Ear pro

[Rthur]

My sordins finally died after 10 plus years.
For an over ear I felt they were the best with gel cups.
I've seen a few other newer kinds/models being used as well as inner ear options.
Let's hear what you use and price range on newer models and styles.
Looking for options in the 250-500 dollar rangeish.

R

 

[Rthur]

Damn, I guess everybody is going deaf.

R

 

[Cleanmiss]

I just use the cheap Howard Leight impact with a little added insulation. They're OK and they'll get you by until you find some fancy ones. The only inner ears I've used are elvex foamies from work!

 

[JMGlasgow]

I like my Peltor earmuffs

 

[SmileMaker]

I use the Sordin Ear Pro and 3M peltor TEP-100. Given a choice I prefer the convenience and ease of cheek weld with the Peltors. However I have had some issues with them after three years and the charge life is realistically 4-5 hrs and not the 16 claimed.

 

[Tobyboy22]

Otto Noizebarriers. A little spendy, but I like them and they don’t get in the way.

 

[simpy16]

I used to try to use Howard Leight but had issues with my cheek weld causing them to pop off my ear. I then went to a generic electronic in-ear model and thought it was okay but for all day matches or hunting they started to hurt the inner ear and they didn't have the best sound in windy conditions. I then decided that I only have 1 set of ears so I should go full custom. That is all I use now, has 4 channels depending on conditions, can tune volume for each ear and they run off hearing aid batteries.

Hearing Aids – AXIL

Performance Hearing Aids. Custom Made for You in the USA. Perfectly Matched to Your Active Lifestyle. Direct to Consumer Pricing.

www.goaxil.com

Another option is the Howard Leights for cost but then add a set of gel cups in them that make them much more comfortable to wear:

Amazon.com: Valholl Gear Replacement Gel Cups for HL Impact Sport, PRO, Bolt, Sync, Leightning and Viking Headphones: Home Audio & Theater

Buy Valholl Gear Replacement Gel Cups for HL Impact Sport, PRO, Bolt, Sync, Leightning and Viking Headphones: Earpads - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

 

[Claybuster715]

As a college kid on a budget I bought the Walkers excel 500 BT I believe is the model. I love them! I have both a pistol range and 450y rifle range here at the house and often shoot by myself. It's nice to be able to bluetooth music as I shoot with them. I think I gave around $100 shipped for them.

 

[Goes-Bang]

Sordin with the Gel Cups are still my favorite over the ear.

I've been wanting to try a set of custom molded electronic in ear ones, but they are pricey.

Electronic Hearing Protection for Shooting | Electronic Earplugs

Take your shooting prowess to new heights with our range of electronic earplugs. Click here to explore the ultimate in electronic hearing protection.

www.espamerica.com

E.A.R. Customized Hearing - EAR Customized Hearing Protection

Making customized earplugs and hearing protection for the last 50 years. Based in Boulder, CO.

earinc.com

Electronic Hearing Protection for Shooting | SoundGear

SoundGear is an electronic hearing protection product that allows you to hear everything around you, while still protecting your hearing.

www.soundgearhearing.com

If you're going in-ear, I'd recommend looking at a custom mold (even if not going electronic). There's a few guys near where I live that will do custom molds with passive filters, I'd recommend googling for something like that near where you live.

 

[Candyman87]

Peltor Commtac III's or MSA Sordins... either with gel cups.

After shooting so long with muffs that use compression, I can't go back to a unit that clips the audio.

 

[dbltap45acp]

I have tried them all, I personally like Sordins the best. I have been a firearms instructor for 15 years and have tried all the cheap, to expensive ear pro out there, and so far Sordin has beaten the rest for sound quality that can take a beating.

 

[avalanche]

I've tried a lot of in-ears. I think the best sound quality are the 3m TEP-100's, but for reliability, the AXIL Ghoststryke's worked really well, and are cheaper

 

[Keel Haul]

I was using the walkers and I had the same issue like simply16 did, cheek weld was impossible. Broke open the wallet and got some comtacs with gel cups and I won’t use anything else now. Definitely worth the money.

 

[DaveM]

My sordins finally died after 10 plus years.
For an over ear I felt they were the best with gel cups.
I've seen a few other newer kinds/models being used as well as inner ear options.
Let's hear what you use and price range on newer models and styles.
Looking for options in the 250-500 dollar rangeish.

R

Etymotic GSp15 pro’s with aftermarket foam tips have been the absolute bee’s knees. I can be around braked rifles all day without discomfort and I can still hear all of the range commands and impacts easily. If you put plain old muffs over them, the world goes truly silent. I can’t double up with them at a match or I’ll miss range commands.
The only downside so far is the batteries. They don’t last even if the devices are “turned off”. They’re cheap and plentiful tho.

