Since watching that film 'its all gone pete tong', my girlfriend has been a tad worried about my little lug holes. She got this info from one of her clients - RNID. Worth doing the test!

www.dontlosethemusic.com

Want to hear more?

If you're not hearing as well as you used to, or feel someone near you may be missing out, take our five-minute telephone hearing check.

Call 0845 600 55 55 now.

For more information visit www.breakingthesoundbarrier.org.uk

Excellent work, will be passing details on to all DJ students at ACM

They are all lectured about this anyways , but the site test and plugs on offer are great :-)

Ta v much

Now now Paul, be nice.

hey Stretch,

Hope alls well. Mooch!n send our love to the academy.

So what are the proper ear plugs like then?
I like listening to the music loud... do they still allow the same level of enjoyment?
Obviously from the DJing point of view it's a no-brainer, simply reducing the volume doesn't affect your ability to mix so I'm certainly planning on getting some fitted soon.
Who here has actually had them fitted (other than those who've mentioned it), and what do you recommend etc?

The way I see it... for the cost of two nights out... you can protect yourself so that you can continue going out many more times without fucking your ears... no brainer if you ask me!

I bought myself some of the pro molded earplugs and, altho they take some getting used to, have done me wonders..

I shopped around for mine quite a bit and most companys charge over £120 but these guys, Sensorcom, are the the cheapest around - only £70!! take a look www.sensorcom.com


Happy hearing!

I've got the proper moulded ones too - they do reduce the volume level quite a bit but you can get different level filters - 9, 15 or 25

25's are really for people in a band or listening to live music - too much for clubbing or DJ'ing

15's are perfect for DJs or clubbers

9's are for just bars etc where the music isn't totally overwhelming but the volume will still do damage to your ears - or for DJ'ing on a bar rather than club system which isn't really loud

One benefit of the professional ones is that you can buy different filters and put in the ones that are best suited to the night you're going to (although obviously it costs more to get multiple filters). They are though designed to let all the sound in so the quality of the sound is there - it's just the volume that's turned down. They don't muffle things like standard cheap ear plugs do.

Also, you should always put the plugs in before you go into the venue and then you never notice a drop in sound - it just sounds normal. If you put them in mid-way through the night then they will always make it sound quieter and if you've been listening to the music for a while sometimes it will seem like the volume has gone down too much - so I always put them in the minute I walk into a club

I've got them from a doctor on Harley St who does proper moulded fittings - the phone number for appointments is 02073232076

Hope that helps :-)

ps. loads of my non-DJ mates have got them too just for clubbing and think they're great - clubbing damaged my ears before I even started DJ'ing so the plugs are definitely worth recommending to anyone that goes clubbing regularly

Ah fantastic, loads of info.
I never knew you could change the filters!
Looks like I'll be aiming for some -15dB ones, possibly with an extra set of -9dB filters for quieter nights/etc.

yep you can with the ones I've bought - if you're getting them from somewhere else, best to check that you can change the filters

How much did yours cost?
I've looked about and so far have seen £70 and £160ish as prices for the fitted ones (neither mentioned interchangable filters, but I didn't specifically look for that as I wasn't aware it was an option!).

Mine cost £160

A large portion of that cost is the doctor's appointment to have the foam put in your ears for them to take the mould - and they also check your ears to make sure they are healthy. Some places also insist on charging you for a hearing test but that is just rubbish - it's not necessary for getting the plugs

if you want extra filters that is obviously more but I'm not sure how much....

(oh and don't lose them because then you have to do it all over again - trust me - been there done that paid another £160!)

Cool... on the "to buy" list!
Thanks for your help!

Thanks a bunch for putting this stuff up - Miss Sublime what brand are your plugs? Is that doc the only place that does them or are there others?

no problemo - everyone needs to protect their hearing

more info on the plugs can be found at http://www.hearingprotection.co.uk/musicians-reviews.htm

the doctor I went to is called Geraldine Daly - if you click on "outlets" on the home page for the website she is the first listed for London but there are loads of others too.....

Thanks very much, will check it all out :-)

I've been DJ-ing for nearly a decade now, and my hearing on one side is less than the other - i can feel it. I've not really known very much about the earplugs in relation to DJ-ing (i.e. i thought they would decrease the sound to make it hard to mix), and so have thought it better to give it up one day as opposed to go for the quieter/harder to mix option. Its a great relief to find out, through this thread, that the earplugs allow for clarity afterall. I shall certainly go get some now. £160 isnt much at all really, is it when you look at the grand scheme of things? Cheers everyone!

Bloody good thread this.

Am looking to get hold of some decent plugs this year tho have a pretty adequate pair I've been wearing for a few months now which has made a whole world of difference to my hearing when stumbling out of a club at 0600... I can hear!

Anyone that has exposure to loud music should know all about this stuff.

These ear plugs are designed specifically for DJs and musicians

definitely worth getting!

Some of the cheapest hearing protection is found in gun shops. The best one's for clubbers are pre moulded ear plugs.
They inject a gel into your ears. fit a small electronic filter. Wait for it to set. Takes around 5 mins.
They fit perfectly and come in uv colours!!

Dont know about £160, mine cost £50. But i do live up North!!

Thanks for the info folks as I've been rather concerned about my hearing recently!!!

i think my ears are starting to go a bit now, get an awful ringing sound when i wake up on sat n sun, thanks for the link kimble.