Noise Isolation Earplugs Rules

Yesterday I went to Plaza Singapura to purchase a new pair of earplugs after having my original iPod Touch earplug stolen by someone. The new earplug that I bought that cost me $25.90 is an orange/gold plated Sonic Gear EarPump earplugs. I wanted to buy earplugs next year during an IT fair because it would cost cheaper and there will be more variety to choose from but I guess I have no choice right now.

I do have another earplugs though, a black Panasonic earplug that I bought in the school bookshop, but it does not have a feature that this earplug have. The EarPump earplug would be my first earplug that utilize noise isolation and probably the reason why I bought this earplug. Another reason why I bought this is because of the clear and deep bass audio that gives music a crisp and rich sound.

I actually tested the two earplugs out by having my iPod and my MacBook playing the same song ("Where Are You Now" by Honor Society) as the same time while I plug one of the two earplugs in each of my ears. I also tested it out by plugging the two earplugs individually. The result is that while the black Panasonic earplug sound is acceptable, it felt a bit flat compared to EarPump. In EarPump, the song out of the guitar and drums felt like it is an individual piece by itself and you can hear all the instruments used very clearly.

While the noise isolation feature is cool for long rides in the bus or train to block all those noisy chatters of gossiping office ladies, I did encountered a problem - the earplug is unable to completely block the sound system on the MRT train. I can still hear the woman's voice saying which station it is going next. I guess MRT choose to use a woman's voice because it is high pitch and suitable for a train full of people so that everyone can hear.

One reason that I chose to buy this earplug (beside the fact that the Carrefour in Plaza Singapura only sells earplugs from Sonic Gear) is because it is a product of Singapore. Most people would say that local-made goods are terrible and while it is true to a large extend, I believe there are hidden gems among them.

And the reason why I posted this here is because this is something related to product design and engineering. All those Singapore product design and engineering geeks out there will be trilled that there are people who support local goods. I wonder if any of them are also trilled by Singapore forth public university?