 

[Rthur]

Well it looks like we have some ideas to look into.
Thanks for the heads up gents we'll at least have some direction.

R

 

[427Cobra]

Peltor EEP-100 with Skull Screw tips provide 30db noise reduction

 

[HUNTERVASSER]

MSN Sordins with gel cups and surefire earplugs

 

[300Norma1959]

I have tried several and keep going back to the MSA Sardines. They have the best voice quality and all day comfort.

 

[kermit the monster]

Peltor Comtac III's are fantastic. Also spent time on a buddies MSA, the Peltors fit my large head better. The MSA doesn't fully seal around my head properly, it leaks near the bottom of my ears. if I recall, MSA gel cups are smaller and thinner.

I always double up with Surfires underneath and crank the volume up.

 

[AnimalMother224]

Noizbarriers - pricey but they work really well. I can hear everything and the case charging is great so I dont have to remember to replace batteries. I had a hard time with my peltors hitting my stock when I mounted the rifle and the muff would kick off my ear .

 

[Smithcollector]

I just went through this process as well. I had been using a set of Peltor Tactical Sports for the past 10-12 years, really liked them, but they finally died.

I'm primarily a square range shooter and fire about 50 rounds per week, all prone, so cheek weld was a concern.

I checked stats on what from reading the forum appeared to be the top performing over-ear choices (Peltor ComTac, MSA Sordin), and all were pretty close in performance. I also looked at the in-ear off-the-shelf (Otto and Peltor) options.

Finally decided to go to audiologist and get professional advice. I found out the audiologist near me sells Westone Defendears and is a casual shooter which was awesome, she had some understanding of where I was coming from.

First thing she told me is that for practical purposes, shooting outside, any of the above choices offered about the same level of protection and that I could safely buy based on style or comfort. She said that when shooting inside, none of them offered adequate protection and I should double up with foamies. She also told me that properly inserted the in-ear was equal to but no better than over the ear, but that most people didn't insert in-ear deep enough in the canal. She said I could do no better than properly inserted foamies, not counting being able to hear other sounds by using electronics.

The benefit to customs was that you have no choice but to properly insert them, they are either in or not.

The only problem with the Westones were that they eat hearing-aid batteries, she said I'd probably only get a week or so before I'd have to change. Not a huge amount of $, but still a pain (in my mind at least) to keep up with.

Based on this I ended up with ComTacs, which I like and see as an improvement over the Tactical Sports.

(A small gripe, I personally hate the word "Tactical" as it's used / overused today, and was surprised at how often Peltor managed to use the word in their operators manual and literature for the Sports. It probably was a small part of why I went with the ComTacs, even at a substantial increase in price).

 

[M8541Reaper]

I’ll echo some others here and put another vote down for the MSA Sordins (Supreme Pro X behind the head soft style) with gel cups. I’ve played around with other over-the-ear styles and find myself liking my Sordins the most.

 

[plt228]

I’ve been looking at the 3M Peltor EEP-100. They look very similar to the tactical version but are around $140 instead of $300+

 

[wolf13]

First thing she told me is that for practical purposes, shooting outside, any of the above choices offered about the same level of protection and that I could safely buy based on style or comfort. She said that when shooting inside, none of them offered adequate protection and I should double up with foamies. She also told me that properly inserted the in-ear was equal to but no better than over the ear, but that most people didn't insert in-ear deep enough in the canal. She said I could do no better than properly inserted foamies, not counting being able to hear other sounds by using electronics.

The benefit to customs was that you have no choice but to properly insert them, they are either in or not.

I went to an audiologist after a few too many concerts. I ended up with filtered Westones that were custom fitted for this exact reason. No thinking about it, just put them in.

Now I'm looking at another set of filtered plugs meant for shooting from EAR Inc. The convenience of custom molded ones is worth the price to me.

 

[kriller134]

I just got the Msa supreme pro x with gel cups. The sound quality is nice, but I found them to be a little tight around the ears. I feel that my peltor tac 100 with noisefighter gel cups more comfortable. Maybe I need to break the msa in more?

 

[Mooncake]

I'm wanting to go custom in-ear but I'm hesitant. I had an ENT make me a custom pair of plugs for kayaking back when I was dumb enough to huck myself and they were always uncomfortable. They kept freezing creek water out of my ears but they started to hurt after a while. Can any of you guys with custom jobs comment on all-day comfort?

