It's a great tool to help those who live in close proximity to others to be able to practice while reducing the disturbance a normally loud banjo might cause. Yes it alters the sound of the banjo, but to me, that doesn't matter when you're practicing solo. It doesn't affect playability whatsoever either so it's a great tool to have. How much it actually reduces your volume? It's hard to know, but it certainly takes a lot of the edge off, which allows me to play away while being considerate to the wife or neighbours.