Best amplified hearing protection?

Venom1956 · March 29, 2013, 10:43 AM

Hello all,

My father has experienced some hearing damage and he is looking into both suppressors and amplified hearing muffs for hunting whitetail to protect his remaining hearing. I would like to know what muffs you would recommend for WI fall and winter climate something that can tolerate cold, wet, rain, snow, and such with out failing.

The caliber we are looking to protect from is .30-06 and a black powder .50 muzzleloader.

Thank you for your time and help.

Water-Man · March 29, 2013, 11:02 AM

Leight Impact Sport Electronic Earmuff.

Brian Pfleuger · March 29, 2013, 01:33 PM

If you truly want "the best", you're going to pay for them.

Every set I've ever used has been acceptable. However, digital is generally better and you wan't the highest NRR you can get.

Muffs are nice for keeping your ears warm in cold weather, hearing aid style are generally more comfortable otherwise.

"The best" is going to cost you at least a couple hundred dollars, depending on how you define "best".

There's "best" that really means "cheapest I can get that don't suck" and there's "best" that means genuinely highest performance that can be had, best costs money.

Venom1956 · March 29, 2013, 02:07 PM

money isn't an issue.

They are for my dad. I'd pay thousands if necessary few hundred is no problem. I'm not rich by any means but this is important.

I want the best peetza.

Brian Pfleuger · March 29, 2013, 02:50 PM

Alrighty, well, Pro Ears Promag Gold have a NRR of 33, which is as high as you can get in hearing protection.

They're big, and some folks have stock cheekweld issues with bulky muffs. It doesn't bother me with the ones I've used but I've never used that exact set.

The absolute best you could do in terms of protection would be those or some other pair with a NRR of 33 and wear a pair of foam plugs under them. I do that all the time. The volume boost of the muffs more than compensates for the foam plugs, so you can still here better than unprotected ears, but the total NRR is higher than either of them alone. You're going to pay high $200 range for those.

If he'd rather wear a hat to keep his ears warm or have the option of not having overheated ears in warmer weather, the Walker's Digital "Behind the Ear" style are very, very good. They even make some that have a wireless connection to two-way radios. There's a cord that plugs into the radio but it's wireless to the ear piece. Their downside is price. They're going to run $225 or more EACH, which means $450 for both sides and the NRR is quite a bit lower than you'd get with the first combination.

March 29, 2013, 10:43 AM	#1
Venom1956 Senior Member Join Date: October 4, 2008 Location: WI Posts: 3,656	Best amplified hearing protection? Hello all, My father has experienced some hearing damage and he is looking into both suppressors and amplified hearing muffs for hunting whitetail to protect his remaining hearing. I would like to know what muffs you would recommend for WI fall and winter climate something that can tolerate cold, wet, rain, snow, and such with out failing. The caliber we are looking to protect from is .30-06 and a black powder .50 muzzleloader. Thank you for your time and help. __________________ E-Shock rounds are engineered to expend maximum energy into soft targets, turning the density mass into an expanding rotational cone of NyTrilium matrix particles, causing neurological collapse to the central nervous system.- Yeah I can do that. I guarantee you will know it if a bicyclist hits your house going 1000 mph. -Smaug

March 29, 2013, 01:33 PM	#3
Brian Pfleuger Moderator Emeritus Join Date: June 25, 2008 Location: Austin, CO Posts: 19,578	If you truly want "the best", you're going to pay for them. Every set I've ever used has been acceptable. However, digital is generally better and you wan't the highest NRR you can get. Muffs are nice for keeping your ears warm in cold weather, hearing aid style are generally more comfortable otherwise. "The best" is going to cost you at least a couple hundred dollars, depending on how you define "best". There's "best" that really means "cheapest I can get that don't suck" and there's "best" that means genuinely highest performance that can be had, best costs money. __________________ Nobody plans to screw up their lives... ...they just don't plan not to. -Andy Stanley

March 29, 2013, 02:07 PM	#4
Venom1956 Senior Member Join Date: October 4, 2008 Location: WI Posts: 3,656	money isn't an issue. They are for my dad. I'd pay thousands if necessary few hundred is no problem. I'm not rich by any means but this is important. I want the best peetza. __________________ E-Shock rounds are engineered to expend maximum energy into soft targets, turning the density mass into an expanding rotational cone of NyTrilium matrix particles, causing neurological collapse to the central nervous system.- Yeah I can do that. I guarantee you will know it if a bicyclist hits your house going 1000 mph. -Smaug

March 29, 2013, 02:50 PM	#5
Brian Pfleuger Moderator Emeritus Join Date: June 25, 2008 Location: Austin, CO Posts: 19,578	Alrighty, well, Pro Ears Promag Gold have a NRR of 33, which is as high as you can get in hearing protection. They're big, and some folks have stock cheekweld issues with bulky muffs. It doesn't bother me with the ones I've used but I've never used that exact set. The absolute best you could do in terms of protection would be those or some other pair with a NRR of 33 and wear a pair of foam plugs under them. I do that all the time. The volume boost of the muffs more than compensates for the foam plugs, so you can still here better than unprotected ears, but the total NRR is higher than either of them alone. You're going to pay high $200 range for those. If he'd rather wear a hat to keep his ears warm or have the option of not having overheated ears in warmer weather, the Walker's Digital "Behind the Ear" style are very, very good. They even make some that have a wireless connection to two-way radios. There's a cord that plugs into the radio but it's wireless to the ear piece. Their downside is price. They're going to run $225 or more EACH, which means $450 for both sides and the NRR is quite a bit lower than you'd get with the first combination. __________________ Nobody plans to screw up their lives... ...they just don't plan not to. -Andy Stanley

March 29, 2013, 11:02 AM	#2
Water-Man Senior Member Join Date: March 23, 2008 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 2,126	Leight Impact Sport Electronic Earmuff.