Editing Earplug (section)

===  Musician's earplugs ===
[[File:Musicians earplugs.jpg|thumb|Musician's earplugs. The grey end caps contain an acoustic transmission line with a damper (attenuator) at the end while the domed flanges form a seal in the ear canal. The output port can just be seen as a small hole at the near end of the left plug.]]

Musicians are exposed to potentially harmful levels of sound, which can lead to [[hearing loss]], tinnitus, and other auditory symptoms. Because of this, musicians may choose to use earplugs.

Musician's earplugs (also called Hi-Fi or Lossless earplugs{{CN|date=November 2023}}) are designed to [[attenuate]] sounds evenly across all frequencies (pitches) which helps maintain the ear's natural frequency response and thus minimizes the effect on the user's perception of [[timbre]] (frequency spectrum, f.ex. [[Bass (sound)|bass]] and [[Treble (sound)|treble]] levels). These are commonly used by musicians and technicians, both in the studio and in concert, to avoid overexposure to high volume levels. Musician's earplugs generally achieve a more natural frequency response by incorporating a small [[Diaphragm (acoustics)|diaphragm]] or membrane together with acoustic channels and damping materials.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|date=2019-11-19|title=Musicians and Music Industry|url=https://www.audiology.org/publications/guidelines-and-standards/musicians-and-music-industry|access-date=2020-10-18|website=Audiology|language=en|archive-date=2020-10-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022185035/https://www.audiology.org/publications/guidelines-and-standards/musicians-and-music-industry|url-status=dead}}</ref> Simpler variants with only a small hole introduce a low frequency leak, and will not achieve a flat frequency response. Examples of manufacturers of membrane-based earplugs are ACS, Etymotic and [[Minuendo]].

Preformed earplugs, such as the ER-20 earplug are universal (non-custom) earplugs with a noise reduction rating (NRR) of about 12&nbsp;dB. A selection of musician's earplugs have been reviewed by the National Acoustic Laboratories and The HEARing CRC in conjunction with [[Choice (Australian consumer organisation)|Choice]].<ref>[https://www.nal.gov.au National Acoustic Laboratories]</ref><ref>[https://www.hearingcrc.org The HEARing CRC]</ref> The review results (which include attenuation measures and user ratings of comfort, fit and sound quality) are available at What Plug?.<ref>[https://hearsmart.org/earplugs/what_plug/ What Plug?]</ref>

A more expensive option is the [[#Custom molds|custom molded]] musician's earplug, which is custom-made for the individual listener. These earplugs are typically made out of silicone or vinyl materials and come with a vent and a variety of filters that can change the amount of attenuation provided. Common static filter attenuation levels are 9, 15, and 25&nbsp;dB.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|title=Hearing conservation in occupational, recreational, educational, and home settings|last=Vishakha|first=Rawool|publisher=Thieme|year=2012|isbn=9781604062564|location=New York|pages=201–219}}</ref> This type of plug is quite popular among [[audio engineer]]s who can safely listen to loud mixes for extended periods of time. However, they can be quite costly, being intended for constant re-use unlike simple earplugs which are disposable.

[[File:Elacin (R) ER-25 - musician Earplug worn.JPG|thumb|Custom earplugs worn by professional musicians]]
[[File:Metalmania 2007 - Sepultura - Derrick Green 01.jpg|thumb|Lead singer of the metal band [[Sepultura]] [[Derrick Green]] wearing a custom earplug]]

Alternately, musicians may use [[in-ear monitors]], which are essentially [[headphone]]s that also serve as earplugs by attenuating surrounding sound. In order for in-ear monitors to double up as hearing protection, custom earpieces should be used. The process for having custom earpieces made is similar to that of the custom musician's earplug and, similarly, the earpiece will be made of silicone or vinyl. While using an in-ear monitor can help protect hearing, the amount of protection provided by the monitor depends on the listening level that the musician chooses. Because of this, if the musician sets the monitor to a high level, the monitor may attenuate surrounding sound while still providing a potentially harmful level of sound directly to the musician's ear and therefore no longer serve a protective function.<ref name=":1" />

Several earplugs on the market claim to be for musicians, but are not in fact by definition a musician's earplug. By having a thin acoustical bypass channel, they allow for a slightly better frequency response and lower attenuation than simple earplugs, but far from the level of fidelity that membrane-based earplugs provide. These types of earplugs do not provide the flat attenuation that is characteristic of a musician's plug, but may still be useful for some, due to their lower price points.<ref name=":1" />