At 04:13 AM 10/28/2005 -0500, you wrote: >At 00:20 10/28/2005, you wrote: >>I'm looking at two brands of earplugs for hearing >>protection: E.A.R. inc. and Etymotic. Both have ER- >>25 and maybe ER-15 filtered plugs that are custom >>moldable to fit. Etymotic has a do it yourself mold >>kit; and E.A.R. sends you to an audiologist type to >>get the impression done for some $. Etymotic plugs >>are 152.00 with free molding kit while E.A.R plugs are >>130.00 plus but maybe about $35 that will have to be >>paid to someone to get the impressions done. >> >>I have been using some Etymotic ER-20 (not custom) >>that I bought at the convention (cheap ones). They do >>pretty well but quite a few pianos still bother me >>while tuning the higher octaves. >> >>I'm interested in your experiences with either of >>these brands or others and what level of filter you >>have found to be good. >> >>Thanks, >>Bob Hull > > >I recently got an audiogram and the ER-15 custom molded plugs. The ER-15 >has the flattest attenuation curve available from that company, and has >the dual advantage of not only being enough to afford sufficient >protection, but not too much to preclude tuning of the top octave where >the piano is getting weaker. I've had my ER-15's for 8 years now. > >I AM sold on aural protection. I've been using _something_ for over 30 >years, and my hearing now is within the margin of error with my audiogram >from 1989. >;-} > Mine are the Westone (Etymotic Research, Inc) ER-15. I have the blurb with the attenuation charts here at school and, indeed, the 15dB has the flattest curve. It doesn't chart a 20dB, but for the 25dB model the curve goes from 20dB at ~125Hz to about 28dB at ~4000Hz. Since the theoretical top of the piano is 4186Hz, I can see where you have difficulty hearing that range. The piano is getting weaker as the plugs are getting more effective. I find no problem tuning most pianos all the way up (without pulling out the plugs) while using the 15's. The reason I got that audiogram in '89 was that I thought I was losing my hearing, since I had to do just that while using el-cheapo rubber plugs. I don't think the Westone plugs were available at that time. By '97 they were, and the rest is history. I deduct the cost. YMMV, of course. Conrad Hoffsommer - Keyboard Technician Luther College, 700 College Dr., Decorah, Iowa 52101-1045 1-(563)-387-1204 // Fax 1-(563)-387-1076 - Right now, I'm hoping to live until my age matches my golf score, - Until then, I'll have to be content to have my IQ match my handicap.
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