You can also sometimes find them in drugstores rebranded under the "Hearos" line.

They are great plugs! With them I can fully enjoy a concert without worrying about increasing my hearing loss/damage. I also use them for commuting on the train, I can carry on a normal volume conversation with people 3-4 feet way.

I use the same ones and bought them through the "Earplug superstore" on line at http://earplugstore.stores.yahoo.net/profmusearpl1.html?gclid=CMWhs8ijsJwCFSXyDAodfzmKlg
for only 10.95 for one or get three for 9.32

SAVE YOUR HEARING!

and the white/red ones are only 7.67 at amazon!

http://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-Research-High-Fidelity-Earplugs-White/dp/B0015WNZBI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1250704244&sr=1-1

Years ago a police shooting instructor told me that ear muff style protection (which all shooters wear) was more effective than plugs alone because damaging noise can be also be transmitted through the temporal bone. For that reason I've always worn stuff like the Peltor HP-10a, even though people kid me about looking like I work on an aircraft carrier. However, I have never seen an article or discussion proving that the ear muff style provides better protection than plugs alone. I wonder if anyone knows a hearing specialist who could comment on this. Shooters, however, are prone to "impact noise" which is a different hazard than the "duration" noise of music.

Years ago a police shooting instructor told me that ear muff style protection (which all shooters wear) was more effective than plugs alone because damaging noise can be also be transmitted through the temporal bone. For that reason I've always worn stuff like the Peltor HP-10a, even though people kid me about looking like I work on an aircraft carrier. However, I have never seen an article or discussion proving that the ear muff style provides better protection than plugs alone. I wonder if anyone knows a hearing specialist who could comment on this. Shooters, however, are prone to "impact noise" which is a different hazard than the "duration" noise of music.

These look like the same ones that can be purchased for my all-time fav telephone headset (I have 3 models, like the "E" best) from The Boom, http://www.theboom.com
[disclaimer, no connection except v. satisfied Boom user]

Used these on many flights now; they work great at reducing high-pitched hums and whooshes without greatly affecting your ability to hear or hold a conversation. Comfortable for extended periods of time, too.
You do have to push them surprisingly deeply into your ears to get the full benefit; ratating them gently while you do this helps with that. When you remove them, the flanges rake out an impressive amount of oomska from...OK I'll stop there.

I've used a pair of these for a few years now. They work great! Especially at bars, and even in movie theatres when they play it too loudly. The downside is that sometimes people look at you funny because you have little sticks poking out from your ear. Also you can't sleep on your side while they are on. But I still greatly recommend them.

You COULD buy a pair of these every month or so...

OR you could spend $50 and get custom made earplugs that will last your LIFETIME..

Check out the local hearing doctor.

These last a lot longer than a month, and $50 won't get you custom earplugs that reduce most frequencies equally. I wear these out to pretty much any live music that is amplified, and I've purchased quite a few sets for friends over the last few years. The baby blue pair linked to above are for small ear canals, which have improved the odds of a proper fit, though most people wear the normal white silicone. Ultimately, I do want a pair of the custom type, but these have saved my hearing at countless club shows and concerts by bands and sound guys who have already lost theirs.

@bob - The custom ones are up to around $180 now (ouch). I am an audio engineer and musician, so I finally ponied up the cash for the custom "musician's earplugs". They really are quite nice, and I like that once they're in, they don't feel like they're rammed up against your ear canals like models like this sometimes do. Still seems like a lot of dosh for a couple of tiny pieces of rubber and noise filters, but oh well. They will likely last until I lose them.

The coolest thing about the custom ones is that most in-ear-style earbuds, when you've removed the little silicone seals, pop right into the filter slot on the custom ones. This creates a really nice-sounding, noise-obliterating pair of phones for long plane, train, or (sleeping in the passenger side of) car trips, without the $500+ cost of custom-molded earbuds. And hey, they double as earplugs! ;)

I have fairly small (or, perhaps, bent?) ear canals, so I could never get the reviewed model in far enough without feeling like I was going to do damage to something, and that's with a bit of lubrication, even. I've heard that they work well for most folks, though. I did feel like they let a good deal of fidelity through while still cutting down the noise.

@ like2pla,

HA! I was just ready to recommend the same thing. Everything I ever bought at etymotics, I have found a LOT cheaper at the Earplug Superstore.

I was told that custom-fitted ear plugs/phones will only fit for a few years. And even then, the best fit is only for the first year. The basis was that our ears are mostly cartilage and that our ears constantly grow throughout our lives. Therefore the shape of our ears and ear canal will eventually change.

