In just a couple of months, I’ll be turning 40. As you can imagine, this milestone has led me to reflect a lot on my aging body and how I’ve mistreated it over the years. One example is my poor ears, which have endured too-loud music from headphones, as well as at the many shows I attended in my youth. So, in a bid to do better, I recently purchased two pairs of earplugs from Loop — and had a chance to put them to the test last week.
First, I’ve been hearing (no pun intended) about Loop for some time now. Personally, I was attracted to them because they seemed far easier and more stylish than the orange foam earplugs we’re all familiar with. So, a buy-one-get-one-half-off sale that they offered a few months ago seemed like a good opportunity to pick some up. Specifically, I picked up a pair of Experience 2 earplugs as well as some Switch 2 earplugs. With free shipping, my total came to about $80.
Although I’d briefly tried them during a thunderstorm a while back, it was last week’s Paul McCartney concert that gave my Loops their first true test. Before the show began, I placed my Experience 2s in my ears, while giving the Switch 2s (which can be adjusted to offer three different levels of noise reduction) to my wife.
As soon as the show began, it was clear that the earplugs were making a difference. Admittedly, it did take a little bit to get used to, but once I did, everything sounded great. Moreover, when I took out one earplug to compare, I was shocked by how much the Loops were blocking. Yet, it’s not as though the earplugs were making the music sound worse in any way — it was just reducing the noise. I realize that may not make sense when reading it, but it will make sense if you have a chance to try them.
When we left the venue, rather than enduring the ringing ears that I’d grown accustomed to as part of the concert-going experience, we were able to hear clearly! This also made it easier to get to sleep afterward.
The only downside is that, while I could hear my wife just fine with my earplugs in, she had a hard time hearing me. However, I suspect I may have also been overcompensating and keeping my voice down when speaking rather than falling for the classic mistake of speaking too loudly when your hearing is compromised. In hindsight, she also could have tried adjusting the setting since she has the Switches.
In terms of which pair I’d recommend, I was happy with the Experience 2s — although the Emerald color on the Switch 2s is quite lovely. Of course, the Switches are also more versatile, but do come at a premium price as a result. So, perhaps try the Experiences, and then you can upgrade later if you really want.
Overall, I was quite happy with my Loop Earplugs experience. Now that I understand how important hearing protection can be, I’m glad there are a growing number of solutions that can help reduce noise while still being convenient and dare I say cool cool-looking. Needless to say, I’ll definitely be bringing along my Loops for future concerts and other decibel-heavy events in the future.