Thunderplugs were devised in Amsterdam by musicians Quinten Huigen and Koen Brouwer for their company Safe Ears. The creative impetus for hearing protection was necessity; by the time he was just 15-years-old, Quinten had developed tinnitus from years of live, loud and aurally unguarded performance.
Thunderplugs filter sound. They ensure you still hear the music properly, but protect your ears against damage when you wear them.
In Quinten’s case, the damage is already done. For others, Thunderplugs can prevent it. The patented Thunderplugs design fits well into ears, without sticking dangerously out of them like some other earplugs do. The addition of a small finger tag in each earplug enables easy removal.
It’s precisely this attention to detail and innovation which was acknowledged by the judges who chose Thunderplugs as winners of the Student Entrepreneur Award 2013 in The Netherlands. In recognition of the international potential of Thunderplugs, the judges also presented Safe Ears with a financial award for use in overseas development. Dance music and live music are huge in Holland so, naturally, the initial focus for Thunderplugs was there.
