It seems that this technology has matured and one electronic set of ears works pretty much like another. Are there any high-end ear pros that are really superior? Or is it just the additional features such as, Bluetooth and built-in streaming?
- Thread starter AbitNutz
- Start date
There is a difference in how the electronic ear pro suppresses the louder noises. My experience has been that the less costly options I’ve had ( Caldwell , HL) just clipped out everything when a gun shot went off. You couldn’t follow a conversation very well if there were multiple gun shots going off as it would turn my electronic ear pro into regular old muff until the shooting stopped. I got tired of that so stepped up to Peltor 300 and added gel ear cups. These don’t cut out just reduce the volume of the gun shots so you can carry on a conversation while shooting is going on around you. Gel cups seal very well and are super comfy while wearing for 6 hrs straight. We didn’t see the need for us to have blue tooth or any of the other extras. I think we paid $130 ish each for the Peltor 300’s and then another $30ish each for the gel cups. We use these for everything. Rifle , shotgun, bench,prone. No issues and very happy with performance.
Im glad I found this pst. Im looking for something like this, but didnt know where to look. I will be checking these out further. Thanks!
My Amps cost me about twice as much as any alternative.....that's different.
ESP has been great. In ear, comfortable enough for all day wear. It’s like not wearing ear pro.
www.espamerica.com
Electronic Hearing Protection for Shooting | Electronic Earplugs
Take your shooting prowess to new heights with our range of electronic earplugs. Click here to explore the ultimate in electronic hearing protection.
www.espamerica.com Just get some msa sordins with gel cups and call it a day.
Has anyone bent their wallet into a pretzel and bought the Sordin Supreme Pro-X? I saw they run something close to $300.00. Whereas the higher-end Pertors run about $125 and the Walker's Xcel 100's can be had for about 60 bucks. ....and here comes the worn-out old line. I don't question that the Sordin's are better but 5 times better?
I'm not a range officer or in a situation where I have to live in ear pro all day so I have no need to spend ransom level money. Maybe they're like Snap-on tools?
I'm not a range officer or in a situation where I have to live in ear pro all day so I have no need to spend ransom level money. Maybe they're like Snap-on tools?
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Bingo.
And for the true win put a set of these on over the gel cups to prevent the sweaty ear problem.
Cloth Ear Covers for Headsets
Cloth ear covers help cut the heat by absorbing perspiration and allow you to freshen up older headsets. Features elastic band for quick and easy installation.
www.ruggedradios.com Invisio X5s.
Would I go back in time (1984-present) and pay a measly $300 to prevent hearing loss and this fucking tinnitus?
Simply put, fuck yes.
Too many years around noisy ground support equipment and jet engine noise have caused severe hearing issues.
To top it off, add shooting into the mix with any number of good, bad and completely useless hearing protection.
Yeah.
Knowing what I know now, I'd pay $3000 per year just to have the cicadas in my head go silent...
Don't skimp. Buy the good shit and when you're 55+ you'll remember this thread.
Simply put, fuck yes.
Too many years around noisy ground support equipment and jet engine noise have caused severe hearing issues.
To top it off, add shooting into the mix with any number of good, bad and completely useless hearing protection.
Yeah.
Knowing what I know now, I'd pay $3000 per year just to have the cicadas in my head go silent...
Don't skimp. Buy the good shit and when you're 55+ you'll remember this thread.
Or he could be like the rest of us that use the hearing loss as a means.
As an example "oh, you said I couldn't buy a cannon, I guess I didn't hear you. Must be that darn hearing loss."
Bluetooth is nice. Nothing like getting a phone call while in the middle of a match.
I have those. Previously I had the HL Impact sports(still have them as backup/lenders).
the feature I love is that they really seal around my eye pro. The gel cups mold around them. I found the Howard Leights were so still, that the glasses caused a gap and allowed sound to get in. The gel cups don’t have this problem and are much more comfy to wear. I still wear my ear plugs under for added protection.
