Verification of Attenuation for Premolded Hearing Protection Devices Designed for Music.

Abstract

High-fidelity premolded earplugs (HiFi HPDs) are designed to provide relatively uniform attenuation across frequencies. The primary goal of this study was to verify the amount and flatness of individual user attenuation. HiFi HPD attenuation was measured using real-ear attenuation at threshold (REAT) measurements under circumaural earphones. Participants were 16 adults tested using commercial HiFi HPDs marketed for use at recreational music events and/or for use by musicians. There was significant individual variation in attenuation both within and across HiFi HPD brands. In addition to significant differences in achieved attenuation, there were significant differences in the uniformity of the attenuation. These data suggest verification of attenuation is important in musicians who are at risk for music-induced hearing disorders even when using "over-the-counter" uniform-fit HPDs.