Tips and Tricks
This page tells you everything you need to know about your hearing and how to protect it.
How to insert your earplugs
Here’s how to check if you are wearing your earplugs correctly. Perform the test strategies mentioned below to check the fit and seal. Wearing the right size of earplugs is key to protecting your ears.
Take the tab of the earplug between your thumb and index finger. Pull the top of the ear out and up, this is easiest with your hand from the opposite side, with your arm at the back of your head. Push and twist the earplug into the ear until it sits comfortably in the ear canal. Place the tab upwards to easily find it again and provide grip when removing the earplugs.
Talk, tap and listen
Perform these three small tests to make sure your earplugs seal off your ear canal properly.
Test 1: talk
Say something out loud while wearing the earplugs. When you perceive your voice from ‘inside’ your head, your earplugs are a good fit. Your earplugs provide sufficient attenuation.
Test 2: tap
Tap the ear or the tragus of the ear gently. Your earplugs are the right fit for your ears when you hear the so-called ‘bass drum effect’. If the earplugs go too deep into the ear canal, the earplugs are too small and you need a larger size. Your earplug sticks out too far from the ear, the earplug is too big and you need a size smaller. It is also important that your earplugs feel comfortable.
Test 3: listening
Third and final test is to listen with both earplugs in your ears. Do you experience a clear sound and good attenuation? Does no external sound enter your ears? In that case, you can assume that your earplugs fit properly and provide the proclaimed attentuation.
What makes a good music filter?
Membrane filters deliver amazing sound due to their flat frequency response. Earproof uses high quality membrane filters, designed and manufactured in The Netherlands.
All frequencies are evenly attenuated, which makes these filters suitable for wide frequency volumes. We refer to these as music filters, for they provide the best available sound quality.
How does that work?
Inside the filters are a resonance chamber and a membrane made of fine acoustic mesh, imitating the function of a human eardrum. The various frequencies that finally hit your eardrum are transmitted through the filter with decreased pressure, consequently protecting your hearing.
Other filters you might come across
Filters used in earplugs can be divided into two main groups: ‘noise block’ filters and membrane filters. ‘Noise block’ tubes are filters that attenuate as much loud sound as possible to best protect your ears. The filter consists of a tiny tube that tapers. The sound passes through this opening, and in this way a flat musical attenuation is said to be achieved.
Such earplugs are often marketed with acclaims of ‘flat filter technology’. A good option for motorcyclists, construction workers and other scenarios where there’s consistent loudness at one frequency.
For delivering music in a natural sounding way, we need the full frequency range, which is only possible with membrane filters.
When does loud become too loud?
High dB levels can damage your hearing. Besides the dB level, the amount of time your ears are exposed to the sound is also important. From 0 – 85 dB, your ears are safe. From 85 dB upwards, your ears can be damaged with exposure of 30 hours per week. Your ears can be exposed to 90 dB for 2 hours without protection.
We recommend wearing hearing protection when exposed to sound above 95 dB. Hearing damage can occur when your ears are exposed unprotected to 100 dB for more than 15 minutes. 103 dB = 7.5 minutes / 106 dB = 3.7 minutes / 109 dB = 1.8 minutes / 112 dB = 0.95 minutes / 115 dB = 0.5 minutes
How should I deal with exposure to loudness?
When you have been exposed to loud noise, give your ears a rest afterwards. Listen to music on your smartphone with headphones instead of earbuds. Headphones seal off your ears better, making the music less loud than when listening to it with earbuds. When you go to a concert, protect your ears with good quality earplugs with a filter. If you want to be sure about the dB levels around you, download an app that measures dB levels.