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Electronic Muffs . are they any good?

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dmftoy1

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I'm in the market to buy some new hearing protection and I was wondering if the electronic muffs were any good? Do they have the same db reduction as the regular bilsom or silencio muffs? I like the idea of normal hearing when I'm not shooting but I don't want to risk long term hearing loss. (Both my dad and my father in-law can't hear the TV unless it's as loud as rock concert. :) )

If you've had good or bad experiences with a given brand I'd be interested in that too.

Have a good one,
Dave
 
I had a pair of low end electronic muffs with the Remington brand. I think they were peltors just private labled. Got em at Wal Mart.

They worked great. But mine got ruined because I used them to hunt with and in the course of walking several miles up around 9000 feet in the Rockies and getting up a good sweat in the process one of the electronics boards on one side got wet.

Ruined em.

I am getting another pair but I will figure out something to protect them! Once you use them for hunting you will be spoiled. Having the ability to hear and then being able to turn up the volume is really cool.

They suppressed the sound of everything I shot just fine. From a .223 to a 30 06.
 
Did you use them much where you were putting say 100-200 rounds downrange in a session? I tend to shoot for an hour or 2 when I go out.

Have a good one,
Dave
 
I have used them at a range when shooting an AR for a couple of hundred rounds. My AR has a compensator on it that makes it particularly loud.

I have used them at a range when shooting pistols too.

I have used them in the woods when sighting in hand loads on both a .223 carbine and a 30 06. I would shoot for a couple of hours even though I would only be putting fifty or so rounds down range. Sometimes I would plink with a pistol while the rifles were cooling.

The noise suppression is very good. If you have a really good set of muffs they advertise around 23db reduction.

I believe these advertised about 19db reduction. My ears have been abused in my youth (too many rock concerts) and if I get exposed to a real loud noise they will ring for hours. I have a little constant tinnitus anyway. But it is not aggravated when using the electronic muffs.

They work great. I am going to get a set of Peltors that have a band that goes around your neck behind your head (as opposed to over your head). I like to wear a hat any time I shoot and these are designed for that purpose. The cups are designed so that you can still get a good cheek weld on your rifle.
 
MidwayUSA had Peltor Tac 6 electronic hearing protection on sale for $69 two weeks ago...don't know if that price is still good or not.

I recently bought a pair and WOWZERS...greatest thing since sliced bread. They amplify normal sound (with individual volume controls) so you can hear normally, but automatically block out gunshots.

Best $ I ever spent on firearms accessories!
 
After having owned a pair for a little over a year, I'm no longer comfortable being on the range with unfamiliar people unless I am wearing electronic muffs. It's just so much safer to be able to hear what is going on around you. They're wonderful for competition or classes because you won't miss any instructions you needed to hear.

That Said (TM), not all electronic muffs are equal.

The ones I've got are Radians ProAmps. They are affordable and that's the nicest thing I can say about them.

They're slim, which is good for long guns, but they are physically uncomfortable. There isn't quite enough room for my ears inside them, and there's no real padding between my ears and the very very hard and uncomfortable electronics. To be fair, the uncomfortableness is probably more noticeable to me because I often wear them for 6 hours or more in a day. But they are uncomfortable from the moment I put 'em on.

They aren't very sturdy -- the plastic hinge on one side has broken & been repaired, and the plastic covering for the head strap is peeling off. Again, to be fair: I've used them very heavily, tossed 'em into my bag with the rest of my gear, and haven't babied 'em, so maybe that's my fault.

Sound quality is pretty good. The volume is separately adjustable for each ear, a very nice feature. Unlike some other electronics I've used, these are pretty good at giving you an idea which direction the sound is coming from.

They use AAA batteries, three per side, but the batteries do last a fairly long time before they start to go south. You can't change the batteries without a screwdriver. What a stupid, annoying, obnoxious "feature" that is!

Most damning thing about them, and the reason I'm looking for another brand, is that they simply don't exclude the noise like they're supposed to. I have no idea what they're rated to, but it is physically painful to stand next to someone shooting a .40 or .45 in the dark house. That's just not acceptable.

So even though I would definitely recommend electronic muffs in general, I wouldn't really recommend Radians ProAmps. I'm in the market for a better set.

pax
 
pax beat me to two of the best reasons to have some electronic muffs. I often shoot by myself on a range which is fenced off but which ATVs and non-club individuals often cross into. It's nice to be able to hear those sounds early. Also, if you are instructing it allows you to block out loud noises but hear if the student says something or asks a question.

I have a a pair of Dillon HP1s and they have worked very well for me.
 
Walker Game Ear

I like my muffs. Use 'em for trapshooting all day long. I combine them with foam ear plugs for extra protection, but I still hear better than I would otherwise.

The combination seems to protect my hearing about as well as my "regular" non-amped muffs.

They were just fantastic during my week at TR. I could hear range commands and my partner (if I was paying attention).

They're just like most everything else, ya get whatcha pay for.

Tim
 
I have a set of Dillon's model, not sure who actually makes them.

Like others, I use foam ear plugs underneath the muffs with the volume turned up high. They don't attenuate the sound as well as the large muffs, but they make up for it by allowing me to hear normal sounds without having to remove my hearing protection.

I wear mine during all my shooting: indoor, outdoor practice; IPSC matches (they are especially handy there for all the gun talk that goes on when not shooting); general plinking; rifle range.

They also shine when I'm shooting steel plates that ring instead of fall. The earmuffs amplify the sound of the steel being hit, so that there is no question that I hit the target.

If you look around, you can find a good deal on them. Go buy a pair or two.
 
