Active hearing protection

[JoshT]

Been toying with the idea of getting some of those electronic active ear protection solutions. Something earbud style that you can talk normally, but suppress high decibel sounds.

Would like to find something that will serve for working around the house, hunting, and shooting. I know some offerings also do bluetooth and low sound amplification for hunting. I'd be primarily using them for shooting at the range, and maybe hunting, but for anything else would be nice too. Air tools and grinding in the garage, cutting grass and weed eating, construction and repair projects around the house, etc.

Just wondering if any of you have used them, which ones you've used, and what your opinion of them was. I'm keeping my budget fairly low, a few hundred maybe. I'd rather stick with traditional than break the bank, but still interested in what you though of the higher end ones as well. Who knows when someone might run a big sale on their product.

 

[franklin2]

Here's something interesting on that subject. I do not know how old you are though.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Been toying with the idea of getting some of those electronic active ear protection solutions. Something earbud style that you can talk normally, but suppress high decibel sounds.

Would like to find something that will serve for working around the house, hunting, and shooting. I know some offerings also do bluetooth and low sound amplification for hunting. I'd be primarily using them for shooting at the range, and maybe hunting, but for anything else would be nice too. Air tools and grinding in the garage, cutting grass and weed eating, construction and repair projects around the house, etc.

Just wondering if any of you have used them, which ones you've used, and what your opinion of them was. I'm keeping my budget fairly low, a few hundred maybe. I'd rather stick with traditional than break the bank, but still interested in what you though of the higher end ones as well. Who knows when someone might run a big sale on their product.

Following...

 

[sgtsandman]

I haven't used any in the ear models but I have used over the ear Walkers. They work very well and the volume is adjustable. They do indeed cancel the noise spike of a firearm going off.

I have been meaning to test one of them for other things like air tools and beating on things with a hammer but haven't gotten there yet.

 

[Uncle Gump]

Ive used a pair of passive Remington branded muffs for probably close to 40 years.

I caught what I thought was a good sale on some Walker Razor muffs on Amazon while Christmas shopping this year. Kinda funny to me this subject just came as I just assembled one pair an hour ago.

I have zero use as of right now... but my neighbor and son in law swear by them.

The sale price put both pair with radios on my door step for $106 plus tax

 

[JoshT]

Here's something interesting on that subject. I do not know how old you are though.

Got practically zero relation to what I'm asking about. Also IMO that is in the same vein as cellphones causing cancer and other mostly nonsense conspiracies. The problem affecting the kids/people they are talking about is a lack of discipline and instruction, not noise canceling headphones affecting their brain.

The technology I'm talking about isn't so much noise canceling as sound transferring. Noise canceling headphones work by overlaying a "reversed" sound wave that (in)effectively cancels out the sound coming in. As I understand it, the stuff I'm asking about picks up the sound on external microphones and replays it through the ear bud. Depending on the mode it may amplify quieter sounds, but when it detects louder sounds it doesn't replay of those frequencies.

I've got noise canceling earbuds, they don't do jack for loud abrupt and varying sounds like gunshots or power tools. They more work for blocking out steady background noises, and don't even work great for that

 

[JoshT]

Ive used a pair of passive Remington branded muffs for probably close to 40 years.

I caught what I thought was a good sale on some Walker Razor muffs on Amazon while Christmas shopping this year. Kinda funny to me this subject just came as I just assembled one pair an hour ago.

View attachment 137727

I have zero use as of right now... but my neighbor and son in law swear by them.

The sale price put both pair with radios on my door step for $106 plus tax

I've heard good about the Walker muffs. I could buy walker active muffs at academy today for $50ish.

Don't want muffs. I hate wearing muffs when shooting a rifle, or when it's warm out. Definitely want in ear, ear bud style.

Most of my working I go to traditional ear plugs. If I've got cause to wear muffs, I'll wear my usual Tasco Golden Eagles with ear buds under them if I want tunes, or plugs if I need the extra protection. That will handle loud noises and get the tunes, but doesn't have the other features, and still left wearing those hot heavy and uncomfortable muffs.

 

[Sharky]

I have/need hearing aids & for shooting. I bought SoundGear Phantom earbuds, they are custom molded to your ears. I got them thru my audiologist 4 years ago. I needed them for shooting as ear plugs would block conversation with my fellow shooters. they took a bit getting used to as the shooting sounded like I was in a tunnel. sadly, after 4 years these still block the excessive noise of the gun but I now have trouble hearing the other shooters talk. these are only guaranteed for 1 year plus they arent cheap. when I got them they cost $1500
I cant use muffs as they hit the butt stock & move off or away from my ear.
I tried the AXIL brand, they work for some people but I couldnt get a good fit no matter which size foam tips they supply. I also tried the cheapest Walker ear buds, no good for me.
research ear buds for shooting to see what you think you will like & work for you.

 

[broncc]

I don't directly have experience with them but I think the point is relevant. I avoid the active stuff because their listed suppression is actually much lower than passive devices. Active stuff seems to be low -20 dB because of all the electronics inside taking up valuable space for muffler but foam in-ear or even dumb muffs is -32 dB. A lot of people have a higher tolerance to the noise than me but indoors or even near a wall a gunshot is enough volume to cause hearing damage with protection.