I walked in to a CVS one day getting supplies for my violin students and I came across an aisle that had three boxes of the Loop Ear Plugs. I thought, "Oh, I saw these on Instagram." I wonder how well they work and decided to purchase them at the store for $30. I realized later that I could have bought the ear plugs for 6 dollars cheaper but would have had to pay for shipping so I guess it all evens out in the end.
Hearing loss in musicians is a major issue that we are continuingly dealing with as we age. We forget too that even major urban settings have a large amount of noise pollution. This is important because even major music institutions are in major metropolitan areas so it's important for music students and professionals alike to protect their hearing.
The Loop ear plugs come in a nice box that shows the elegance of the ear plugs. These are meant to stand out from any other traditional ear plug. When you slide the black box, you're greeted with the golden earplugs on top and some accessories on the bottom. The loop ear plug accessories include a small carrying pouch, silicone ear tips similar to what you may find in in-ear headphones, and foam tips. When I first touched the loop ear plug foam tips, they felt like leather! They do feel like the same material that you would find in any ordinary ear plug that you find in a pharmacy or convenience store. The Loop music ear plugs cancel out 20db of noise which is enough to protect your ears from loud concerts or symphony halls. I can even picture myself using these earplugs for everyday commuting on a subway. I can hear just enough sound in my surroundings to make it worth keeping them in my ears.
However, I did test these ear plugs in a room where no one else was around. I'm curious to test the Loop ear plugs in a real world setting like an orchestra or chamber ensemble. I guess I'll just have to test them out and see if they can cancel out the noise from my upstairs neighbor.