Over the years, I’ve been asked countless times, “What about suppressors? Are they still too loud?” I would confidently answer, “Yes, they are still too loud, and hearing protection is still necessary.” But it wasn’t until I started preparing for a recent podcast episode with Steve Rinella of Meateater and Brandon Maddox from Silencer Central that I dove deeply into the nitty gritty of the mechanics of suppressors’ sound level data. What I discovered was fascinating—and crucial for anyone who spends time around firearms.
I’m on record for saying that I cannot guarantee that you will never sustain hearing damage even if you wear proper hearing protection while shooting. That’s because blocking the ear canals only has the capability to reduce sounds by around 30 decibels. In order to achieve more protection, you must wear double hearing protection with muffs on top of perfectly sealed earplugs or you must wear a full helmet/body armor to keep the sound waves from being transmitted through the bones of your body to the cochlea. That’s right, even your teeth transmit sound quite well! [If you are interested in more foundational information about how we hear, air vs bone conduction, noise induced hearing loss and more, visit the Resources tab on the OtoPro website.]
The bottom line? Suppressors alone are not enough to completely safeguard your hearing. Hearing protection is also not enough to completely safeguard your hearing. BUT when used in tandem, suppressors and hearing protection can ensure that you are in the safe zone with your hearing! That’s something worth celebrating!
Let’s explore why this is so important.
Understanding the Decibel Scale: A Logarithmic and Exponential Risk
The risk of hearing damage increases exponentially with higher sound levels due to the logarithmic nature of the decibel scale. When the amplitude (or intensity) of sound waves doubles, the energy and pressure exerted on the inner ear multiplies significantly. This exponential increase in energy transfer causes a corresponding rise in the potential for damage to the delicate structures of the ear, especially the hair cells in the cochlea, which are critical for hearing. One consideration to help understand how logarithmic decibels behave is the 3dB Rule.
3dB Rule: This rule states that for every increase of 3dB, the power of the sound doubles. However, human perception of loudness does not match this directly; a 10dB increase is generally perceived as a doubling of loudness by the human ear. This is why I often preach that you cannot rely on your own perception of what is “too loud.” As it relates to gunfire and sound exposure, every 3dB increment is significantly impacting the assault on your delicate inner ear structures. A small increase in decibels—say from 138dB to 141dB—doubles the force of the sound waves and exponentially increases the risk of hearing damage.
To make the understanding of the 3dB Rule simpler, imagine this: if you are exposed to a sound level of 140 dB and the sound level increases to 143 dB, the power of the sound wave doubles. This is why it is essential to pay close attention to even minor increases in sound levels when assessing hearing risk.
What is safe? The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends exposure to impulse noise (like a gunshot) not exceed 140dB for adults—and just 120dB for children. Even with the best suppressors, most firearms still produce sound well above these thresholds. Also, these guidelines assume that you’ll be firing just one shot in an 8-hour period to reach this maximum noise dose.
Suppressors: Reducing Noise, But Still Leaving Ears Vulnerable
Suppressors work by redirecting the gases that firearms emit, using chambers and baffles to slow and cool the gases before they exit the barrel. Suppressors are marked “hearing safe” when the average sound decibel level of numerous shots come to 140dB or below. Sounds promising, right? Let’s take a look at some sample data and variables to consider.
How’s the weather? This seemingly innocuous question is quite important when considering hearing risk when shooting. Temperature affects the speed at which the sound barrier is broken by your ammunition, causing a sonic “crack” or “boom” that suppressors cannot control. Colder temperatures will cause a break in the sound barrier at lower velocities. Warmer temperatures require greater velocity to break the sound barrier. These sonic cracks are often well above the 140dB maximum for impulse noise safety.
Let’s get specific. The speed of sound is 1100 feet per second at 45 degrees Fahrenheit. When the ammunition velocity surpasses 1100 feet per second at this temperature, a sonic crack will occur. At 20 degrees Fahrenheit, the sound barrier will be broken closer to 1000 feet per second, and at 100 degrees Fahrenheit, as is often the case here in the South, the velocity needs to be closer to 1200 feet per second to cause the sonic crack. Remember, this loud “pop” cannot be reduced by the best of suppressors on the market. The sonic crack occurs outside the suppressor altogether. [The National Weather Service website offers a conversion calculator for the speed of sound if you are curious about specific temperatures.]