 

[wolf13]

I'm wanting to go custom in-ear but I'm hesitant. I had an ENT make me a custom pair of plugs for kayaking back when I was dumb enough to huck myself and they were always uncomfortable. They kept freezing creek water out of my ears but they started to hurt after a while. Can any of you guys with custom jobs comment on all-day comfort?

They never hurt, I just don't love things in my ears in general, headphones included... Mine are far more comfortable than typical in ear headphones. That said I do not spend 8+ hours with them in the entire time. I'll wear them for 2.5-3+ hours at a time then take them out for a few minutes.

 

[Dobermann]

For in-ear, I've had good experiences with Decibullz ('Custom Moulded Percussive Shooting Filters' model): https://www.decibullz.com/custom-molded-percussive-shooting-filters/

They're only $75, are battery-free, and have some kind of hard rubber-type material that you simply put in hot water, and then mould to the shape of your own ear. They supply different kinds of in-ear tips, such as foam or flanged, and in different sizes, so you can also choose what feels best and fits best.

I don't know if they still do it, but they also provided a second set of moulds in the box, so you always have a spare set.

Because you mould them to your own ear, they won't pop out like foamies can.

For electronic ear muffs, like many here, I started with the Howard Leights, and then went to the new-ish Peltor Sport Tactical 500s: https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company...Protector-1-Pack/?N=5002385+3291204148&rt=rud

These are more comfortable, seem to have a faster 'response' time than the Leights, and are much better at picking up low-level sounds.

These two work well for doubling up, and give a lot of options: Decibullz for pistol, hunting, and more active range work; the Peltor 500s for bench and prone (they're more low-pro that some other electronic muffs, but don't have the lower cutaway that the Comtacs do); and doubled up for when needed.

 

[RS14]

Howard Leight with the noise fighter gel cups. You won’t find anything close in the same price range

 

[flyfisher117]

My sordins finally died after 10 plus years.
For an over ear I felt they were the best with gel cups.
I've seen a few other newer kinds/models being used as well as inner ear options.
Let's hear what you use and price range on newer models and styles.
Looking for options in the 250-500 dollar rangeish.

R

Any reason you arent getting another pair of Sordins? Or just kicking tires to see what is out there? I have been eyeballing a pair of sordins because I am noticing more ringing in my ears.. at the same time that money could go to a suppressor.. lol

Currently using Howard Leight Impact Sport with Noise Fighter Gel ear cups. I feel like I am not getting a good seal around my ears because even after just shooting pistol my ears ring a little.. I have been trying a bunch of the smaller inner ear options but they irritate me after much more than 20 min.

 

[Rthur]

Any reason you arent getting another pair of Sordins? Or just kicking tires to see what is out there? I have been eyeballing a pair of sordins because I am noticing more ringing in my ears.. at the same time that money could go to a suppressor.. lol

Currently using Howard Leight Impact Sport with Noise Fighter Gel ear cups. I feel like I am not getting a good seal around my ears because even after just shooting pistol my ears ring a little.. I have been trying a bunch of the smaller inner ear options but they irritate me after much more than 20 min.

Have a few pairs of howards with gel cups as loaners.
Not even close in fit/sound suppression with sordins/gel cups.
Kicking the tires as much advancement has happened in the ear pro area.
First saw the inner ear on Rob01 and Tony/Nomad a bit back.
Those they use are great but in the top tier price wise.
Have been getting mixed reviews on the more bargain versions of inner ear.

R

 

[alicea8541]

Etymotic GSp15 pro’s with aftermarket foam tips have been the absolute bee’s knees. I can be around braked rifles all day without discomfort and I can still hear all of the range commands and impacts easily. If you put plain old muffs over them, the world goes truly silent. I can’t double up with them at a match or I’ll miss range commands.
The only downside so far is the batteries. They don’t last even if the devices are “turned off”. They’re cheap and plentiful tho.

GSP-15s are never off once you put a battery in them. They are either in normal mode, or amplify mode. Once you pop the tab off a zinc air battery, that battery is cooking. It's gonna die in 9-15 days no matter what.

 

[E-Tool]

I just use the cheap Howard Leight impact with a little added insulation. They're OK and they'll get you by until you find some fancy ones. The only inner ears I've used are elvex foamies from work!

These are the nicest I have, with aftermarket gel cups (built for eyepro) they are amazing. They do buzz around electrcal wires and I think I was DFing the ISS one day (seriously).

They are good, I’d live to have some
Ops Core Amp but i’d rather buy ammo than earpro. When I don’t use the howard leights, I go for surefire for comfort or foamies for hearing protection.

