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Best Electronic Hearing Protection

M

Magnumdood

Sergeant
Supporter
Full Member
Minuteman
Dec 28, 2001
669
22
Carbondale, IL
Who makes the best quality Electronic Hearing Protection ear muffs? I'd like a set that could do
double duty - at the range and while hunting. I did a web search and there were a lot of nice Electronic muffs.
I'm willing to pay for quality.

I would appreciate any suggestions and/or information.

Thanks!
 
In my opinion the best will be the MSA Sordin Supreme pro or the Peltor Tactical. I think the MSA is the best and it is what I personally use but the Peltor is a close second and will be easier on the wallet.

The main reason I use the MSA's is they come with a 3.5mm jack that allows me to run my work radio traffic through my headset. Either way I don't think you'd be disappointed with either but I would encourage you to look at the Peltor's since they will be perfect for your uses and will save you a $100.
 
I got my MSA Sordins from Triad, get the Gel cups, while not cheap, they are totally worth it.
 
I went with the Pro Tac Plus Gold muffs for the better noise rejection. The Sordin's are rated to 18dB and the Pro Tac Plus Gold's are rated to 28db. And remember these are dB so they are logarithmic. to put 10dB into context it's the difference between a normal conversation and a vacuum cleaner at 10 feet. Granted the Pro Tac Plus Gold's are a bit bigger (that is where their additional protection comes from) and some have run into issues with this. I've personally never had an issue with these and I used them quite a bit in long range rifle courses as well as tactical pistol courses.
 
Hey mate, if you go the MSA Sordin's, make sure you get the gel cups. I got mine from Triad and the cups absolutely complete those muffs.
 
MSA Sordin with gel cups.....it's like tits on your ears.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
He askes for the best without worrying about money and you sugest 100 dollar earmuffs. I guess I haven't used that exact model but I have used other ones in that price range and they aren't a patch on the very best peltors. the detail of sound you get out of top notch ones is so much better. you can gear much better than not having them on. they pick up small sounds a long way away that you wouldn't normally here. Only downside is the first time I heard a fly it sounded like a giant swarm of flies. I have used these ones
3M Peltor ComTac II Electronic Headset, OD Green FREE S&H MT15H69FB-61. Peltor Communication.
 
COLOSHOOTR said:
In my opinion the best will be the MSA Sordin Supreme pro or the Peltor Tactical. I think the MSA is the best and it is what I personally use but the Peltor is a close second and will be easier on the wallet.

The main reason I use the MSA's is they come with a 3.5mm jack that allows me to run my work radio traffic through my headset. Either way I don't think you'd be disappointed with either but I would encourage you to look at the Peltor's since they will be perfect for your uses and will save you a $100.
Click to expand...

Muffo said:
He askes for the best without worrying about money and you sugest 100 dollar earmuffs. I guess I haven't used that exact model but I have used other ones in that price range and they aren't a patch on the very best peltors. the detail of sound you get out of top notch ones is so much better. you can gear much better than not having them on. they pick up small sounds a long way away that you wouldn't normally here. Only downside is the first time I heard a fly it sounded like a giant swarm of flies. I have used these ones
3M Peltor ComTac II Electronic Headset, OD Green FREE S&H MT15H69FB-61. Peltor Communication.
Click to expand...

Muffo, sugest you read the first quote above again. Coloshooter said that the Peltors would SAVE $100 on the purchase price of the Sordins.....basically the auxiliary jack being the difference. He was not suggesting a $100 pair of earmuffs.... Details, man, they change the story.
 
I have sport ears electronic earplugs. They are the best for comfort, can wear them all day and not notice. Expensive but well worth it if you use them a lot.
 
I was at Costco yesterday and noticed a pair of Walker electronic muffs for 40 bucks. They claim a NRR of 24db. amplify sound 5x... Anyone have experience with these? Thanks
 
Sniper Uncle said:
Muffo, sugest you read the first quote above again. Coloshooter said that the Peltors would SAVE $100 on the purchase price of the Sordins.....basically the auxiliary jack being the difference. He was not suggesting a $100 pair of earmuffs.... Details, man, they change the story.
Click to expand...

