Keeping Out the Noise, Letting In the Sound
This morning, I inserted a fresh pair of foam earplugs for a noise reduction test. Twenty minutes in, the left one started becoming uncomfortable. I re-inserted the offending earplug. A few minutes later, the other one started hurting. By the end of the hour-long test, I could barely keep them in my ears. These were …
Read moreWhen Your Favorite Earplugs Fail You – Why and How to Get a Backup Now
3M EAR Classic are the original foam earplugs. They were developed in the late 60s by a chemist, Ross Gardner Jr., who by accident discovered that the sealants he was working on had unusual energy-absorbing properties. The discovery of these energy absorbing resins (E-A-R) spawned off a completely new project that eventually led to the …
Read more3M EAR Classic Review and Noise Reduction Test Results
I have used Mack’s ThermaFit earplugs for a few years. They have been my go-to recommendation for low frequency noise (LFN) reduction foam earplugs ever since Flents changed the formula of their Quiet Please. Foam earplugs that are good at reducing LFN and comfortable at night are hard to come by, yet can make all …
Read moreMack’s ThermaFit Upgraded Formula vs the Original: Improved?
Recently, a reader asked me whether adding wax or soft silicone earplugs to foam earplugs would provide a noise reduction benefit. I had considered this in the past, but never felt like putting it to the test. The main issue is that both foam and wax/silicone putty earplugs are disposable, so you would have to …
Read moreWearing Wax on Top of Foam Earplugs: ThermaFit Plus Ohropax
In this post, I am looking at the noise reduction performance of the combination Soundcore Q30 headphones and Hearos Pretty in Pink (PiP) earplugs. This is part 2 of a series. In part 1 reported on the Q30 together with Mack’s ThermaFit earplugs. The idea of this series is to devise ways to maximize noise …
Read moreQ30 with Imperfect Earplug Fit: Can the ANC Compensate?
I have been able to achieve excellent noise reduction results by combining the economical Life Q30 noise cancelling headphones with two types of foam earplugs. This is what this post and the next one are about. The Soundcore Life Q30 are budget ANC headphones (test and review) that punch way above their price when it …
Read moreLife Q30 over Earplugs: Great Noise Reduction on the Cheap (Part 1)
Having used the Space One now on and off for about two months, I have found them to be comfortable, effective, and flexible budget noise cancelling headphones. They are good for reducing everyday noise and in particular for customizing how much noise reduction or transparency you want. In terms of sound quality, however, they have …
Read moreAnker Soundcore Space One Review: ANC Test and Q30 Comparison
So far, SleepDeep are Alpine’s only reusable silicone earplugs with an oval instead of a round shape. This caught my attention. I have had good success with oval tips for earbuds. In fact, very few companies make any oval reusable earplugs, which is surprising because most people’s ear canal is—oval. And indeed, SleepDeep (M/L), despite …
Read moreAlpine SleepDeep Review: Oval Earplugs for Oval Ear Canals?
I have owned the Soundcore Q30 for over a year now, but only recently have I done detailed tests of the active noise cancelling function. Compared to top-of-the line active noise cancelling headphones, they are very affordable. But are they good enough? Well, in my experience, if your main reason for getting ANC headphones is …
Read moreAnker Soundcore Q30 Review: ANC Test and Q20 Comparison
Mack’s ThermaFit have been my backup earplugs for reducing low frequency noise (LFN) at night for more than two years now. IMPORTANT UPDATE (May 2025): This post is for the original ThermaFit earplugs. In the meantime, Mack’s has changed the formula. The original formula reviewed here is no longer available. For my review of the …
Read moreMack’s ThermaFit Review and Noise Reduction Test Results