Etymotic ER20XS-SMF-P High Fidelity Reusable Earplugs [Polybag], Ultra-Compact Comfortable Hearing Protection for Concerts, Festivals, Sports Events, Sleep, -20dB even volume reduction, Standard Size

So I have the ACS ER-20's, also known as Etymotics Ety-Plugs which are very well known and recommended. I had a problem with the fitting of these in one ear only, I had to push them in too deep it was uncomfortable. So I ordered these in large size hoping they would help.Their profile is much lower than the Ety-Plugs so aesthetically they are superior. The comfort, for me anyway, is also superior - they don't need to be pushed in so deep as the originals. They stilll don't come as comfortable as wax / foam but they sound just as good as the original model which are highly regarded for live music. The fitting is fine for the duration of a concert but I wouldn't want to wear them all day long. Of course all ears are different but these are designed pretty generically so you have a high chance of getting on with them.If you have no previous experience with live music sound protection I would recommend these as a first try. They are probably as good as you will get for this price margin, although obviously they won't come close to custom moulded ones. They are designed by a highly professional and reputable hearing specialist so you can rest-assured be happy with the safety and sound quality they provide.

I got these as I frequently go to gigs and I'm starting to develop tinnitus/would like to protect my ears more nowadays.Looking at the different styles, I wanted some that could block out the highs, but allow me to still hear people talking to me! I also liked the idea of having a cord, so I could take one out and not have the risk of losing it.These work brilliantly; they block out the painful noise, I can hear people talking (when they shout over the music obviously!) and the little storage container they come with is super handy. Be warned though, they DO go quite deep into your ear, which isn't painful for me, but could be for some.

I bought these after losing my pair of EarPeace music ear plugs and I was very impressed with the quality of the sound - it's strikingly close to having nothing in your ears at all, reducing all the frequencies by reasonably equal volumes; certainly much better than the EarPeace ones in this regard. They also have better noise reduction and fall out of my ears less easily than the EarPeace ones if I smile or swallow too much. The one place the EarPeace plugs have these beat is the comfort - these have three "prongs" and go into your ear canal quite far, making them a little painful at times, whereas the EarPeace plugs only had two prongs and felt much less painful.Overall, I would highly recommend these, but they take some getting used to on the comfort side of things and inserting them can be a chore.

In terms of attenuating earbuds, these are great.I’m a bassist in a rock band so use these regularly. The bass isn’t the most defined in the world (but it’s the same story with every attenuating ear bud - the only fix is to go the IEM route which is nearing 10x the price) so I can’t really dial in a tone for the room but I just do that before a gig so it really makes no odds to me. Once it’s set you can still hear the bass so you know what you’re playing even in a loud rock setting.Barring the bass which I described above, definition in these are very good for attenuating buds, you can have conversations with ease and I can hear the individual parts of our band with no difficulty - it just quietens everything down to a level where you don’t leave a room with ringing ears.

Size were too small for adult ears, did not create a good seal in ears. Not sure if the xs stands for extra small. I thought they were a regular size.They probably work very well in the right size ear.

Used these at a very loud rock festival at the weekend. They do a great job. The nice thing is that you can adjust quite easily how far you push them in. Push them in all the way and the reduce the sound a lot but at the cost of muddying it. But pull them out a bit and you can get them perfect to cut our the harsh, damaging, highs and leave a much better sounding, and still plenty loud, sound. In fact I kept thinking they weren't working properly as it was still loud but as soon as I pulled them out I realised what a great job they do of getting rid of just the most excessive volume. Wish I bought something like this years ago.

These are totally awful. Tiny fiddly little things where down-sizing and cost cutting has gone mad. They are painful to wear and still feel like they will fall out. The noise reduction amount was rubbish. Not safe to use for me drumming. It said (when I bought them) 20db reduction but in the packaging it says (in massive letters, 13db). So, they are incorrectly described, utterly useless and no way worth the money I paid. The box they come in is irritating to use, you squeeze the corners so that the side opens. It doesn’t close fully after opening either. it looks like a little box with a lid, but it’s not! There is no seal made, so any contaminants could get in there and mess up the plugs before you put them in your ears. The case is so small there is no way it won’t get lost. The case comes with a thread-like chain that is so thin I would not trust it to link it to a belt or key ring.I have returned them and bought Alpine Musicsafe pro instead - I can’t fault them.

Good earplugs! Compared to the foam ones, the sound is much better, you can follow a conversation without problems even in noisy environments. The NRR is not the best, for example in the theatre or in concerts it can still be a bit loud, so I'd recommend another model. Comfortable, very easy to insert and remove and discrete, nobody will notice you're wearing them. A good choice for noisy (but not super loud) places or just to isolate yourself for the environment.