Side by Side Comparison of: Etymotic Research vs Mack's Ear Care

I completely agree with other comments about concerts! My g/f makes fun of me for wearing them, but I love them. They reduce the "clutter" and turn down the volume enough that I can enjoy a show without the ringing after. (I sat in front of trumpets for years in school.) I've also found that I feel better after a show wearing these, which was a surprise. Also, there are some venues -- Hartford Civic Center -- which have such terrible acoustics that wearing these make a huge difference in clarity.I keep a few pair around the house because they are also great when mowing the yard or using a snow thrower. They turn down the volume just enough to make everything more tolerable.

Great product! My husband has tinnitus, so normal earplugs (foam, putty, etc.) don't help him much. They completely block the sounds he wants to hear and tend to enhance his tinnitus, which is maddening for him. He works at an airport and wears sound cancelling headphones to protect his ears, but it makes it very hard to hear instructions from the pilots/passengers. He had also lost all the joy he used to feel at going to concerts or musical events because the music was too loud (and would damage his ears and make them ring more), but earplugs wouldn't allow him to ear the music well enough to make it worth his while (or money) to attend. These do exactly the opposite. They cut the ambient noise and allow the noise he wants to hear to filter through, but at a level that doesn't damage his sensitive ears. He can go to concerts again and enjoy the music without fear of making his ears worse. He can protect his ears from the airplane noise but still hear his coworkers and the pilots/passengers. He's asked me to buy him a couple of back-up pairs so he has one at home, one at work, and one in case he loses any of them. Thank you so much!

I love these . I work at a nightclub & they're a lifesaver when snoop or lady Gaga or Rolling Stones are playing . It gets loud! What?

These guys were perfect for practicing in my old band. I felt like the disposable foam earplugs often drowned out too much sound, while this was a perfect in between. Definitely recommend.

Buy these for your kids that are going to those crazy rock and roll shows- kids dont generally like to wear ear protection because its not cool to have little orange nuggets poking out of your ears. Also, those little orange nuggets compromise sound quality. There earplugs are not noticeable and do not compromise sound quality. I love live music, I also love being able to hear the next day after a concert- These little guys do the trick.

These little gems took just enough volume out of the concert to make the concert very enjoyable. If you are looking to just turn the volume down a bit when attending loud events I recommend you give these a try. The are comfortable and very inconspicuous so why not avoid hearing loss?

I have never used ear plugs for music events before, but the last time I went to one, I couldn't hear well for about 4 days, with continuous ear ringing. I decided to try these ear plugs. The "standard" size fit me ok, and I think I have small ear canals. An even smaller size might have fit better, but these "standards" were good enough. At first, I didn't think they were even doing anything for me, because they only lowered the volume by a little bit. The music sounded great, and not muffled, just without all the bass vibrating in my ears. And I could still hear the person next to me talking to me, if they were looking at me. However, I took them out during the concert for a few seconds, and noticed the difference immediately. My ears started to hurt and vibrate with the music, which wasn't happening while the ear plugs were in. Winner! Best of all, I came out of the concert with normal hearing for the first time in my life. The tips stick out and are noticeable, but the clear color make it less so. They are also very comfortable. I wore them for a few hours with no problem. I didn't like the carrying case they came with because it was hard for me to pinch it open and access everything (the ear plugs, and the strap).

My brother and I bought these to go to a music festival. We love music, but we love our long-term hearing more. He's 24 and I'm a 30 year old female. We felt like these felt good at first, but partway through they get a little uncomfortable for us. If we just left them in through the discomfort they eventually feel fine again. I wish they made a smaller size for my brother and I and those like us. We bought the mediums.

I’ve been wearing these to a wide variety of different sized music venues in the Chicago area, and am very happy with the investment. I have water damaged ears that are very sensitive to sound, but when I wear these the bass gets knocked down to where I can hear the acoustics and vocals nearly crystal clear without getting my poor ears pummeled to deaf. Surprisingly ease to wear once you get used to the feeling, tho that did take some adjustment. I don’t have any prior experience with plugs like these so I have no comparison to be made.

I work a lot of concerts, and I can be right in front of the stage for several hours at a time. You do have to force them in your ear more then you think you should but once in they block out a large amoutn of the sound and stay in there very well. Love the included cord.

These Etymotic Research ER20's worked great while photographing a festival from the pit--in front of the monitors, although they were mildly (and I mean MILDLY) uncomfortable in my ears during a 12+ hour day. I never used to be afraid of hearing loss standing right in front of the speakers, but as I get older I really don't want to damage my hearing any more than I already have.I give these plugs 4 out of 5 stars only because of a mild discomfort wearing them all day. I don't have much to compare them to other than cheap foam plugs, but these seemed like nice ear plugs.

