Festivals and concerts: Avoiding hearing damage is very easy
Wacken, Rock am Ring, Wu-Tang, Nature One … this year it’s all happening again in Germany. So that you can have carefree fun during the festival summer, you should take important measures to protect your ears beforehand.
Maybe you know that ringing or squeaking in your ears in the morning when the night was long again. Regardless of whether it’s a concert or a club – even a few minutes of high volume can lead to hearing impairments. Those who are exposed to extreme levels for hours risk permanent damage. Fortunately, this can be prevented with simple means.
Protection against hearing damage: earplugs and alternatives
Perhaps the most well-known solution when it comes to hearing protection is flexible plugs made of wax or foam. Well-known brand names are, for example, “Ohropax” or “3M”.
Such earplugs are relatively inexpensive and can also be used on a plane or on a train journey. The disadvantage: they do block out the noise effectively, but they are not so well suited for enjoying music. They make everything quieter, but also sound dull and unnatural.
High-end hearing protection from Sennheiser and alternatives
Anyone looking for hearing protection for music concerts should take a look at what the professionals use on and behind the stage. Special plugs are used here that Lower volume effectively but at the same time sound character of the music leave largely untouched. In short: the music sounds the way it should, but is no longer a danger to hearing.
The German headphone manufacturer Sennheiser has presented a new development that works like this. The Sennheiser SoundProtexPlus are made of silicone and can be reused as often as you like. The interchangeable filters allow the soundproofing level to be adapted to different requirements. Sennheiser promises full sound in which “all musical details are preserved”. The Sennheiser SoundProtex Plus can be pre-ordered from the manufacturer and will be available from the end of May 2023 for EUR 79.90.
Such professional hearing protection is significantly more expensive than simple foam plugs – but anyone who often goes to festivals and concerts should definitely consider this purchase. Because in terms of permanent hearing damage, this is not a huge investment in the end. There are also some silicone earplugs in the middle price range that are suitable for listening to music, for example from Alpine or from Schallwerk (see Amazon).
