Messofanego
Banned
Good Time is very loud too 
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
I wear earplugs to the movies now
- Thread starter JB1981
- Start date
old manatee
Banned
I used to go to a theater that would start every movie by sending an employee around with a can to accept donations for the Jimmy Fund, and one of my friends accidentally dropped his cock ring into the can in a handful of change. Don't drop your earplugs in the can accidentally.
DeadRockstar
Member
Same, but I've been sensitive to loud noises my entire life. I use Etymotic musician's earplugs.
I wish I was as smart as you are a few years ago OP. Now I'm stuck with tinnitus forever. I still use earplugs to keep it from getting worse though.
This so much. There needs to be more education about this stuff.
Also people who think it's weird or "uncool" to wear plugs can fuck right off.
This so much. There needs to be more education about this stuff.
Also people who think it's weird or "uncool" to wear plugs can fuck right off.
Why is this strange? I think the general public is worryingly naive about the hearing damage that every day loud noises can cause. Also I don't think enough people understand that hearing damage is cumulative, every time you're exposed to too loud a noise it will effect your hearing at some point down the road.
I have tinnitus (as a few others in this thread have said they do) and I'd jump at the chance to go back and make more use of earplugs in these situations.
Thanks for the rec. Dunkirk was ridiculous and Ill use these before seeing blade runner.
Wasn't annoyingly loud to me in Dolby Atmos. Dunkirk was in IMAX, the speakers couldn't even handle the mix it was so loud.
NumberThree
Member
Dunkirk wasn't too bad for me, I saw it in IMAX but maybe that particular theater (BFI London) just doesn't have the volume quite that high.
My local theaters are generally reasonable too, I don't remember ever thinking the volume was annoying.
My local theaters are generally reasonable too, I don't remember ever thinking the volume was annoying.
rockinreelin
Member
If you are watching a movie and it isn't a busy weekend night seek out theater management to complain about the sound and they will usually radio the projectionist to accommodate your request.
Zaraki_Kenpachi
Member
Whats worse is a lot of these hey do these stupid balances for the Blu-ray too so I have to crank tv to hear dialogue but then the explosions people can hear from a mile away. Fix your shitty movies directors.
There should be a dynamic range option on your BD player for that.
Earthbound64
Banned
Seriously.
eot
Banned
One of the reasons I don't like going to the cinema, I've always though it's too loud, even when it's not insufferable.
I think the sound production on a lot of movies is messed up though, dialogue is often super quiet and explosions extremely loud. When I'm watching stuff without headphones (which is rare nowadays) I find myself adjusting the volume between scenes.
I think the sound production on a lot of movies is messed up though, dialogue is often super quiet and explosions extremely loud. When I'm watching stuff without headphones (which is rare nowadays) I find myself adjusting the volume between scenes.
Man I've been experiencing this problem at my local theaters lately, too.
Year ago? No problem, loud but you quickly get used to it and it's fine. But recently? Well, I spent the entire time at It plugging my fingers in my ears because it was so damn loud. :/
It's really kinda an experience ruiner and it sucks, movie theaters don't need to be that loud jeez.
Unfortunately I find ear plugs really uncomfortable. Maybe I'll check out some headphones for next time I go and see if that'll help a bit, though. x(
Year ago? No problem, loud but you quickly get used to it and it's fine. But recently? Well, I spent the entire time at It plugging my fingers in my ears because it was so damn loud. :/
It's really kinda an experience ruiner and it sucks, movie theaters don't need to be that loud jeez.
Unfortunately I find ear plugs really uncomfortable. Maybe I'll check out some headphones for next time I go and see if that'll help a bit, though. x(
One concert in particular...
Tinnitus is awful. That aside I've found that the minimum volume setting on electronics is often too loud as well. Yet if I hand the control to someone else the first thing they do is crank it as hard as they can.
I remember being that skeptic. Now I can't remember the last time I went to a concert without earplugs. Using them even makes the music sound better. I have been noticing a small but steady increase in the number of people using earplugs over the last several years. Maybe more people are learning the hard lesson. I was fine with Dunkirk even though some scenes were pushing the line of comfort, but thinking back I probably should have used earplugs.
