Glad it may have helped X1. The high tech plugs with small pressure relief tube might be worth investigating.

Music is also a precious commodity to me, if only in recorded form so I am rightly concerned. I try to avoid using headphones now, except open backed full size phones at very low volume when I'm reading otherwise they could make my tinitus worse. Fortunately I can hear everything at low volume. Compressed recordings on Ipods with in ear buds are a no! no! for me anyway.

I have also worn foam earplugs when commuting by car for sometime now as my car interior registers 90 db on the dual carriageway at speed.

I think the key is to listen to and act on what your own instincts are trying to tell you.