Need opinions on electronic muffs - Pro Ears

[jccam]

I'm looking into getting the Pro Ears "Sporting Clay" Dimension Plus electronic muffs, and plan to use them mostly for trap/skeet so I can still hear people talk. Secondary use would be for outdoor range rifle and occasional indoor pistol. In the Midway catalog, the listed NRR is 20 db, but the Pro Ears web site says 25 db.

(http://www.pro-ears.com/shootingspor...imensionseries)

Are the Pro Ears supposed to be the best on the market, in terms of quality and NRR in an electronic muff? Anyone use them? Any electronic interference?

Let's say the batteries run dry on electronic muffs, what level of NRR are you left with?

Thanks for any info and advice

[FinweElensar]

[jazman]

A guy I respect and trust a lot just went with a pair of these: Sordin Supreme Pro-X...they are spendy but supposed to be top of the class.

[Timberwolf]

I have a pair of Pro-Mag Plus that I wear every weekend working at the range. They're a little big to shoot a rifle with but they are by far the most confortable muffs I wear and the ones I choose to wear at work.

[maxicon]

The base NRR is all you get, batteries or not. The electronics don't cut sound, they only amplify low level sounds into your earcups, so the protection level is the same whether you have them turned on or off.

NRR 25 is too low for me, but I'm pretty careful about my hearing. Muffs for shotgun sports tend to be light on NRR, due to the need for a low-profile shell.

One good alternative with electronic muffs is to wear earplugs and muffs (which adds +3 NRR to whichever has the highest rating), and turn up the volume enough to hear over the plugs. This gives excellent protection and still lets you hear.

For the Pro-Ears in general, people complain that the battery compartment isn't well done, leaving the batteries somewhat unprotected, that they're not waterproof, and that they're not very rugged. I don't have them, so I can't say.

Sordin Supreme Pro don't have a very good base NRR (NRR 18, *way* too low for me), but people say getting the optional gel cup helps, and makes them more comfortable to boot.

You might want to read the reviews on the Pro-Ears over at midway, to see if you care about what other people complain about.

[-hanko]

A guy I respect and trust a lot just went with a pair of these: Sordin Supreme Pro-X...they are spendy but supposed to be top of the class.

+ a bunch.

For big bullets, I augment the Sordin with foamies.

-hanko

[jccam]

Thanks for the info!

Maybe I'll try the Pro Ears ProMag and see if it will work with a rifle/shotgun. If it does, I like its higher NRR. Right now I'm using the non-electronic Peltor Bullseye, which is big but works OK with my shotgun.

[LCAZES]

My wife and I both have worn pro-ears for USPSA matches for years. I dont really see an issue worth worrying about regarding the battery compartment. None of the muffs in this price range are waterproof and why would that be an issue anyway?? Gone swimming or boating with yours lately? We use them for as long as 8-10 hours at a time if we are ROs at a match and they have been very reliable. The batteries last for 200-300 hours conservatively and a set costs around $5.00. PM me if you want more details...

Larry

[Gryff]

I've used a pair of Pro Ears ProSlim Plus Dimension 1 for a couple of years now. Nice products. Seem to be rugged...I've dropped them a couple of times, and other than the batteries falling out there wasn't a problem.

About my only complaint is that they seem to get turned on too easily when they are in my shooting bag. I have to take the batteries out to make sure that they don't get used up.

[maxicon]

The complaints I've seen about waterproofness center around 2 things - using them in the rain/drizzle and sweat getting in and corroding the electronics.

Again, I don't have them, and last time I shot in the rain, it was with non-amplified muffs, which came through it just fine . This is just feedback I've collected over the years from people who use them.

Peltor ComTac II are waterproof. The original ComTacs aren't, and people had corrosion problems with them, as with the Peltor Tac 6. The ComTac II gets good reviews, but again, has a mediocre base NRR of 21. I believe the Sordin Supreme Pro are also water resistant.

The Pro-Ears had the best NRR ratings of any of the electronic muffs last time I dug into them, so if I were springing for expensive muffs, I'd be tempted to try them on, as a high NRR is important to me. I need a lot of room for my big ears and my big head, so fit and earcup depth would be critical for avoiding headaches after an hour or so.

[what2be]

The base NRR is all you get, batteries or not. The electronics don't cut sound, they only amplify low level sounds into your earcups, so the protection level is the same whether you have them turned on or off.

NRR 25 is too low for me, but I'm pretty careful about my hearing. Muffs for shotgun sports tend to be light on NRR, due to the need for a low-profile shell.

One good alternative with electronic muffs is to wear earplugs and muffs (which adds +3 NRR to whichever has the highest rating), and turn up the volume enough to hear over the plugs. This gives excellent protection and still lets you hear.

For the Pro-Ears in general, people complain that the battery compartment isn't well done, leaving the batteries somewhat unprotected, that they're not waterproof, and that they're not very rugged. I don't have them, so I can't say.

Sordin Supreme Pro don't have a very good base NRR (NRR 18, *way* too low for me), but people say getting the optional gel cup helps, and makes them more comfortable to boot.

You might want to read the reviews on the Pro-Ears over at midway, to see if you care about what other people complain about.

From looking on midway's website, the new "plus series" muffs have a NRR of 33, which is damn good imo.

[maxicon]

I just re-read some of the feedback on various muffs, and a lot of people complain that the Pro-Ears aren't as quiet as their specs lead you to believe.

Peltor Tactical Pro are getting good reviews, with an NRR of 26, and some reviewers say they're quieter than Pro-Ears with higher ratings. They also include the gel earcups, which cost extra on other Peltor models. A lot depends on how it fits your head, ears, and glasses, so it's really hard to tell without trying them under fire.

Midway's pretty good about taking back stuff that doesn't work well for you.

[bruceflinch]

I only wear them in Winter, as they make my ears sweat!

[xrMike]

Let's say the batteries run dry on electronic muffs, what level of NRR are you left with?

The same as what you had before the batteries went dead.

The electronics don't add any noise reduction. They just attenuate the spikes in sound, and when not doing that, amplify the low-level sounds like conversation.

Whatever the indicated noise reduction rating is for the headphones, that's all you're ever going to get, all the time.

It's a good idea to wear foam plugs underneath. You'll get LOTS of protection that way, and by turning up the volume on the headphones full blast, you'll still be able to hear everything going on around you.

[hitman13]

i wear peltors with a mitch helmet with teh ears cut out at work and they work good for me. i dont know what model they are though..