Figured $300 is cheap to protect the only ears I got
I assume you're a fellow Canadian by your price points? I went from Howard Leight Impact Sports w/ noise fighter gel cups to the Sordin Supreme-X in the spring and I honestly wish I did it sooner. Sound quality and noise cancellation was notably better. I have yet to feel the need to double up shooting under roofed shelter like I did with my Impacts. I can comfortably wear the Sordins with glasses on all day as well. As with Mike's experiences in aviation, hearing is a precious commodity and $300 is a small price to pay as a step towards not needing to be yelled at in conversations or getting tinnitus. To put it into perspective, a pair of MSA Sordins is less than an Atlas Bipod. Truly a small price to pay considering the money we pour into the rest of our equipment.
Issues of concern are;
bells and whistles like bluetooth, comms etc.
controls/volume
battery life
can you wear a functional hat (not a ball cap)
Does the firearm interfere with the ear pro
But in technical terms you should understand that these things are two completely seperate devices, not voodoo magic. The electronic portion that clips or shuts off sound and amplifies. The safety portion is the hearing protection, which is the physical barrier. For muffs this is the foam/gel cups that provide a good seal to the head around the ears, and glasses are a problem for this. Theres bad and not so bad, but no good. For plugs its dependent on how well they seal inside the ear. For example, a good fitting foam plug can give 30 db NRR. Muffs on thier best day might be in the mid 20s but likely in low 20s or less. Alot goes into "proper fitting" of muffs, like hair, tightness, head position, firearm interference and the biggie, glasses. Any slight break in the seal kills the NRR. Notice that most of those items are a matter of convenience/comfort, which means you are likely to not adhere to them strictly. Doubling up muffs and plugs is good protection IF you can get the volume up enough to hear through the plugs.
bells and whistles like bluetooth, comms etc.
controls/volume
battery life
can you wear a functional hat (not a ball cap)
Does the firearm interfere with the ear pro
But in technical terms you should understand that these things are two completely seperate devices, not voodoo magic. The electronic portion that clips or shuts off sound and amplifies. The safety portion is the hearing protection, which is the physical barrier. For muffs this is the foam/gel cups that provide a good seal to the head around the ears, and glasses are a problem for this. Theres bad and not so bad, but no good. For plugs its dependent on how well they seal inside the ear. For example, a good fitting foam plug can give 30 db NRR. Muffs on thier best day might be in the mid 20s but likely in low 20s or less. Alot goes into "proper fitting" of muffs, like hair, tightness, head position, firearm interference and the biggie, glasses. Any slight break in the seal kills the NRR. Notice that most of those items are a matter of convenience/comfort, which means you are likely to not adhere to them strictly. Doubling up muffs and plugs is good protection IF you can get the volume up enough to hear through the plugs.
I have the sordins as well with the gel ear cups. They do feel pretty good and I can hear well but still get headaches from my glasses pressing by my ears. If someone has a loud brake I also will wear a foam plug. I've debated on adding some car soundproofing to the inside just to see what that did.
I went from Howard Leight Impact Sport with noise fighter gel ear cups to MSA Sordin Supreme Pro X with gel cups.
The MSA are a lot more comfortable first 2 weeks I had them I wore them for nearly 8 hours at an NRL 22 match. No complaints, the Howard Leight I have to take off after 3 or 4 hours.
Otherwise I don't feel like they seal or protect my ears any better. I still have issues with them properly sealing with glasses or a hat on.
I do wish the MSAs volume was louder. My HL I could wear foam plugs underneath and crank the volume and still hear people talking. Can't do that with the MSA.
The MSA are a lot more comfortable first 2 weeks I had them I wore them for nearly 8 hours at an NRL 22 match. No complaints, the Howard Leight I have to take off after 3 or 4 hours.
Otherwise I don't feel like they seal or protect my ears any better. I still have issues with them properly sealing with glasses or a hat on.
