I need GOOD electronic ears, low profile.

[Mute]

So - you are saying that these companies are falsifying the NRR test results? If they list an NRR rating, then they are required to comply with the testing requirements.

I'm saying that the testing parameters are much wider than the links you provided claim them to be. But don't take my word for it. Contact some of these manufacturers yourself and ask about their testing procedures and the labs they use to come to their NRR ratings. They're not useless, but they're not as stringent as they are made out to be. You should ask them about competitors' products both those that appear to have superior ratings and those with inferior ratings, but make the inquiry separately. It might be eye opening.

[KahrGuy9]

Sordins are the best and the most expensive
Pelton Tac 6's are the best buy at $55 on amazon
Works for 3 fun
Reversible potion
get the neck band model

[Zorgnot]

I have a pair of the Peltor tac 6 and after less than a year one of the ears doesn't work any more. I wouldn't buy them again. My Howard Leight R 01526 have worked great and they only use 2 batteries instead of 4. And the way the volume nob is they don't inadvertently turn on when in my range bag like my Peltor do.

[tonyxcom]

I really think the key are gel cups. I have Impact Sports, MSA/Sordin Supreme Pro's and some older Peltacs (near as I can tell they are Swatac models).

The MSA and Peltacs both have gel cups and work SUBSTANTIALLY better than the Impact sports with the higher NRR rating. I do not need to double up when using either of these indoors or in covered outdoor stalls.

They get hot and sweaty outdoors in the summer though and thats when I switch to my custom fit plugs.

[RobertMW]

Just do yourself a favor and get Pro Ear - Gold.

They are by far the best. Super comfortable, high NRR ratings, and probably the best electronic sound reduction system. They don't chop the sound when it gets too loud (which is usually a millisecond or 6 after it is louder than you want), but they run a constant compression filter that attenuates ALL sound down to comfortable levels, so you can have a conversation on the range while other people are shooting, rather than having half second bites of sound clipping out at every shot, or having a shot not activate the clipping but still be way louder than you want to hear.

[tonyxcom]

Pro Ears are HUGE.

HUGE.

[john67elco]

I have the Howard Leight Impact Pro but since I have a tiny head the top band doesnt hit top of my head. May have to find some teenager ones or something

[CGT80]

Pro Ears Gold Mag, are huge, but they also work well. You will not find low profile muffs that work as well as the bigger muffs. The lower profile pro ears are not nearly as good as the Mag. I use 33 db plugs under the pro ears and then just turn the volume up. I also am very sensitive to noise and concussion. The AR 15 comps/brakes are still uncomfortable when doing 3 gun. Mine is not too bad, but I am not in line with the ports when I am shooting it.

I shoot lever action silhouette and 3 gun with the Mag pro ears. It is not ideal for a cheek weld, but it works fine. For the 50-180 yard 3 gun targets, I am coming in near the top of the list for speed and accuracy. In lever action, I have one match win and a number of matches where I am in the top 5 or so. It did take a little bit to get used to shouldering a long gun with big muffs, but it is doable. I would rather protect my ears and have more comfort from blocking the sound, than to get a better cheek weld that isn't going to change much in my performance.

[L84CABO]

Hmmm...that's very interesting. I have a pair of the Howard Leights and they are pretty ok. Certainly fine when using on top of a pair of foam plugs. That's what doesn't make sense to me. Foam plugs are usually enough for most situations by themselves. There shouldn't be any issues with a set of muffs over them unless the muffs both suck and the act of wearing them is breaking the seal on the plugs.

I also have a pair of Pro Ear Golds. You might be disappointed with those too. Initially, mine didn't do a very good job of blocking noise. It took three trips back to the factory before they were what I would call usable. Many people swear by them though.

[CGT80]

There are some cases of people not being happy with the pro ears, and my pro tac golds just did not block noise as well as I would have liked. The electronic portion worked well, although it would get static sounds coming from the speakers when they got wet from sweat.

I have some HL 33 db passive muffs that I used for the bigger guns rather than the pro tac golds. I compared the HL's to the pro mag gold muffs when I got them. They seem very close in sound blocking. I left the electronics turned off when I tested the pro mags to get a better comparison.

Foam plugs do not protect the outer parts of the ear or skull like muffs can. Muffs over plugs makes a noticeable difference, and the plugs are inserted properly and block sound well. A 170 db blast minus 33 db plugs is 137 db. That is still way too loud (if you want to prevent hearing damage), although it doesn't seem that loud. Ear plugs and ear muffs block different frequencies at different levels. The chart is on the package of muffs or plugs. Some people are less bothered by noise than others. Hearing damage can actually make you more sensitive to loud noises. Some people may not be getting a good seal on the foam plugs too, as stated above.

[Librarian]

Here is a good PDF description of the issue: An Introduction to Forensic Gunshot Acoustics. The measurements on page 6 show that gunshot noise is pretty low frequency:

Firearm Caliber SPL @ 1m Re 20 mPa Peak Freq (FFT)
& Type (Typical)

.22 Pistol         146 dB      750 Hz
.38 Revolver       151 dB      500 Hz
.357 Magnum        155 dB      400 Hz
.30-06 Rifle       160 dB      250 Hz
.50 Cal Sniper     170 dB       75 Hz

HL has a bunch of docs on noise attenuation here.

This one says

In terms of estimating the amount of protection while wearing earplugs and earmuffs concurrently, OSHA recommends simply adding 5 dB to the higher NRR. But this rule of thumb sacrifices some accuracy. An earmuff typically adds about 4 dB to the NRR of a well-fitted foam earplug, and about 7 dB to a well-fitted pre-molded earplug. These are overall numbers; attenuation in the low frequencies will be a bit more, and in the high frequencies a bit less. As noted in the graph below, it is not necessary to use the highest-rated earmuff to achieve maximum attenuation from dual protection. In fact, as long as the earplug is fit properly, it makes very little difference which earmuff is used, so long as it has decent attenuation in the low frequencies. An earmuff with moderate attenuation, for example, has just the same effect as a high-attenuation earmuff when either is worn over a well-fitted earplug.

Then, there is this paper by a different seller (Westone 'Defend-Ear'), describing an 'impulse' measurement, more useful for gunshot noise.

In 2009, the EPA proposed to change the way that hearing protection is measured
and reported to the consumeriv. For hearing protectors designed to provide little attenuation at low levels and higher attenuation at high-levels, the EPA developed an IMPULSE rating to describe the change in the peak impulse level over a range of 130 to 170 decibels.
Recreational shooters and law enforcement personnel are exposed to impulses from their weapons at the higher end of the range,150 to 170 dBv. The proposed ruling has not yet gone
into effect, so there is still no requirement to label hearing protectors with an IMPULSE rating.

Here is an article on 'Insta Mold' custom fitted plugs, with a chart of the attenuation at different frequencies.

More on NRR/IMPULSE - http://www.ishn.com/articles/97659-h...impulse-sounds

[formerTexan]

I got a pair of Peltor TacSport (should be right around $100). Get the gel cups, google Peltor or 3M with HY80 for better sealing. The gel cups seem to run about $50.