Peltor EEP-100 ear plug review

nstassel

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Recently I bought a set of the new Peltor EEP-100 electronic ear plugs and since a number of people have asked for my thoughts I figured I'd do a review.

I try not to skimp on eye and ear protection but I'm also pretty cheap. I have thought of buying some of the premium ear plugs but at 300-1200 bucks I was not interested. I wear MSA Sordin muffs sometimes with GI plugs or foamies underneath, and those weren't inexpensive but very good quality. In researching those I learned a bit about the NRR average db reduction which sellers are required to advertise but came to understand that the average reduction is not particularly useful in determining reduction in the range of gunfire . This is a good note on the subject:
MSA Sordin Supreme performance: the misleading “NRR=18dB” rating

When the EEP-100 came out recently I became interested because I wanted a pair of ear plugs for summer use. I have been wearing custom molded which are excellent but get tiresome cracking repeatedly at USPSA and IDPA matches that I frequent. So the price point of $143 on Amazon was one that I would consider taking a chance on, and I looked for more info.
https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media...ical-datasheet-electronic-earplug-eep-100.pdf

This data sheet has some interesting information. It claims that the plugs will run for 16 hours on a 180 minute charge. But more important is the db reduction at various frequencies with the different ear tips available.
Capturedata.JPG
You can see that for gunfire with the optional Skull Screws ear tips that from 1000 to 8000 hz these plugs claim to have a whopping reduction of 40.4 to 48 db! That got my attention and my Amazon order on the way. Note that the Skull Screws are an optional purchase of 20 bucks for 10 pairs which was annoyance but I sucked it up. Even with the stock plugs the reduction range is 35 to over 45 db.

plugs.JPG
They came a couple days later. The case serves as the charger which uses a micro usb cable which was included but no AC adapter. It is very sturdy and gasket sealed which I assume is at least splashproof if not waterproof. There are red and green shifting LEDs for each plug to show it is charging or not, and when it's done charging. After charging them for 3 hours as recommended, I began to mess around. I installed the Skull Screw plugs. Here is the link for them:
https://www.amazon.com/3M-Peltor-Sk...locphy=9002057&hvtargid=pla-307389792186&th=1

And they were very light and comfortable. The button is the rubber black portion which when pressed and held turns on the plug with a tone being audible. They default to the low volume setting. Pushing repeatedly goes to the two high volumes which each have a distinct tone. A long press turns off the device with two beeps.

plugs2.JPG

I then wore them for three straight days for the Mass State IDPA shoot. The staff shoot was 13 stages with an indoor. I was immediately impressed with their sound reduction and filtering. Even at the indoor stage in close proximity to the shooting of my 10 person squad they well protected from the noise. For the 8 hours they remained comfortable without being removed.

That night and the next I charged them and wore them all day while staffing an outdoor stage. Running the tablet and taping for 10 squads coming through our pit they remained pretty comfortable and protective. I did have to periodically push them in a bit as they tend to work themselves out a bit over time.

On the last day I did not charge them and wore them again for a short match at Old Colony yesterday and they still did not run out of charge after another 3 hours of shooting. The quality seems to be holding up well for the case and the plugs.

That's about it. I really do think these are good quality devices and while not as cheap as Leight Sports, they do offer a good value for what they do and their performance. I am concerned about the lifespan of rechargeable batteries in them that are not apparently replaceable but for now I am impressed.
 
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Great review, thanks! I've had a pair of these in my cart thinking about them. I would like to know if you were around any rifle fire with them and the details (distance, type, caliber). Thanks in advance..

I had tried the Walkers rechargable (non-bluetooth version) in ear and they were worthless. Virtually no sound compression for gunshots from a rifle 30' away.
 
Great review, thanks! I've had a pair of these in my cart thinking about them. I would like to know if you were around any rifle fire with them and the details (distance, type, caliber). Thanks in advance..

I had tried the Walkers rechargable (non-bluetooth version) in ear and they were worthless. Virtually no sound compression for gunshots from a rifle 30' away.

Sorry I only was around pistol and pcc fire.
 
I can second the review on these. Worn them for a USPSA matches now and really like them. Some of the open pistols can be very loud and these worked great. No rifle fire yet either.
 
Great review. I just got fitted for some custom passive plugs by an audiologist. Using active headphones now....not sure that passive is going to work for me during IDPA. If not, I'll check these out.
 
Great review. I just got fitted for some custom passive plugs by an audiologist. Using active headphones now....not sure that passive is going to work for me during IDPA. If not, I'll check these out.
That's what I've been using just gets a little tedious. I would crack the seal a bit for hearing conversation.
 
