Electronic Ear Pro

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After years of training and shooting I’m looking to pick up some electronic ear pro, spent brass casings aren’t cutting it anymore...Any thoughts on the best????
 
Dollar for dollar the Howard Leigh's and Harris are good value. Nod towards the HLs given the better audio quality, imo.
I've heard good things about the varying levels of Peltors depending on how tacticool you want to get or if you would like to like to use comms.
 
i use the Howard Leight Impact Pro. i mostly shoot rifle. these allow comfortable shooting with maximum noise reduction but the electronic part allows one to easily hear the steel ring at longer ranges. the only downside to these muffs is they're a bit wide. i have no trouble shooting while wearing these but some people it gets in the way with their stock. if you're doing indoor handgun shooting i would definitely go with these muffs.

https://www.amazon.com/Howard-Leight-Amplification-Electronic-R-01902/dp/B007BGSI5U

when i first got electronic ear pro the first thing i said to myself was "why the hell did you wait so long to get these?" they're also excellent for taking new people to the range. makes their experience more enjoyable, easier to communicate, etc.
 
I have no experience with the other options, but I have the Peltor TacticalPro. They are awesome.

My only complaint would be thickness. Rifle is tough... But for pistol shooting, they are great.
 
Pro Ears Pro Mag Gold for most shooting. They are great for indoor with an NRR 33. Use Howard Leight for some rifles depending on sights.
 
I just picked up a pair of these. They aren't the cheapest but are cheaper than the proears gold. They have a little more NRR then the cheaper HL and less than the proears. Plus they have Bluetooth so I can listen to music or take a call.

If the proears gold had Bluetooth, I'd be buying them for the added noise reduction. 26 to 33 doesn't sound like much but for every 3db, you get a doubling of protection.

Peltor Sport 500
 
To me, the Pro Ears Gold have the best noise reduction while having the best electronic cancellation.

MSA Sordins create the best seal with their gel cups. They get sweaty though. I think the electronic cancellation is second to the Pro Ears Gold though.
 
HL's don't fit with a good seal around the ears. I think the tech is great, the design stinks. :(

Peltor is the opposite. Great fit, lousy tech. LOL

I looked into in-the-ear ones. Found the cost was high ($120+) and the tech is marginal. :(

For now I just use non-electronic. Or the Peltors and not turn them on (usually b/c hte battery is dead).
 
I have both the Howard Leight Impact Pro, and sport. I use the Pro for indoor pistol shooting, and the Sport for rifles. If I shoot with a guest, I'll let them use the Pro for the better noise reduction, especially if they are new to shooting. My buddy just bought the Peltor Tactical Pro, but I haven't had a chance to try them yet to compare the difference between them.
 
Howard Leight are exceptional hearing pro, if you’ll be moving around a lot I’d suggest peltors or sordins with the gel cup replacements.
 
I have no experience with the other options, but I have the Peltor TacticalPro. They are awesome.

My only complaint would be thickness. Rifle is tough... But for pistol shooting, they are great.

Yes, if you shoot rifle a lot I’d suggest a thinner set or lower profile, trying to get a good cheek rest with some of them is a pain if they’re too thick.
 
I used to used the howard leighs but switched over the to Peltor 500's they are pricey, but all day comfortable, the audio is awesome, and having bluetooth is key.
I have two sets of peltors now.
 
If you want the best, Im a huge fan of the MSA Sordins Supreme pro X
They are bombproof, the electronics are phenomenal, they are weather proof and the Gel ear-cups are fantastic if you wear them all day.
I forget I have them on.
The electronics are actually part of the hearing protection with these.
MSA Sordin Supreme performance: the misleading “NRR=18dB” rating
For $265, Not cheap. especially if you dont shoot much.
https://www.amazon.com/MSA-Sordin-S...ocphy=9002019&hvtargid=pla-361863896830&psc=1
 
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i use the Howard Leight Impact Pro. i mostly shoot rifle. these allow comfortable shooting with maximum noise reduction but the electronic part allows one to easily hear the steel ring at longer ranges. the only downside to these muffs is they're a bit wide. i have no trouble shooting while wearing these but some people it gets in the way with their stock. if you're doing indoor handgun shooting i would definitely go with these muffs.

https://www.amazon.com/Howard-Leight-Amplification-Electronic-R-01902/dp/B007BGSI5U

when i first got electronic ear pro the first thing i said to myself was "why the hell did you wait so long to get these?" they're also excellent for taking new people to the range. makes their experience more enjoyable, easier to communicate, etc.

Damnit! Only $43??
I wished I knew that before I bought the crappy ones I have that I way over paid for and don't work at all.
 
