Good plugs -used properly-
AND
Good muffs.

You cannot be too careful with your hearing.

Yes, of course, a suppressor and plugs or would be nice but that is not an easy option for most.

14.5" barrel with a compensator will be perceived as louder than a longer barrel with flash hider.  Shooting next to someone with a compensator can be unpleasant, although less harsh if you are the shooter.

If you are using foam ear plugs and a decent set of muffs, you are covering the bases.  I always use 3M 1100 in addition to muffs.  Going to different muffs or active NR muffs is a refinement, but will not likely make a huge difference.

Plugs and muffs.  IF still too loud, I would try a different upper without a compensator to see if it is better.  You night decided the 1.5" and recoil management is not worth the dB.

That's what he says he's doing.

I have no problems using either foamies or cheap muffs, both together works even better. So I don't know what to say

You can open up those Howard Leights and pack the crevices with foam.  This video shows a guy doin it.  I used that airconditioner sealing foam that comes in rolls and is sticky on one side.  I cut strips and pieces and wedged it around, made a difference.

I'm suggesting you pack those earmuffs and continue to use the earplugs.  For general range use I use Walkers plugs and muffs.  The plugs are neckband type with bluetooth and I believe the mic is on the neckband because I still get great verbal audio and the protection of the plug/muff combo.  I never turn on the muffs.  

Tinnitus gets worse with age, and if you smoke or otherwise reduce your blood oxygen levels it can make the tinnitus flare.

Make sure you’re putting the plugs in your ear and not your vagina.  

Same here and have never had trouble with my 11.5in SBR, compensated or not.

I double up as well. I use the Surefire soft foam plugs that you can replace every once in a while. I use that along with the Peltor folding kind that you can carry really easy. It's an electronic one and I replaced the cup with a gel one.

Really nice one for me. I have the MK12 rifle that has a compensator that is quite loud indoors but with the system above, I haven't experienced any ringing or uncomfortable hearing levels.

Sounds like you're trying to do it right. Plugs and muffs. I really like the HLIS muffs. Work great and they're cheap.

But... those surefire plugs suck donkey balls. They don't offer much protection in the open or closed position, and subjectively, I don't find them to fit well or be comfortable.

Get some foam ones for cheap for best protection and crank up your e-muffs.

Even better, get some safariland plugs that are passive/mechanical and scale up to wear under your muffs as to hear better, at the sacrifice of some protection.

I wear those safariland plugs for work and shooting up to braked or magnum rifles. They don't do enough for braked high power rifles on their own. I just put the muffs on over top for that, and/or shooting indoors.

Guns are loud and if you don't already have some hearing damage, you may still get ringing because the like 160db directed at your ears from the brake/comp is not being neutered enough by plugs and muffs alone. Bar math says 160-22-32=106, 106>85. 85db is max hearing safe. 140db is impact noise single instance safe. You really have to wear plugs+muffs and use a silencer to be hearing safe. Most of us just use two and are comfortable because we're going deaf already and can't tell the difference. Your choice, I, and many others in this thread, have now told you the facts.

I'm half deaf already (and I'm under 30) thanks to Uncle Sam, some stupid things I've done, and gun hunting. Any more, a typical AR with 16"+ barrel and A2 flash hider isn't very loud to me, nor are shotguns, pistols just make my ears ring for a few seconds. The majority of my hearing loss is uncle Sam's fault, but I take responsibility for it getting worse after that. Don't be like me, wear your plugs and muffs. Even though shooting without hearing protection is only a small fraction of my hearing loss.

First I would like thank everyone for their helpful comments. This is truly a warm place :)

I went to range today again equipped with knowledge I have gotten here and am happy to report that I no longer have ringing and am confident that my hearings are being protected.

Things I did in case someone searched this thread in the future:

1. Flanged ear plug should be banned because they are really blocking nothing. I changed from surefire ep4 to cheap foam plug and they are way way better.
2. Ear muff will be knocked off and offer no protection if ear muff are touching the stock. Just a tiny space between them will make the world of difference.

