Honeywell Howard Leight by Sync Stereo MP3 Earmuff (1030110), Black

These work great! I use a small piece of velcro that wraps around the headband for my iPod shuffle to clip to. With a short 1/8th inch audio cable, it plugs right in. I use these when mowing grass or using the weed trimmer.I have two of these. One for me, and one for the wife.

I love these for mowing my yard. Block the noise and I can listen to my music. This is the second pair I have had.

As a recording engineer, producer and drummer, I was initially happy with the construction and sound quality for the first several weeks of use. However, I eventually ran into a few issues just as the window of opportunity to return them expired.The 1/8" input jack on the right ear came loose internally which caused intermittent signal loss. I tightened the external nut, but I still have frequent loss of signal and static issues in the right ear. I suspect that the wires and connections might be in a bind, but I've found no way to access the insides of these cans for service though.I initially thought the frequency range of these phones sounded full and clear until I compared them to my other isolation phones that I built out of 29 dB cut protection muffs and Sennheiser headphone drivers. Where the signal is clean and crispy with the Sync's, they lack in low-end response. Where these are probably better for the ears, my other custom phones sound fuller and more natural even though they lack in a little high end clarity. With the Sync's, my kick drum and tom hits aren't as fat, but I can hear everything overall a little more clearly.Concerning the built in limiting feature, I've listened at lower and higher volumes and fortunately don't notice a discernible volume limiting, "pumping or breathing" when transitioning into higher volumes as you would when listening to signal through a compressor that's set to high nor do I notice any distortion even at safe, higher volumes.The 25 NRR (Noise Reduction Rating) is sufficient for extended use in high volume scenarios as long as you stick to the exposure rules. I am fairly tall and thin and these fit snug, but comfortable to my head without causing any fatigue. The easily replaceable snap in/out pads and Cool Pads are a nice perk available from the Howard Leight web site as Hygiene Packs [ear cushions and foam inserts] as well as Cool II Pads. Both options should greatly extend the life of these phones.[...][...]In comparison to the Vic Firth and Direct Sound isolation phones, the clarity and overall quality of the Sync's are better than the Vic Firth's. They don't sound as full as the Direct Sound's, but they're not near as heavy on the head either though. Unfortunately, I haven't had opportunity to try the CAD's yet.The cord that came with the phones was too short and light weight for use other than carrying an MP3 player on your hip. I'm currently using a thicker gauge, better quality, longer cord purchased at Radio Shack to get from the headphone output of my mixer to behind my drum kit as well as to the engineering position at my recording PC.Overall, I like the general construction and sound for the surprisingly low cost whether for general listening, drumming or engineering. Where it's unfortunate that the input jack came loose causing signal issues and lacking in low end response, these are a good general buy especially for the cost. I would recommend them to anyone looking for a good, cheap pair of isolation phones with signal input and built-in limiting circuitry to save your ears from the tinnitus issues I experience due to my early drumming years before hearing protection was emphasized to the masses.

I work in an office, I sit in a cubicle, my job requires a lot of concentration and attention to detail and there is constant chatter all around me. More since certain people started working there but that's besides the point. I use headphones 37-40 hours per week. This is a lot of time to test out headphones.I have to say that initially I was hesitant to try these, they are a lot larger than the typical iPod earbuds that are used where I work but they cause a lot of pain within the first few hours of use for me. I tried multiple types of buds (check my other reviews) and where some were more comfortable than others, eventually- some after 6 or 7 hours- there was discomfort. Plus, they're not half as bad as they look. They've got a pretty cool metallic looking logo on the top of them, but it's not outrageously noticeable.Although these resemble the "ears" you use when shooting at a gun range (and probably because of it), their ability to block sound is insane. I can put these on and the loud conversation going on three feet from me is silent. Ah, sweet silence.At first, you might feel that these are too tight. Yes, they are. At least they were for me. I didn't, but I wish I had and I recommend that you spend a few minutes stretching them out. Why I didn't think of this I don't know. I'll never know. But, do it. They will become very comfortable.Because there is a sadistic person in charge of the climate control in my building we often experience heat on hot days and AC on cold days. If you have a similar issue, on cold days your ears will be warm. On hot days after a few hours the plastic around the "muff" part of it will be a little damp. This is after a few hours of constant use, mind you. On days when the temperature is neither extreme these are great.I have had these for six months now, that's almost 1,000 hours of use. They are just now getting loose enough (at least I think that's what it is) that the noise blocking is not so strong. Also, the connection isn't so great, sometimes if the plug is turned in just the right direction I have one ear that hears what I'm listening to. This has only just recently started so chances are this would not happen for years with normal use.All together, the ability to block noise without spend a couple hundred on an active noise blocking headphone is terrific. You also have the ability to unplug the cord from the headphones and use as "ears" for shooting, or just to have silence. This is also very useful for putting these away or packing these as you can just unplug and roll up the cord. So, if you're looking for silence, get them. You'll be glad you did. I'll be getting another pair or two in the very near future. Love these things.