What every pair goes through
- Seal check. Clap next to the ear with a cupped hand. A correct tip dulls the clap sharply. Wrong tip = the review stops until fit is fixed.
- Two-hour wear. Minimum continuous wear for comfort notes (hot spots, stem pressure, itch).
- Side-lie 30 minutes when the product claims sleep use (Quiet / Dream class).
- Phone dB meter spot-check at arm’s length from a known-uncomfortable PA or playback — directional only, not a lab certificate. We note relative drop, not marketing NRR.
- Clarity notes for music filters: vocal intelligibility, cymbal harshness, bass smear.
- Carry week. Case in jeans / bag for seven days. Lost lids and cracked hinges count.
How scores work
Scores are shopping tools, not ISO certificates. A 4.6 concert score means “keeps the mix usable in loud rooms for us.” A mute product never gets a concert clarity score — wrong job.
Changelog
- 2026-09-18 — Protocol published with site launch. Side-lie rule added for sleep SKUs.
What we will not pretend
No custom ear-canal scans. No anechoic chamber. If a claim needs a lab, we say so and point to manufacturers or clinics instead of inventing decimals.