I'll be the oddball and say that I hated having them. I used them for about 6 months and then forgot them once and realized how nice it is not to have sounds coming in and out. I never went back after that. I found them to be rather annoying. They are nice if you want to stand around and BS. I got to practice when I am at the range. I want a less distracting enviroment.
 
A shameless plug for Pro-Ears Dimension 1 "Sporting Clays" (just one of four models, can be used for any type of shooting) ... excellent outdoor electronic muffs (albeit somewhat pricey, these run around $200 but can often be found for about $179-189). I love mine (with one caveat, for indoor use, you may want to double up and use some foamies too).

If you check out any IPSC or IDPA matches with the big names there, you'll see quite a few competitors using Pro-Ears, and there's a good reason -- they're top of the line.
 
I've heard that they can't react quickly enough to prevent hearing damage. Has anyone seen any hard evidence that they can or can't?
 
Scottmkiv,

The Pro-Ears Dimension series muffs have a reaction time of less than 2 miliseconds. That's less than 2 thousandths of a second.
 
I bought a cheap pair of electronic muffs (~$70, IIRC), and have used them both by themselves and with foam plugs. For indoor shooting, I'm not entirely comfortable using the electronic muffs by themselves. They do all right for my 9mm, but if someone's shooting a .45, it's a bit louder than I'm content with. For outdoor shooting, they're enough by themselves (I've used them with pistols up to .45acp as well as with a Mosin M44, an AR-15, and a .30-06), though I still double up with plugs for an added safety factor.

Of course, in my mind the biggest advantage of electronic muffs is that they allow you to double up on hearing protection while still being able to hear people talking. With a normal set of foam plugs (as in the $2-for-a-vitamin-jar-full type) plus the muffs, I get better protection than with any of the high-end normal muffs I've tried, but I can still converse with my shooting buddies without shouting.

For me, they were a great buy.
 
I've heard that they can't react quickly enough to prevent hearing damage. Has anyone seen any hard evidence that they can or can't?
Click to expand...
The cheaper ones don't have to react. They're limited by the damage they can do by how powerful the speakers are. If the volume is up loud enouth to hurt your hearing, it will hurt your hearing.

If you have a very expensive set that activily supresses sound by making an inverse compression wave there may be a slight delay but you'll still have the protection provided by the shell. Rememer, with the electronics are off, they're still muffs. :)
 
Pro-Ears

I will also put in a vote for Pro-Ears, I am still using the pair I bought in 1994.
They are the best thing when on the range, I use them for practice,IPSC and IDPA. There are days when I work matches that I wear them all day. If you remember to turn them off, batteries last a very long time and they have seperate volume controles for each ear.

They are well used, they have been referbished once, you need to keep good cushions so they seal properly around your ears.

They were the leader in the early 90's, but now you have many brands to choose from that work about the same. I think they are still the best. You will get what you pay for :)

Sigma40sw
 
I've got a set of Peltor Tactical 6S. They're cut slim, so they work well even with long guns. The downside is that they offer a mere 19dB NRR. If you're shooting 22's or going hunting where you're only going to take a shot or two, they're perfect.

If I'm going to shoot more than a handful of rounds, I always double up with a good set of plugs. I would not be around highpower rifles without at least 29dB NRR. Plugs are cheap.
 
I got these from Harbor Freight. They're even on sale right now it looks like. Of couse they couldn't be when I bought mine :banghead: :D .

They are a little bulky but seem to work very well (including being around a bunch of nuts like you guys shooting off everything all at once for extended periods of time :evil: ). The nice part is that at that price I was able to get enough for my kids (3), Mrs. L., & a couple extra for others who may be coming along with us. That way we all have them & can hear each other.
 
I admit I am an electronic muff junkie. I have owned just about all of them in a quest for the perfect muff. Muffs fall into two catagories. Those that "clip" and those that don't.
"Clippers" are Peltors, Walker, Remington to name a few.
Those that don't clip are the new model Radians, Pro-Ear and Howard Leight.
I currently own the new Radian ProAmps, Radian Maximus, Pro Ear Magnum, Pro Ear Predator 300, Howard Leight Leightning and just had to buy a set of the Harbor Freight $19 muffs.
The Radian ProAmp is the exact same muff as the Dillon. Dillon charges $135 as I recall. The ProAmp is $63.
IMO the Peltors are pretty much junk with the exception of the Tac 7S. I does clip though.
The PE Magnums are very heavy. Not much room in the ear cups. The Leightnings have the same electronics as the PEs, but are light in weight. Not much ear room either.
The Predators have the most ear room and are light in weight.
My two favorite muffs are the Radian ProAmps and the Predator 300. The Predator 300 needs to have a bit more headband pressure. If I turn my head too far in one direction the earcup will unseal a bit. Had the same problem with the PE Clays/Stalker.
The new Radian ProAmp and Maximus have a lot of volume. They work best when turned down to the lowest level.
The prices are as follows:
Tac 7S $116
Tac 6S $64
Pro Mag $156
Leightning $140
ProAmp $63
Maximus $87
Predator $130.
These are just typical prices.
 
Can you give me a bit more detail about "clip"? Do you mean they don't drop the noise level immediately or ??

Have a good one,
Dave
 
I got the Peltor 7s, which were the best I could find at the time, and... they don't work for me for indoor range time.

The basic noise reduction of a good passive earmuff is 29dB or better, and that's far, far better than the 21dB or worse you will get from electronic muffs. (About six times better - the dB scale is exponential.) I wore earplugs under the muffs, with the volume turned up, and it wasn't reliably good enough - any little adjustment of the glasses and the noise protection would go down.

I look forward to taking them hunting, but I don't think they can prevent hearing loss if you're doing serious range time.
 
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