As musicians, the most important piece of gear is our ears, and yet we seem to skip over this aspect quite a bit. Minuendo’s lossless earplugs bring some interesting concepts in hearing protection.
These aren’t just the squishy, jam-it-in-the-ear type deal, in fact they look more like a set of earbuds for IEM’s. Each earpiece has a slider that allows adjustable noise reduction from -7dB to -25dB. These are passive, but also sport magnets on the outside, and clasp together, so you don’t lose one. A lanyard is also included and can hang around in a necklace type fashion for easy access. For better storage a small and rigid zippered pouch is also included.
The big thing on keeping outside noise out is getting a good seal around the skin. This is true in IEMs, but we haven’t seen an earplug offer up this type of protection. Included in the kit is an amazing selection of silicone and foam earpieces that attach for a perfect fit, as well as a carrying case.
Putting them to use, they certainly do offer up adjustable noise level responses. We tried these out against a nearby construction site, as well as a live music venue, and they do the trick nicely. The ability to dial back the noise filtering, and not have to pull out an earpiece to talk to someone when the noise isn’t an issue, was a welcome function, and depending upon where you are in a venue, you might not want or need maximum filtering, but still want some protection.
The overall sound quality is quite nice, and doesn’t feel muffled, but there is a bit of top end that seems to be missing, but nothing that takes away from the experience. They are certainly well above any squishy foam version, and above the standard set of upgraded versions that usually reside on a keychain.
The big kicker is the big price. At $169 they are not cheap, and the adjustability factor aside, that’s a big difference from a set of rubber units or the simple foam ones. We’ve lost a lot of ear plugs at concerts and practice, and it’s no big deal, but losing one of these can be a big hit on the wallet.
PROS:
comfortable, adjustable, compact.
CONS:
a tad pricey.
STREET PRICE:
$159