Usable, but not transparent.
First, I was not compensated in any way for my review.  This is me looking to protect my ears.  I paid full price.<br /><br />I had to wait to review these until I had a chance while mixing sound for a band.  They do attenuate high frequencies substantially.  I would not recommend if you require unaltered frequencies for the duration of wear.  Let's be honest here.  These are not expensive ear plugs.  To that note, they do work very well at reducing overall volume.<br /><br />Fitment is a tricky thing.  I started off with a tendency to push them too far into my ears, causing irritation and pain.  I discovered that I don't need to go as deep.<br /><br />All in all, I would wear these for shooting, motorsports, construction, but not concerts, mixing, or performing.
Rating: 4 stars