I bought this mute a bit out of curiosity and because I wanted to do an experiment with a mute that I could eventually throw away. I was indeed positively impressed by the overall quality of a very simple object that does the job, for real. It's for sure an entry level. Compared to other mutes I have, the overall volume is less reduced (this might be a problem in a trombone section) and metal mutes have a different overall sound. But I could ask for more for this price.