Paul McCloud writes: > You can order these ER-20 earplugs from www.musiciansfriend.com. They > are about $20.00 or so. Or from Pianotek for less than that. The technology for the ER series of earplugs was developed by Etymotics (long "o") Research (hence the "ER"). It is manufactured by AEARO Corporation under license from Etymotics Research. The technology consists of a little button which is inserted into a comfortable, custom-molded eartip, made, I think, by Westone, and fitted by your audiologist. It is available in 9, 15, and 25 decibel reductions, but the 15 is the most linear. Its attenuation is essentially flat from the bottom of the piano to 6 kHz (C8 is a little over 4kHz). It rolls off to about 20 dB at 8 kHz (the 2nd harmonic of C8). These earplugs make tuning more comfortable, and, counterintuitively, make it easier to work in noisy environments. The ER-9 is very similar from 1000 Hz (C6) up, but provides less attenuation (9 or 10 dB) below that. The ER-25 likely provides too much attenuation for tuning. In addition, they make the universal fit ER-20, referenced above, which, while cheap, provides less linear attenuation. They are officially rated at 12 dB, as the attenuation begins at that at the bottom and rolls smoothly to 20 dB at the top of the piano, and more steeply to 25 dB at the 2nd partial of C8. This to me provides more mush than I want, although I sometimes use them for rough stuff. Check the Westone website at http://www.earmold.com for interesting information about your hearing, and the Etymotic Research site at http://www.etymotic.com for specific info about the ER series. Bob Davis Stockton, CA
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