Below is a graph illustrating the sonic crack or N-Wave a fraction of a second before the firearm blast exposure. You may not notice this 172dB burst, but certainly your ears would! If you’re interested in this research, check out the full article published in the International Journal of Audiology.
Here is another, more recent visual taken from the Silencer Summit 2024 Sound Test Results. This is a clear example that the sonic crack itself warrants protection, even if the actual gun blast is adequately suppressed. Here, you see the first peak of the sonic crack landing just below 190 Pa, shortly followed by the suppressed muzzle discharge at about 125 Pa. Check out the full data set – it’s extensive! You may ask, “What is Pa? We’ve been discussing dB!” I like to keep apples to apples, too. Let’s convert that 190dB crack.
While decibels (dB) are a logarithmic way to express sound intensity, Pascals represent the actual pressure exerted by sound on a surface, where 1 Pa = the sound pressure level at 94 dB SPL. To convert 190 Pascals to decibels, we use the formula: SPL (dB) = 20 * log10(pressure in Pascals / reference pressure). The reference pressure in air is typically 20 micropascals (20 μPa). So for this measured supersonic crack, we would say: SPL (dB) = 20 * log10(190 / 0.00002) ≈ 140.57dB. This supersonic crack just exceeds OSHA’s 140dB safety limit for an impulse noise.
First Round Pop (FRP). Often, the first shot is louder than subsequent rounds due to oxygen buildup within the baffles and chambers. This phenomenon is known as First Round Pop (FRP). When reviewing firearm sound level data, check whether the FRP has been accounted for or averaged out of the results. Some suppressors are specifically designed to reduce FRP; just be sure to know whether FRP has been accounted for in your safety ratings.
In some tests, like those conducted by Ammotogo.com (2019), FRP was calculated into the average. For example, their dataset recorded an FRP of 144.8 dB, but the average of subsequent shots came in at just under 140 dB. This is important because even though the overall average might be “hearing safe,” the FRP’s high level can significantly increase the risk of hearing damage.
Remember the initial point about a 3dB increase in sound level doubling the risk of hearing damage? Even though the average suppressed output in this example is marked “hearing safe,” the difference between the 139.18dB average of shots and the actual initial 144.8dB shot is more than a double the sound pressure at the eardrum and an exponentially-higher risk.
Measurement location is also pertinent when digging into suppressor testing data. A friend and fellow Vanderbilt University alum Dr. Christopher Spankovich sat down with me to discuss research he conducted looking at the effects of suppression, ammunition, and barrel length on AR-15s. Interestingly, Dr. Spankovich and his colleagues found a significant difference between sound exposures at the shooter’s left and right ears. While suppressors in their study significantly decreased the sound pressure 1 meter left of the muzzle and at the left ear; however, under most conditions levels remained above 140 dB near the right ear. Here are a few visuals from their work:
This effect was more evident with direct impingement gas systems than with piston gas systems, so consider this for semi or fully automatic options. Notably, the majority of the subsonic loads they tested still exceeded 140dB in suppressed conditions.
Going back to the data published by Ammotogo.com, those measurements as with often reported measurements, were taken 1 meter to the left of the muzzle. This leaves me wondering what the actual ear-level measurements were, particularly for the right ear. Since just 3 decibel difference make exponential effects to the damage risk criterion, is the margin for error here worth the risk? I argue not. I challenge the suppressor industry to publish sound level data of the peak dB of first round (the FRP) measured at the left and right ears of the shooter. After all, that’s what we’re aiming to protect.
Why Relying on Perception is Dangerous
Many people believe that if they don’t feel discomfort or hear ringing after shooting with a suppressor, they’re fine. However, relying on your perception of sound is dangerous. Gunfire is often too brief for our brains to register the real danger, meaning that even though it may not feel loud, the risk of hearing damage is still very real. As mentioned earlier, for every 3 dB increase, the power of sound doubles. However, humans don’t perceive a doubling of loudness until the increase reaches 10 dB or more. You simply cannot trust your own perception of what is “too loud.”