Any one of above helped eliminate the ringing. I am doing both and the noise is very acceptable.

Yup. You're welcome.

Iirc the surefire are 24db closed and like 10db open. That's nothing. Try the safariland, they're passive 12 and scale to 32.

The only time I'd wear just muffs is when shooting pistols or maybe 22lr, but technically that's not enough.

I think this might be incorrect information. You can't just add the NRR for the muffs and plugs together. There is a maximum amount of noise you can reduce by plugging/covering your ears, and I think it's around 40 (if not less). The apparent reason for this is that sound vibrates through the bones in your face.

After shooting shotguns for years I wear only ear
plugs.  Muffs interfere with my head alignment on the stock of my AR.  I can't imagine how you would hear anything with plugs stuck deep in your ears
and muffs on?  Check your equipment buy good stuff you know will work.  Good luck Attached File

You're right, but even in an ideal world, it illustrates that you can't wear enough ear pro.

Wearing both must do something, because stuff is quieter when wearing both. Including indoor gunfire.

I wear foamies and use a suppressor in order to save what’s left of my hearing. Years as a young man exposing my ears to loud music, screaming motorcycle and truck engines, and gunfire has left me with tinnitus.

Do you wear glasses?  Ear muffs don't seal well around the piece going from the glasses up front to your ears.

Factory I used to work at did a bunch of hearing test/monitoring years ago.  After that they stopped stocking ear muffs in the stores room and no longer allowed anyone to wear them (as we all had to wear safety glasses, too.)

I just wear ear plugs.  No issues.

Ringing in your ears is not like a phone/bell, etc., it's just a steady tone, like you'd hear while taking a hearing test, except it doesn't start low and get louder and you can't turn it off by pressing the button.

Even with 30 or 32 NRR foam plugs, when I shoot my unsupressed 16 inch AR with a plain ol'e A2 flashinder on it, if I am shooting through, around, or near the 9-hole barrier, the plugs don't cut it. Too much concussive blast coming back to my ears for me.

Yeah that'll ring your bell.

That's what muffs are for.

Problem is you got the thin sport versions that look cool but don't work as well. Try the Howard Leight Impact Pro works great, it has 30 NRR and you won't even need to double up

Herein lies the problem

Had this problem with my wife. Now she can shoot my 10.5 indoors. Check how your plugs fit. If they stick out too far or are loose at all, they will not work correctly. You may needs sized plugs such as howard leight or custom plugs that fit your ears better. Always good to double with electronic.  If everything is fit correctly there is no way your ears should be ringing. Also, if your muffs are being moved while firing they won't work correctly. I angle the top of the muffs back a bit if I'm shooting from a bench.  I also use shooting glasses with straight arms (like oakley) that I can position higher on my head so they don't interfere with ear pro.

This just skull fuck your hearing until you can afford a $600 silencer.
I had a pair of the HL Impact Pros that worked nicely until my kid stepped on em and crunched em.

This.

I get the feeling you’re not rolling/compressing and inserting them properly and not letting the foamies expand properly.

And with the electronic muffs on top of that you should be good.

I bought a 200 count of foam ear plugs and gave some to ever one I shoot with and I keep a bunch in my range bag. I also have gun mufflers which I put foam ear plugs and gun mufflers for indoor ranges. I also took some training classes outdoors and I just was using the gun mufflers amplified mufflers so we could hear the instructor speaking. I know my mufflers will suppress loud noises over 82db but I turned that functionality off before I did the live firing for the class.

33nrr plugs and some muffs on top of it.

You can spend $300 on electric muffs and they're still going to be sub-par to good plugs.

Good plugs allows you to buy the cheapest electro muffs you can get your hands on and turn the volume up all the way so you can converse like normal, and still be protected.