Yeah, after my local cinema got Atmos everything is just too loud. I even talked with the technician who runs the setup at the place, he says the measurements are spot on and shouldn't be too loud, but he agrees that it is way louder than their old setup.
First film i saw was pacific rim with atmos and the sound was just painful and distracting. After that i started bringing earplugs(etymotic e20) and have them like half inserted, and it actually makes the movies sound better because now my ears aren't overwhelmed with shitty loud Atmos, the tech that set the default values for atmos should seriously get his ears checked.
Also my wife doesn't even wanna go anymore because of this.
First film i saw was pacific rim with atmos and the sound was just painful and distracting. After that i started bringing earplugs(etymotic e20) and have them like half inserted, and it actually makes the movies sound better because now my ears aren't overwhelmed with shitty loud Atmos, the tech that set the default values for atmos should seriously get his ears checked.
Also my wife doesn't even wanna go anymore because of this.
brianmcdoogle
Member
Silly question, but I was planning to see Blade Runner in iMax, but now I'm wary if it is so loud. Is the entire movie loud, or just specific scenes and moments? In my mind, I don't think Blade Runner would be a really loud movie (outside of a maybe an action scene or two?). Is the thing loud throughout?
I once failed a science exam because i said "ear muffs" instead of "ear protection" or whathaveyou
So
Uh
Don't say "ear muffs"
*wary, please
(can't answer your question)
eso76
Member
I have been to concerts and clubs so loud you'd basically only heard a monotone continuous sound. The music would start and get louder and louder until all sounds melted into a single note as the area became saturated with indiscernible noise.
I've been to movies that were painfully loud.
I mean, I like loud myself but wtf is that ? How can anyone enjoy a movie that feels like someone is stabbing your ears with a screwdriver?
Oh tbf I've been to movies where you couldn't hear a damn thing and those were also painful and so frustrating to sit through.
I've been to movies that were painfully loud.
I mean, I like loud myself but wtf is that ? How can anyone enjoy a movie that feels like someone is stabbing your ears with a screwdriver?
Oh tbf I've been to movies where you couldn't hear a damn thing and those were also painful and so frustrating to sit through.
brianmcdoogle
Member
Shame
Okay, so with Blade Runner 2049, I assumed the theater I saw it at just had bad sound. I could hear the bass from the other auditoriums so clearly in my auditorium it sounded like it belonged to our movie.
But the bass for our actual movie was so strong it made the building shake, there was a loud rattling that just sounded like the sound was poorly balanced and distorted. In several scenes just foot steps resounded with bass that would have better suited artillery fire. And I promise Im not exaggerating.
So I just want to clarify, since a lot of people are talking about how loud the movie is, that wasnt intentional right? Ive seen loud movies that werent THAT distorted and distracting. I cant see anyone screening that movie and thinking yeah that sounds good. Ive just been under the assumption the theater had theyre levels messed up.
But the bass for our actual movie was so strong it made the building shake, there was a loud rattling that just sounded like the sound was poorly balanced and distorted. In several scenes just foot steps resounded with bass that would have better suited artillery fire. And I promise Im not exaggerating.
So I just want to clarify, since a lot of people are talking about how loud the movie is, that wasnt intentional right? Ive seen loud movies that werent THAT distorted and distracting. I cant see anyone screening that movie and thinking yeah that sounds good. Ive just been under the assumption the theater had theyre levels messed up.
Or hyperacusis, the rarer and even worse condition that is like having the volume knob of the world cranked up to 11, or accoustic shock disorder, which feels like having an electrified screwdriver being sporadically jammed into your inner ear. My accustic shock disorder has thankfully gotten better enough that it's very rare I get those shock pains anymore, but because of my hyperacusis I can't even withstand the sound of my own voice for longer than about an hour a day. I've been trapped in my house for years. Music, friends, love, sex, travel, phone conversations, having a job, watching anything with the sound on, even showers - all gone. I can only take baths now. I have to wear ear protection to wash my hands or open some types of food wrappers. I can't eat stuff that's too crunchy. I can't even get on disability because the process requires too much sound exposure to get on it. I repeat - because of hyperacusis I'm literally too disabled to get on disability.
