Abstract: A hearing protection device is presented. The hearing protection device includes a first and second earmuffs (202, 260, 310) connected by a connector (270, 320). The first and second earmuffs are configured to provide level dependent hearing protection. The first earmuff includes a microphone element (204, 330) having a microphone entry (264), positioned on an exterior of a housing of the first earmuff (260), the microphone element (204, 330) being configured to receive an ambient sound. The first earmuff also includes a processor configured to process the ambient sound using a level dependent function. The first earmuff also includes a speaker configured to broadcast the processed ambient sound in an interior of the first earmuff. The first earmuff also includes an asymmetrical windscreen (262) configured to enclose the microphone element. The windscreen is coupled to the housing of the first earmuff.

Abstract: A method for limiting the sound volume in an earphone, a headset (8), or the like, to a maximum permitted level, entails that an input signal (2) is sensed by a processor (4) and damped by a damper (6) if it is excessively high. Thereafter, the signal (7) is transmitted to the earphone, the headset (8), or the like. The processor (4) switches between an active mode and a rest mode. An apparatus for limiting the sound volume according to the method includes a microprocessor (4) and a damper (6).