By James Tarr
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Technology has progressed at an amazing pace in the last few decades, but the shooting world hasn't been left behind in this digital age — modern technology has brought electronic hearing protection to the general shooting public at an affordable price.
However, many avid shooters don't understand exactly how electronic hearing protection works or why they should buy it.
The great thing about slim electronic ear pro, like these Walker's Razors, is that they can still be used when shooting rifles, as the cups don't interfere with a proper cheek weld.
I am no true believer — I was in my 40s before I ever put on a pair of electronic muffs, but now I kick myself that it took me so long to take advantage of what is a real game-changer. Electronic hearing protection is most commonly seen in the form of over-the-ear muffs, so let's look at them first.
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All About Muffs
Standard non-electronic muffs are called "passive" hearing protection. The cups around a shooter's ears are filled with sound-absorbing foam, which slows down/muffles/reduces the incoming sound waves so gunshots and other loud sounds are no longer a threat to their hearing.
As a result, however, it is harder to hear sounds at ordinary volume levels. I can always tell who at the range is wearing passive muffs, because they're shouting in order to have a "normal" conversation. FYI, if you don't wear some sort of hearing protection while shooting, people will soon have to shout at you all the time.
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These Walker's Ultimate Quad Connect muffs have four microphones, independent volume control, and a number of other features€¦.but as a result they're a bit blocky, and maybe not the best choice when shooting a rifle as they may interfere with your cheek weld.
Earmuffs for electronic hearing protection have standard ear cups with sound-absorbing foam just like in passive muffs, so if a battery dies, a shooter's hearing will still be protected. Where they differ from passive muffs is the microphones on the outside of the muffs, which pick up sounds, amplify them and deliver them to a shooter's ears electronically.
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With the volume control turned all the way up, I've found electronic muffs allow me to hear better than I can with my bare ears — which is why many hunters wear them in the field. And yes, firing only a few rounds a year without electronic hearing protection while hunting can still irreparably damage anyone's hearing.
Early electronic ear muffs (and modern inexpensive ones) feature a "stop gate." If the muffs sense a loud sound above a certain decibel level, the amplifier simply shuts off. When the sound stops, the amplifier turns back on.
This works, but the resulting audio experience to the shooter's ear can be a bit clipped. If someone nearby is shooting a lot while shooters are trying to have a conversation, it will sound like their muffs are shutting on and off. These older/cheaper muffs also usually only had one microphone, and it was tough to tell the direction from which the sound was coming.
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Convenience is important, and being able to fold up your ears so they fit in your range bag is a nice bonus.
Most modern models of electronic hearing protection feature the latest amplifier technology, which offers "sound compression." This lets shooters hear all of the low-level environmental sounds going on around them, including conversation, footsteps, even the wind, but when a loud sound, like gunshots, occurs, the sound is not cut off but rather compressed into a lower volume. The sound is essentially continuous as opposed to cutting in and out.
One great advantage of electronic hearing protection is that shooters won't have to pull their muff away and expose their ears to have a conversation. As soon as they do that, someone nearby is likely to start shooting unexpectedly, and they'll be jerking their muff back into place. I've seen that happen dozens of times.
Modern electronic hearing protection also usually features more than one microphone (one on each muff) so it is easier to determine the direction the sound is coming from. This is very important if shooters are wearing electronic hearing protection when hunting or in a tactical environment. Most electronic muffs seem to be powered by widely available and inexpensive AAA batteries, which last for hundreds of hours.
For a look at all the technological advancements electronic muffs offer compared to passive muffs, check out the specs on the "Ultimate Series" from Walker's. These electronic muffs feature four hi-gain omni-directional microphones, 9x hearing enhancement, two independent volume controls, sound-dampening composite material, which contributes to the highest (27dB) noise reduction rating for any muff under $300 and sound activated compression. They're also available in Mossy Oak and Realtree camo patterns for hunters.
The great thing about slim electronic ear pro, like these Walker's Razors, is that they can still be used when shooting rifles, as the cups don't interfere with a proper cheek weld.
However€¦.there's no such thing as a free lunch. Muffs big enough to have all of the above features can be a bit blocky, not to mention expensive. Blocky doesn't matter when shooting a handgun, but most people don't want their muffs getting in the way when they have to put a cheek on a rifle stock. Also, these big, full-featured muffs just aren't as convenient for storage/transport.