Yeah I did read that and then I jumped online to see which ones they were the peltor tactical ones are their cheap line that are around 100 dollars. and like I said I haven't used those exact ones but the other ones I have used aren't a patch on the really good ones. when hunting I would see them as a hindrance. the ones I linked to I would wear hunting because they would enhance my hearing so would be better than not wearing anything. Ive neve had a problem with cheek weld with them as long as you buy a set that has a cutout for the but of the rifle
 
Muffo said:
Yeah I did read that and then I jumped online to see which ones they were the peltor tactical ones are their cheap line that are around 100 dollars. and like I said I haven't used those exact ones but the other ones I have used aren't a patch on the really good ones. when hunting I would see them as a hindrance. the ones I linked to I would wear hunting because they would enhance my hearing so would be better than not wearing anything. Ive neve had a problem with cheek weld with them as long as you buy a set that has a cutout for the but of the rifle
Click to expand...

I know the original poster wants quality and was willing to pay for it and I'm also well aware of the Comtac line from Peltor. That being said I think the Comtac II's are BIG TIME OVER KILL for his uses or 80% of the members of this site to be honest. Comtacs are designed to be used with radio communications gear and that's the COM portion of the Comtac name that the set you posted. I have also used the Comtac's as they are the headsets we run at our SWAT division where I fill in on a fairly regular basis. Their basic tactical line is still quality kit and is definitely not some POS Walmart model. The sound quality is still good, they will still enhance sound with stereo microphones, and they are still low profile. The only down side is they are not set up to run communication equipment. By the way the cut outs you talk about are actually designed to fit under a PAGST, MICH or ACH helmet for Military and Law Enforcement operations not as cut outs for the butt of your rifle. The low profile design does make it easier and more comfortable to shoot a rifle but I've found that no muffs are perfectly comfortable when shooting rifles, not even the $800 Comtac's or MSA MICH (MSA's high end tactical comm model).

So, I stand by what I said... For the OP's use I'd go with the Peltor Tactical or the MSA Sordin with the Peltor being the money saver for a good piece of kit. Even if those are not the BEST out there they may be the best fit for his needs. On the other hand if the OP is going to be knocking down doors on warrants / or be service over seas in between his range / hunting trips I'd tell him to go ahead and drop the $600-800 cash on some Comtacs or the MSA MICH models because they are the BEST and are really freaking nice!

To muddy up the water even more if you want the best in comfort and shootability go with those ear plugs zippz mentioned as you won't have any issues with the muffs contacting the stock. I really need to look into those plugs for range/hunting use but won't be able to use them at work since I need some form of comms at work.
 
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COLOSHOOTR said:
I know the original poster wants quality and was willing to pay for it and I'm also well aware of the Comtac line from Peltor. That being said I think the Comtac II's are BIG TIME OVER KILL for his uses or 80% of the members of this site to be honest. Comtacs are designed to be used with radio communications gear and that's the COM portion of the Comtac name that the set you posted. I have also used the Comtac's as they are the headsets we run at our SWAT division where I fill in on a fairly regular basis. Their basic tactical line is still quality kit and is definitely not some POS Walmart model. The sound quality is still good, they will still enhance sound with stereo microphones, and they are still low profile. The only down side is they are not set up to run communication equipment. By the way the cut outs you talk about are actually designed to fit under a PAGST, MICH or ACH helmet for Military and Law Enforcement operations not as cut outs for the butt of your rifle. The low profile design does make it easier and more comfortable to shoot a rifle but I've found that no muffs are perfectly comfortable when shooting rifles, not even the $800 Comtac's or MSA MICH (MSA's high end tactical comm model).

So, I stand by what I said... For the OP's use I'd go with the Peltor Tactical or the MSA Sordin with the Peltor being the money saver for a good piece of kit. Even if those are not the BEST out there they may be the best fit for his needs. On the other hand if the OP is going to be knocking down doors on warrants / or be service over seas in between his range / hunting trips I'd tell him to go ahead and drop the $600-800 cash on some Comtacs or the MSA MICH models because they are the BEST and are really freaking nice!

