Eli5: Why do earplugs max out at 33db of noise cancelling?
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Material limitations
Your ear canal is only a certain length and width, and the material that fits in there is all that’s doing the work of stopping the sound. So soon enough the material used in such a small quantity is no longer able to dampen or block the sound energy
Ear plugs + ear defenders combo work because the ear canal is blocked, and then around that sealed quite well to the side of your head is essentially a small room of extra sound deadening material. You could keep stacking it just building more and more thickness of sound insulation around your head but eventually it’s going to get too heavy to carry or block your view. You can also build dampening around the thing making the noise in some scenarios, or put yourself in a sealed sound booth to observe it
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