Protecting Your Ears

[Nakatomi]

No longer sitting on the fence about this, I'm giving EarPeace a go. £15 with a nice carry case for 3 plugs and 6 filters (3 standard, 3 high protection). They seem to work well but whether or not they provide as much protection as they say (because one size doesn't always fit all) is debatable. For that apparently we need to lay out almost 10x as much for a custom fit job.

[mrrawuk]

I found out after 20+years as a dj that i had some hearing loss. I went and got custom ones made and like them. £134 is not cheap but i tried cheaper generic ones and just didn't get on with them.

http://minervahearing.co.uk/product/musicplugs/

[ckpr2]

I have one ear better than the other now. My right ear hears higher frequencies better.
I tested them myself using a signal generator and a speaker.

I went to see Status Quo in Glasgow in 1977 and couldn't hear for 3 days afterwards.
In those days there were no laws setting out max sound levels.
My hearing came back but I was wary then about what levels I subjected my ears too.
Most of the days I ran my own disco I had ear phones on which cut out most of the noise.
I needed the phones on for cueing records and later CD's.

[ukpartydj]

I've tried a couple of generic plugs and I just don't find them comfortable. After 30mins they start to annoy me and I want to remove them. Would you say the Canford ones are more comfortable?

[Benny Smyth]

I've tried a couple of generic plugs and I just don't find them comfortable. After 30mins they start to annoy me and I want to remove them. Would you say the Canford ones are more comfortable?

Certainly more comfortable than the ones you can get from DJKit. I've worn them all night at gigs (with the exception of when I take them out coming back from the loo to assess the levels properly).

[DJ Jules]

I've got to spend out on some proper ear plugs now. I've tried the cheap ones and didn't get on with them at all, but I discovered the other day that I can't hear anything above about 15Khz now (in either ear).

Julian

[Nakatomi]

I've got to spend out on some proper ear plugs now. I've tried the cheap ones and didn't get on with them at all, but I discovered the other day that I can't hear anything above about 15Khz now (in either ear).

Julian

I think at 37 you might be lucky to hear that high regardless. I don't think I can hear much farther than 10kHz now. Now that's more than likely hearing damage. I'm going to go for a test soon.

[DJ Jules]

I think at 37 you might be lucky to hear that high regardless. I don't think I can hear much farther than 10kHz now. Now that's more than likely hearing damage. I'm going to go for a test soon.

I found out because my son and me were playing with a tone generator and when the frequencies went above about 15Khz, I couldn't hear a thing, and my wife and kids all jumped to cover their ears. My wife is only 2yrs younger than me, so I kinda take that as mine being exceptionally bad...

Julian

[rth_discos]

My wife is only 2yrs younger than me, so I kinda take that as mine being exceptionally bad...

Women are able to hear higher frequencies for longer than men - they have much more sensitive hearing.

(Background, I've done a lot of research on audio processing, and how women get audio fatigue much quicker than men, and hear high frequency distortion easier).

[ukpartydj]

I know they have those antisocial sirens that play sounds only under 25s can hear to deter them. I used to be able to hear my parents tv making a very high pitched sound when I was younger and they couldn't... Neither of them having a good reason for more than normal hearing loss.

They thought I was nuts when I said it's deafening!