Filters

Why music sounds muffled with regular earplugs and how flat attenuation helps

Thijs Worm4 October 2026Updated 23 October 20267 min read

Festival crowd cheering with their hands in the air during a concert, a woman in sunglasses making a heart shape

With regular earplugs, music often sounds muffled, because they reduce the high tones more than the low ones. Custom earplugs with a flat filter reduce all tones as evenly as possible. Music then sounds quieter, but stays clear and natural. Because they fit your ears exactly, they seal well and you can wear them comfortably for a whole evening, concert or festival day.

Right at the front by the stage, behind the decks or in the rehearsal room every week. Your ears have a lot to deal with. In this article you will read why regular earplugs make music sound muffled, how the flat attenuation of a DM filter works and what the Health Council of the Netherlands (Gezondheidsraad) and RIVM, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, say about amplified music.

What a foam earplug does to the sound

Simple foam earplugs are made to block as much sound as possible. In doing so, they often reduce the high tones more than the low ones. As a result, the bass still booms through, while vocals, guitar and cymbals sound far away. Then it is tempting to take them out, and that is exactly when you are not protected.

With music, you want something else. You want everything equally quieter, so the balance between the instruments stays intact. That is called flat attenuation.

How the flat attenuation of the DM filter works

Audibling uses interchangeable membrane filters from Dynamic Ear Company. The DM series is made for music and communication and, according to the manufacturer, attenuates as flatly as possible across all frequencies. That way, music sounds natural, just quieter, and you can also have a normal conversation in between.

These are the DM filters with their acoustic values according to Dynamic Ear Company (H, M and L stand for the attenuation of high, mid and low tones, in dB).

Filter	H	M	L	SNR
DM 10 sea blue	10	6	6	10
DM 15 blue	15	13	12	15
DM 16 green	16	13	12	16
DM 20 white	15	18	18	17
DM 25 black	19	19	18	20

The number in the name is a type designation, not the SNR. What SNR and HML mean is explained in the SNR value explained. All filters are on our filter page and in how the DR, DM, DI and DIM filters work.

More attenuation is not always better

More attenuation is not automatically better. Too much attenuation makes it hard to follow what is happening around you. For musicians, it also makes it hard to hear yourself and your bandmates properly. A few rules of thumb.

For concerts or festivals as a visitor, medium attenuation is a good starting point for most people. Our earplugs for music have an SNR of 16 dB.
If you stand close to the speakers, drummers or DJs, a stronger DM filter is the better choice.
For acoustic rehearsals or small venues, a lighter filter can be enough.

How much attenuation you need at a festival or concert, with a worked example for each filter, is explained in the guide to earplugs for concerts and festivals. Because the filters are interchangeable, you are not stuck with one choice forever. Not sure? A hearing care professional can help you.

How risky is amplified music?

In November 2022, the Health Council published an advisory report on hearing damage from amplified music. The council advises lowering the maximum sound level for amplified music from 103 to 100 dB(A). It also advises continuing to encourage hearing protection and to provide information. In other words, even if the music gets a little quieter, hearing protection stays important.

Stichting Hoormij, the Dutch patient organisation for people with hearing or balance problems, gives these guidelines.

The safe limit is a sound level of 80 dB for a maximum of 8 hours a day.
Sound above 100 dB hurts your ears and is harmful.
Hearing damage happens when loud noise damages the hair cells in your inner ear, and these cannot be repaired. That is why hearing damage is (almost) always permanent.

Do you recognise that beeping sound after a night of loud music? Hoormij calls it a disco ear (disco-oor). The beep is usually temporary, but it can also become permanent. Read more in how to help prevent tinnitus and under tinnitus in our glossary.

The good news is that, according to the RIVM, using earplugs with a music filter is effective in preventing (temporary) hearing damage.

Who are custom music earplugs for?

Festival and concert visitors

A festival day is long. Custom earplugs sit firmly without pressing, do not fall out when you dance and are easy to keep at hand with the cord and clip that come with them. There is also a premium version, the Music Premium earplugs, with an SNR of 15 dB. Torn between universal festival earplugs and a custom pair? Read the differences between Loop and custom earplugs.

Musicians and DJs

As a musician or DJ, you are often exposed to loud sound, and for a long time. That is exactly when you want the sound to be right. You need to be able to judge your own instrument, your bandmates and the mix properly. A flat filter helps with that. If you are employed, for example by an orchestra or a music venue, the rules of the Dutch Working Conditions Decree (Arbobesluit) also apply, with lower and upper exposure action values of 80 and 85 dB(A).

Stage crew, hospitality and event staff

Bar staff, security, stagehands and technicians need to be able to bear the music and also understand each other and their two-way radio. For them, a DM filter is often the logical choice. For teams of 10 or more people, we arrange everything, including on-site fitting. Take a look at Audibling Business and read what Dutch law says about hearing protection at work.

Make them your own with colour, a jewel or a logo

You wear hearing protection more often if you like the look of it. That is why you can personalise your custom earplugs at Audibling.

For the material, you choose between hard acrylic, which is sturdy and easy to clean, and soft silicone for extra wearing comfort. Read hard acrylic or silicone, which should you choose?
For the colour, clear is the standard. You can also choose black, white, green, red, blue or a custom colour of your choice. For ideas, read which colour earplug goes in which ear?
A jewel in silver, gold or rose gold turns your earplugs into an accessory.
With our logo print, which is patent pending, you put your own logo on your custom earplugs. This is available from 10 pairs, ideal for bands and DJ teams. If you order fewer, you choose one of our standard logos.

When you design your earplugs, you choose the filter, material and colour and see the price straight away.

How to get your custom music earplugs

Design your earplugs in the Designlab. Choose the material, colour, filter and a jewel if you like.
Book an appointment at a partner hearing centre via Find a hearing centre. There, impressions of your ears are taken. The ear impressions are included in the price and you pay at the hearing centre. How it works is explained in how is an ear impression made?
We make them to fit you in our own lab in the Netherlands, Audiform in Kilder.
Your earplugs are ready about three weeks after your ear impressions are taken. You agree with your hearing care professional whether you collect them or have them sent to you. So book your appointment well before your festival.

The earplugs for music cost from €179.90 and the premium version from €204.90, including ear impressions. You can see all versions in the custom earplugs for music and festivals collection.

Tips for the festival

Put your earplugs in before it gets loud, not when it already hurts.
Take a noise break now and then and don't stand too close to the speakers. Hoormij recommends this too.
Clean your earplugs afterwards and keep them in the case. How to do that is explained in cleaning custom earplugs.

Frequently asked questions

Which filter is best for festivals?

A filter from the DM series, made for music and communication. How strong depends on how loud it is and how close you stand to the speakers. The guide to concerts and festivals shows it for each situation.

Can I also use my music earplugs for other things?

The filters are interchangeable. If you also want to use your earplugs for sleeping or in a noisy work environment, order a different filter as an extra filter set with two filters.