I've been using Earlove earplugs ever since Megan bought me a pair a few years back. They are great.
For years I never liked wearing earplugs during rehearsals or shows for the same reason other people don't wear them: the sound gets muffled and it's hard to hear any detail. Sponge earplugs tend to filter out high frequencies so all you hear is bass and mids. Industrial plugs are designed to block as much sound as possible, which was great when I used to work summers at my Dad's packaging plant but not so great for knowing if you're even playing in the right key while standing next to a crash cymbal at ear-level.
These Earlove plugs manage to reduce the overall volume without cutting the highs. I don't really know how they do this. All I know is I don't have to remove them when we talk between songs at rehearsal; I can actually hear conversation with them in. I've taken to wearing them onstage and when I'm in the audience at noisy rock shows. I swear there have been times when the Earlove plugs have helped me hear and comprehend sung vocals that otherwise would've been buried in noise.
I've even taken them to the movies because it seems commonplace to just freakin' BLAST the speaker volume at theaters these days (although that could be just me fast approaching old dude status -- loud movies can get off my lawn.)
And in general, I just feel less exhausted, less wiped out after a super-loud concert. I used to go to bed with ears ringing. No longer.
Earlove is made by Etymotic Research. There are probably even better plugs out there for hi-fi hearing protection, but at ~$10 a pair it's a pretty good value. I recently bought a pair for everyone in Explone. I fully intend to rock out into my golden years and I hope to preserve my cilia well past then.
Anway. Earplugs. You should wear them.