I do wish the MSAs volume was louder. My HL I could wear foam plugs underneath and crank the volume and still hear people talking. Can't do that with the MSA.
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Once you get high enough up you are out of the old clipping style, two axes:
Rugged vs Range
Sound quality
Sordin/SWATCOM, TCI, Peltor, and OpsCore are all rugged. All others (Leight...) I have had or seen fail on just humid days, much less bitter cold, or rain. They usually come back, but are not up to daily rigors. Depends on what you need.
Sound quality varies enormously, and all of them vary in... style? TCI and Sordin are very similar (there's a reason), but Peltor and Nacre all sound different. Not distinctly better or worse, just different. If used to one, you may have opinions. A friend has (I have not tried them) some ARCs and doesn't like the audio. But, they cost a lot and he's committed (I bought his old single comm sordins for my helmet) so he'll make do. Like the way optics are not always absolutely better/worse, but there are opinions and eyes vary, ears vary. You may or may not like one or another.
Many of the pro level also are set up to be used as communications headsets, and that adds hardware so cost. Sordin and Peltor, for example, have pretty similar price/feature setups all across the range. You just have to interpret their brand names for each tier.
Rugged vs Range
Sound quality
Sordin/SWATCOM, TCI, Peltor, and OpsCore are all rugged. All others (Leight...) I have had or seen fail on just humid days, much less bitter cold, or rain. They usually come back, but are not up to daily rigors. Depends on what you need.
Sound quality varies enormously, and all of them vary in... style? TCI and Sordin are very similar (there's a reason), but Peltor and Nacre all sound different. Not distinctly better or worse, just different. If used to one, you may have opinions. A friend has (I have not tried them) some ARCs and doesn't like the audio. But, they cost a lot and he's committed (I bought his old single comm sordins for my helmet) so he'll make do. Like the way optics are not always absolutely better/worse, but there are opinions and eyes vary, ears vary. You may or may not like one or another.
Many of the pro level also are set up to be used as communications headsets, and that adds hardware so cost. Sordin and Peltor, for example, have pretty similar price/feature setups all across the range. You just have to interpret their brand names for each tier.
For muffs its all about the seal, and gel cups improve that. But when they do the NRR testing it is on a dummy head under perfect conditions; no hair, no glasses, no movement etc. Compromise that perfect seal and the mediocre NRR goes out the window. I use Oakley glasses with the flat stems, which greatly reduce the discomfort of muffs, but they're still a compromise of NRR. The gels cups will not seal around large round stems no matter what you do, better than foam, but not much. Glasses and muffs have to work as a system.
If you look at the industrial muffs with higher NRR they are about 4" wide because they add alot more insulation as you speculate. But a poor seal will throw that all out the window. Add plugs for best NRR. Better yet, use plug-type electronics. Once you get into very high sound levels the bone structure in the head becomes an issue where a physical barrier, like muffs and helmets, is necessary.
If you look at the industrial muffs with higher NRR they are about 4" wide because they add alot more insulation as you speculate. But a poor seal will throw that all out the window. Add plugs for best NRR. Better yet, use plug-type electronics. Once you get into very high sound levels the bone structure in the head becomes an issue where a physical barrier, like muffs and helmets, is necessary.
Give ESS Suppressors a look. They use super thin frames specifically for wearing with over ear pro. It made a big difference when I was running the Leights without gel pads.
Straps are my best solution. I have worn Wiley-x SG1s for like 20 years, and originally modified the tri-glide to be in the back (it was originally on the right ear!) but now from the factory they come that way. No interference (gapping) with the pads, so really comfy for all day (or multi day!) use of earpro.
It's very true that sound comes through your whole head, so even if I plug, I like muffs for more coverage, and eyepro, and a helmet if I can. Army certified stuff (like the APEL list) is supposedly all to work as a complete system more or less no matter which components you wear.
