I'm wanting to up grade my electronic ear muffs and I'm looking at Proears Gold series. My hearing is so bad that I have to use electronic muffs because with plugs or regular muffs I can't hear it thunder. The Proears have more amplification and quicker response time than others I have looked at. They are a little pricey so I was wondering if anyone has experience with them.
Thanks in advance for any and all input. Dan

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Old Age Ain't For Sissies

I have a number of electronic muffs but the ones I use are the Pro Ears. The others are for my guests at the range.

The Pro Ears are worth the extra money. They are more comfortable and pick up sounds better. They also have a fast response to loud noises like when the gun fires.

They make it easier to hear range commands from the RM when they call a cease fire and I can still talk to my friend while shooting and understand what he is saying.

Wife and I each have Pro Ears. Love them.

I used Proears electric muffs for years..........batteries never lasted very long. My wife works for Home Depot, she gave me a pair or Ryobi electric ears. They are better than anything I ever used before and cost around $60. Plus, the batteries can be recharged and they come with a charging unit. Response time is immediate, amplification is great as is loud sound reduction.

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Keep Shootin' and check 6

Can anyone give me an idea as to how many hours a set of batteries last?

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Old Age Ain't For Sissies

I concur on pro ear battery life, it is short, but I don't recall how long they last.

Just a word on electronic ear muffs...........

Yea they do work well when voices need to be heard. That said, they do NOT offer the level of protection of standard ear muffs and plugs do. Just saying.....

Howard Leight MAX ear plugs are rated at 33 dB NRR

Many standard ear muffs are rated to 30 - 32 dB NRR

AFAIK the best electronic muffs are rated to 28 dB and most to 26 dB or less. Please correct me if I am wrong here.

I use BOTH the 33dB plugs in conjunction with the 30 dB muffs to preserve what ever hearing I've still got.

While I am not an ENT Dr. I do know NOW that hearing loss is like death from 1,000 cuts. A little at a time is really not too noticeable until one day your wife keeps telling you to get a hearing aid! Been there - done that!

IMHO one should wear the BEST ear protection they can and forego the fancy stuff. Just my opinion and YMMV, but REMEMBER...... once your hearing is gone it isn't coming back!!!

I use the Axil M-4 ear muffs. I like them.

Thanks to all who replied to my question. I want to say that I totally agree that standard muffs are better than electronic and muffs over plugs is the best way to go. Back years ago I shot a lot of NRA hunter pistol silhouette and any time I went to the firing line I had plugs and muffs. Now days with just standard muffs on I can't hear range commands or have a conversation. That's one of the reasons the vast majority of my shooting is 22 long rifle. The only competition I shoot now is a monthly rimfire steel match and I have to have electronic muffs to shoot that match. Thanks again for all the input I really appreciate it. BTW I have a set of the Pro Ears ordered I hope they will be better than what I've been using. Dan

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Old Age Ain't For Sissies

Remember - guys who preach ear protection are the ones who KNOW!!! UNFORTUNATELY (myself included) they know after the fact.

[QUOTE=Collects;139611221]My ProEars Gold batteries tend to last only one or two two-hour range sessions.

They burn out so fast that, normally I use them as non-electronic ear muffs, with spent batteries doing nothing.

Funny, I've been using the same set of batteries for 6 months without having to change them. When I use my Pro Ears I have them on for approximately 4 hours at a time, two to three days a week.

Az
What brand batteries do you use.

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Old Age Ain't For Sissies

Walker Razor seem to be about the best for me nowadays. I used foam plugs under them and turn the volume up to maximum. That allows me to hear range officers, but still the muffs pinch the sharp report and the plugs do the rest.

I went through a number of electronic ear muffs, didn't care for the way most of them clipped off all sound when a shot was fired. The Pro Ears Gold were the best. I used them for a couple of years until I has some Sound Gear, in the ear, custom hearing protection fitted, now I can wear them all day at a match and forget that they are in. I will say that if you are getting ear muffs, the Pro Ears are the best. I shoot USPSA Open and they did a great job of quieting down my somewhat loud 9 major open gun.

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Minimize the variables

Energizers. The copper top battery.

I use the Howard Leight by Honeywell Impact Pro Sound Amplification Electronic Earmuff They are rated at 30dB. They are a rare exception. Auto power off in 4 hours FWIW.

It's hard to get a cheek weld on an AR pistol with a buffer tube. Any ideas on muffs?

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Sure you did

I am a casual shooter, Shield 9. I plan to shoot on weekends at the farm occasionally. Is there any reason NOT to get these?

This is the #1 seller on Amazon, $40, Howard Leight (click on the yellow Amazon URL link)

I also own a pair of Pro Ears. As said, they do not lower the sound level as well as non-amplified muffs, but a 26db reduction should be sufficient in most shooting situations, unless indoors at a range with no baffling where everyone is shooting 500 magnums.