To muddy up the water even more if you want the best in comfort and shootability go with those ear plugs zippz mentioned as you won't have any issues with the muffs contacting the stock. I really need to look into those plugs for range/hunting use but won't be able to use them at work since I need some form of comms at work.
Click to expand...

Pretty sure they sell the exact same earmuffs without the coms port. As for the cut out they have both. The cut out for the helmet and cut out for the but of the rifle. Try using them back to front and see how you go. You must have a different shape head to me I get a perfect cheek weld using them.
 
1911fan said:
Which is why I've never bought a pair. Unless you NEED coms, there are much better-rated muffs out there. For that matter, the cheapo disposable foam earplugs have a NRR of 30 and don't interfere with your cheekweld.


1911fan
Click to expand...

Agreed. I only use mine during matches for safety and during training courses. Otherwise I am using passive ear pro.

~Brett
 
@%1;I had the peltor tactical 7s classic model (~$170) but after they died from very light use and peltor wouldn't do anything to fix them I scratched them off my future vendor purchase list. I bought some Howard Leight impact pro muffs (~$67) that have a NRR of 30 and work great, with auto shut off after 4 hrs to save the battery along with a 1/8" plug so you can listen to your music player (or phone to hear it ring) with them on. Only issue is they are a bit bulky for rifle shooting, so I wear regular NRR 30 foam plugs for that.
 
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Just wondering if any of you that have the gel cups for the MSA Sordin's can help me out. I need the MSA part #, it should start with 100XXXX. I know the model # is 60092 but I need the part number.

Thank you in advance for anyone that does this for me.
 
Hearing protection

Thanks guys! I'm older than most of you. I'll be 54 next month. I was a deputy in Brazos Co, TX from 1983 to 2000. I've learned more from this thread about hearing protection than I learned the previous 30 years, and, I am very grateful. We wore foam plugs or cheap ear muffs for qualifications. We built our own Hogan's Alley from old truck tires to set up possible scenarios, and we used live ammo. I was SWAT trained for whatever that's worth, and would have loved to have had voice com with my fellow breachers, both in practice scenarios and real SWAT operations in the field.

Again,

Thank You
 
The Howard Leights Impact Sports are junk. I sent back 3 pairs and they replaced each one for several rounds. They are not durable, batteries wont stay in, they do an awful job at sound reduction and the mic often blows out.
I think at one point we had 6-10 pairs in a box and once we hit 10 we sent them all back for warranty work. We would get some back and they would break weeks later.

I cannot say they would last you very long, but again you will get what you pay for. Buy once, cry once.
 
KYS said:
The Howard Leights Impact Sports are junk. I sent back 3 pairs and they replaced each one for several rounds. They are not durable, batteries wont stay in, they do an awful job at sound reduction and the mic often blows out.
I think at one point we had 6-10 pairs in a box and once we hit 10 we sent them all back for warranty work. We would get some back and they would break weeks later.

I cannot say they would last you very long, but again you will get what you pay for. Buy once, cry once.
Click to expand...

Funny I have had two pairs for over 5 years now and I have had none of these problems.

Sent from my Z10 using Tapatalk 2
 
nexusfire said:
Funny I have had two pairs for over 5 years now and I have had none of these problems.

Sent from my Z10 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...

Your mileage may vary. The casual shooter may never encounter those problems, but after 10+ pairs breaking so easily we moved on to Sordin's.
They are more money but I have had the same pair for well over 6 years now.
 
Well, it's nice to be able to hear range commands, timers, and such. You can also talk to fellow shooters comfortably, without shouting. FWIW, I've got a pair of Remington electronic muffs I bought at Wally World years ago. They work fine. I will usually double up (plugs under muffs) if I or others around me are shooting unsuppressed.
Hearing loss is cumulative. You do NOT get it back. Guard it.


