Comply Foam Plugs

Has the sound of performing in the marching band ever been overwhelming, but you didn’t want to wear earplugs for fear of everything sounding muffled? Hearing Components has a solution with its Comply Foam Plugs, which use a combination of an acoustic filter and memory foam technology.

“These are different than your normal foam plugs,” says Gary Wong, global marketing and business development associate for Hearing Components. “These don’t muffle the sound. The technology in the plug … essentially lowers the volume of the sound by 15 decibels.”

Band members want and need to be aware of the other instruments around them while they are performing because they may need to hear these instruments for different cues. The memory foam plug “allows you to hear the music around you while lowering the volume of the sound,” Wong says. “It keeps the sound signature, so it doesn’t sound muffled or anything like that.”

The plugs themselves house an acoustic filter, which lowers the volume of the sound around the user. The part of the plug that is inserted into the ear is made from memory foam technology, which gives the user a custom fit every time.

The idea for memory foam came from Hearing Components’ founder Dr. Robert Oliveira, who found that the ear canal is a very dynamic area. Variables including temperature, body moisture, humidity, jaw movement and age can cause it to change.

Comply Foam Plugs react to the user’s body heat and expands to the ear canal shape, resulting in a custom fit. “Every time you use it, the foam itself expands and conforms to the shape of your ear canal,” Wong says. “It’s very secure in your ear.”

Comply Foam Plugs are $19.95. Visit www.complyfoam.com for more information.

About author

Liz Neidich

Liz Neidich is a freelance writer for Halftime Magazine. She graduated from the University of Cincinnati (UC) in 2015 with a B.A. in creative writing, a B.A. in communications, and a certificate in journalism. She marched trumpet for five years in the Kenston High School Marching Band in Bainbridge, Ohio, and for three years in the UC Bearcat Marching Band. Liz currently serves as an Americorps VISTA on the communications and events team at CityLink Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.

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