These specially designed headphones drastically reduce the level of external sound reaching the musician's ears‚ offering valuable protection from potential damage. The Vic Firth Stereo Isolation Headphones SIH2 reduces overall noise levels by 24 decibels and features high quality stereo headphones. Unlike non-isolation headsets‚ where musicians typically crank the volume to very high and potentially damaging sound levels in order to hear the music clearly‚ the SIH2 reduces ambient noise from the instruments. This allows the musician to play along with the recorded music or monitor other performers in a live situation at comfortable and safe sound levels.