Of course, after a year or 2 of consistent use, the foam or rubber would probably deform, wear out or harden anyway, necessitating a replacement. But I think the above was mentioned with regard to a custom ear plug, either from Etymotics or Shure. And I think it was a hard plug that you see musicians wear for on-stage feedback. It has been a couple of years, so my memory is a little hazy.

Can anyone tell me if I'm just misinformed?

The Etymotic earplugs are absolutely terrific; I have used them for over ten years and they have certainly saved my hearing. They are pretty much indestructible; i put them through a lot (college scatter band) and they survived everything except for getting lost. They're perfect for concerts and are good for casual loud music playing. Maintenance is as simple as taking the two pieces apart and washing in soap and water.

It's still not difficult to hold a conversation with the earplugs in. On an airplane, you might still want to go with foam or noise-cancelling headphones to block out additional noise.

I carry them on my keychain; they come with a little carrying case with a loop.

Not only are these plugs great, Etymotic is a great company with great customer service.

I have to agree with JBs statement,
my right earbud on my 4 year old etymotics EP-r4 stopped working got the pair fixed at no charge! great service.

Excellent for concertgoers. At 51, I wish I'd had these when I was younger. Nowadays, a rock club I frequent sells foam earplugs along with T shirts.

I really like these earplugs but the cost is high and I kept on losing them. I discovered a cheaper earplugs. The design works the same way as Etymotics. They are Peltor Tri Flange. They don't cut off the tremble and music still sounds clear.

For folks who have problems losing them, Etymotics also sells a leash that connects the two plugs.

I'm a professional drummer and these plugs are an absolute godsend. Fit is comfortable, and it lets through all the good stuff while shaving the peaks off the loud bits. No more ringing ears after gigs.

After reading this post, I immediately called a local music shop and they had the "Hearos" version of the ER-20 from Etymotic. These caused a little bit of unwelcome pressure in my ear canal and I have long hair, and I could "hear" and "feel" my hair brushing constantly against the stems. This was really unpleasant but in a noisy environment might not be a big deal.

Browsed the Earplug Superstore posted in an earlier comment, and ordered the Etymotic Baby Blues; a neck strap; and the ALPINE MUSICPRO plugs with interchangeable filters. The MusicPro plugs can apparently be safely cut down so that they do not stick out your ears as much as the ER-20s!! Major bonus from an appearance and 'long hair' standpoint.

Also ordered the ALPINE FLYFIT (on backorder til Sept 1 at Earplug Superstore) for travel because I never had much luck with EarPlanes. I really liked how the Alpines will supposedly 'mold' to your ear from your body heat. I can follow-up to post how the 'thermoplastic' works for me.

If these work, I will definitely be wearing these to the movies, trains, planes, and malls and stores where they have music overheard, echoing voices, or loud "spill in aisle 6!" announcements.

These earplugs are great because they also fit the Koss PLUG earplug headphones. Makes them a bit longer, but if thats an issue a slight trim will fix it.

FOLLOW-UP: the initial (white) Etymotics-designed plugs packaged by Hearos created excess pressure on my ear canal possibly due to the wrong size. From the earplugsuperstore.com, ordered Etymotic Baby Blues and several pairs of Alpine brand earplugs: PartyPlug, MusicianPlug, and FlyFit.

Ended up passing along the Etymotics to the spouse :) It takes a few moments to warm-up, but the thermoplastic of the Alpine really seems to make a difference for the fit for me.

After our most recent trip, using all these brands + types, I prefer the Alpines and yes to me it was worth the expense. For more details, see below:

PartyPlug to a loud bar setting: worked great, could still hear w/o feeling like everything was "muffled"

MusicianPlug to a very loud, rock/pop stadium concert using the Gold filter: really excellent performance. Could still hear the person talking next to me, people nearby talking about the show, as well as the music and the comments from the performers on stage -- and no ringing ears afterward!

FlyFit was worn on a relatively short flight ( <2hrs) crying babies, loud talkers, and engine noise were handled fine. With a screaming toddler on one flight in the same row across the aisle, I did not develop a headache :) I was able to fall asleep and stay asleep on these flights, which previously was only occasional with Bose QC2 headphones. More than once informed the spouse how amazed I was at the comfort with the plugs.
On the ascent I could hear some high-pitched squawking with the pressure change; On the descent I still experienced discomfort with the pressure change -- but overall I liked the results better than with EarPlanes which I tried multiple times.