Best Brass Horn Warm-up Mute Compared to conventional practice mutes, this mute has better intonation balance and a smooth sound from low to high registers. It provides a sound reduction of approximately -25dB to -35dB. It is chosen as a model that minimizes the "difficulty of playing" and "pitch deviation" that are unavoidable with inexpensive mutes. There are scratches and scuffs from use, but I don't think there are any dents.