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Looking for personal experience with electronic muffs/plugs


Fireball #7709 Life

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I've had a couple different Walkers plug style.  They didn't seem to be very good at either amplifying ambient sounds(hunting) or noise suppression(gun shots).  Looking for something that would be dual purpose, hunting and on the home range.  I'm not necessarily concerned with "cowboy hat" interference, I use foam plugs for CAS and am happy with those.  leaning towards a muff style, but open to either, just tired of getting something that's all hype...  Anybody using something they really like/rave about?

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I have been using these  for about a year.  They are good and I turn one of them off when on the range, amplifying only one ear.  The reason I do this is because they tend to pull in quite a bit of external sounds.  The ones I used in the past were made by Walker but used a hearing aid battery but have died a ugly death.  The new rechargeable ones seem better.  I use old school muffs for hunting.

 

Walker's Silencer 2.0 Bluetooth Rechargeable Electronic Ear Plugs (NRR 24dB)   Manufacturer #: GWP-SLCR2-BT    UPC #: 888151026410

https://ads.midwayusa.com/product/1022561770?pid=596785&utm_medium=shopping&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Shooting - Ear & Eye Protection&utm_content=596785&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3LmAx-GI_AIVpiWtBh0O-gVbEAQYAyABEgIht_D_BwE

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I use a couple different solutions.  For the range I wear muffs over plugs.  I have both walker and pro ear gold muffs.  I like the pro ear better, but they don’t amplify as loud which makes hearing speech harder.  This setup offers about 45-50 db of protection.  
 

for hunting and sass I use Westone defend ear.   Not sure exactly which modules I have, but they are a single program version.  I have used the two program and really didn’t see any difference and probably would not pay the extra.  Not a cheap solution, but I find they work well provided you don’t need more than the mid 20 db of protection they provide.   I will note I was involved in bringing the product into the states at Westone.  I think my ear PCs are one of the first few sets we made for development.  You can even see my photo in some of the literature.  My wife also has a set and uses them for clays and likes them a lot.

 I would not use them for extended range use with high power rifles or loud handguns like 357 mag.  They simply do not offer enough protection for more than a few shots per day for those guns.  The only solution that offers large round count protection is muffs and plugs.   

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I recently (a few months ago) got a pair of the Walkers Silencers 2.0 Bluetooth ear plugs. I was pleasantly surprised at how well they worked. The charge handles a day of shooting and even thought I normally wear hearing aids (which I have to take out for shooting) the amplification of the Walkers lets me hear conversations and, most important, the timer. I have not used the Bluetooth feature.

 

We'll see how they hold up over time, but for now, I'm pleased.

 

Rev. Chase

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I wear a pair or Walkers over the head muffs with bluetooth.  They are frequently on sale.  There is enough amplification I can hear well without my hearing aids underneath.  I could hear game moving in the brush with them.   I have paired the muffs with my iPhone and that works well.  They use a single AAA battery per muff so I don't need expensive batteries.  I primarily use them when shooting clays or modern action shooting events.

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I have used various kind over the years. I have had very expensive Starkey in the ear (worked great but didn't last), Axil "corded" buds (loved these but didn't last), Walker corded buds, (good but one side died early). I used custom molded plugs from Tego Ear Gear custom made by Tommy (Scarlet's other half) that he incorporated a Walkers Game Ear into one of them. These are the best combo that I have used yet. I have considerable hearing loss and wear hearing aids. If you put a silicone plug in my ear, I might as well be totally deaf. With Tommy's plugs  I can hear range commands, timer and people saying their line when I TO. The plug eliminates the ambient sound and the game ear gives amplification yet eliminates the loud gunfire. 

When I'm not shooting cowboy I use Howard Leight's amplified over the head muffs. 

My 2¢.

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I have been very satisfied with OTTO hearing protection.  No bluetooth, but that is not a priority to me when I am shooting.  The charge last plenty of time, about 6 hours.Quick recharge in the carrying case.