I use the ear plugs at concerts - everything from metal to electronic. Overall, they work pretty well and they don't muffle to vocals as terribly as foam ear plugs. I think they do a good job at protecting your ears from the loud music, and I haven't had any of that pleasant ringing that continues for days after the concert since I started using these. They provide good protection even when standing directly in front of the amps in the front row.My main complaint would be that they do not sit very comfortably in my ears. I have to twist them quite a bit to get them at an angle which is somewhat comfortable, and the longer they remain in, the more the inside of my ears start to ache. This could by my ears - I don't know, but it's something to consider. I've found myself taking them out and popping in foam ear plugs whenever a band comes on stage who I don't care for (as the music quality is much higher with these compared to foam ear plugs).I'll be trying something else next time a buy, but I wouldn't hesitate to buy another pair if I can't find something better. They are definitely an upgrade from disposable foam ear plugs for anyone interested in enjoying a concert without getting tinnitus.

These aren't bad earplugs, and they are more comfortable than other ones I have used. However, they don't block out as much sound as some of my other earplugs.

Work great for reducing noise by a little bit. Which is exactly what I was looking for. These ER20's reduce sound by 12db cleanly. this is exactly what I wanted to make my commute bearable in this noisy honda. and it did the job. Problem is "normal" size plugs are actually made for children and most people should buy the large size.This can be fixed by cutting off the last tiny end bulb so you can jam them in your ears further to get a seal without busting out your ear drums. But the design of the rubber cups is poor for actually sealing. Foam always is better so you end up with uncomfortable earplugs. I was hoping that ETY were better being a premium brand, but sadly they are just as uncomfortable as every other brand that does this style of rubber flanges.So unless you are an 8 year old child, or have the ear canals of one, get the LARGE no matter what. and dont expect to wear these for 8-12 hours. they are tolerable for about 3 hours and then I need to take them out.

As I've read in reviews, it's important to insert these properly to get the correct sound quality, dampening, and comfort, but overall my results have been uncomfortable and too quiet. For some reason I thought I was ordering 10dB ear plugs, but these are 20dB.As I ride a motorcycle, hearing aids are important, but it's also important to not attenuate volume too much, especially communication and vehicles, and comfort is very important.As it's impossible to adjust these after putting on a helmet, I've had headaches start to happen from the pressure applies. For me this is mostly caused by the triple flanged eartips, and how far the stems stick out. If they included swappable tips these problems would have been resolved.My review is mostly negative, but I'll still be using these ear plugs, as they help quite a bit while on the freeway, and you're not hearing anything other than wind on the freeway anyway.

A recent inductee into the migraine hall of fame I went looking for ways to cut the noise. (My Bose QuietComforts are great but you can't wear them around town and even the in ear version was a little above my price point for something that could be so easily lost. So I went ou on Amazon and picked a few different pair to try, all under $20.From the write-up and reviews I thought the Etymotic's were going to be a favorite. However I find putting them in a bit fiddly (though that aspect should resolve over timep) and they're not as comfortable as I'd expect/like (again something which might change over time or if I purchased the small). They have a lanyard (a necessity for taking phone calls) and the noise attenuation is up the middle — not too much to hear average conversation among a noisy background but enough to keep things quiet. They do, however, work as advertised and will be an addition to my new earplug "wardrobe."

Ideally I'd give a 2.5 star rating as they are okay but nothing amazing. I will update this review over the next few months as I have a fair amount of concerts to attend. I started wearing ear protection to concerts after a scary experience of my ears ringing for three days straight (clearly damage was done). Since then, I always bring and almost always wear ear protection.I bought these based on the solid reviews and the thought of throwing away the soft foam earplugs after every concert was a waste.Pros:1. Reusable2. The standard size fits my ears3. Reduce noiseCons (in comparison with a soft foam earplug) :1. They are not as comfortable and I kept wanting to play with them as it felt they were digging into my ear canal. This does not happen with the soft foam earplugs.2. They do not seem to handle bass very well. (please see below)3. Probably won't use with the lawn mower (obviously not intended for this use but it should be noted).Bands seen with the Etymotic ER20 ETY-Plugs:Nothing More - bass heavy and these plugs did not do a good job at allMiddle Class Rut - not bass heavy and these plugs did the jobChevelle - bass heavy at times and these plugs did not do a good job at allUpdate #1:Saw KADAVAR and Graveyard a few weeks back. These worked pretty freaking well as neither band is bass-heavy. However the ear canal itchy feeling is still there. Rating raised to 4 out of 5.Update #2:Saw J Roddy and The Business, Foals and Cage the Elephant last night. Wasn't near the front of the stage but these ear plugs did the job. Enjoyable quality of music but the ear canal itch/digging makes me want to play with them throughout the show. My better half has gone back to foam ear plugs over these. Rating dropped back to 3 out of 5.

Got these based on everyone else's great ratings of these. They are good, and they do reduce the overall db's a good amount. The fit well, and are not uncomfortable. But the one reason I bought them for is toning down the overall volume when I play guitar, and they do that well, but they alter the sound of my amp so that I can't really tell what I'm playing very well. It's extremely odd. My drummers kit just gets turned down and I can still hear everything, the bass player same thing, but then my amp sounds really odd and it's hard to hear detail. It also makes higher freq's sound odd and different. So overall these are good, but not for guitar, and that is what they said they were good for, musicians and just toning down the overall volume.Pros:- reduce overall volume well- fit well and are comfortable to wear- decent priceCons:- makes your guitar tones sound weird- can't hear the mid-highs and highs very well at all, makes playing guitar hardThese are great for bass players, drummers, and concert goers, but not guitarists. So overall it was a failure and waste of money, but maybe I can give them to another musician or keep them for super loud concerts.

