[driverdan]

I have a set of Surefire EP4 silicone ear plugs I use on my motorcycle and at concerts. The nice thing about them is that they have a center plug you can add or remove. Without the center plug they significantly reduce SPLs to safe levels but you can still hear everything. You can put the plug back in when needed.

I also recommend earphones (in ear headphones). They're much like earbuds with foam earplugs. They block out sound about as well as foam earplugs but with the bonus of being able to listen to audio.