With modern advancements it is now possible to make very slim electronic muffs that still provide excellent electronic hearing protection. Walker's has a new line of slim folding muffs called the Razor Series. Two omni-directional microphones, HD sound output with independent volume controls, sound activated compression, 23dB noise reduction rating€¦and a suggested retail price of only $69.99! Isn't technological advancement awesome?
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Earplug Technology
If electronic muffs are so great, why was I in my 40s before I tried a pair? Simply because nothing is perfect for everyone all the time. I live in Michigan, which means if it's warm enough to shoot outside it is probably hot and humid — and the last thing I wanted to do on a hot and humid day was clamp a pair of earmuffs on my head. So I was an earplug guy for years, and still prefer them if I'm shooting where it's hot.
Razor XV electronic hearing protection from Walker's offers an incredible 31 dB noise reduction due to their dense foam tips.
Earplugs are fine if shooters are outdoors, away from other people, but if they're on a line with many rifles or shooting anything indoors or in an enclosed space, plugs usually don't provide enough hearing protection.
Muffs alone might not, either. However, if shooters wear electronic hearing protection over plugs (I've seen that combo quite often, especially in really loud environments) and turn the muffs all the way up, they can still have a normal conversation while enjoying nearly double the noise reduction of just plugs or muffs alone. That may seem like overkill€¦.but there is no such thing as too much hearing protection.
For more information, please visit Electronic Hearing Protector Supply.
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One thing shooters may not realize is that earplug technology has improved along with earmuff technology. For a while now, I've been seeing young people listening to music on retractable earbuds attached to a half halo (for lack of a better term) that sits around their neck. Being out of my teens I'm often a little slow to grasp emerging tech, and wasn't sure what I was looking at, but a little research recently showed me what these were — Bluetooth-enabled earbud headsets.
I also learned there were versions designed for shooters. Yes, you read that right, there are now electronic earbuds, which perform similarly to electronic muffs, with omni-directional microphones, sound activated compression, etc. Who knew?
Electronic earbuds for the shooting sports have arrived. Walker's Razor XV (shown here) are Bluetooth enabled so you can take phone calls or listen to music without removing your ear protection.
In researching these earbud headsets, I have to admit I was shocked at their features. For example, the Razor XV model from Walker's offers a noise reduction rating of 31 dB! That's incredible, and better than most muffs.
That kind of sound abatement is apparently possible through the use of dense noise reducing foam tips. These top-of-the-line earbuds also offer a Bluetooth connection, so shooters can answer a phone call without removing their headphones.
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These earbuds also have an independent volume control, so shooters can listen to music without having to worry about missing any range commands. The speakers in the earbuds are made in the same factory that makes Bose speakers, so the sound quality is excellent.
Thanks to modern technology and electronic hearing protection, there's never been a better time to enjoy shooting while protecting hearing.
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Sign Me UpHow many times a day do you take off your earmuffs to hear what your mate or client is saying? Worse still, how often do you expose yourself to loud noises on site or in the field, because you need to hear what someone is saying to you? The trade off for any set of passive hearing protection is that you’re closing yourself off to low level sounds such as speech or movement around you. This can be especially frustrating for tradies, mechanics, or other workers operating in loud environments that also need to talk to customers day to day.
There’s a solution: shooting earmuffs.
But why? The main advantage shooting earmuffs have is a feature that you might have heard called ‘selective amplification’ or a ‘level dependent function’. The earmuffs are designed with little speakers that amplify quiet sounds, such as speech or footsteps, and compress/shut off loud noises, such as gunfire, power tools, or the loud noise of machinery.
Say for example you’re running a loud chainsaw, the earmuffs will block out that noise the same as a normal set of hearing protection. But then, when you turn the saw off and your mate is talking to you, the earmuffs will identify and amplify that conversation, sending their voice clearly through to your ears, without requiring you to take off your muffs. This is a huge advantage, allowing your ears to be maximally protected from damaging noises, while also allowing you to remain aware of what’s happening around you and talk without having to remove your muffs.
In this guide we’re going to look at three examples of electronic shooting earmuffs for work, each with slightly different features. But, as a final summary, what are the benefits of electronic shooting earmuffs in a work environment?
. If you’re working in landscape gardening, cutting trees, in a mechanical setting (or elsewhere) there are times when you might want to talk to a client, customer or co-worker without having to take off your hearing protection. A set of electronic earmuffs will allow you to hear them clearly, while still ensuring your ears are protected in the process.
