Electronic ear muffs - upgrade from Howard Leight?

[fwafwow]

I've been using the Howard Leight Impact Sports ear muffs but I'm interested in alternatives. I like them for bird hunting (other than the inevitable irritation/annoyance from too many hours of wear), but I'm not a huge fan of wearing them (at least constantly) for deer hunting. With respect to deer hunting, the ability to hear more can be helpful initially, but it is eventually overwhelming, and the sensation of complete quiet is a joy when I remove them. Is this just the nature of active noise reduction, or is there something better? In a dream world I'd imagine something that amplifies what I want to hear (deer walking), but not what I don't want to hear (distant trains, and especially not squirrels pretending to be deer). Or I can just continue the awkward approach of trying to put them on at the last minute.

1. Does anyone use another muff they prefer? Quick research lead me to MSA Sordin Supreme Pro X and Peltor Comtac III, for significantly more money. (BTW I'm almost 50 and have some minor but permanent hearing loss.)

2. I did consider the Walker Game Ear and other similar in-the-ear plugs but it's my understanding that the muffs provide better protection against bone conduction hearing loss.

Any input would be most appreciated.

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[Tod osier]

I don’t want to state the obvious, but turn them down to ambient levels to get the piece and quiet. I know what you are talking about with the sound up and it puts me on edge on dry noisy days Or hunting next so someone who rustles around a lot (my son ). i knock the volume down just a bit from max when I’m getting too much. I don’t want to make a suggestion like you are an idiot, but I (a confirmed idiot at this point) went years not completely understanding that having the volume below max was more pleasant.

I have several pairs of impact sports and I’m pretty OK with them. I’m sure there is better, but I haven’t found it. Mine (5 pairs) have been dead reliable And the sound quality very good. The other options in the price range (or even quadruple the price) people seem to have sound or reliability problems.

 

[fwafwow]

I don’t want to state the obvious, but turn them down to ambient levels to get the piece and quiet. I know what you are talking about with the sound up and it puts me on edge on dry noisy days Or hunting next so someone who rustles around a lot (my son ). i knock the volume down just a bit from max when I’m getting too much. I don’t want to make a suggestion like you are an idiot, but I (a confirmed idiot at this point) went years not completely understanding that having the volume below max was more pleasant.

I have several pairs of impact sports and I’m pretty OK with them. I’m sure there is better, but I haven’t found it. Mine (5 pairs) have been dead reliable And the sound quality very good. The other options in the price range (or even quadruple the price) people seem to have sound or reliability problems.

Lmao - never hurts to state the obvious, and although my wife would swear that I'm an idiot (she's right), I have tried the lower volume. Even if the ANR is what it is, I'd consider something else even if it just provided better decibel reduction.

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[Tod osier]

Lmao - never hurts to state the obvious, and although my wife would swear that I'm an idiot (she's right), I have tried the lower volume. Even if the ANR is what it is, I'd consider something else even if it just provided better decibel reduction.

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In my understanding you have to WAY up in price to get better sound and I've never investigated that. If you get something you like, let me know. Like vision and optics, good ability to hear enhances the experience.

 

[MattiG]

Decibels are decibels. If a deer is accounting for the same amount of decibels as that train over yonder, there's no sound technology (at least not in an earmuff) that will let you focus on the deer. Now, if you knew approximately where the deer was and had some sort of prohibitively large and unwieldy directional mic system, you might be able to pick and choose a bit more, but that assumes the train isn't in the same direction as the deer. Even then, you're still going to hear the train as the sound waves reverberate off the physical environment. But I digress... That's not practical.

Long story short, while there may be options with superior sonic clarity, it won't have a dial that lets you turn off the sounds you don't want to hear.

Sidenote, I used my Leights this weekend and heard a doe circling around the back of my tree stand, coming up through the woods beside me and popping out right when I expected 80 yards ahead. The earmuffs definitely helped me get ready, and tremendously enhanced the anticipation (like dropping fishing gear down on what look like perfect marks on the fish finder). Caveat: it took me some practice to be confident that was a big ungulate as opposed to a squirrel.

Anyway, I just turn em off if I start to feel sensory overload. I actually like to use them over my thin knit hat (the same cheap orange one that every sporting goods store rebrands). I find that helps with the sensory overload while still providing amplification benefits. Plenty of attenuation, even with my muzzle brake.

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[Tod osier]

Decibels are decibels. If a deer is accounting for the same amount of decibels as that train over yonder, there's no sound technology (at least not in an earmuff) that will let you focus on the deer. Now, if you knew approximately where the deer was and had some sort of prohibitively large and unwieldy directional mic system, you might be able to pick and choose a bit more, but that assumes the train isn't in the same direction as the deer. Even then, you're still going to hear the train as the sound waves reverberate off the physical environment. But I digress... That's not practical.

Long story short, while there may be options with superior sonic clarity, it won't have a dial that lets you turn off the sounds you don't want to hear.

Sidenote, I used my Leights this weekend and heard a doe circling around the back of my tree stand, coming up through the woods beside me and popping out right when I expected 80 yards ahead. The earmuffs definitely helped me get ready, and tremendously enhanced the anticipation (like dropping fishing gear down on what look like perfect marks on the fish finder). Caveat: it took me some practice to be confident that was a big ungulate as opposed to a squirrel.

Anyway, I just turn em off if I start to feel sensory overload. I actually like to use them over my thin knit hat (the same cheap orange one that every sporting goods store rebrands). I find that helps with the sensory overload while still providing amplification benefits. Plenty of attenuation, even with my muzzle brake.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

i have definitely killed animals that I wouldn’t have because of the muffs being cranked up. Mostly turkey, just picking up the footfalls a second or two earlier when they are coming in behind you. It is also not that big of a deal with deer to slip them on before shooting if you are willing to risk taking a shot once in a while without if a deer comes in quick. Obviously that isn’t ok with a brake on.

 

[ElPollo]

I totally get your comment about the sound being overwhelming. For three years I've worn a custom pair of SoundGear plugs for bird hunting and big game hunting. I find that I take them out when glassing and only use them when I get close on big game or am still hunting. Most of my usage is bird hunting (1-3 days per week). Wearing them all day hunting quail in the desert with wind and shin oak hitting your gaiters and the sound of your own footfalls takes a toll on you, but it's better than saying huh and what all the time or listening to the whistles even more than I have now. You do get used to it.

As for plugs vs muffs, all the better ones should have a dB reduction rating in the specs. Good plugs will have similar ratings to muffs. Plugs are just easier to deal with for me. They don't get in the way. You don't knock them loose with your stock when shooting prone and ring your ears. I prefer them for field, but will use muffs or even muffs and plugs together for range work.

My SoundGear plugs were pricey, but I consider them to be one of the best investments in hunting gear that I've made. Through an audiologist, they were about half the cost that the SoundGear website quotes. Three years in and they are still going strong. I might be tired and overwhelmed at the end of the day, but I can hear scalies calling when hunting, I can hear my dogs, and I can sleep at night.

 

[Trevor73402]

I shoot and hunt religiously in a pair of MSA Sordins Supremes with the gel cups. I prefer them for hunting. I just lower the volume to an acceptable level. The only thing that can get you sometimes is the wind noise.

 

[Low_Sky]

My MSA Sordin Supreme Pro-X's w/gel cups have been going strong for 9 years. Don't wear them hunting for weight reasons, but any time I am target shooting they are in use (with foam plugs). Love 'em.