Electronic ear muffs?

[slugfest]

I went shooting recently with a friend of mine and he had a pair of electronic ear muffs.
"What was that? Say that again? Huh?"

I was very impresses with them. Can anyone recommend a particular band and source? I'm looking for the best pair the best price. Thanks all.
Slugfest

 

[possum]

i have a pair of caldwells that i got from wal mart about 4 years ago they work great and i have taken many training courses, and many many trips to the range with them on. i think they were like $25 or so.

however since you seem to not mind to pay a little more for quality look into the peltor tactical 6s models they are about $75 but they are real nice.

personally now i use a pair of sordins but they are about $350 or more. they are great don't get me wrong but they were given to me by a friend otherwise i would still be rocking the caldwells, or bought a pair of peltor.

 

[mulh222]

I also bought a cheap pair of Cabella's in a ripped package for about 15 bucks and they worked very well. I will probably buy a better pair only because they take a second or so to turn on after they activate during loud noise activation. They have never failed to dampen outside noise, but are slow to return to normal hearing. I also think it's interesting to hear what other shooters are talking about when shooting since they need to raise their voices when they are wearing ear plugs or regular ear protection and my headset microphone can pick their voices from twenty feet way!

 

[ColinthePilot]

I have a pair of Peltor Tactical 6S's and a pair of Howard Leight Impact Sports. Both very good hearing protection. The Peltor's have independent volume control but the HL's feel like they block more sound, and they have an MP3 player input, so not only can you hear everything except the gunshots, you can "rock out with your Glock out." Or, my Sig out, as it were.

 

[rhinoh]

I bought 4 of the Caldwells from Midway, they work great when they work...
One of them failed pretty quick. I had to pay shipping back to Midway to get it replaced, which was almost half what the thing cost. I thought their legendary "customer service" would have covered return shipping on a defective product, but no.
Then later another one failed, Midway won't replace it since they say it is out of warranty. So a 50% failure rate. I spent, well used to, thousands a year at Midway and they stiffed me on a $20 pair of headphones that probably cost them less than $10. I spend much much less at Midway now, buying from them only when I have to and can't find something anywhere else Sorry for the rant......caveat emptor

 

[natman]

I have hunted with a set of Peltor 6s for years and am very happy with them.

 

[Jonty]

+1 for peltors

 

[homers]

My 2 cents on electronic ear muffs.

I would not use them for extended shooting, like at a range. The cutoff is still quite high and I think you'll damage your hearing under prolonged use.

I would use them hunting or any situation where there would be only limited shots fired.

 

[WoofersInc]

You mention wanting to get the best. One thing to look at with electronic ears is the noise reduction rating. Most simple non-electronic ears have a reduction rating of 25-28 decibels. A lot of the lower priced electronic ears have ratings of only 20-24 reduction. One of the ones that is frequently mentioned when people ask about lower priced electronic ears has a rating of only 19 decibels. Currently the highest rated are the Dimension Pro-Ears at 33 decibels reduction. Since is decibel is a factor of 10 a few points can make a big difference. Your hearing is definitly something you don't want to go bargin basement on.

 

[hso]

I have the 6s. Friends have the ProEars. If I buy another pair I'll probably spring for the the ProEars Gold.

Remember to wear your plugs under muffs for full protection regardless of what you purchase.

 

[SHAGGY101]

i have a pair of low profile caldwells from midway and i love them!

 

[HexHead]

I've got a Peltor Tactical 7S. They work great, are comfortable and you don't have to disassemble them to change the battery, so you don't risk tearing up the ear cups. Battery door on the outside of the left muff for a 9v battery.

 

[possum]

don't have to disassemble them to change the battery

yep that is one of the only draw backs of the 6s series.

 

[Maia007]

I have a pair of Caldwell's from Midway. Ok, especially for the price, but OK is about all I can say for them. They are ok, within reason, for the price. You get what you pay for.

The noise reduction rating is rather poor. You can get good noise reduction (without the electronic feature) for a cheap price.

I will continue to use the Caldwell's for pistol practice on the range with one friend. On a busy range with rifles, no way. I say this because I tried them and found them inadequate. I will stick with non-electronic 29-30 noise reduction muffs.

My hearing is perfect for an older person....and it will stay that way in case I live to be really old.

 

[cavman]

I have the Howard Leight's because they fit into my gun box due to their low profile.
http://www.amazon.com/Howard-Leight-R-01526-Electronic-Earmuff/dp/B001T7QJ9O/ref=pd_cp_hi_0

I always double up with ear plugs as well. But due to the amplification I can still hear talking just fine when I want to.

I have tried the Peltor 7S and they were a little better. The sound of the .45 report was duller and quieter then my Howard's.
http://www.opticsplanet.net/peltor-tactical-hearing-protectors.html
http://www.envirosafetyproducts.com/product/Peltor-Tactical-7S-Classic-Headset.html

Which probably makes sense as the Howard's have a NRR of 22 and the Peltor 7S has a NRR of 24

 

[natman]

I wear a pair of Peltor 6s for all my hunting and have hundreds of hours on them. It is a PITA to change the batteries, the good news being that you don't have to do it very often. I use Duracell batteries and have probably changed them three times in the last 12 years, once because I accidentally left one side on for months. A big plus for the 6s is that they fold up small enough to carry in a cargo pocket.

So for range use where size is less of an issue the 7s might get the nod and the single on/off switch would be a big plus for HD use. For hunting I'd go with the 6s because of their small size.

I might wear plugs underneath them at the range, but it's not needed for a few shots a day while hunting.

 

[j-easy]

I use the Howard Leight Impact Sports, they were about 50 bucks, my only complaint is that they start to hurt a little after a while since I have a giant head.

 

[StuntHeavy]

I also just picked up a set of the Howard Leight Impact's.... for the price they can't be beat. 47$ shipped from Amazon.com

 

[nerfsrule2]

What type of shooting do you intend to use the muffs for?? remember if it is rifle or shotgun you may need low profile muffs ... (Due to the close proximity of the stock to the muffs)