It seems to does what it should do: let in ambient sound to counter noise isolation. This was supposedly "new"? I really like how it came out! The on it thing we hung on them was a semi damp towel and it fell off and ripped the paint on my wall. I have quite a few herbs I dry at the same time and Im really loving how its working for me, especially that its covered with a breathable mesh. And for earbuds The Apple AirPods pros have won that game hands down. My daughters car is not on the fit list and we had to do some fussing to get it to attach to metal on her car instead of the plastic spoiler on the MINI Countryman. Really disappointed. Especially if you wear them with socks. I am a certified safety inspector, so I know this definitely needs to be addressed!