Ear Plug/Hearing Protection Poll

I use foam earplugs for sound protection and for some peace(on planes, etc.), and I use a different type of ear plug ("Hearos" brand...the ones that look like small, rubber christmas trees) for rock concerts. They don't offer the 30db reduction that the foam plugs offer, but they make the music much more enjoyable than the foam plugs do. The foam plugs cut out most of the high end and the live music ends up sounding pretty dull and uninterseting. The Hearos rubber christmas trees allow most of the important bass, midrange, and mid-treble frequencies to pass (reduced a bit), but cut the shrillest high frequencies the most. The high frequencies are the ones that do the most damage and cause the ringing. I've used them for the past year and they're much much better than foam plugs or crumpled pieces of napkin. They usually cost $10-$15 at guitar stores.

I use them also. I used to play in rock and roll bands in high school and college so I may have a slight hearing deficit already. I recently moved to a new, smaller audio room and used the opportunity to revise my system to achieve good sound at lower levels. I used to use Magnepan Tympani's which need high volume to come alive. Now, in order to stop punishing my ears, I changed to high sensitivity speakers and SET's which sound good at much lower volume.
It is a real relief to know that my favorite listening pastime won't damage my hearing!

I wear ear protection on my drive to/from work. Since I have a convertible the noise level is pretty high on the 45 mile drive into work.

It amazes me how loud people listen to their systems, both at home and in the car. I live in an apartment with the parking lot a good distance away and I can still hear some residents car steroes over my own system (usually because I try to keep it at a reasonable level).

A quicky "cheater" ear plug can be made by snapping off the filter of a cigarette. There were times at concerts when the music was just too damn loud! Most smokers will be happy to part with a couple of butts for a buck, so an emergency supply is usually near at hand. Just be sure to blow off any flakes of tobacco from the broken off filter! Happy Tunes!