How do you guys handle the bass when wearing ear plugs?
When I wear ear plugs it feels like the bass wants to explode from my chest or something like that.
Not sure how to explain it really.
The only way I can attempt to explain it is when I put on earplugs it feels like I'm capping pressure and I can feel that pressure more so than when not wearing earplugs and it's kind of a uncomfortable feeling.
So I don't wear plugs although I know I should be and I still carry them with me.
It's even worst when it's a very bass heavy show too.
It's an illusion. Once you put the plugs in you sort of trick your brain into thinking it's quieter, yet the 'feel it in you chest' bass sensation is not reduced, so you notice that sensation more and it can
seem amplified. In addition, in the ear hearing only range (vs the tactile bass range I just mentioned), most plugs are far more effective at blocking higher frequencies than lower ones. Even though the sound pressure levels for all frequencies are reduced at the eardrum, the higher frequencies are reduced more than the lower ones.
It's hard to design a plug that absorbs more low frequencies and less of the highs. High frequencies are easy to block, but low frequencies easily penetrate stuff, including your body and head and can 'bypass' the fear plug to a limited extent. Foam plugs are very effective at sealing your ear canal and lowering SPLs of all frequencies but their response is not flat - they absorb way more high frequencies than lows. The Etymotic plugs attempt to flatten the response curve, but they still roll off at the top end. Some people love them, including many here. But personally I don't like them at all, I get a weird resonance. I even tried putting the Ety plastic chamber in a foam plug instead of the flanged seal but that didn't work either. That's the only reason I haven't gotten customs made. After trying the Etymotic plugs I'm worried I won't like them either.
I prefer the cheapo 30db reduction blue plugs from the drug store. If the music is just a bit too loud I just insert them partially with a bit of a gap, and adjust the gap as a sort of 'tone control' until I like the balance. If it's really loud or if there is the typical slamming overdriven subwoofer style bass I use a different strategy. I roll the plug like normal and insert it fully into my ear. After it expands I then compress the bit sticking out into my ear so that the foam is all compressed equally and flush with or even inside my ear a bit. That seems to maximally seal to absorb as much bass as possible, but also makes the plug denser and shorter overall and flattens the curve a little bit.
Sounds like crap for a little bit, but your brain soon adjusts to the sound and things sound normal again. Everything starts to sound clearer. Bear with it more than a few minutes if you can't stand the muffled sound and you'll adapt to it.
Maybe I should look into the customs again. Anyone here dislike the Ety universal fits but love their customs?
Topic: typical max concert volume? (Read 8350 times)