It's very true that sound comes through your whole head, so even if I plug, I like muffs for more coverage, and eyepro, and a helmet if I can. Army certified stuff (like the APEL list) is supposedly all to work as a complete system more or less no matter which components you wear.
after owning and loving the walkers . After listening through a nicer set realize they are just what they are cheap but effective . I can hear leaves rusteling at the range while holding a normal volume conversation at a live range without missing the sound of much of anything . The nicer pelitons had much better sound quality and then there are these
shop.gentexcorp.com
Ops-Core AMP Communication Headset - Containerized
double ear muffs are ineradicable looking price wise was out side my comfy space at 1000,00 dollars Ops-Core AMP Communication Headset - Connectorized
The Ops-Core AMP® Communication Headset is a tactical communications headset that delivers ear protection and enhanced situational awareness.
shop.gentexcorp.com If I understood that, and I might not have, the AMP is more reasonably priced than you might think... For Certain Applications.
Say, me. If my house burned down, and I had to replace everything, one would be OTH comms muffs and on-helmet comms muffs. With adapters and all that's... probably over $1,000. One muff, easily changed between the two modes for that money has some appeal.
But no, not just as shooting-range, non-comms. Then they would be a stupid choice.
Say, me. If my house burned down, and I had to replace everything, one would be OTH comms muffs and on-helmet comms muffs. With adapters and all that's... probably over $1,000. One muff, easily changed between the two modes for that money has some appeal.
But no, not just as shooting-range, non-comms. Then they would be a stupid choice.
I'm cheap as hell and: Yes, they're better. 6x the price better.
First off: around anything that takes a LRP or anything larger than .223, especially with a brake, regardless of which muffs, one needs plugs AND muffs... or they are absolutely damaging their hearing, period. These guns are too LOUD for only plugs, or only muffs.
Foamies + Impact Sports is fine. The audio quality is poor though, loud sounds trigger drop-outs, and the world around you doesn't sound "normal" at all.
The Sordin's are worth the extra money for anyone who wants better protection, better comfort, and better sound quality (foamies + cranked Supreme Pro-X's sounds nearly the same as it does when not wearing any ear pro, no drop-outs, the world sounds "normal"). If you wear ear pro often, or for long durations of time, that $300 might as well mean nothing.
I'll also say they are VERY well built, and the top brands (Sordin, Peltor) are modifiable and repairable. I paid let's say... $800 for my primary earpro, a complete Sordin Ranger dual-comms kit with all the PTTs (I traded a pistol for them so hard to say the price for sure, but that's close).
I don't regret that price a bit. Not just because they are awesome sounding, etc. but because I have owned them and used them on every range day and field exercise for something like 15 years. They started getting weird (burning batteries in days vs months) so I sent for service last year, paid under $100 for a TOTAL rebuild, new battery box, etc and now are better than new. Even rained on etc they should be good for another 10-15 years, etc.
If you are only buying $300 headsets, the lifetime cost means something approaching $1 per range/field session before repair, and likely much less cost as you are probably less abusive to your gear than I am
Unless I light them on fire or drive over them with a tractor, these will be inherited by my child when I die. Worth it.
I don't regret that price a bit. Not just because they are awesome sounding, etc. but because I have owned them and used them on every range day and field exercise for something like 15 years. They started getting weird (burning batteries in days vs months) so I sent for service last year, paid under $100 for a TOTAL rebuild, new battery box, etc and now are better than new. Even rained on etc they should be good for another 10-15 years, etc.
If you are only buying $300 headsets, the lifetime cost means something approaching $1 per range/field session before repair, and likely much less cost as you are probably less abusive to your gear than I am
Unless I light them on fire or drive over them with a tractor, these will be inherited by my child when I die. Worth it.
Sound quality is subjective. My Howard Leights sound tons better than my Pro Xs. With foam plugs I can't even hear anything in my Pro Xs, but I can with the HL.
