Earlove

Earlove develops earplugs for concerts, music, DJs, festivals, and drummers.

Earlove was founded in 2004 by Carolynn Travis — musician, DJ, (Sugarflywithme) manager and popular fixture of Chicago’s many diverse music scenes — whose personal experience with noise-induced hearing loss prompted her to take up the fight against this widespread, yet preventable, disability. Committed to remaining an active musician while eager to help friends and colleagues avoid unnecessary harm, Carolynn created Earlove as a friendly, nonjudgmental conversation starter and set about giving away as many pairs of earplugs as she could afford. Ten years ago, hearing protection was rarely discussed by concert goers or nightclub devotees. Information about dangerous noise exposure and how to prevent permanent hearing damage wasn’t readily available to the general public. When earplugs were available at clubs and gigs, typically the only option was cheap foam that muffles the music and degrades the sound quality. Carolynn’s near-deaf experience led her to the door of Etymotic Research and its founder Mead Killion, a pioneering audiologist who invented the original earphone technology and created a new product category of in-ear monitors for musicians and sound technicians. Earlove brings Etymotic’s professional grade noise reduction and unequaled fidelity preservation to music fans at an affordable price. Propelled by customers’ word-of-mouth enthusiasm, and later through press and social media, Earlove is a respected, nationally-known brand.