As with any tight sealing protective respirator, you do trade-off some level of audibility. While in our opinion the protection is worth the trade-off, we understand this may be bothersome.You can remove the inhale valve (the larger silicone circle inside the respirator cushion) by pinching it and pulling straight out. This will reduce the degree of "muffledness".Note: Your protection level is not affected by this change, however the inhale filter's lifespan is reduced. Always replace your filter when you feel it's getting difficult to breathe.