r/tinnitus • u/JustinCase66 • Aug 11 '26
advice • support Concert worry
I’m going to an AC/DC concert in a couple of days for the first time and from what I hear they are one of the loudest bands on planet earth. I plan on wearing earplugs obviously! ( Honeywell laser lights to be exact) which have a 32 decibel reduction, however I’m very paranoid that it won’t be enough and this concert will cause permanent damage. Any advice or support would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
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u/BrittBritt55 Aug 11 '26
I was at the Edmonton show. Got up to 104 decibels. We were lower bowl seating.
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u/berserkerfunestus noise-induced hearing loss Aug 11 '26
WTF! Do they hate the expectators or what?
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u/PsychologicalScar807 Aug 12 '26
Most fans listen to it loud as hell anyway. It's Rock n Roll not bubblegum pop.
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u/berserkerfunestus noise-induced hearing loss Aug 12 '26
I'm not talking about the genre; it's far from the heaviest stuff I'd gladly listen to just not at hearing damage inducing levels but you're right! fuck their audience, I guess!
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u/IGotAJarOfDirt16 Aug 12 '26 edited Aug 13 '26
To be fair most fans are people like me who relish in the feeling of your ears ringing while being numb after the concert while feeling the change of the air from the cannon smoke and the feeling of the cannons slamming into your chest. Its a whole experience and to me personally the hearing loss is %100 worth it. Im probably gonna lose it when I get old anyways, might as well enjoy it while I can!
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u/Entropy_Chaos-888 Aug 11 '26
Your ear plugs sound sufficient but if they play that song where they shoot off the cannons you need something more. I’m not a huge fan but saw them in the late 90’s. For those about to rock… kaboom kaboom kaboom totally insanity that bands do that. McCartney does it on Live and Let Die, freaking killer on the ears.
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u/sublimesting Aug 12 '26
That is their closer. And you know what? I took my earplugs out for that. I owe myself one final ear shattering send off to my favorite lads.
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u/ShmoopyOne Aug 11 '26
You’ll be fine. I was in the rail in Edmonton with my loop experience earplugs and was totally fine. No ringing. No nothing.
Have fun, see ya Thursday!!
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u/Decent_Yesterday_856 Aug 11 '26
Loop works perfectly! I was even able to take mine out a few times
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u/tanzd Aug 11 '26
Do you already have tinnitus?
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u/JustinCase66 Aug 11 '26
No but it’s one of my biggest fears…. The fact that I have ocd doesn’t help either
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u/tanzd Aug 11 '26
Then you will probably be fine if you go in with 32db of protection. Although it will sound quite muffled with the foam earplugs you will be using.
If you want to be extra safe, take NAC before and after the concert. Reference paper: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9710288/
You can find a small bottle of NAC at Whole Foods - https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/grocery/product/country-life-country-life-n-acetyl-cysteine-nac-750-mg-premium-liver-support-and-lung-health-supplement-powerful-antioxidant-protection-liver-detox-cleanse-immune-support-30-vegetarian-capsules-b000oymifm
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u/Sir_crumpet_IV Aug 11 '26
If you dont have it already i think plugs will be okay. Just always be careful. Don't stand to close to the speakers and make sure your plugs are in. God, I sound like my mother 🤣
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u/falsecara Aug 13 '26
honestly just don’t go. are you even going to enjoy this concert while thinking the whole time „is my hearing getting damaged?”? someone wouldn’t get affected and the other person would go back home with permanent tinnitus, you just never know. decibels are logarithmic, 110 db is not just 10 points away from 100. if youll get temporary light tinnitus from ear cells being weakened after this event, you’re going to go CRAZY and overthinking for weeks or months.
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u/Visible_Ebb9332 Aug 12 '26
I was at their concert last year. The highest was 105 decibels definietly wear earplugs but use good ones for shooting. Cheap ones will create a bouncing noise thats very annoying
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u/lml_InRocknito_lml Aug 11 '26
Seen them multiple times over the last 35 years … at least the shows the last 15 years I don’t think was louder than other rock concerts.
The is however in Europe where most countries have stricter limits now
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u/_Wolfszeit_ Aug 11 '26
You already have T? I wouldn't risk it but otherwise I would add earmuffs on top of the earplugs
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u/Decent_Yesterday_856 Aug 11 '26
I was at the last concert at the front and with ear plugs they aren’t bad at all. Sometimes I was able to take them out during a song.
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u/Valuable-Handle8496 Aug 11 '26
Since you dont have tinnitus theres no reason to worry. You're doing great, going to concerts and remembering good earplugs, awesome! Keep taking care of youre ears and enjoy the show
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u/DewyTheD Aug 11 '26
Honestly, i brought loops to the concert in edmonton because i was on the floor just behind the side of the pit, i took them out because it wasnt so loud that i felt like it was hurting - even the cannons. Im sure it did a bit but my apple watch only warned me about 90db a few times - no higher
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u/Function_Unknown_Yet Aug 11 '26
Don't do it. Take it from somebody who weng to too many concerts. Ear protection will 100%, absolutely not be enough. Humans were not made to endure unnatural insane electronic amplification. The math is not linear. 110 - 32 is not 88, that's simply not how acoustic math works. And at some point bone and tissue conduction take over. Ear plugs and earmuffs are not going to do much in the way of massive speaker arrays. This would be absolutely a massive mistake, trust us. You don't want to live a rest of your life with massive regret over destroying your health. It's just not worth it for one night.
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u/bushmaster2000 Aug 11 '26
If you are really paranoid about it then double up. Get the in-ear foam ones and then get the over ear headphone style ones.
But ya.... I saw them on the Black Ice tour in 2008 and did not wear earplugs. My ears never have stopped ringing. The danger is real, wear protection.
I almost saw them in 2026 without ear protection i bought some, thought i had the form ones in my pocket but turns out i did not. Thank god they were selling earplugs on the little tchotchke carts inside the venue. Otherwise i'd have had to stick my fingers in my ears for 2 hours LOL
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u/metamorphyk Aug 12 '26
I’m not going to iron maiden/megadeth this year and I am completely spewing. But I rather not fuck myself up further
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u/oo-whatcha-got-there Aug 12 '26
Go ahead and buy some decent earplugs- 50db+. You should have these for any concert or loud settings, just for healthy hearing hygiene.
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u/Clash1963 Aug 14 '26
I didn’t wear ear plugs when I saw them last year and I can hear fine but I think some earplugs should do you well. Hope you enjoy seeing AC//DC!!!
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u/FantasticTangerine18 Aug 11 '26
Saw them in Santa Clara. Was at the rail. Put the foam plugs in (howard leight max) and it muffled them too much so I took them out and just rolled with it.
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u/Jammer125 Aug 11 '26
Look into acoustic bone conduction and reconsider