Electronic muffs.

[chris in va]

Looking for muffs no more than $100 that compress the shot, not just shut off all sound. I really like the Walker's Alpha but as many know they don't hold up well, despite having pretty good sound quality.

I tried the Peltor 6s and wasn't impressed.

Suggestions?

[dmazur]

I'm looking for a replacement for Peltor 6S muffs, and I like this one (but I haven't purchased it yet) -

http://www.proears.com/Pro-Ears-Shoo...-Tac-200-Muffs

EDIT:

This place has them for around $90, which is your target amount -

http://www.opticsplanet.net/pro-ears...-19-black.html

[jdillon]

Check the decibal reduction rating before you buy them. Dropped some serious coin on a set of pro ears but my ears were ringing every time I shot high powered rifles. Don't use them anymore and use a conventional set with the highest decibal rating. No more issues.

[Nathan]

Save your money. I have Pro Ears Pro Mag. They are the best elec type. I will continue to wear hunting, but at the range, they really aren't that much better than regular ear muffs. Don't get me wrong they are nice, but I could buy half a gun for what they cost!

[Dr. Strangelove]

Looking for muffs no more than $100 that compress the shot, not just shut off all sound.

I don't think you'll find that for > $100.

I use the Howard Leight Impact Sport:

http://www.amazon.com/Howard-Leight-.../dp/B001T7QJ9O

It's the best money I've spent on shooting in a while. You can hear conversation and range commands, but they don't noticeably cut out hearing unless you are in an environment with near constant center-fire shooting.

They take a bit of getting used to, and if I was going to a machine gun shoot, for instance, I'd just wear regular muffs with plugs underneath. For most casual shooting, I have really enjoyed them.

Plus they have an MP3 input for those days when you have the range to yourself, or mowing the lawn.

[WVsig]

I use the Howard Leight Impact Sport:

http://www.amazon.com/Howard-Leight-.../dp/B001T7QJ9O

I agree that these are the best value out there. That said when I shoot indoors I also wear foam/rubber plugs. The reduction rating is not as high as non-electronic ones it is only NRR 22. When I did not double up indoors I found my ears were ringing after shooting indoors. I like them for outdoor shooting. You have to pay a lot more to get a better set of electronic ears IMHO.

[Ultravox]

I also have the Impact Sports and I always wear foam plugs under them.

With the volume turned up I can hear range commands and have a conversation (usually.)

[Casimer]

I don't think you'll find that for < $100.

+1 - The only electronic muff's that I'm aware of that dampen the shot, rather than cut off the mic, are high end MSA's which go for about $250.

I use the Leights as well.

[Nathan]

Pro Ears do this also, but their price is the same.

Still, it isn't that much better than no elec type!

[Cowboy_mo]

I don't understand the OP's comment about Walker's NOT holding up. I have had a pair and used them for both range & hunting for the last 2 years and have absolutely no complaints.

[plumbercrack]

When it comes to hearing protection, take it from someone who has lost a lot and has that constant ringing. Whatever blocks the most sound is best. Loud noise destroys the little hairs in your ears that allow you to hear. If you look at the top of my head you will realise that hair does not grow back. I have always used earplugs for shooting that have a protection rating of 30 or better as I don't trust the current level of technology. Keep in mind the K.I.S.S. method.

[dmazur]

At our range, with rifles (some "magnum", of course) under a roof, I use earplugs under the electronic muffs.

I know this sounds crazy, but the amplified external sounds are just loud enough to hear with earplugs. So I can understand voices, as long as nobody is shooting.

And when the electronic muffs "clamp", I have 19db of NRR plus the earplugs.

I wouldn't use the muffs alone as they just don't reduce the sound levels enough.

(Pro Ears makes "Gold" series muffs with much higher NRR, for around $350...)

[johnbt]

"for around $350"

SALE - 25% off everything until midnight tonight/Monday.