I'd ask if you know there's a volume control on the side, then either ask for warranty service or contact SRS Tactical for repair if so.
Sound quality is subjective (although these top end units have clever stuff like multiple speakers so really really should sound better) but if you have such low volume you simply can't hear Sordin output through foamies, they are broken.
Sound quality is subjective (although these top end units have clever stuff like multiple speakers so really really should sound better) but if you have such low volume you simply can't hear Sordin output through foamies, they are broken.
I agree completely. I don't know how anyone just wears muffs or plugs with braked rifles. Even with the plugs inserted correctly, the concussion rattles my sinuses.
I use Peltors and at first I was iffy on the cost (was used to $10 muffs and plugs). After using them for a few months though I don't know how I ever functioned without them. Shooting is a lot more comfortable and spending the cash to protect your hearing is one of the smartest things you could do in the hobby.
I paid $6,000 for my new set of hearing aides, $300 for Sordins is nothing. I wish I could go back in time and start wearing hearing pro 50 years ago when I started shooting.
There is a HUGE difference between high end (like ops core) ear pro and everything else.
I’ve had the peltor com Tac III’s, and now the ops core, and each price point is drastically better. The ops core blows away the peltors.
I used to use Howard Leigh’s impacts
It’s readily apparent as soon as you turn the high end stuff on. if you don’t think there’s a difference, find somewhere that sells the good stuff and try it out.
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They're okay as long as you double up. They didn't suppress much noise in my experience.
Yehhaa, there is a difference. Electronic in ear protection IMO is a must these days...particularly if you shoot a lot. I have been fortunate that some Pro's recommend this great Co.
proears.com They are awesome. Mimi in their customer service rep. is a rock star. So yeah...Pro Ears all the way.
Pro Fit Classic
The Pro Ears Pro Fit Classic are the premier active electronic in ear hearing protection for shooting. Learn why the Pros choose Pro Ears.
proears.com Yeah I know they have volume control. Guess my pair and the guys pair I borrowed to test drive are both broken. I'll see what they can fix.
That's the thing: you need to double up with all of them. None of them offer enough protection on their own from a rifle report (especially if a rifle has any kind of brake on the end of it).
The noise reduction numbers given by the different companies are confusing too: if you only look at the numbers, Sordin's look like they lose to much cheaper options... but the numbers are not realistic, most of the cheaper ear pro advertise the biggest noise reduction number they can, even though that number is only achieved at one single frequency that may not even be relevant to the frequency range the damaging reports occupy in the audio spectrum. If Sordin were to use their largest number at a specific frequency to advertise, they'd be advertising 39NRR, or more, which would crush everything out there (and would also be bullshit, because that's just at one frequency).
No one should skimp on ear pro, you'll literally use it every time you go shooting and it'll pay for itself faster than any other fancy shooting gadget you can buy IMO. That said, ubiquitous Impact Sports and orange foamies cost about $50 all in and will get the job done.
If budget is a concern: pound for pound, dollar for dollar, nothing beats Impact Sports + gel cups + orange foamies.
Do not underestimate how much gel cups matter, it's not just about comfort, they provide a way better seal and are worth every penny.
...It's crazy that guys cheap out when it comes to ear pro... I was shooting with a guy yesterday running a $6k rifle and ~3k+ RRS/Swaro tripod setup... he was using basic electronic Walkers only (no foamies). I hope he has some cash leftover for hearing aids down the road, because he's going to be needing them....
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That is an option... just as long as you're shooting on your own, or everyone else you're shooting around is running a can too.
Can or not, if anyone else around you is not using a can, it'll still add up to hearing aids in the end unless you double up the ear pro. Honestly, with most of the brakes guys are using these days, it's actually worse for anyone else in the vicinity who's not directly behind the gun.
+1000
Everyone should follow this advice.
I double up l the time too. I've got some Peltor Comtac Vs and those reduce more noise than any other electronic ear pro I've tried.