. If you’re using dangerous tools like saws or woodchippers, the capacity to hear while wearing hearing protection can be a game changer. It makes you more aware of your surroundings and better able to communicate, particularly with pedestrians or people outside of your sightlines.
. No more doing a shuffle with both hands to down tools, remove the muffs, have a chat, and then replace. The earmuffs monitor your surroundings and amplify or compress sound as necessary.
SLC80 24DB | CLASS 4
$114.99
A great introductory shooter’s muff that’s got a good level of protection for work, the Impact Sport is a Class 4 earmuff under the AU/NZ standard, blocking about 24 decibels of sound. It’s a slimline earmuff, so it’s not going to have too much bulk or weight to it over a long day of work.
Its selective amplification works up to 82dB, the safe-listening limit. This means that sounds below 82dB are amplified by up to four times, but not such that they would go past that safe listening limit. You’ll be able to hear conversations and remain aware of your surroundings with these on. Once a sound goes past 82dB, for example the whir of a power tool or the loud sound of an engine, these will revert to ‘passive hearing protection’. That’s a fancy way of saying they become a regular pair of earmuffs once it gets too loud, blocking out sound as normal and deactivating the amplification.
As an added bonus, the Impact Sport has an AUX input, which lets you listen to MP3 players, radio scanners, etc. It’s controlled by a single-knob for power and volume and comes with batteries included.
However, you might be someone who actually wants to hear a little bit of what you’re doing when it’s loud. In fact, this amount of hearing might actually make your work safer, for you I would consider the next muff.
SLC80 31DB | CLASS 5
$149.99
The Impact Pro is the next step upgrade over the Impact Sport, it’s a Class 5 earmuff under the AU/NZ standard, so the highest level of sound protection available blocking up to 31dB of sound when worn. In contrast to the Impact Sport, it clips dangerous sounds by 50%, bringing them within the 82dB safe listening limit. This means, you’ll still hear the saw or the woodchipper, but at a much quieter level. This maximises awareness and also helps you troubleshoot on the fly: you can hear more clearly if something’s not working correctly or what’s happening around you. The clipping’s delay is only 10 milliseconds too, so there’s going to be almost no break between switching back to amplification when the sound level lowers.
Like the Impact Sport, it includes a stereo input for connecting to phones or hand-held FMRS radios. If you have an appropriate hand held radio, you will be able to take calls through the earmuffs, a really cheap two-way radio solution for loud environments. It’s a bulkier unit than the Impact Sport, with wider earcups, but they’re adjustable and padded, ensuring comfort over long work days. It’s simple to operate with a single switch controlling power and volume, and the included pair of AAA batteries will provide up to 350 hours of continued use.
The Impact Pro is the best electronic earmuff solution for the loudest working environments. Like the Tactical Sport, it retains the 82dB safe listening limit, with the clipping function giving you more versatility and awareness on site.
The next upgrade is a really premium solution and combines the best features of both the Impact series muffs.
SLC80 24DB | CLASS 4
$319.99
The SportTac is considered a best of both worlds premium shooter’s earmuff and is a great upgrade over the previous two models shown. The main thing to note is, this is still only a Class 4 hearing protection unit, if you’re dealing with the loudest work environments, the Impact Pro is going to provide the highest degree of safety.
The main advantage the SportTac has over the preceding muffs is its level dependent function, this basically means that the transition between levels of sound will be far smoother than the abrupt cut-off you get with the Impact Sport. Like the Impact Sport it is a slimmer solution than the Impact Pro, meaning this is a light set of muffs that’s going to perform well over the work day. Angled speakers give superior direction perception over the other two muffs listed and it’s extremely battery efficient: up to 600 hours on a single pair of AAAs.
The water resistant exterior, designed for hunting in inclement weather, is also great for outdoor work situations. They’re a collapsible set of earmuffs that store in a very small amount of space, with a sweat resistant exterior designed to protect the electronics when worn. Like the preceding muffs, they include an input jack for connection to appropriate 2-way radios.
A good set of shooter’s earmuffs is a novel solution to work, that allows you to remain aware of your surroundings while also protecting your ears from damaging environmental noise.
Our pick of the bunch?
The Impact Pro provides the right balance of high level hearing protection (Class 5) and sound amplification/compression to be the most effective solution for the widest range of work situations. Priced competitively against the Impact Sport, if compact muffs is not an issue it’s a great and economical solution for your ears.
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