system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Why aren't there ear plugs with a higher NRR rating 
than 33? 

I'm a drummer and I've used ear plugs since the day I started playing. I still experience ringing in my ears after concerts or rehearsals once in a while. If 85 dB is the point where permanent hearing loss can occur, why isn't there anything on the market with a higher NRR rating? It seems that there are plenty of situations where people are exposed to levels higher than 118 dB.
gpt
Sound does not necessarily need to pass through the ear canal. 

Some of the sound waves will hit your outer ear, your skull, and the other tissues of your head, causing them to vibrate. That sound energy will be transmitted to your inner ear by vibration of those solid parts. So even if you could block 100% of sound waves from entering the ear canal, that will only block some fraction of the total incoming noise.