I ordered a Pro Tac Mag Gold/NRR33 yesterday. They're listed at $329.95 on the Proears site, but because of this thread I noticed the Black Friday sale ad. And it uses cr123 batteries.

John

[chris in va]

I don't understand the OP's comment about Walker's NOT holding up.

It's the Alpha muff, made in China. They're well known for snapping the headband and developing a hiss in one or both speakers. Too bad, as the electronics compress the sound rather than shut it off.

I've emailed Walker's a couple times with no reply. No luck trying to call them either. I really think they're aware of the situation but won't do anything about it.

[dmazur]

Well, I got the Pro-Tac 200's.

They don't have the features of their Gold models, but they seem to work OK. Amplification is uniform L and R and adequate to hear a TV at normal volume with foam plugs under the muffs.

I think they will work OK at our range.

Much easier to change batteries than the Peltor 6S.

Earmuff material is higher quality than the Peltor vinyl, too.

They were available from Planet Optics for around $100.

[linebacker]

I use a MSA Sording Supreme Pro-
OK, its a bit over 100USD but i would never gamble with my hearing ability-

[pturner67]

instead, give earinc a call and ask who your local rep is...they can do insta-mold ear plugs ($65) and they also have other electronic ear plug options

just got my insta-molds done over lunch today...took 15 minutes...a lot of people here at the NRA range use them and say they work as well (30+ NRR) as ear muffs

http://www.earinc.com/m-hunting.php

[gofast1320]

You can listen to 10 people and get 10 different stories about hearing protection.

Always wear hearing protection. When you can wear plugs and muffs. The best plugs are the foam type EAR style used properly- that means rolled up and placed inside the ear canal not just shoved in till they hang. When you can see about 1/2" projecting outside the outer ear they are not being inserted correctly. In laymans terms- roll it between your thumb and forefinger till its smaller than a #2 pencil (about 5/16") dia and stick it in your ear canal. I don't care much for the custom poured plugs. If you lose or gain weight they don't keep their fit plus they are freakin nasty. You can wash the foam plugs in your shirt or pants pockets.
The good thing about the electronic muffs is that you can turn up the audio and hear range commands well even with the plugs in and it blanks when the guns fire. I've used the Peltors and now have some Caldwell that were on sale a Midway. Bought 10 sets and gave them to my wife for the riding mower and my daughters and their families to wear when they shoot here.
This is offered on the basis of many years experience in the military running a hearing conservation program and tons of noise sampling data.

[plumbercrack]

Can anyone explain the idea behind these electronic muffs? I understand sound has frequency and intensity. Do these muffs break up the frequency or the intensity or both?

[MLeake]

I don't think most are Active Noise Reduction (ANR), such as Bose or Telex pilot's headsets - though some higher-end sets might be.

I think most simply allow regulated amplification of sound, so you can hear normal noises while wearing the cups, that is automatically turned off when noise hits a certain dB level. At which point, the cups act like normal cups, canceling a fixed dB rating.

Edit: ANR generates white noise that is out of phase with ambient noise, canceling it by matching amplification (to a reasonable extent) to null out (as much as possible). For pilots, decent ANR sets start around $500 for Telex, and over $1000 for Bose.

[plumbercrack]

I guess my concern is what that white noise is doing to the scilia in your ear. If it is strong enough to cancel say 50db, what is it doing to your ears?

[Double Naught Spy]

Generally speaking, ANR won't work for gunshots. The noise cancelling ability does not respond fast enough to the shot to produce the "anti-noise" to compensate for it. That is why they are advertised for things that involve continuous, low frequency, droning sound such as the sound from engines, rushing air, etc.

http://www.quietheadphones.com/faq/

If ANR was effective for gunshots, all the hearing protection companies would be offering them to shooters as this form of hearing protection would be superior to other hearing protection currently available.

[joeranger]

I use the Peltor Tac 6-5 but not without foam plugs inside them. I got two sets at the BassPro outlet because I am sure someone returned them for "not working".
Great for skeet shooting in the winter. Keeps your ears warm as well.