Tír Na HiFi

Yesterday I went to the Peter Gabriel gig (3Arena), but in the end I didn't use the ear plugs because the sound pressure was already very reasonable and enjoyable from my seat. I usually start to suffer when listening to live music in a small club and maybe I am too close to the PA, like when I went to see Jah Wobble at the Social Club recently.
I tried to use the plugs at home (at standard volume) and the effect is really like pressing the "mute" button sometimes available on amplifiers. They claim a reduction of 18Db and it is quite a lot: unless the live music level is really too much the risk is to reduce some involvement together with the pressure.

Best

I bought a pair of plugs in MusicMaker (20 euro or so) and wore them to Iron Maiden on Saturday. When properly inserted I find the effect too strong and the overall presentation muffled. I compromised with a less than full seal that reduced sound level a little but left in a bit more treble.

Balance didn't seem greatv either way to me, and I can't decide whether it was my ears, the plugs or the actual sound at the venue. The jury is very much still out, but I've decided less is more when it comes to attenuation. Too much and all impact is lost.