When talking with friends who use suppressors, many have regrettably mentioned that they’re a great solution to use with their kids. Just because something is marked “hearing safe” for adults doesn’t mean it even approximates the safe zone for children’s more delicate ear structures. As noted, the limit for impulse noise exposure in children is just 120 dB. Remember the 3 dB Rule and the exponential nature of hearing risk. Skim back over the noise level data for First Round Pop (FRP) and subsequent shots with suppressed firearms. Then, carefully weigh whether risking lifelong hearing damage for your children is worth avoiding the simple step of adding earplugs. This will bring you into the actual safe zone. Don’t trust your instincts on this one—trust the data and the science.
The Ideal Solution: Combining Suppressors with Modern Hearing Protection
As a Doctor of Audiology, and a Mississippi native who is the daughter of an avid outdoorsman (who now wears hearing aids), I founded OtoPro to help hunters and shooters enjoy their pursuits more safely. I want you to enjoy the whispered conversations, the rustling leaves, the distant gobbles, and the lively campfire conversations at the end of the day—without the fear of life-altering hearing loss. I understand the need for localization, the almost spiritual nature of outdoor sounds, and the importance of discerning faint speech and noises in the field. I don’t want hearing protection to isolate you from any of that!
OtoPro offers hearing protection that allows you to maintain natural hearing at safe sound levels or even amplify safe sounds around you. For shooters with good natural hearing, the OtoPro Impulse and Custom-fit impulse filtered plugs provide excellent protection at a more affordable price point.
For those looking for advanced electronic protection, options like the Soundgear Silver, Soundgear Phantom, and Defendear DX5s allow for quiet conversations, ambient sound awareness, and localization ability—all while protecting your ears from dangerous gunfire. These devices ensure you can communicate easily and maintain situational awareness, which is critical for hunting and competitive shooting environments.
Suppressors + Hearing Protection = The Best of Both Worlds
The data is clear: suppressors are a helpful tool, but they don’t negate the need for hearing protection. By combining suppressors with high-quality hearing protection, you’re doubling up on safety—reducing the overall sound exposure to levels that are actually safe, even for repeated use.
This is especially crucial for young shooters, whose hearing is more vulnerable to damage. And remember, once hearing loss occurs, it’s permanent. Protecting your ears now ensures that you’ll continue to enjoy shooting, hunting, and the great outdoors without risking long-term damage.
I’m reconsidering my oft-repeated refrain of “I can’t guarantee you won’t sustain hearing damage from shooting sports.” I’m excited to report that with suppressors and modern, properly fitted hearing protection used in tandem, there is a surefire solution after all.
Don’t just take it from me, either. The National Hearing Conservation Association issued a Position Statement on Recreational Firearm Noise to the same effect. They assert that,
To properly protect their hearing, consumers must regard attenuation data published by firearm noise suppressor manufacturers with caution, and wear hearing protection whenever shooting firearms, including when employing a noise suppressor device.
Ready to Protect Your Hearing? Reach Out to OtoPro Today
At OtoPro, we specialize in helping you find the best hearing protection for your needs—whether you’re a lifelong shooter, a new hunter, or a concerned parent wanting to protect your child’s hearing. Our concierge-level service ensures that we not only source the most appropriate solutions for you but also provide ongoing support to ensure you get the most out of your hearing protection.
If you have any questions or want to explore the best products for your specific situation, don’t hesitate to reach out to us through our website, call us at 769.230.0834 or email us at info@otoprotechnologies.com
Grace Sturdivant, Au.D, CCC-A
OtoPro Technologies Owner & Founder
Dr. Grace Sturdivant completed her Doctorate of Audiology degree at Vanderbilt University Medical School before diving headfirst into the world of diagnosing and treating hearing loss. First working in the medical and research environments, Grace combined her professional findings with a love and interest for outdoorsmanship to launch her own hearing conservation business, OtoPro Technologies. Grace’s expertise allows her to vet, recommend, and provide the ideal product, brands, and manufacturers that are tailored to meet each client’s specific hearing needs, whether they're an avid shooter, experienced musician, or any profession in-between.