I use .45 ACP for home defense, and I have my active hearing protection laying beside the Kimber or Gold Cup. If someone is coming in the door of the bedroom, obviously I would not have time to put on the protection. But the times when I hear something in another part of the house, or outside, it takes only a few second to put the muffs on and click them on. Several times I have got up hearing something, and it has been a GREAT help. If you have never tried it, you should. My hearing is OK (despite four years in the Navy and using Mickey Mouse's for flight decks and when the 5"/54 calibers go off). The active hearing muffs are in stereo, and they amplify what you hear to such a degree that it allows you to pick up things much better than un-assisted hearing. They lower the level of noise when it reaches a dangerous level, but still allow you to hear.
Casey
Casey