Peltor Uncorded, Black

I'm on the autism spectrum and have ADHD so I need to isolate myself from noise otherwise there is no way I can stay concentrated and do my work. There are other people in my office and sometimes they are on the phone or doing video meetings so these are essential and I couldn't live without them. They are bulky but comfortable and adjust even to my small head. There's a reason this brand is considered the best on the market.

I have been using the 3M Peltor Optime 105 earmuffs for decades--and for the price, they work very well. However, after so many years of use, it was time for a new pair. I opted for the new 3M Peltor X5A model, and I must admit they are an improvement over the 105 model, and they should be, because they cost twice as much. First things first. The X5A does seem to block out more noise (at all frequencies) than the 105 model. They also seem to be made to a higher quality standard. They seemed a little tight when compared to my old 105 model, however, after having "gently" stretched them out a little bit, they are now very comfortable. I even tried gently squeezing them back together to make for a slightly snugger fit, and this worked well also. For what it's worth--I believe I have an average sized adult male head with average size ears.In addition to their effectiveness in blocking noise and their overall build quality, I wanted them to fit over my "adult-sized male ears". Fortunately, they do--but just barely. If you have larger than normal sized adult (male) ears, this may be a problem. Also, it should be noted that this model is manufactured in Poland. At least it is not manufactured in China. To be perfectly honest, I have no idea whether or not items manufactured in Poland are of lesser or greater quality than that of China.In the end, is the X5A worth the extra cost over the 105 model? I would have to say yes, but only if you have to have the absolute best in hearing protection. If you simply want very good to excellent hearing protection at an excellent price--than I strongly suggest going with 3M's 105 model. With this said, I must add that my 105 model was made about twenty years ago and may be of better quality than today's 105 model.Also, my wife claims that when she compares my old 105's to the new X5A's, she can tell the difference in the overall fit and feel, as well as their improved hearing protection (the X5A being better).

I am retired and work outside on my acreage. In Ohio, if you live in a township, you are allowed to “target” shoot literally from your back porch regardless of how close any other house is to your property. The bullet has to stay on your property with a backstop. My next door neighbor “target” shoots almost every day with his Ar13 or shotguns or whatever. I am Not anti gun, but it sure gets loud hour after hour. Prefe4 if you own a gun than not.I decided to buy these headphones to provide some relief. They have been effective in cancelling the noise. I put in my air pods, put the headphones over them, wi fi to my iPhone for music or podcasts and voila, no more gunfire noise.

These work great and block out more sound than any others I've ever had. But they're huge and aren't adjustable so I don't think smaller people can use them. Otherwise, I'd give these a 5. I would buy them again.

I have some very aggressive gardeners with loud leaf blowers in my neighborhood who always ruin my morning with their unmuffled blaring. So I ordered these. I put them on and was instantly stunned. These are significantly more effective than any earplugs I've tried, and also somewhat better than the drummer headphones I've tried. These are not just effective for loud noises like leaf blowers, they completely destroy background noise.With them off, I hear the whooshing of the wind, the tweeting of birds outside, dogs barking, a loud A/C unit, my ceiling fan, cars driving down the road, people's passing conversations. With them on, I hear.... the blood whooshing through my ears like I'm at the bottom of the swimming pool, plus, my tinnitus, the sound of my head moving, my own footsteps,For loud noises, these dull them by over 50 percent. I tried playing very loud music and them putting them on, it became hard to make out some of the instrumetnation.The mental clarity alone is worth the cost. I don't care that they were expensive I'm just happy.A slight issue-- these have an oval shape in the earhole, which is not large enough for many people's entire ears. My earlobes get smooshed by the bottom of the earcup if I put them on straight up, I have to lean them back to fit my whole ear. Some people, especially those with big ears, will prefer models with a larger hole for their ear.

The media could not be loaded. At first I thought I bought another child sized headset but let out a sigh of relief when I noticed the sides were adjustable; perfect fit!The padding is thick, and works well to block out loud sounds. But what’s really important to me is that it muffled loud conversations. I can’t study if I hear people talk around me and with a big family, it’s nearly impossible to not hear some sort of talking going on. Some people may complain about the slight heaviness of the headset but I’ll take a bit of weight if it means I can have some peace to study as a college student

I was looking to use these with my power tools in my shop. However, I think I'll keep these for working around safer tools, like kitchen or yard work. They isolate sound so much I have to use visuals to know that some of my tools are actually turned on and running. With a saw, that can be just a bit dangerous.