 

[flyfisher117]

Have a few pairs of howards with gel cups as loaners.
Not even close in fit/sound suppression with sordins/gel cups.
Kicking the tires as much advancement has happened in the ear pro area.
First saw the inner ear on Rob01 and Tony/Nomad a bit back.
Those they use are great but in the top tier price wise.
Have been getting mixed reviews on the more bargain versions of inner ear.

R

Awesome thanks I may need to get myself a pair of the Sordins. Did you run the behind or over the head version? I dont wear helmets so I probably don't need the behind the head but I always like to ask.

 

[Rthur]

Awesome thanks I may need to get myself a pair of the Sordins. Did you run the behind or over the head version? I dont wear helmets so I probably don't need the behind the head but I always like to ask.

I had the over head.

R

 

[E-Tool]

Over the head unless you wear an ACH/low cut ballistic helmet, or hard hat. Over the head works well for baseballs caps and covid masks.

 

[BCMulx]

I'm using Soundgear Platinum custom fitted by an Ear-doc. Fit is fantastic, great on the skeet / trap ranges. I still double up and wear over-the-ear when shooting my braked 300WM though. Braked rifle can be ~165DB, all of these ear plugs have about a 25 NRR, maybe into the 30's if you research iPIL (or whatever it's called) so still getting potentially 140DB with Ear Pro in. That's not sufficient in my mind for extensive use, you only get one set of ears.

Audio is great for range shooting, although, not sure about a hunting scenario. I want to try it out in the woods but can't see myself getting used to it, sound is good, but still not 100% natural.

 

[moaorbust]

I just bought some Walker Razor Slims and they have been very nice so far. I tried the Decibullz but never could get the darn things to mold right.

 

[WillHugh]

I picked up a set of Peltor Comtacs (the ones without all the coms stuff). Wasnt sure if I could justify the cost, but after having them I'd never go back. Audio quality is great, gel cups and band are comfortable, scalop cutout works well with a stock, and they're nearly indestructible. What's not to love. Plus your hearing is irreplaceable.

- W

 

[Dgucci]

Has anyone tried the noisefighters sightlines gel cups? I’ve been happy with the Peltor Tactical Sports but I have to be careful with glasses selection. They can be uncomfortable with thicker arms.

 

[siscoe308]

I’m reanimating this thread.

I’ve ran & been very satisfied with a pair of Peltor tac 100’s. But I’m curious if the added cost of the peltor tac 300, 500 or even up to the defender line is worth the investment.

My shooting is mostly supressed. But I routinely shot indoors on a live range. I always have a set of foamier to double up if the dude on the next lane in ripping a braked rifle.
P.s. I have zero interest in comms capability.

 

[Chief_Rick]

I've been waffling on whether to buy the Otto NoizeBarrier Micro's. I don't mind spending money on a quality product (buy once/cry one) but I expect something in that price range to last more than a year or two.

 

[alicea8541]

I've been waffling on whether to buy the Otto NoizeBarrier Micro's. I don't mind spending money on a quality product (buy once/cry one) but I expect something in that price range to last more than a year or two.

I've had mine going on 2 years.

 

[CrabsandFootball]

OPS Core > MSA/Comptac

Only 3 worth buying.

SOCOM is swaping out their Sordins for OPS Core right now in many units.

 

[bunsen27]

I’m reanimating this thread.

I’ve ran & been very satisfied with a pair of Peltor tac 100’s. But I’m curious if the added cost of the peltor tac 300, 500 or even up to the defender line is worth the investment.

My shooting is mostly supressed. But I routinely shot indoors on a live range. I always have a set of foamier to double up if the dude on the next lane in ripping a braked rifle.
P.s. I have zero interest in comms capability.

I've always had in ear hearing protection (EAR Inc) but was having problems communicating with shooting buddy's running electronic ear pro; they could easily hear me, but I could barely understand them.

I went out and bought the Peltor Sport Tac 300's and immediately loved them. Over the next year they worked awesome and still do. However, I really can't stand the clipping noise gate. I started looking into compression and decided to give the Comtac V's a go. I'm only about a month in, but VERY happy with them so far. I have not had to use it yet but they have a specific mode for when you double up with foamies.

 

[Not a Sniper]

I’m reanimating this thread.

I’ve ran & been very satisfied with a pair of Peltor tac 100’s. But I’m curious if the added cost of the peltor tac 300, 500 or even up to the defender line is worth the investment.

My shooting is mostly supressed. But I routinely shot indoors on a live range. I always have a set of foamier to double up if the dude on the next lane in ripping a braked rifle.
P.s. I have zero interest in comms capability.

I've got the Peltor 500's and they are pretty nice. If you are not worried about the comms-likely not worth the extra bucks.

I've had no complaints with these though.