1911fan
 
I mean like the Hear-Pro electric or passive (Amp-37 or Pro-37). The write-up for the Amp-37 says you can hear range commands even with the passive protection.
 
I will second Adams comments . I have gone through 3 pairs . Temp hits 125 degrees and the ear cups fall off and will not go back on . That and the noise cancel will stop working at the worst possible moments .

The search continues ......
 
Abq-Defense said:
I mean like the Hear-Pro electric or passive (Amp-37 or Pro-37). The write-up for the Amp-37 says you can hear range commands even with the passive protection.
Click to expand...

I use both the Amp-37 and Pro-37 and yes you can hear range commands and conversation with the Pro-37 (passive). The Amp-37 (active) has four adjustable settings that actually amplify she sound below a certain DB but block out shooting. Put is this way with the amp-37s I can hear all the whispering at a match. It can be turned off and there is no problem hearing range commands.
 
If anyone is going to be in the market for the MSA muffs soon, hang on a few weeks if you can. In about a month, we are going to be able to offer the MSA Supreme Pro X muffs with the Gel rings installed at the factory. This should result in a reduction in cost that might be worth the wait.
 
I have the MSA Sordins Supreme Pro X. I got the waterproof model because you just never know when it will start raining. For hunting, they would be the best since you do not have to run for shelter whenever the weather turns south. Also, you will be amazed at how much more you can hear with these on. They ONLY block the high sound level for a brief millisecond and then nothing else. So you can hear cool things like the bullet ricochets and even the bullet striking the paper target. They are awesome.
 
I have been using the MSA Sordin Supreme Pro X with gel ear cups for about a year, after destroying three sets of Peltor Tactical 6S. I wish I would have switched sooner, a classic case of not knowing what you don't know. I feel everything about them is superior, including comfort, switching, construction, etc. I had one set of the Peltors go bad when they filled up with water while training in the rain, no problems to date with the Sordin.
 
ESP Stealths have been the best ear pro i have EVER worn.

I enjoy when ppl are 75 yards away talking thinking they are having a private conversation and i can hear them. :)
 
NOMAD said:
I am not a fan of muffs when I shoot they never stay in the proper place and interfere with my check weld. I went with the inside side the ear electronics from ESP Shooting Ear Protection | Digital Hearing Protection | ESP America more expensive but in my opinion the best money ever spent. The clarity and comfort are unmatched.
Click to expand...

Nailed it.

Muffs always interfere with my cheek weld. I use ESP both the electronics and standards - highly recommend both.
 
I've worn the MSA muffs since 2005. I was on a very heavy training cycle then: department SWAT training 3-4 days a month, teaching on the range, paying my own way to 2-3 weeks of training each year. Toss in wearing them on barricade jobs and for serving search warrants on our full time team, felt like I lived in them for a few years. Never had an issue with the muffs loosing their seal with my head(yes the gel rings make a big difference). My result were so good, the Dept bought 24 sets, one for each on the team. Point is, my love for the MSA goes back to BEFORE Triad was a dealer. Triad is a MSA dealer because of my good experience, we're not fans BECAUSE we are dealers.... And yes, I have tried numerous other muffs and in ear devices. I always come back to the MSA, and foam plugs under if needed. I do understand that other things work well for other people, and muffs(no matter how good) are not for everyone.

Triad is happy to offer the MSA Supreme Pro muffs with the silicone rings already installed. This breaks out to a savings of about $22.00 over buying the gels separately. Both styles of the muffs are listed here:

Triad Tactical, Inc.*::*MISC Shooting Gear
 
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I have always just used construction in ears...but recently started shooting with a buddy and noticed they were not cutting it. I have always hated muffs and how they sit on your head...plus I like to wear a boonie when I shoot so they strap gets in the way. Recently I picked up a pair of Peltor Optime 95 Series Earmuffs that sit with the strap at the back of the neck, or front if you're into that....but I love em...no more odd strap on your head :D They are not to heavy and do a great job when we are both shooting clays, and when we get the rifles out and go prone they don't want to slide off as bad. I do have to say they are a little bulky and can get in the way when I'm scoped up.
 
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