and hands-on testing. At the HearAdvisor lab, we follow industry standards and use predictive models to assess sound quality, including how evenly each earplug reduces sound. In addition, our hands-on testing focuses on comfort, build quality, customization, features, and more providing a complete picture of each earplug and its everyday performance.

Legacy Earplugs Reviews

The following products are no longer available from the original manufacturer, but you may still find them on third-party sales platforms.

Loop Experience

Loop Experience set a high bar with their comfort, unique style, and sound quality. If you need more protection, Loop even has you covered with their Mute which adds an additional 5 dB of sound protection.

Loop is a newer earplug company that has gained much attention due to the comfort, visual style, and sound quality of their devices. For musicians and audiophiles, Loop offers the Experience high-fidelity earplug which claims to provide 18 dB (17 dB for the Experience 2) of uniform sound attenuation. A “Mute” is also available providing an additional 5 dB of protection.

(and Loop Experience 2)

I was very impressed with my set of Loop Experience earplugs. The acoustic channel within the “loop” portion did well to restore ear canal resonance and keep music natural sounding. The physical shape and size of the earplug also made insertion a breeze and retention within my ear a nonissue. These devices provide exceptional sound quality and the overall feel made the Loop stand out.

Hands-On Review & Lab Test Ratings

Eargasm Slide

While not as musical as Eargasm High-Fidelity plugs, they are a strong contender. The adjustable attenuation and included ear tip options make these versatile and customizable. 

Eargasm Slide is another hearing protection device offering adjustable sound attenuation. I find this feature very useful and am happy to see it being offered by more companies. The mechanical “slide” switches between an open and closed position having an NRR of 12 to 22 dBs, respectively. I found this earplug easier to use compared to other adjustable options as the slide is relatively large and accessible on the faceplate. 

Slide is a sibling to Eargasm’s acclaimed High Fidelity earplug. It uses a different acoustic filter and sound bore system which is unfortunate as I found neither the open nor closed setting to offer comparable sound quality. For that reason I would say that Slide falls short of the “high-fidelity” realm. However, it offers significant sound attenuation when closed which I found adequate for louder power tools and more extreme instruments. This is therefore a great device for those with sensitive hearing.

Hands-On Review & Lab Test Ratings

Not All Earplugs Are Created Equal

Earplugs are an extremely efficient tool to protect our hearing and there are many viable options on the market. With that in mind, our testing suggested that some devices may perform better than others especially when it comes to sound quality and hearing protection. This can be seen in Figure 10 as sound attenuation and flatness vary significantly among earplugs. As all devices we tested claimed to offer higher fidelity sound for musicians and or concertgoers, they should all be relatively “flat”.

While “flatness” is important, sound protection is also worthy of discussion. This is why we have a Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) which estimates an earplugs effectiveness at reducing sound entering our ear canals. NRR values can range up to roughly 33 dB with higher numbers corresponding to more overall protection. The NRR of all devices we tested can be seen in Figure 11.  

While manufacturers obtain NRRs through a standardized process², it is well understood that it may not accurately reflect the noise reduction people experience in real-world situations³. This is due to many variables which generally amount to earplugs offering less protection than listed. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) even recommends a safety factor, or 50% derating, to the NRR to better account for this variability.

The differences between NRR and real-world protection is concerning as it is not widely known. Furthermore, the dB value itself can mean little without more information about the exposures you face. As an example of how NRR corresponds to real-world protection, Figure 12 below shows an estimate of how long each device protects you at a typical 100 dBA concert. These estimates assume no other hazardous exposures throughout the day and are derived using the following steps:

First estimate the protected exposure level using a 7dB correction for dBA measures and 50% derating per OSHA (this is also how the derated NRR values above were calculated):

• Protected exposure (dBA) = Unprotected exposure (dBA) - 0.5NRR-7

Then we calculate the maximum allowable time at that given exposure. For this we used the recommended exposure limits (REL) outlined by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)³:

• Time (hours) = 82(Protected exposure (dBA) - 85)/3

After performing these steps, we get a better representation of how much protection these devices offer, i.e. how long do you have at a 100 dBA concert? It is worth noting that, per NIOSH, you have 15 minutes at 100 dBA before injury occurs. So in this example the 15 minute mark has been noted by a black dashed line. Notice that many of these devices may not offer enough protection even for a shorter 1 hour show.

Now realistically most of the devices we looked at will provide adequate protection for most music situations if worn properly. However, as stated earlier real-world attenuation is generally less than expected. So we must still be cautious. 

The take-away here should be the importance of proper education and technique when inserting earplugs. Be sure to follow manufacturer recommendations and find help online with videos if needed. You can also visit an audiologist experienced in music and hearing conservation to ensure earplug fit in a sound booth. They can also perform a baseline hearing test, or re-test, to ensure your hearing has been protected over the previous festival or touring season. Ultimately, there are many great options to choose from and there is no longer a reason to avoid hearing protection due to the dreaded “muffled” sound quality. It has never been easier to get earplugs, wear them, and enjoy your music.