When shooting brakes rifles however, I go back to passive muffs (with gel cups of course) with appropriately sized ear plugs underneath.
If one is really serious about protecting their hearing, get custom ear plugs yesterday.
If you can DIY mold them at home, or they can get them to you in a couple hours at some trade show, they are NOT what I'm talking about....
I mean real ones, like where you need to make an appointment with an audiologist to take impressions, like these: https://1of1custom.com - specifically for shooting: https://1of1custom.com/products/pro-impulse-custom-ear-plug - or these: https://1of1custom.com/products/total-block
If you can DIY mold them at home, or they can get them to you in a couple hours at some trade show, they are NOT what I'm talking about....
I mean real ones, like where you need to make an appointment with an audiologist to take impressions, like these: https://1of1custom.com - specifically for shooting: https://1of1custom.com/products/pro-impulse-custom-ear-plug - or these: https://1of1custom.com/products/total-block
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I agree with your overall message but you're pretty wrong about MSA Sordin's overall performance. Their low profile tactical headsets are correctly rated at 17db NRR compared to other higher rated hearing protection. There are better performing headsets for less money that are not low profile. You can only do so much with passive hearing protection without increasing the volume of the cup outside the ear. I've read the article someone put together years ago purporting that Sordin's low profile hearing protection filtered specific frequencies so they were actually equivalent to other brands of hearing protection. It isn't true which is why Sordin themselves aren't saying the same thing. The fact is Sordin makes hearing protection with NRR exceeding 30db...unless you think Sordin fakes the numbers on some hearing protection while not faking it on others (NRR and SNR have specific testing protocols). Further, your hearing can be damaged by sound pressure alone, regardless of frequency.
If you have to have low profile over the ear hearing protection then you're stuck with poor performance, regardless of brand, unless you step up to a system that is engineered to include in the ear protection also such as OPS Core. If you don't want to spend a grand on hearing protection there are alternatives but they aren't low profile.
We're sort of in the weeds here because I can't agree more on the need to double up with over the ear and in the ear hearing protection if you're going to be around unmuffled riffle gunshots.
We will have to agree to disagree about that first part, if we want to almost drown in the weeds, it's really the testing methods and rating system which are flawed, the Sordin's really do protect much better than their ratings suggest in the frequency range we're concerned with shooting rifles, but I'm not sure how they could advertise it as that doesn't jive with how they test/rate ear pro.
FWIW, think this is the article you were referring to, and while I don't agree with all of it, I think he's correct about a lot of it: https://trevoronthetrigger.wordpres...me-performance-the-misleading-nrr18db-rating/
Maybe one of these days I'll see if one of the high-end recording studio gear rental houses in Nashville have one of these: https://en-de.neumann.com/ku-100, and I'll conduct a "regular guy real-world test"... I'll probably get some weird looks at my club hahaha...
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The Sordin thing is a pretty tough sell since we're talking about protection from sound pressure, the mechanism that causes hearing damage, not the perceived loudness. I can hear the difference between Sordins and Peltor 500's despite the Peltors being lower end. Nine decibels is a huge difference.
You'd be better off contacting a silencer manufacturer and asking to be present for testing. I doubt very much a recording studio would have the equipment necessary to capture the peak of a gunshot, even it is muffled.
Good thread.
Lots of good recommendations...
Lots of good recommendations...
The thing is there are really only 2 ways to deal with sound waves, whether just dealing with frequencies, or with sound pressure levels (SPL) too: use materials that provide a sort of "absorption" (where nothing is actually absorbed really, but the sound waves bounce around enough when they come in contact with it to where they cancel themselves out, and it doesn't have to be a material like foam or whatever really, air pockets can, and do work great for this, which is why larger muffs usually have better ratings), or, by reflection (where the sound waves are bounced away by a dense material they cannot penetrate easily).
