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Listening at home⏱️ Estimated reading time: 13 min
On this page: Overview
Key Takeaways
No. In-ear monitors are not hearing protection by design. So when people ask do in-ear monitors protect your hearing, the honest answer is that they can make a quieter stage possible, but they do nothing to stop you turning the mix up. Most of the pages that rank for this question say “yes, if used properly”, which skips over how often that condition fails.
At Bollsen, we are a family-owned company from Ljubljana that makes earplugs for musicians, and we are also the official UK and EU partner of Unique Melody. We sell both, so we have no reason to blur the line between them. If you are still getting to grips with the basics, start with what are in-ear monitors and come back here for the hearing side.
The problem is simple, and most product pages skip it. The earpieces don’t decide how loud it gets; the person on the volume knob does. The rest of this article looks at what a seal really changes, what the research measured on real stages, and which habits push levels up.
What are in-ear monitors designed to do?
An in-ear monitor (IEM) is a small earphone that seals the ear canal and plays a personal monitor mix from a bodypack or belt-pack receiver, so a performer can hear their own voice or instrument clearly on a loud stage. Its job is monitoring. It has no certified attenuation rating, and a rating is exactly what defines hearing protection.
Audiologists have been saying this for over two decades. In a 2001 interview in Mix magazine, audiologist Michael Santucci of Sensaphonics said there is “an industry misconception that in-ear monitors, like earplugs, are hearing protectors by design.” He added that they “are just as capable of damaging hearing as are traditional floor monitors” and that “some in-ear monitors can reach levels of 125 dB to 140 dB.” You can read the full Santucci interview in Mix for the audiologist’s side of the stage.
That ceiling is the point. A device capable of 125 dB at the eardrum is a powerful amplifier, and the seal only blocks the sound from outside it.
What does a good seal actually do?
A good acoustic seal blocks much of the room, the drums and the backline from reaching your ear canal, and that means a good seal lets you listen at a lower volume because the mix no longer has to compete with the stage. That is the whole benefit, and it only pays off if the volume actually comes down.
One study suggests it often doesn’t. In a 2008 study in the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, Federman and Ricketts found that musicians’ preferred listening levels on in-ear monitors were only about 0.6 dB lower than on floor monitors. Their minimum acceptable levels were about 6.0 dB lower, and the authors wrote that proper counselling would likely be needed before that advantage showed up. The Federman and Ricketts listening-level study is a useful reminder that the room to turn down exists, but people rarely use it.
Sound engineers who work church and club stages describe the same habit: many musicians match their pack volume to the level their old wedges used to give them. A poor fit makes it worse, because a leaky seal loses bass and lets the stage back in, so the volume creeps up to fill the gap. Fit matters more here than drivers, which is why choosing IEM ear tips is worth an evening of trial and error.
Our own product page is just as plain about it. We sell the range of Unique Melody in-ear monitors (UK) as audio gear for listening and monitoring, and the page says so before anyone picks a model. An entry model such as the 2HT (£279, universal fit) seals the same way a flagship does; the seal still only helps if the fader goes down.
What did the AES study measure on stage?
A 2017 study presented at the Audio Engineering Society 142nd Convention measured the sound reaching musicians’ ears and found 94 to 105 dBA with loudspeaker monitors and 86 to 108 dBA with in-ear monitors. The in-ear range was wider in both directions: lower at the bottom and higher at the top.
The researchers, Nykänen, Löfdahl, Johannesson and Berg from Luleå University of Technology, also noted that many of the loudspeaker users wore earplugs. So the comparison is not wedges against IEMs alone. It is closer to wedges plus earplugs against IEMs on their own.
| Monitoring setup | Equivalent level at the ear | Note from the study |
|---|---|---|
| Loudspeaker (floor) monitors | 94–105 dBA | Many participants also wore earplugs |
| In-ear monitors | 86–108 dBA | Widest range: some musicians ran lower, some higher |
When the goal was keeping exposure down, the authors favoured loudspeaker monitors combined with earplugs, while adding that better training and regular measurement of sound exposure would be needed before in-ear monitoring could match that. The full abstract is in the AES e-library paper on in-ear monitor sound levels. The wider question of how in-ear monitors compare to earplugs for musicians belongs to our music guide, which covers how in-ear monitors compare to earplugs for musicians in detail.
Why does taking one in-ear out push the volume up?
Taking one earpiece out to hear the room or the crowd costs you loudness, and IEM maker 64 Audio says you “will have to turn it up about 6db louder to achieve the same perceived loudness” with only one ear in. The ear still wearing the IEM then takes the full, louder mix on its own.
The open ear isn’t spared either. It is now taking the full stage sound with nothing in the canal. Under 64 Audio’s own post, one reader pushes back that not everyone leaves the open ear bare, which is fair: some players put an earplug in it.
