My wife loves to drag me to a noisy bar with loud bands a cinder block walls and ceilings so there is little to no sound absorbtion. In previous visits, even though I was using Hearos earplugs, I could never stand to be in the club for more than a few miuntes. I wore these headphones, and a set of foam earplugs to the club with her, and sat close to the band. The band was so loud that my back felt like the drummer was hitting me with the drum sticks, and while the sound was a little too loud for my comfort, my ears didn't ring any worse after the night was over than they did before. My wife thought they looked a little funny, but one of the band members pointed me out, and said he should be wearing them, too. The advertisement said they were 22 dB of attenuation, but the packaging said 25 dB. So, I got twice as much protection as I paid for. I wear glasses, so there was some discomfort, and maybe a little less attenuation than if I didn't wear glasses, but altogether, they worked. I have a large head, and they just fit. Update: March 18, 2014 I have moderate to severe hearing loss, and that seems to make my ears even more susceptible to noise. Even when I wear earplugs on an airliner, my ears still ring afterwards. On my last trip, I flew 4 legs. One leg I had Hear-O's large blue foam plugs in, and I didn't need these, but I wore them with orange earplugs the other three legs, and had no problems with sound causing my ears to ring. They are a bit tight on my head, but I'll put up with some discomfort (in fact, a lot) to save what's left of my hearing. If you are reading this, you are trying to save your ears, too. I don't care if you buy this product, or another, just get as much protection as you can afford. Hearing is a non-renewable resource!
