Along the lines of something like the Etymotic ER-20, you can try "musician's" earplugs. I think about $60 to $100. They are custom molded to your ears. Then they will have these very, very tiny modular pieces that can be swapped out to choose the db level of protection. The cost is not necessarily proportional to the quality. The biggest factor is how well the person can mold them. They are not perfectly "flat", but much better than typical ones.
A musician that I did a lot of work with had two different sets. The better pair he found by hazard at the NAMM show. I don't remember her name, but she worked out of Beverly Hills, CA. Hers were cheaper than his previous pair, yet worked better.
His brother, also a musician, was a professional stuntman for a while. He was not allowed to wear earplugs for his own "safety", believe it or not. You can imagine how bad his tinnutis can get. He even wears his plugs when he drives, which is illegal. He says his favorite use he's found is for long airplane trips. Put the plugs in, turn up the noise-cancelling headphones even more to compensate, and he can't hear the very loud airplane noise that we are all familiar with. Just music. Yeah, I find that I am probably most annoyed when I forget earplugs for an airplane trip.
Lastly, my new stereo room has a pretty bad slap echo. I haven't listened to it in a while, and just received my acoustic treatments today acquired from the 'gon. If this investment does not pan out, I'm afraid I'll sell my speakers. Last listening session gave me at least a half-day of ringing ears. Audiophilia is cool and all, but without healthy ears its tougher to appreciate live music I would think. I love dynamics, and those include the softer nuances of expression. Keeping fingers crossed.
