Keeping Out the Noise, Letting In the Sound
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)
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?
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
Only a month ago, I wrote about the differences between the Flents Quiet Please and their successor, the Flents Protechs Quiet Please. I found changes in durability but they remained my favorite low frequency noise reduction earplugs for sleeping. Now we have the Soft formula, another change to the Quiet Please, and it’s a big …
Read moreFlents Protechs Quiet Please SOFT vs Predecessors: An Improvement?
Apothecary Products, the owner of the Flents brand, has changed the branding of several of their most popular earplugs, including the Quiet Please, one of my favorite earplugs for blocking low frequency noise. For decades known as Flents Quiet Please (or Quiet! Please) by earplug lovers[1], these cylindrical PVC earplugs are now called Flents Protechs …
Read moreAre Flents Protechs Quiet Please Worse Than the Old Flents?
In recent months, I have focused on using noise cancelling earbuds as my go-to noise reduction tool during the day. My ears are already itching. Before that, I tested an almost excessive amount of inexpensive, reusable push-in earplugs, including many moderate-noise reduction earplugs (Hi-Fi earplugs) for dampening irritating noises while commuting, exercising, walking around town, …
Read moreEarplugs or ANC Earbuds for Noise Sensitivity? A Big City Report