[Brian Pfleuger]

I've used a few different brands.

I had a set of Radians muffs that finally broke after about 4 years of heavy use. They were of good quality from a sound/performance perspective but they are a little light on build quality. I guess I shouldn't complain, they did last 4 years for $110.

These days, I have a Walkers Game Ear that looks like a Behind-The-Ear hearing aid and also has wireless radio communication. The sound quality is excellent. It feels like you're wearing an ear plug but doesn't sound like your ear is plugged at all. Every other unit that I've ever used had a definite, but not annoying, "synthetic" sound. The Game Ear is worth the money, but it is more than double and almost triple some of the other "acceptable" brand names, like Radians.

Short answer: If you're on a budget, the Radians muffs and "hearing aids" are functional and a good value. If you want "excellent", the Game Ear is the way to go.