[jonathanjong]

No one takes me seriously when I ask this, but I really want to know. So, everyone talks about the ER-20 earplugs that allow users to hear at lower volumes, but apparently without SQ deterioration. So, and I'm not sure if there's a practical point here, I was wondering...What if you wear the ER-20s and listen to music via headphones? Is it just like turning the volume down?

 

[Pandaman]

Using ER-20's and headphones won't work too well, as the ER's stick out of your ears like IEM's. So with headphones on top of that, it probably won't work very well and won't be very comfortable either.

 

[fraseyboy]

Unless you have deep cupped headphones with drivers further away from the ear?

You'd have to turn them up astronomically loud though. Might damage the headphones. Would leak like a sieve too and annoy everyone.

 

[jonathanjong]

Right, but what's the effect on sound? Will it just turn the volume down?

By the way fraseyboy, where'd you get amps in NZ?

 

[fraseyboy]

They do say the ER-20 just lowers volume without losing any frequencies...

Only way to know is to try it I guess.

I don't get amps in NZ

If I did I would have to pay at least double the price and probably get an inferior product.

Lots of amp sellers ship internationally, little-tube.com where I got my LD MK II for example.

 

[audible]

Why are you doing this again?

 

[jonathanjong]

Doing what? Putting ER-20s in my ears and headphones around them? I'm not. I was just wondering what that'd do. It'd be great if they magically tuned out the construction outside more than they did the music, but I'm not holding my breath on that.

International shipping, eh? Time to get a credit card...

 

[eruditass]

people have done this, check the er20 threads.

as shown by the graph, it doesn't quite reduce the lower frequencies as much and can be shown. on the other hand, take a look at a loudness curve and you will see that you shouldn't reduce the lower frequencies the same amount.

and finally, the graph only goes down to 100 hz or so. Lower than that, there is not much reduction, so you will hear a lot of lower bass - no ear plugs can isolate these frequencies well - no headphones either. only entire rooms due to the wavelengths.

 

[Golden Monkey]

They hell of reduce the sound, but it's not like turning the volume down on life, if that's what you're wondering. They DO change the sound a bit. For one, you hear your body a lot more...your head becomes microphonic. I tried them in the car, with music blasting, and, well, yeah, it sounded like music, but like I was listening to it at the end of a really long tunnel. I tried them at a metal show (At the Gates), and they helped, but it didn't sound quite right (and actually lowered the overall sound TOO much). I mostly use them at work to block out the idiocy around me, and kill the high freq buzz from the lights and monitors. They are cool, but drop the plugs/phones fantasy...it doesn't work. The freqs that change the least are whatever the hell the human voice range is...that's about the only thing that sounds natural. They are not designed to magically allow music to pass through unmolested just because Ety makes them...they're designed to lower everything, and do it as uncomfortably as the ER4...

 

[nickdawg]

I'd just turn the music down. From seeing the ety earplugs you'd either really have to crank them things in there or they would stick out too much under the ear cups of the cans. Plus, I'd guess that they would block more of the music instead of other sounds since they are a lower noise reduction earplug.

 

[jonathanjong]

I don't actually want to use the ER-20s are a volume reducer...I have a perfectly good volume control on my MacBook and iPod. Heh.

People do claim that the ER-20s act like a volume knob (with only one setting...), but most people are talking about concerts. So, I was wondering about headphones. But it looks like there's a reduction in SQ as well.

 

[nikongod]

There is a SLIGHT reduction in SQ, but for certain environments pairing an ER-20 with a set of headphones is not a bad idea.

I have used the ER20 under a set of beyerdynamic DT-250 on a plane ride. I knew the DT-250 would not isolate adequately so I plugged in the ER-20 which blocked a bunch of the plane's noise, and CRANKED the headphone. Something that was nice was the way the bass REALLY shook my head.

People are over concerned about damaging their headphones. Although it is good to respect your gear (and certainly your body), if your amp is up to the task, most headphones can put out FAR more than 100DB spl at the ear without breaking a sweat.