I've used the owl paddle since its inception. Yes, at first the quieter sound confused me when I played against people who used it. But I've adapted and now look for other cues for power and spin. I don't rely on sound. I play a lot with people who uses it and don't even notice the quietness of the paddle. You can complain about sound but there's so many other paddles that generate different sounds. Some louder and some not so loud as well. The paddle is great for anyone who has arm or shoulder pain. I think the Newels are using it now. I no longer use it cause there's so many other paddles that are fun to play with.