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We spend a lot of time here testing everything “audio” under the sun, since headphones with bass so loud it could shake a room, to Bluetooth headphones slim enough even for the smallest ear canals. But believe us when we say that there are times when, yes, you really should listen. less. I’m speaking to you, fans of concert barricades and aficionados of the festival season!

As I said when I previously tested the Loop’s Experience CapsOne of the best quality of life decisions I’ve made in recent years was when I started routinely wearing earplugs to concerts and music festivals. While I was playing catch-up, I was trying not to induce tinnitus. worsein a perfect world, everyone would put foam in their ears before standing directly in front of an industrial loudspeaker for over two hours. But there’s no better time than now to start protecting your hearing before it takes a major blow: enter: Loop switch 2the cool kid who is interested in reducing harm to hearing health.

You’ve probably seen Loop all over your social media and in the ears of other festival attendees and influencers at this point – but their latest Loop switch 2 The headphones aim to be the best of all worlds, combining the features of each of their flagship jacks and allowing you to “switch” between levels (called “modes”) of decibel reduction. Given that one in three people is regularly exposed to loud ambient noise likely to have an impact on their hearing (even if this impact do come in the form of sick bass and tasty guitar licks), Loop has really unlocked the code over the last few years for widespread use. Simply by looking like the elegant and stylish cousin of the best wireless earphones there and not a lame foam cap, they’ve already convinced the next generation of front-row head-bangers to adopt them as part of their latest concert outfit – so what was next?

Well, for starters, Loop now offers nine different styles of earplugs, each for every scenario in which you might want to tweak things a little. They now have Calm (the most powerful, with up to 24 dB of ambient noise reduction), Get involved, Experience and now the To change 2 earplugs, the latter of which are now designed to “switch” between the three modes. It can be difficult to choose which one is suitable for a given environment because they all provide a few level of noise reduction, so as I headed to the Austin City Limits Festival, I wanted to push the Loop switch 2 to its limits. Could I hold a conversation in the pit without having to read lips to save my life? Would the hearing experience be as good when I needed more quiet? Here’s what we thought about it.

Unboxing and design

Compared to the previous version of the Switch, The loop switch 2 now has a much improved design with a slimmer profile and new silicone tips. These not only provide all-day comfort, but offer the added benefit of improved noise reduction in silent mode (while keeping things unmuted and crystal clear in Experience and Engaged). Like their other earplugs, you’ll get four sizes of soft, interchangeable tips (we chose the standard fit), so you’ll get a secure seal regardless of your ear size.

Loop has also redesigned the aforementioned “switch” here, a mechanical dial on the outer edge of the circular earplug that is more tactile and intuitive when it comes to switching between modes without having to remove the earplugs completely. One of the big selling points here is that unlike, say, Apple’s new hearing protection feature that was recently integrated into their AirPods Pro 2THE Switch 2 is completely manual – no batteries, apps or required. This convenience of grip cannot be beat, especially when it comes to festival days where chargers may not be readily available.

So how does it work? Simple: by tilting the loop forward you let in more decibels (dB), and by tilting it backward you activate more soundproofing functions, using the acoustic channel, mesh filter and the membrane of the earplug. You have three volume options here: Quiet mode (a 26dB reduction) offers the greatest noise reduction, Experience mode (a 23dB reduction) filters out noise but is designed to “preserve rich sound” and Engage mode (a 20 dB Cut) is intended to attenuate ambient noise while clarifying speech (so you can still hold a conversation in a busy social environment). THE Switch2 The dB reduction levels are major improvements over the original Switch, which only offered 25, 21, and 17 dB modes, respectively. But how did they hold up when we were in the audience?

How to do it Loop Switch 2 Sound of earplugs?

For comparison, over the festival weekend I “switched” between the Switch 2 and a pair of Loop experiment 2 earplugs that I have been using regularly during concerts for several months. One of my main complaints with Experience 2 was that despite the clarity of the stage sound, it was sometimes difficult to understand conversations with people, even standing right next to me in the crowd (no one likes having to yell “WHAT” repeatedly and then just shake your head and laugh in defeat). The Switch 2 solved this problem almost completely and I was able to chat with my neighbor with the plugs quite well while in Engage mode. All this with significantly greater soundproofing on Quiet and Experience? Yes please.

The Loop control wheel is easy to push with a “click” that indicates a new mode, but I found that when removing and removing the earplugs or adjusting the fit, I accidentally switched between settings and I had a hard time being able to say what “mode” I was in now. Compared to switching between loop settings in a quieter, slightly busy cafe, I didn’t find as big a difference between Engagement and experience modes when watching a concert at a reasonable distance from the stage. But sticking with Experience mostly did the trick: amplified instruments like screaming guitars seemed easier to listen to in the ears without being muffled, and vocal lyrics were still easy to understand. The only time I felt the need to turn on full silent was when faced with the booming bass in the middle of the crowd in Dom Dolla’s EDM set (very effective).

One thing that can also make or break your concert experience is Looping links. Like a glasses chain, these feature a silicone ring that holds your loops on the end of a string that snaps together with magnetic material, so you have easy access to your loops around at all times from your neck. Since the Change 2 earplugs are sleeker than ever, believe me when I say you won’t want to go to the front row without a pair.

From their flexible noise-canceling experience to their comfortable design, here are some of our favorite parts of the Switch 2 earplugs.

Loop switch 2 Benefits :

Loop switch 2 Disadvantages:

Building on its predecessor, the Loop switch 2 goes beyond the last reminder of the night and allows you to adapt perfectly to almost any environment. While we are fans of the rush of a live music crowd, the real value of the Switch 2 lies in its ability to be a “quiet bubble” solution for commuting to work, relaxing at home, working in a coffee shop – virtually anywhere there is noise.

While it has its flaws and design quirks, the Loop Switch 2 is undeniably clutch for concertgoers who want to protect their hearing, improving sound clarity while remaining comfortable to wear for hours. Discreet, but elegant, and without batteries! Did we mention there are no batteries?

While their decibel-switching flexibility isn’t necessarily a game-changer, it’s appreciated enough that we’ll have them in our (clear, festival-approved) bag for the next big gig.