As such, it makes me mad that movie studios are acting so irresponsibly. Hearing damage doesn't heal or if it does, only incredibly slowly and a small fraction of the damage incurred. No movie or concert is worth permanently damaging your hearing for, and even if you can't tell the difference, damage is happening and there's only so much of it that you can endure before you'll start to notice the effects.
I used to love it too. I know stuff sounds better loud, but trust me, considering what can happen it is just... not... worth it.
Something that I had no idea about is that even sounds that don't seem dangerously loud can still cause damage if you're exposed to them for too long and your ears don't get to rest. One of the contributing factors to getting my hyperacusis was having my head a foot away from a projector for most of each day, as I was using it as a computer monitor and a TV.
Here's some of what I've learned about earplugs (mostly the foam variety):
- They aren't as simple as they seem. You can have them in your ears, but if you don't have a proper seal you only get a fraction of the sound reduction. It can be difficult to tell sometimes if they're in properly.
- Ear canals vary in size, not only between people, but sometimes individually. My left ear canal is wider than my right. An earplug that fits my right ear does not fit my left.
- Earplugs have no indication of size on their packaging. The only way to tell is to buy them and try them.
- Getting a proper seal can be very difficult. The most reliable method I've found is to run them under water for 10-30 seconds then put them in my ears, which improves the seal dramatically. In fact, this is the only way I've ever gotten foam earplugs to work properly at all. I don't know why I haven't been able to get full sound reduction from them otherwise, even when I use larger ones.
- To solve the fact that my left ear canal is larger, I put one of the earplugs in a cup of water and let it sit for a couple minutes. The water absorbtion makes it expand a little, and fit better. Has to be done correctly or the earplugs can get mushy, and then they don't stay compressed or in my ears. It required a lot of experimentation to figure out how to do it right.
- Using water this way works with some types of foam earplugs better than others.
- It's probably best not to reuse earplugs that have gotten wet.
Ear muffs includes both ear warmers and sound protection. It's a valid term and many ear muffs that are made for sound protection call themselves that, but it's true that people might not know that and so using the term ear protection' would make sure no one's confused. I'm guessing that was their reasoning.
I've never been able to stand loud noises. If something's loud, then for me it's gonna be extra loud. I've never really had it checked out but I've always just described it as sensitive hearing. It definitely affects what movies I see, I've never even been able to go to a concert, I've never been able to see the fireworks on the 4th of July. And the worst part is, my ears are too small for earplugs to fit in them. I can't even use earbuds.
Not all earplugs are the same size. I know it's frustrating trying to determine if any could work for you since they don't label how large they are, but there might be ones small enough somewhere.
Edit: I haven't tried these, but maybe these would work? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008MDVSWG/?tag=neogaf0e-20
ResidentWeevil13
Member
I avoid IMAX movies because of the sound. I wear ear plugs to concerts religiously. Honestly I wish it was socially acceptable to wear ear plugs to bars.
I didn't know they made them slim but I hadn't looked in awhile. Thanks for the suggestion. Maybe if these fit I could actually see Justice League in theaters.
ResidentWeevil13
Member
People do so much damage to their ears and don't even know it.
If you go to a lot of concerts and aren't wearing ear plugs, you're doing it wrong. If you're driving 60+ mph with the windows down, rip your hearing
My experience has been that it's just like turning the volume down. But I'm not an audiophile
It depends on the type. The foam earplugs I use muffle the sound and make it difficult to understand speech, but there are musician's earplugs that are much clearer and mainly just make the sound quieter.
beelulzebub
Banned
As an example, bars often hang at or above 90 decibels, which after an hour or two is enough to cause permanent hearing damage. If anyone finds that hard to believe, there are apps you can download on your phone to measure decibel levels. Probably not enough that you would notice it after one night out, but hearing loss has a way of creeping up on you.
I've had lifelong tinnitus, and one way I keep it at bay is by carrying these with me at all times: https://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-Fidelity-Earplugs-ETY-Plugs-Standard/dp/B0044DEESS I use them at concerts, bars, and some restaurants and movies if it gets too loud. I don't care if it makes me look like a dork, protecting my hearing is far more important than that. I'd encourage anyone who doesn't yet have any hearing loss to do the same.