Coating earmuffs with silicone caulk and adding other sound proofing materials?

[pro0f3ar]

Will it block more sounds if I add another sound blocking materials into my earmuffs as well as covering it with silicone caulk?

[Randy S]

When we sell headsets we include additional soundproofing foam mat which the customer must put in to improve the performance of the headset.

Not to sure what improvement you would see simply with silicone caulking.

Randy S.

[pro0f3ar]

Thanks for the reply. What I mean is that if it would increase the reduction rating even more if I will coat it with silicone caulk and then maybe add some extra materials like mass loaded vinyl on top of the foams, or at the bottom?

Edited: Sorry, I just reread your reply and I misunderstood it the first time. Thanks for the help. What do you think is better at blocking low and mid frequency sounds, soundproofing mat or mass vinyl? Also, if it's alright, could you please give me an example of an earmuff with the additional foam that you were talking about and how much noise did it remove?

[Randy S]

All of our headsets include the additional foam.
http://www.supersoundproofingsales.com/Headsets-_-Earmuffs/products/18/

Remember that there is no such thing as 100% soundproof and you take sound in through your mastoid bone, ear canal and skeletal structure. So you will still get the low frequencies at some value.

The reduction is based over an average range of frequencies so the higher the NRR the better the reduction.

Randy S.
   

[pro0f3ar]

Thanks. I had an earmuff myself. Clear Armor to be more specific which isolates as well. I was just trying to achieve the 37-40db(?) noise reduction from it since I had read that it would be the most maximum(?) noise reduction that could be obtained when covering the ears(?). I was thinking of a DIY ways to obtain that. From your experience is are there ways to achieve those noise reduction rating in a DIY ways?

I'm also wondering how did the etymotics research products obtain those nrr themselves? Since from what I've read the tri flange could reduce up to 25db by average and it seems like when you use those flange in their earphone you can achieve at least 35db(?) Could you please share me your views about this?

[Randy S]

first off NRR testing is done with the ear plug in as well as the headset on.

When you look at decibel reduction, at what frequency are you trying to reduce?
this is why you do not get 30-40 db reductions at the low frequencies for any headset.

Remember the NRR is an average over a full range of frequencies so they can get high value at higher frequency making the headset appear to be a better performer.. which is not always the case.

Randy S.

[pro0f3ar]

Thanks for the reply and Happy New Year!!!! 

I was trying to isolate as much noise as I can ( on the low, mid and high freq), but I guess your explanation had shed a light on my questions. I would just like to ask another thing. Are there any materials that I can use to filter out the low and mid frequencies? I mean, something that I could add on an earmuff if it's possible? Or it can only be done by completely soundproofing a room?