I just picked up a pair of these. They aren't the cheapest but are cheaper than the proears gold. They have a little more NRR then the cheaper HL and less than the proears. Plus they have Bluetooth so I can listen to music or take a call.

If the proears gold had Bluetooth, I'd be buying them for the added noise reduction. 26 to 33 doesn't sound like much but for every 3db, you get a doubling of protection.

Peltor Sport 500

Second vote for these. I use mine a lot and I'm quite happy with them. Never had a problem with them getting in the way of a good cheek weld with a rifle, but they can be a little awkward with a shotgun. I do like them for Trap, though.

My only real complaint is the same for all earmuff types. Hot, sweaty, and uncomfortable when it's warm out.
 
I have the Howard leight sport and the peltor tac 100. The peltors cup and seal your ears better, the Howard Leights have the better electronic hearing. Would be interested in trying the peltor 500 if the electronics are better
 
I have the Howard leight sport and the peltor tac 100. The peltors cup and seal your ears better, the Howard Leights have the better electronic hearing. Would be interested in trying the peltor 500 if the electronics are better

That is what I am hoping the aftermarket gel pads solve...
 
We have two pairs of Harbor Freight noise-canceling, and two pairs of Harbor Freight vanilla.
I can hear speech in the noise canceling ones while they're turned off, so I don't bother turning them on.
(Probably ought to pull the batteries before they go sour).

Except that the vanilla's are slightly better (quieter? more room for ear buds?) I forget,
so I just go with them now anyhow.

I'll back them up with CVS squishy plugs when shooting loud stuff.

I was all set to buy the Howard Leight's w/ audio input jack,
until I saw that their dB rating wasn't quite as high as the Harbor Freights. WTF?

However I'm now careening towards buying some new smartphones without earbud outputs,
so the Howard Leight input jack is moot.

But I am now interested in Bluetooth, instead.

Thanks for mentioning that noise-canceling is good for hearing steel plates ping.
That's a good nuance that hadn't occurred to me.
 
I am purchasing this headset:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001T7QJ9O/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

And installing this upgrade:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CXL534H/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?smid=A2WW5LBRXEIL9X&psc=1

I will report back my thoughts on these products. I previously had the cheap version Peltors and enjoyed them but the control locations really sucked as I often found the volume levels had been mysteriously readjusted...

I'd be interested to see how this works out.
 
I am purchasing this headset:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001T7QJ9O/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

And installing this upgrade:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CXL534H/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?smid=A2WW5LBRXEIL9X&psc=1

I will report back my thoughts on these products. I previously had the cheap version Peltors and enjoyed them but the control locations really sucked as I often found the volume levels had been mysteriously readjusted...


Nick, you haven't posted an update and I have been looking. I have heard that the newest "Impact Sport BOLT" has a faster/cleaner acting cutoff and better sound quality. Thought it might be worth some consideration. The orange ones seem to be on sale lots of places. Maybe it's due to hunting season and all. Best of luck.
https://www.amazon.com/R-02231-Howa...keywords=impact+sport+bolt+electronic+earmuff
Matt
 
Yeah I did buy what I said but have yet to use while shooting. I have had them on while operating power tools however and some things I noticed were:

Gel cups are awesome. Night and day in regards to comfort. Not sure yet with sealing around eye protection but would assume better.

The single volume control not as great as I thought because my hearing is better in one ear and this could be balanced with Peltors. But the recessed mikes and control are def better so that is a tradeoff.

The fit is not as great. I think that is the number one complaint. Its almost like you have to push the cups up under your ear to get a good seal. The lower back corner struggles to seal up fully. And even then it barely seals up. I think if the head strap was mounted a tad lower it would clamp cups properly.

I have repaired eamuffs with a broken pivot point by putting a self tapping screw in before. I am tempted to relocate the position on this set. I think it would solve the biggest problem they have...
 
Its almost like you have to push the cups up under your ear to get a good seal. The lower back corner struggles to seal up fully. And even then it barely seals up.

This is spot on in this location. Howard Leights hang just a nub over into 'airspace' but does seal for me. Thanks for the evaluation.

Matt
 
Another vote for the Peltor Sport tactical 500. Sounds are awesome, great amplification, auto shutoff, bluetooth compatible, 26dba, seals around eyepro well, and extremely comfortable even while wearing a ball cap (My other muffs drive the little ball at the top of he cap into my skull forcing me to take them off after shooting a half an hour). I can wear these all day and forget they're on. No problem with cheek welds on my rifles either.

Theyre not super cheap but wont cost you your firstborn child like some others on the market.

Good video on MAC comparing various types and makes of electronic ears


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IL8InVDHkY
 
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