A better fix is to ask the engineer for ambient or crowd mics in your mix, so you hear the room without pulling an ear. Vocalists often pull an earpiece, and in-ear monitors for singers covers how to set up a mix that makes it unnecessary. For a singer’s hours away from the rig, see our guide to earplugs for singers, written for vocalists who rehearse in loud rooms and go to gigs as fans.
Should you put a limiter on your in-ear mix?
A brickwall limiter caps the level of the in-ear feed so a feedback squeal, a dropped mic or a desk fault cannot hit your ears at full output, and 64 Audio recommends “inserting a ‘brickwall’ limiter on the output of the IEM mix.” It sits on the mix itself, which is why it catches what the pack’s volume knob can’t.
There is a catch. 64 Audio also warns that limiters built into bodypacks are “NOT properly calibrated for earpieces that did not originally come with the unit”, so swapping earpieces can change how much a pack limiter actually holds back. The manufacturer’s full advice is in 64 Audio’s guide to IEM volume and limiters.
Forum threads show why this matters. One musician on a limiter-equipped personal mixer describes a loud bang from a system fault and ringing that lasted afterwards. Ask whoever runs monitors where the limiter sits and what it is set to; the setting itself is a job for the engineer.
How loud is too loud on in-ear monitors?
The same limits apply to IEMs as to any headphones, and we cover them in our tinnitus guides rather than repeating them here. Our guide to safe headphone volume explains levels and listening time for any earphone, and the checklist on how to tell if it’s too loud gives quick signs you can check during a set or a long rehearsal.
What should you wear when you are not on the IEM feed?
IEMs are not hearing protection; for gigs and festivals take Music SoundPRO earplugs. A musician’s night has long stretches with no in-ear feed at all: the load-in, the soundcheck before the packs are on, the support act from side-stage and the walk back through the crowd.
Those are the hours earplugs are made for. Our Music SoundPRO earplugs (SNR 24 dB) were tested by an independent German laboratory, are made from hypoallergenic silicone with a two-flange design, last for up to 100 uses and cost £29.95 with an aluminium case. They fit flush, so they sit comfortably for a full night at the bar or in the crowd.
If you also go to shows as a fan, our music hub on earplugs for gigs and festivals covers concerts, drummers, DJs and rehearsal rooms in one place. Each situation has its own guide, so you can go straight to the one that matches your night.
What should you do if your ears ring after a gig?
Ringing after a loud night tells you the night was loud. If it lasts, keeps coming back or is bothering you, see your GP. The NHS lists when to book an appointment on its NHS tinnitus page, including tinnitus that is regular, constant or getting worse.
A quiet morning after is not proof the mix was fine. Write down what happened, the venue, how long you played and whether you had one ear out, and bring that to the appointment.
What does a sensible in-ear routine look like?
Five habits do most of the work, and none of them costs much. Each one comes straight from the research and manufacturer advice above.
- Get the fit right first, because a poor seal is the main reason volume creeps up.
- Start each soundcheck with the pack turned down and bring it up only until the mix is clear.
- Keep both earpieces in and ask for ambient mics instead of pulling one out.
- Ask the engineer for a brickwall limiter on your in-ear mix.
- Carry earplugs for load-in, side-stage, rehearsals without the rig and the crowd.
In-ear monitors give you a clearer mix and the chance to play at a lower level. They don’t come with an attenuation rating or a volume ceiling. The ceiling is set by you and your engineer, and the earplugs in your pocket cover the hours off the feed.
If you are choosing a first pair for the stage, our in-ear monitors for musicians guide walks through fit, packs and mixes. Keep the mix lower than feels exciting at first; your ears have to outlast every tour you play.
His connection to hearing protection stems from personal experience with sound sensitivity during live events and work in noisy environments, an issue that made him more aware of the long-term risks of unmanaged noise exposure. Today, as both a communicator and a user of BOLLSEN products, he is passionate about raising awareness around the importance of proactive hearing care.
At BOLLSEN, he develops data-driven marketing campaigns, writes SEO-focused articles, and manages communication channels that connect customers with practical knowledge about hearing protection. His work ensures that BOLLSEN’s message—prioritizing health, performance, and sustainability reaches a global audience in an engaging and trustworthy way.
Passionate about writing since childhood, Timotej combines creativity with a strong analytical approach, continuously testing new ideas in digital marketing, performance advertising, and social media. He believes in learning through innovation and collaboration, balancing leadership with openness to new perspectives.
Beyond his professional role, Timotej is committed to a healthy lifestyle and finds inspiration in fitness, sports, and quality time with friends. His personal passion for well-being aligns with BOLLSEN’s core values, making his work not only a career but also a cause he deeply believes in.
