Design Overview
As suggested by its product name, this set of shooting earmuffs goes a little bit against convention in terms of its design. While this model range offers alternative designs which include a hard-hat and a headband model, this particular set of earmuffs was designed with a neckband variation. It all comes down to a matter of styling preference, one would guess, otherwise, the practicality of using neck-banded earmuffs would be to go against traditional design and still maintain effectiveness.Check The Latest Price on Amazon!
Features & Application
In terms of electronic protection for your hearing, it really doesn’t get that much better than these 3M Peltor Tacticals. In action, they very effectively work to amplify and enhance those sounds which you want to hear, while cutting out those sounds which pose a danger to your hearing. This is true for both gun shooting enthusiasts who are exposed to dangerous impulse sounds and workers who are subjected to a noisy industrial environment for prolonged periods of time. So basically, loud gunshots and heavy duty noises are canceled out while “good” noises such as your co-worker or shooting instructor / partner’s voice are not only let through but are amplified where needed.
The amplified sound never goes beyond 82dB however, which is a great internal mechanism to protect your hearing from both internal and external noise. Officially, this brings the Noise Reduction Rating up to 25dB, which is an extremely competitive rating and one which is highly appreciated by someone who enjoys shooting shotguns and pistols.
Part of what makes this one of the best electronic earmuffs is the quality of the integrated ambient sound microphones, one on each earcup, so they easily catch, amplify and deliver sound in the stereo format. This simply means that if a certain “good” sound comes from the left or right, you hear it in real-time as if you weren’t wearing any hearing protection.The unit has a useful auto turn-off function which kicks in if they’ve been idling for any two-hour period, so if none of its functions are operated it’ll turn off to save the batteries. Otherwise, 2 standard AA sized batteries go a very long way to offer a good total battery life of around a thousand hours.
Good Warning System: It’s all about ultimately protecting your hearing with this device and so you don’t need to worry about it losing its protective properties when the battery runs out. This set gives off an alert signal which warns you when the batteries are running low before it turns off completely.
Pros
- Ear cushions are filled with liquid foam, making them very soft and comfortable for prolonged use
- Perhaps the best directional hearing on the market
- A built-in audio input jack means you can extend this device’s capabilities by plugging in a dog tracker, MP3 player or any other audio input device
- Uses easily available standard AA size batteries
- Auto turn-off feature eliminates unnecessary battery power usage
- The neckband design is quite innovative and refreshingly different, offering a different type of comfort and use (there is no headband to get in the way of your guns deployed in demanding shooting positions and using different firearms)
Cons
- You need to buy a Peltor cable patch in order to gain full use of the audio input capabilities (like if you want to plug in a radio or your iPod)
- The power button and the volume controllers are situated on the exact same side, which can get confusing, although the shapes of the buttons differentiate them from each other
- When adjusting the controls, the unit beeps quite loudly and you can’t lower this beep’s volume
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Verdict
All things considered, this a truly great set of protective earmuffs. If you aren’t keen on the neckband design, you have two other options which deliver the same performance of a 25dB NRR, great directional good-sound application and great protection from harmful noises.