Ear shape and hearing quality Such complex "geometry" isn't meant to be pretty, is it? Indeed, one experiment proved otherwise. People were given plastic ear pads that reshaped their ears. As a result of long-term wearing of these pads, their hearing deteriorated. After all, our brain is already used to perceiving sound through a particular shell. After the pads were removed, it took several more weeks before the subjects were able to hear normally again.