just got my pair of (blue ) Etymotic ER20s. i party hard, and often, and already have tinnitus, so it's only a logical step. i can't afford, or really get custom made ones, i don't think they do it in this country. funnilly enough, i got my new cans, Sony MDR-V7506 in the same shipment, heh.

my question: the manual says that for optimal protection, the earplug must be inserted so that the largest flange is sealed into the ear canal. i have never used earplugs before, and after moistening the plug with water, as staed in the manual, i managed to do it without much trouble. the sound is great, i don't sense a loss of quality with just my PC speakers. but what concerns me is, the earplugs start to hurt soon after insertion. i have never used plugs before, so im not used to having something that far inside my ear. will it go away with time? is it supposed to hurt the first few times? what are your experiences?

thanks

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everything hurts the first time...

no sorry no experience here...just couldn't resist to reply like this

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Having worn plugs for years, i can say your ears get used to it.

When i wear my custom ones, i get no discomfort at all- i forget they are in.
When i wear my foam or other non custom ones (basically when I am out socially and not working) they can get uncomfortable yes.
You do get used to them- its just a new sensation for your ear to get used to.
Saying that, i did find the ribbed ones ( im pretty sure those are the ones you have ) more uncomfortable than any other but not to the point of being unable to wear them.
Wear them around the house or wear them to go to sleep one night- sounds daft but it may help you adjust more.

i used erplugs every day in my summerjob and i've used x-mas tree shaped ones while clubbing for years now and i've come to the conclusion that if you don't know how to put them on, they will hurt. if you stick them too far, your ears will feel terrible after a while. the difference in the distance where it hurts and where the plugs should really be in very small though, so you just gotta know how to use them.
and i don't know what kind of plugs do you have, but for me at least the xmas tree shaped ones hurt more than those basic ones, which you use in loud working environments and such (where it doesn't matter if music sounds like crap with the plugs on, as they're only made to protect your ears). but you get used to the plugs though so they don't hurt that much and when you know how to insert them properly, you'll forget you're even wearing them in the club as you're too busy enjoying yourself.
but then you could just have weird shaped ear canals. if you do, forget everything i just said!

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where in the states can one accuire some custome fitting plugs?

I bought some "Hearos" high-fidelity plugs for going out, but when you wear them they stick out. Are there any less obvious plugs? I'm sure custom would be great, but I don't want to go out and dance and have one of my $160 set of plugs fall out! I'd also like something that cuts the frequencies pretty evenly as well, I don't think foam would do that.

those are my plugs. Etymotic ER20s. google em for info.

anwyays, yeah, so the largest rim is supposed to be 'sealed' with the ear canal, accoridng to the manual. i can place them so that it is sealed, but a little portion of the end is sticking out, and it doesn't hurt, or, sealed, and only the final tip is out, and it sucks.

the manual should be a bit more specific about this...

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Yeah those are like my plugs as well. Apparantly the blue plastic part is supposed to actually vibrate with sound, improving the fidelity of the sound that gets through the plugs.

So I guess it's supposed to stick out, just looks odd.

quote:

Originally posted by Inertia those are my plugs. Etymotic ER20s. google em for info. anwyays, yeah, so the largest rim is supposed to be 'sealed' with the ear canal, accoridng to the manual. i can place them so that it is sealed, but a little portion of the end is sticking out, and it doesn't hurt, or, sealed, and only the final tip is out, and it sucks. the manual should be a bit more specific about this...

ryan and inertia, how does the music sound w/those kind of plugs???

i've always used mack's ear plugs, but they are just the regular foam plugs. they do the ear protecting part of the job well, but they make for a shitty overall listening experience. i can still enjoy listening to music at a club w/them, but it's worse than wearing 2 condoms during a one night stand.

if they sound good, i'll pick them up. i don't care if they stick out or not. people around me can eat a dick if they don't like it. it's my ears/hearing not theirs.

quote:

Originally posted by sr126 ryan and inertia, how does the music sound w/those kind of plugs??? i've always used mack's ear plugs, but they are just the regular foam plugs. they do the ear protecting part of the job well, but they make for a shitty overall listening experience. i can still enjoy listening to music at a club w/them, but it's worse than wearing 2 condoms during a one night stand. if they sound good, i'll pick them up. i don't care if they stick out or not. people around me can eat a dick if they don't like it. it's my ears/hearing not theirs.

mine are similar, but some basic cheap ones (nothing fancy) and music sounds surprisingly good on them IMO. i'd highly recommend them. i'm still thinking of getting custom made ones maybe though.

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thx skip. i will pick some up. are they disposable/one time use? or do you clean them after using them?

i wonder if i can mix those kind of plugs on???

do they stick out enough to make wearing headphones a no-no???

it's a big chore to mix w/the foam ones, maybe i haven't used them enough to really adjust to them.

quote:

Originally posted by sr126 thx skip. i will pick some up. are they disposable/one time use? or do you clean them after using them? i wonder if i can mix those kind of plugs on??? do they stick out enough to make wearing headphones a no-no??? it's a big chore to mix w/the foam ones, maybe i haven't used them enough to really adjust to them.

they aren't disposable. i've used mine for a couple of years. i just wash them well after each use.
and i don't think you can mix with these plugs on. i've heard people say you just can't do it, because they stick out too much, but i haven't tried mixing with them myself though, but i'm pretty sure it can't be done.

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