For me, I can hear the direction of the noise. Each muff has a mic with its own volume control. One thing I don't like is it takes N batteries (2 in each muff for mine) which are not cheap. However, they do last quite a while. The electronics on mine work very well. I have ear muffs that have a higher db rating as the cuff material on my Pro Earsis made more for comfort than to block out as much external noise as possible. I also cannot wear a cap or hat over the muffs. Since I hunt deer when it is cold, I have a hood type sleeve that I wear over my head and the muffs. IF you go with the Pro Ears Stalker, search the web as you should be able to get them cheaper than what Pro Ears has them listed. My model is the Pro Ears Stalker Dimension II. I am not sure the difference between that and the Stalker Gold.