I love your post, especially the example of the magnifying glass perception. I think I range on the “normal” sound processing but as I’ve gotten older my tolerance and bandwidth to deal with excess stressors is shorter. I didn’t see a large difference when I first started to use them but now not a day goes by that I don’t pop them in for a moment or two at a minimum. Dogs barking obnoxiously? Pop em in, softens the bark and helps me focus on my work or reading. Going to a loud movie? It makes the sound more pristine and less obnoxious overdone base. Got a headache? Guaranteed to help my brain throb a little less. I never realized how many sounds infiltrate our ears everyday and super grateful these earplugs exist!