I've had no issues with battery life, but I run them at low volume and often will only turn one on. For maximum life, try lithium batteries.

Midway happens to have a special on them right now for around $125.

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So many S&W's, so few funds!!

I have a set of Pro Ears and Peltor. Both work great as far as amplification but the Peltor is better at reducing noise.

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Life Is A Gift. Defend it!

I use that exact model for competition shooting, meaning loud noises are everywhere. They work well, in fact it's the most used by participants. Having said that, after a recent visit to my ENT/audiologist, my hearing sucks. He said to double up with ear plugs. IIRC, those are only rated at 23db, so added plugs are beneficial.

i have an older set of pro-ears as well as a set of walkers....

the battery life of both of these type muff(s) are just fine.

dead batteries??

i'm gonna go with door #2....

...because we get 'range busy' and some how in the commotion of shooting, fixing targets, adjusting sights & training new shooters...
we always seem to forget to turn the darn things off!

...the batteries are always dead next trip to the range!

bob

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"Onward thru the Fog"

Thank you for sharing your story, James. The fact you use them in competition is quite an endorsement. I will follow your lead.

Can you explain the ear plugs a bit? I see where the foam inserts seem to be popular, but I don't know why that material is used, or perhaps preferred?

I have some ear plugs with soft rubber inserts and cords which I usually use for shooting. These are effective but I wanted something where I can hear others talk.

Should I continue to use my made for shooting ear plugs, or should I purchase the foam units?

I am 61 and I love music. My hearing is vitally important to me and I will follow the recommendations of those with experience.

I've been very happy with the Harbor Freight
$15 (and yes, you can use the 20% coupons
on em) amplified muffs.

They run off two AA batteries, which last a
looooong time, and are easy to change.

Got three pairs. Nice seals, wide comfortable head
band. Everyone who's borrowed em
has vowed they're going to get a set. Only downside
is they are monaural--only one mike, but both sides
have speakers. That counts for hunting use, but works
fine on the range.

I'd post a link, but have incurred moderator wrath
previously.

I use the rubber cone plugs you described, nothing fancy. Foam plugs would work as well, it's just a personal preference. Just plug your ear canal, put on the ear muffs and turn up the volume, you'll hear everyone talking. From being around jets and shooting, which resulted in my hearing loss, that set up works fine for me.

I have Peltor and Walker, as for battery life, they both use the battery's very fast when you put them away still turned on.

I use these for rifle and pistol. I got the slim cup version so I could keep a rifle spotweld, and they work well for that.
However, their noise reduction is so-so, especially if the sound is turned on. I don't think the sensor is fast enough to clip the blast effectively, so most of the time, I use them in switched OFF mode, and even then, wear ear plugs under them. I stay with them because their form lets me shoot the way I like and they fold up very compact to fit in my always too small range bag. Also, I can turn them on easily to converse on the line without having to constantly remove them, and sometimes I wear them to watch TV when my wife complains of my having the volume too loud.

Good to see that so many are using foam plugs under their muffs. There are a couple of reasons why this, IMO, is important:

1) The temples of your safety glasses penetrate the seal of your muffs, so you're not getting the noise reduction you think you are. The NRR rating of muffs is largely a function of how tightly the muff's seal presses against your head; and ....

2) Most people do not inset foam plugs properly, and consequently don't get the noise reduction suggested by the NRR. Read the instructions! Typically, this involves rolling the plug into a thin cylinder, then quickly reaching behind your head with the opposite hand and pulling your ear. This straightens your auditory canal so the plug can be inserted deeply enough.

I didn't order the Howard Leights in time to shoot last weekend so I picked up some $15 electronic ear muffs (made in China) from Harbor Freight. BIG mistake. (stock photo)
Noise Canceling Electronic Ear Muffs



These things were complete junk. My buddy had the Howard Leights so we compared. On the Harbor Freight the wiring was minuscule (I've never seen wire so tiny!)

The biggest problem IMO is the plastic was thin and cheap. You can see by the photo they are translucent. The cheap vinyl pads didn't matter because the sound was transmitted directly through the plastic as if it wasn't there. They used open foam and I'm sure tissue paper is thicker. These simply didn't work!

I started out by wearing them away from the other shooters so I could test them without risking my hearing. It was too loud no matter what, they just didn't work to damp sound.

I quoted your post Mr. 16thVACav because I followed your advice and took backup ear plugs. I had foam ear plugs and I used some other ear plugs I had, in addition to the non-effective electronic muffs.

Your advice saved my hearing, I am very sure of that.

Thank you.

-Dave