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I have a set of Walkers and the Misses uses Howard Leight.  I don't think either of us are too impressed with the noise reduction of either set on account of the thin ear cups utilized.  We both typically use plugs/foamies underneath the muffs when shooting to help suppress the noise.  We are able to talk to each other even with the combo of ear plugs and muffs, which is nice.  I find that the thinner ear muff cuffs aren't very forgiving when stored in the folded position (the bottom of the cup gets compressed and doesn't have much rebound to properly seal under the ear).  Running a pair of shooting glasses under the ear cups also hinders a great seal.  The best ear muffs for noise reduction are the basic ginormous old school style but aren't very practical when trying to get a good cheek weld on a long gun.  The slim Walkers or HL are a decent compromise with the built in speakers to amplify soft noise, yet still block out a gun shot.

 

My Walkers started out with decent sound from the speaker when connected to my phone, however, it wasn't too long before one speaker sounds pretty scratchy.  A good set of muffs that isn't overly cumbersome probably costs equivalent of a tax stamp - another great way to save your hearing! :D

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Another vote for OTTO. Definitely not cheap but you can tell they aren't and worth every penny. They don't need to charge very much lasts 6hrs plus. Then on top of that the charging station that is the case hardly ever needs charging. In fact I have yet to charge it over a years use.  They have a regular and hyper sensitive mode that is like having super human hearing. I highly recommend for hunting or Cowboy. Buy once cry once. 

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Look for the ones with higher db ratings. Higher decibel readings = less sound transmitted to your ear.

 

You also need choose between electronic protection that shuts down during loud noises or simply reduces the sharp noise to a more manageable level.

 

All buds will be less protective of your hearing than muffs.

 

I used to use foam ear plugs for CAS.

 

I now use Walker rechargeable buds for CAS.

They only last about 2.5 to 3 hours on a charge.

I need to replace the foam tips about twice a shooting season.

 

For IDPA or USPSA I really like a pair of Peltor tactical pro muffs.

But they are no longer available.

 

Two years ago I tried a pair of Howard Leight impact pro muffs.

I like them although they are on the large side. Muffs can interfere with cheek weld on long guns.

I did replace the ear pads with gel pads to make them more comfortable to wear for long periods of time.

 

If you decide on muffs make sure they are stereo.

You will need to decide on whether or not you require separate volume controls for each ear or not.

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Another vote for OTTO Micro NoizeBarriers -- which are designed for those who work in extremely high volume industrial environments yet must be able to hear normal conversation.  AND THEN have custom "sleeves" (the ear plug part) made for them instead of the stock mushroom or foam plugs they come with.  Look up SENSAPHONICS in Illinois and do what they say to do -- they have a nationwide list of authorized audiologists who can properly make the impressions they need to make the sleeves.  SENSAPHONICS makes the hearing protection used by most of the planet's high volume musicians.  The OTTO/SENSAPHONICS combination is completely fantastic.  When you wear them, you forget you are wearing them because you can hear everything but not at dangerous-to-hearing levels.  I've said it before and I'll say it again -- my hearing is worth every penny I spend to protect it.

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On 12/20/2022 at 2:28 PM, Still hand Bill said:

For the range I wear muffs over plugs.  I have both walker and pro ear gold muffs.  I like the pro ear better, but they don’t amplify as loud which makes hearing speech harder.  This setup offers about 45-50 db of protection.  

Sound attenuation by hearing protection is logarithmic, not linear. The cumulative protection isn’t the sum of the two added together. 
 

Putting muffs over plugs gets you anywhere from 4-7 db improvement. It’s still a lot though, however you want to calculate it. 
 

I had a set of Walker plugs that were great, until they weren’t, which was about two years. They’d suppress the shot, but come back online in time to hear the clang (if there was one :rolleyes: ). It took a little time to get used to the amplification of someone spinning their cylinder at the loading table. 