Talking SPL is good though, because that is the underused part of the equation, more so than frequencies, concerning what we're doing when shooting. That's part of why the rating system is dogshit for us as shooters, because it doesn't take everything into account.
Sound levels are usually measured with an "A-weighted" scale or a "C-weighted" scale, and when they developed the NRR system they decided to use A-weighting (which is the wrong one and pretty dumb actually). (See: https://pulsarinstruments.com/en/post/understanding-a-c-z-noise-frequency-weightings)
Before I go further it's important to remember that when trying to figure out the amount of protection provided by wearing double ear pro (plugs and muffs) it is NOT "plug's NRR + muff's NRR = total protection" it is "ear pro with highest rated NRR + add 5 decibels more of protection = total combined protection". Good explanation here: https://www.coopersafety.com/earplugs-noise-reduction
So even using the current NRR rating scale (which sucks): if a guy wears the ubiquitous orange foamies (32 NRR) under Peltor Tactical Sports (24NRR), he gets a protection level of 37 NRR (32 + 5 = 37). When I wear custom plugs (33 NRR) under Sordin SPX's (17 NRR) I actually get 1 more dB of protection (33 + 5 = 38) and my shit sounds way better too (JMHO).
Plus, in the real world, where knocking down dangerous SPL's is more important than blocking specific frequencies, the Sordin's may be better than even the 38 NRR suggests. While the Sordin's are slim, they also boast waterproof electronics inside each ear cup, and the way they make them waterproof is they encase all that stuff in lacquer... lacquer is dense, and reflects sound waves and SPL very well as compared to most materials, so even rated at 17NRR they actually block shear SPL much better than a lot of ear pro out there that's rated higher.
Whether they sound like they block more or less than Peltor's when worn on their own IDK, I just know they protect the same amount or more, but sound way better when worn over plugs IMO which is what matters to me.
Lastly, as someone who's spent a huge chunk of their adult life inside multimillion dollar recording studios, I assure you that, I, as well as any quality recording facility out there, already owns everything necessary to capture the sound of a gunshot as good or better than any of the ear pro companies, for both SPL and frequency response. I just need that $9000.00 Neumann head to do it right (don't got one of those) hahahaha!
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Okay now we have sound protection nerds arguing can someone explain this one: The one place I find my Sordins wildly useless is on aircraft. I can even plug straight in to their intercom (I have many cables), but it's sorta pointless as the ambient sound is so loud.
Have to borrow the DC (or Bose) headset on the a/c if I want to talk to anyone. Why? I mean the current generation of Bose esp are pretty low profile, so... what's up here?
Have to borrow the DC (or Bose) headset on the a/c if I want to talk to anyone. Why? I mean the current generation of Bose esp are pretty low profile, so... what's up here?
Word of warning about customs. I had a set of Instamolds I used for decades, but they weren't sealing so well anymore. So off to an audiologist I went for a new set of customs. She didn't shove nearly enough goo in my ears to make a good plug, so I went back and had the left one redone. Should have had both redone, because the right one won't stay sealed behind my rifle. Left one is great; an intern did it.
Oh, the word of warning is make damned sure you're super satisfied with the plugs, when they show up and that your audiologist will support you if their work sucks.
I don't think we're arguing, more like coming to an understanding when discussing something that is super confusing.
What you are talking about is more just headphones (sounds like specifically noise-cancelling headphones), which is a completely different thing than what ear pro for shooting is primarily made for. If anything, Sordin's are probably "anti noise cancelling" hahaha
High end aircraft headsets have active noise cancellation and are not just passive. You're comparing two different type of hearing protection. Electronic firearm hearing protection is designed to amplify ambient noise and gate sound pressure over a specified limit. Aircraft and automotive hearing protection is designed to electronically limit ambient sound without concern for power consumption (within reason). Aircraft and race crews aren't typically experiencing 165db, maybe 140db on the high end.
This sucks, I'd be pissed too.
Yeah, use a reputable audiologist, and not the intern.