These are very similar the the Peltor TEP-100 which I've been using for a while now.

Major differences are that the Peltors are a LOT more expensive, you're looking at about 300$. I thought long and hard about spending that kind of money on ear pro. What convinced me is that I was tired of sweating under the external muffs.

Second difference is that the Peltors use (3) double-A batteries to charge the plugs.

I use these everywhere, except indoor ranges with rifles. Shooting .556 inside, I want double-muffs.

These are comfortable, and another real benefit is that you can get a cheek weld with a shotgun or rifle without the interference of an external muff.

https://www.amazon.com/PELTOR-TEP-1...=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B01AMHRAJY
 
Nice review thank you. I’d also be concerned with the life expectancy of such small rechargeable batteries vs cost of having to replace the entire unit. I’ve gone thru 3 diff 120.00-180.00 wireless headsets (not for firearms, but for the gym/phone type stuff) and it seems that after a solid year or two of use the lifespan gets remarkably shorter before needing a charge. My last set was supposed to have up to 8hrs of use from a full charge and would die at 30-40mins.

Curious to see long term lifespan.
 
These are very similar the the Peltor TEP-100 which I've been using for a while now.

Major differences are that the Peltors are a LOT more expensive, you're looking at about 300$. I thought long and hard about spending that kind of money on ear pro. What convinced me is that I was tired of sweating under the external muffs.

Second difference is that the Peltors use (3) double-A batteries to charge the plugs.

I use these everywhere, except indoor ranges with rifles. Shooting .556 inside, I want double-muffs.

https://www.amazon.com/PELTOR-TEP-1...=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B01AMHRAJY

Interesting I forgot to mention the battery difference. I think the actual buds are virtually identical except for the tones for different functions and the battery compartment which to me might leak acid anyways. I carry a USB charger in my bag for phone and now ear plug charging.
 
What are your thoughts as far as steel challenge where you want to hear the ding on steel but want your shots muted.
 
I grabbed a pair of these over the July 4th holiday, and brought them to the range for rifle shooting. They are not effective enough to deal with a brake/comped rifle outside, even with the skull-screws, imho.

I didn't get a chance to shoot pistol at all with them yet. I suspect they'll be fine outside, but inside, probably no. They simply don't cut the noise as much as I wanted.
 
OP, still a fan ? Would ya buy them again ?

Ready to pull the trigger on these (pun intended) after a match today where I could not pick up on conversations. I've got custom fit in ear plugs that are great...NRR of 29 and very comfortable....but some days they seem block out *everything*.
 
OP, still a fan ? Would ya buy them again ?

Ready to pull the trigger on these (pun intended) after a match today where I could not pick up on conversations. I've got custom fit in ear plugs that are great...NRR of 29 and very comfortable....but some days they seem block out *everything*.
I'm still very pleased with them.
 
Also Pro Ears is coming out with a rechargeable bluetooth in ear option that looks very promising. There was a kickstarter to fund them.
 
I’m never on nes anymore... posts like this make me miss it.

ill might get a pair of these...ive been waiting for somthing like this for awhile.

From my limited research the tep-100s have a higher waterproof rateing and the ability to charge with for AA batteries..
 
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Note that I thought I was having a charging issue and Peltor told me this:

Yes unfortunately this is common use of this kit but as you can see from the brochure I sent over it is design for industrial impulse noise not for gun ranges which is total different. High volumes of constant impulse noise as weapons firing and recoils of weapons can cause the earpieces to constantly draw from the battery which will eventually cause it over heating thus the material composition of the battery will fail much quicker than normal.

Turned out that the charger I was using may have been disconnected by dear daughter but it's clear that Peltor does not think their product should be used in shooting ranges.
 
Note that I thought I was having a charging issue and Peltor told me this:

Yes unfortunately this is common use of this kit but as you can see from the brochure I sent over it is design for industrial impulse noise not for gun ranges which is total different. High volumes of constant impulse noise as weapons firing and recoils of weapons can cause the earpieces to constantly draw from the battery which will eventually cause it over heating thus the material composition of the battery will fail much quicker than normal.

Turned out that the charger I was using may have been disconnected by dear daughter but it's clear that Peltor does not think their product should be used in shooting ranges.

Interesting. I had an issue with one of the pair. Went through warranty and they were replaced for the cost of shipping them back. I mentioned multiple times that i was hoping for a quick turnaround due to an upcoming match...no mention of this. Hmm...I like them a lot, i am going to hope for the best.
 
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