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FB

I had a pair of less expensive electronic muffs with the baffle built in for shooting. Hearing protection was great, but just listening to normal sounds, there was too much grey noise coming through for me to use them hunting. Also I couldn’t tell which direction sounds were coming from. I’d say to definitely try out before purchasing especially if your buying a higher end product. 

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4 hours ago, Ozark Huckleberry said:

Sound attenuation by hearing protection is logarithmic, not linear. The cumulative protection isn’t the sum of the two added together. 
 

Putting muffs over plugs gets you anywhere from 4-7 db improvement. It’s still a lot though, however you want to calculate it. 
 

I had a set of Walker plugs that were great, until they weren’t, which was about two years. They’d suppress the shot, but come back online in time to hear the clang (if there was one :rolleyes: ). It took a little time to get used to the amplification of someone spinning their cylinder at the loading table. 

I realize that, but I have also read the research.   Link below. Plugs with muffs over them can offer up to about 50 db of protection.   At that point bone conduction transmits the sound directly an no further protection is possible.   A good plug is low 30’s and good muffs are 25+ and together they can get to 50 ish.    https://hearingreview.com/hearing-loss/patient-care/evaluation/firearms-and-hearing-protection
I was involved in the ipil testing of the Westone defendears and they are mid 20’s for protection if I remember right.   It’s been almost 10 years ago, so I might be off by a few db.   That is barely enough to get most guns under the 140db threshold for immediate hearing damage.   Not nearly enough to provide full protection for a long day at the range.    In the end it’s your ears and your choice of what you wear.  
When I was at Westone I researched all I could on impulse noise and unfortunately there is not as much as expected.  Back then even getting good data on gun levels was tough as most noise meters are specifically designed to ignore impulse noise.  Now there are meters designed to measure gunshot noise levels.   We even went and did testing with an air cannon to get a better understanding on how our protection performed under impulse conditions.   Note most nrr (not really relevant) ratings are done in quiet and only show how much they block at normal levels.  Also they are usually done under experimenter fit conditions which means the person conducting the experiment makes sure the devices are fit correctly.  When run under user fit conditions, which we did, the results drop.   Foam plugs are notorious for not being fit correctly and offer much less than full protection as stated on the label.  There was a good Australian test that showed they were on average about half (15 instead of 30) protection when users fit them.  At 15 db protection you might get 1 safe shot per day.  
 

sorry for the long response, it’s something I am passionate about and the amount of incorrect information out there is huge.  

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16 hours ago, Still hand Bill said:

I realize that, but I have also read the research.   . . . etc.

No problem with the link, and thanks for the info -- I'd always learned the 'doubling noise is 4-5 db', and IRC OSHA puts that out too, but your article got me to doing some digging around and I found this bit that supports what you posted: Sound Attenuation From Earmuffs and Plugs

 

 

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3 hours ago, Ozark Huckleberry said:

No problem with the link, and thanks for the info -- I'd always learned the 'doubling noise is 4-5 db', and IRC OSHA puts that out too, but your article got me to doing some digging around and I found this bit that supports what you posted: Sound Attenuation From Earmuffs and Plugs

 

 

From a basic level, 3db doubles the energy and 10 db doubles the perceived loudness.   For “safe” dose levels it’s a time and db level below 140.   With the 8 hr standard around 80 db.  140 is generally considered the level of instant damage.  Different standards use different dose levels.  Even with all that each person is different and some people can deal better with noise dose than others.  There are documented cases where exposure below 140 has caused instant damage and others have been exposed to higher levels without a measurable change in hearing.  In the end, wear as much protection as you can and use distance to reduce your exposure.  
 

it also appears that people can tense up a little before a shot which may offer a little extra protection, but I have never found any true testing to verify this.  I did find reference to this in a test conducted on cats as they have the most similar ear physiology to humans.  They drugged the cats so they could not respond to the noise and then measured damage. I have often thought this should be tested on Olympic competitive shooters as they are routinely exposed to high noise dose through training.  

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