How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-20 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
These two products get lumped together because both are reusable silicone ear tools. But they do opposite jobs. One lowers how much noise bothers you. The other lowers how much noise reaches you. That single distinction decides everything below.
• FLARE AUDIO Calmer — biggest strength: it reduces ear resonance instead of blocking volume, so sound stays clear and unmuffled while noise feels less stressful.
• FLARE AUDIO Calmer — biggest trade-off: it is not a hearing protector. If you need volume cut down, it will not do that, because blocking is not what it is designed for.
• AUDREE Soft Ear Plugs — biggest strength: a stated 28 dB SNR, four tip sizes (XS/S/M/L) and a square ring that can be angled to stay put, even for side sleepers.
• AUDREE Soft Ear Plugs — biggest trade-off: it does isolate sound, so you lose awareness of your surroundings and may hear your own breathing or movement more.
• Who each pick is for: Calmer suits noise-sensitive people who still need to hear the room — offices, commuting, social settings. Audree suits anyone who wants the room turned down — sleep, study, travel, loud venues.
Calmer is a single pair of soft, flexible silicone in-ears in a one-size in-ear design, measuring roughly 0.39 x 0.51 x 0.78 inches and weighing about 0.02 ounces. That is genuinely tiny, and it tells you a lot about the design intent: this is meant to sit discreetly in the ear and be forgotten about. It is reusable, which matters if you plan to wear it daily rather than once in a while.
The core idea is the opposite of a normal earplug. Calmer does not block or reduce volume. It works by reducing ear resonance, the internal effect that makes certain sounds feel harsh or stressful. Flare Audio's claim is that you hear clearly, without the muffling or occlusion that comes with plugging your ears. In practice, that means you keep your awareness. You can still hear a colleague, a train announcement, a barista calling your name. What changes, in theory, is how much those sounds wear you down.
Who should skip it? Anyone who wants quiet, not calm. If you are trying to sleep next to a snoring partner, or you want to mute a loud environment entirely, Calmer is the wrong instrument — it is explicitly not a traditional earplug and does not reduce volume. It is also one size, so if you have had trouble getting in-ear products to sit comfortably before, there is no size ladder to climb here. And if you want a hard number to compare against, note that Calmer's data sheet gives no noise reduction rating at all, because blocking noise is not its job.
AUDREE Soft Ear Plugs: Who It's For
Audree Soft is a conventional noise-reduction earplug, and it is upfront about it: a stated 28 dB SNR. That is the number to anchor on. Where Calmer changes how sound feels, Audree changes how much of it arrives. If you have ever wanted a mute button for the world, this is the design that tries to hand you one.
The build is where Audree gets interesting. Instead of a plain tapered plug, it uses a square ring that can be angled to match your ear shape, which the maker says keeps it from falling out — specifically calling out side sleepers, concertgoers and motorcyclists. There is also a deliberate design point that the connection between the tip and the square ring is tight, so the tip is not at risk of working its way deep into the ear canal. For anyone who has nervously pushed a foam plug in too far, that is a sensible piece of engineering.
Comfort gets real attention too. The tips are food-grade silicone, and you get four sizes — XS, S, M and L — with medium pre-fitted. That is the part I would weigh heavily. Fit is the whole ballgame with earplugs: too small and the 28 dB figure is theoretical, too large and your ear aches by hour two. Audree's own guidance is practical — size down if it hurts, size up if it is not quiet enough.
The kit is also built for keeping track of things: one pair of earplugs, the four tip sizes and a square carry case that clips to a keychain, carabiner, backpack or pocket. The plugs are reusable, washable and durable, and the package is described as eco-friendly. Audree also states that each purchase donates a serving to someone with hearing problems. The stated applications are broad — sleep, study, meditation, work, reading, travel, loud environments generally.
Who should skip it? Anyone who needs to stay switched on. Twenty-eight decibels of isolation means you will not hear the doorbell, the baby monitor, or a colleague walking up behind you. If awareness is the point, this is the wrong pick. And if your issue is that noise stresses you rather than that it is too loud, you may find full isolation more disorienting than calming — that is exactly the gap Calmer is designed to fill.
• Best for staying aware while noise bothers you → FLARE AUDIO Calmer. It is built to reduce ear resonance without blocking or reducing volume.
• Best for actual noise reduction → AUDREE Soft Ear Plugs. A stated 28 dB SNR is a concrete blocking figure; Calmer publishes none.
• Best for sleep, especially side sleeping → AUDREE Soft Ear Plugs. The angled square ring is specifically designed to resist falling out when you move.
• Best for fit tuning → AUDREE Soft Ear Plugs. Four tip sizes (XS/S/M/L) versus Calmer's one-size in-ear design.
• Best for offices, commuting and social settings → FLARE AUDIO Calmer. Clear hearing plus less stress response is the whole point of the design.
• Best for study, meditation and loud venues → AUDREE Soft Ear Plugs. Full isolation is what those situations actually call for.
• Best for minimal, barely-there wear → FLARE AUDIO Calmer. At about 0.02 ounces and under an inch on its longest dimension, it is designed to disappear in the ear.
• Best for storage and travel kit → AUDREE Soft Ear Plugs. The square carry case clips to a keychain, carabiner, backpack or pocket.
In my opinion, the deciding question is not which is better — it is which problem you actually have. If noise stresses you but you still need to hear the room, I would buy the FLARE AUDIO Calmer, because nothing else in this comparison is designed to reduce resonance without blocking sound. If you want the world turned down — sleep, study, travel, loud environments — I would buy the AUDREE Soft Ear Plugs, because a stated 28 dB SNR and four tip sizes give you real isolation you can fit properly. Buy the one that matches your problem. Buy both only if your problem changes with the situation.
No. Calmer is a resonance-reducing ear tool that does not block or reduce volume. Audree is a traditional noise-reduction earplug with a stated 28 dB SNR. One changes how noise feels; the other changes how much noise reaches you.
Audree Soft Ear Plugs. The 28 dB SNR and the angled square ring designed for side sleepers both point to sleep as a core use case. Calmer does not block volume, so it will not quiet a snoring partner or a noisy street.
Yes. The set includes silicone tips in XS, S, M and L, with medium pre-fitted. Audree's guidance is to size down if a tip hurts and size up if it is not reducing sound enough. Calmer, by contrast, is a one-size in-ear design.
FLARE AUDIO Calmer. It is designed to keep sound clear and unmuffled rather than isolating you, which suits offices, commuting and social settings where awareness still matters. Neither product's price is listed here — check the current price on Amazon before deciding.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
When you buy through links on this page, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon or its affiliates. This site is an independent third-party review and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Amazon or the product brands mentioned.