Loud sound is everywhere, and so hearing protection should be too

Have you ever been to a concert where the sound was just too loud? Feeling the subwoofers rumbling through your body might seem “cool,” but when I was an audiology student learning about the harmful effects of noise, it was anything but enjoyable.

Back then, like many ‘ear nerds,’ I had foam plugs in my back pocket. But pulling them out felt a little off at the time:

• They looked conspicuous
• They made everything sound too quiet
• They muffled the energy of the music

Of course, my future self will not thank me for choosing nothing at all that night.

The importance of prevention

Healthy hearing contributes to our social, emotional, cognitive, and physical well-being. Yet despite how valuable hearing is, awareness about protecting one’s ears remains far too low.

The difference between lifelong healthy hearing and permanent hearing loss often comes down to small, preventative actions taken today. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
At Phonak, we are passionate about raising awareness of hearing protection and its benefits. Listening is a gift, and it’s one we must protect.

Serenity Choice is our line of hearing protection that offers a thoughtful balance of protection, sound quality, and comfort that makes it easier to fully enjoy live events while keeping hearing safe.

Why Serenity Choice stands out

Designed to balance protection, sound quality, and comfort, Serenity Choice makes it easier to enjoy live events while keeping hearing safe.

• Uniform frequency attenuation
Hearing protection not only reduces overall volume, but it also needs to do so while maintaining the original sound quality. Earplugs designed specifically for music provide uniform attenuation across frequencies, much like simply lowering the volume on your computer.

This prevents the compromise in sound quality typical of standard foam earplugs, which reduce high frequencies much more than low ones, resulting in a muffled listening experience. Serenity Choice Music, on the other hand, delivers excellent audio quality, highly rated by both expert listeners and first-time users.¹

• Breathability
Beyond protection, hearing solutions must also ensure comfort and safeguard ear canal health. During extended wear of hearing protection, users often experience the occlusion effect, which alters own-voice perception and increases trapped humidity. Once humidity levels in the ear canal exceed 70%, the risk of infection and discharge rises significantly.²

Serenity Choice™ Music earplugs address this with a membrane and mesh filter design that slows humidity build-up more effectively than other earplug designs.¹ By allowing the ear to breathe, they reduce occlusion-related discomfort and help preserve the natural sound of the environment.

• Verification of protection
For clients to trust their earplugs, hearing care professionals (HCPs) need a reliable way to confirm performance in the ear. With Serenity Choice, we offer the Acoustic Leakage Tester, available for both custom and non-custom products.

This app enables HCPs to accurately and reliably verify the level of protection provided in a client’s ear. By delivering a personalized attenuation rating, clients can feel confident their hearing protection is working as it should.

• Custom options
For frequent users, or those requiring more attenuation, custom-molded Serenity Choice plugs offer additional protection options and a personalized fit that ensures comfort and consistent performance every time.

HearAdvisor 2025 Recognition
We are proud that Serenity Choice™ Music was recognized by HearAdvisor in their 2025 ranking of the best concert earplugs. The award reflects the positive experiences of both expert reviewers and first-time users.

Conclusion

Serenity Choice is more than a product. It’s a professional tool that allows HCPs to provide clients with credible, effective solutions they will actually use. By combining protection, comfort, and award-winning sound quality, Serenity Choice makes safe listening easier than ever.

So, the next time your clients are ready to feel the beat at a concert, help them say yes to live music while saying no to the risks of hearing damage. With Serenity Choice, safe listening can truly be for everyone.

Learn more about why Serenity Choice™ earned recognition from HearAdvisor — visit our Phonak product pages.

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References

1. Appleton-Huber, J. (2021). Serenity Choice™ – protecting hearing while providing best sound quality and allowing the ear to breathe. Phonak Insight, June 2021.
2. Gray, R. F., Sharma, A., & Vowler, S. L. (2005). Relative humidity of the external auditory canal in normal and abnormal ears, and its pathogenic effect. Clinical Otolaryngology, 30(2), 105–111.