Earpiece is hard and small. Doesnt make for a good fit or a good seal. Maybe these would work well for children? I bought them and never even used them once because I couldnt.

I frequently go to concerts. I had used two types of earplugs before buying these. The cheap drug store earplugs were good at reducing the decibel level but they distorted the music, so I was hoping that these earplugs would protect my ears with less distortion. Well, I don't know what the deal is, but these did not work for me. I think I know how to insert earplugs properly, so I don't think I was doing something wrong, but the music was still too loud. I had these in my ears during one concert and my ears were hurting so bad toward the end that I had to resort to covering my ears with my hands. Forget it. I'm back to the drug store brand.

These are mediocre at best, honestly. I guess they "filter" the noise to a more reasonable volume, but as a vocalist for a rock band, I still have the problem where the vibration from my voice makes hearing anything else impossible. Think about how you kind of hear your own voice vibration when you put your fingers in your ear and hum - that's what I'm talking about. Yes, these block less noise than foam ear plugs that are designed to be used at shooting ranges, but they are pretty much useless for my work.They also slip out of your ears very easily, just to make things worse!.

I suffer from tinnitus and need to protect my hearing when riding my motorcycle. I got the ER20's thinking that they would block out the wind noise while allowing me to still hear traffic sounds and my in-helmet communication system. While I did appreciate the ER20's selective filtering, the overall level of sound attenuation was not sufficient. With these earplugs I can't go for more than an hour at freeway speeds without aggravating my tinnitus. By comparison, I can go all day without any issues when using inexpensive foam earplugs.I also find that for helmet use the ER20's are very uncomfortable. These plugs would occasionally creep into my ears while I was riding leading to a painfully deep insertion. I also frequently had difficulty removing my helmet without catching the hard stems on the earplugs driving them painfully into my ears.I like Etymotic products and really enjoy my HF5 headphones. Unfortunately, the ER20's proved to be a poor fit for my needs.

Its difficult to figure out which size to buy on Amazon because the product description on size is not helpful. Also, there is a lot of conflicting info in all the reviews. I decided to purchase BOTH the small and large. My best advice is that if you use the small size ear pieces that come with earbuds, then the small might be ok. If you use the medium or large ear pieces that come with earbuds, definitely get the larger size. I think that part of the reason for the confusion in reviews is that people aren't sure how far the plugs should sit in there ear. The large sit farther out which is good for decibel reduction while still maintaining sound quality. The small ones go far into my ears and I don't think that's a good thing. If you are an adult and not sure, probably the large for you. Small would be great for a child.

People I have used earplugs before; both for sound protection and water protection for swimming. Whew these guys are REALLY SMALL. I think I have normal sized ear canals for a 45 year old man but found these to almost go right in the canal without touching the inner sides of my ear... I reckon they would work GREAT if they were the right size. I'm going to buy some of the larger size. But THESE are, as I said, good for a little child. Adults with regular sized ear canals will find them, I feel, WAY, WAY too small.

I've bought these things twice. I wasn't able to get the first pair to work at a concert, so I just put them in my pocket. Then for another concert, I couldn't find them and bought more, and they still won't stay in my ears. The problem may be the design of my ears, but as far as I can tell, they are standard. So whether it's my ears or the plugs, I rate them down because I can't make them work.

Unless you badly want re-usable earplugs, these are not at all comfortable in comparison to the disposable silicone earplugs. Also, the stems are made of plastic and stick out way too much from the ear. Don't use them at night or may accidently push them into your ear while turning sides in your bed.

Don't know what the issue is but it provides no noise reduction at all. Maybe a fit issue? There is such limited information, I have no idea. Total waste of money.

I purchased these to wear while riding my motorcycle, and they just do not cut it as far as hearing protection. I wore them for 150 miles of 75mph highway riding, and my ears hurt for the entire ride. These are better than nothing, but you can definitely get better protection elsewhere.

I REALLY wanted to like these. I really many of the reviews, and I made sure that I ONLY ordered the "baby blues" because i have very small ear canals. Unfortunately these were EXCRUCIATINGLY PAINFUL. I was very surprised. There were the most painful ear plugs I have ever tried. Most ear plugs aren't painful for me (I don't think I am particularly sensitive as some people are) but instead, most ear plugs just don't stay in my ear canals. These stayed in very well and did block noise very well, but they hurt so much I didn't want to wear them. I am still looking for a good pair of non-painful and effective ear plugs...

These "large fit" ER-20s that "are the same size as the originals" are in fact smaller than the originals, and do not fit my ears correctly because they are not large enough. In order to achieve attenuation, I have to shove the earplug painfully far into my right ear. Please either revert the "large fit" to the original specifications, or produce an "extra large" fit that it as large as the original ER-20s; otherwise, this is the last time I purchase an Etymotic product, and I have been a repeat customer, regularly buying your products for more than a decade.