I bought these for my wife. I was originally going to get her a pair of Peltor Tactical 6s electronic earmuffs because I had ALWAYS heard high praise for them--and I use a pair of Tac 7s myself, which I'll never give up--but then I read some of the negative reviews on the Amazon product page (I wonder how many are schills?). So based on the negative Amazon reviews and the meager NRR 19, I opted to pass on the 6s. I'm not sure how I stumbled onto these Howard Leight earmuffs, but they looked good on paper and the reviews were mostly positive, and I'm very familiar with, and confident in, the Howard Leight name, so I figured why not?
Before buying these, my wife had been previously using the Howard Leight Leightning-31 earmuffs (non-electronic, NRR 31), so I was _really_ worried about the drop in NRR with her. We went to an indoor range yesterday and shot a .40SW pistol (the .40SW has a sharp pressure spike, and hence percussion wave, and being indoors amplifies things, so this was a really good test of the earmuff's effectiveness). After we were done she said that she "likes" these muffs, and "has no problem" with them. They're a keeper! She did have one complaint. She says that they squeeze her head too tightly (not uncomfortably, just a tighter, snugger fit than she's used to) and interfere with her eye protection. We both understand that the tight fit is necessary to seal the ear, so that's not a problem in our minds, but she says she "needs to figure something out" w.r.t. the shooting glasses because that bugs her.
Of course, I tried these muffs out also. I gotta admit, for the price they are pretty darn good. The amplification is above average and you can hear normal conversation easily. They cut out when they should, but the recovery time after a shot is slow (that bothers other people a lot more than it does me). Come to think of it, the power-on time is pretty darn slow, too. Regardless, these muffs are another winner in the Howard Leight product line as far as I'm concerned.
However, whenever a review includes the phrase "for the price", that should raise a flag (IMO); i.e. you gotta look at the big picture as well as the niche. Yes, these are excellent hearing protectors for the price, but overall they're not all that great in comparison to other models on the market. They do their job, though.
Since these are not marketed as "tactical" earmuffs, an LED power indicator would have been nice. My wife will eventually get used to having to turn off her hearing protection, but a power indicator as a reminder wouldn't hurt. On the plus side, these muffs have an automatic shut-off feature to compensate for forgetfulness.
The included instructions are minimal and poorly written. Case in point, they tell you to insert the batteries into the battery compartment, but don't tell you how to open the battery compartment! [Slide the lid vertically toward the headband.] A little common sense goes a long way here.
Bottom line: All babble aside, I'd recommend these earmuffs. Based on my wife's input and my short exposure to them, I think they do an adequate job; and yes, the cost-effective pricing is hard to ignore. Howard Leight R-01526 Impact Sport Electronic Earmuff
Although the product is advertised to suppress noise exceeding an 82db threshold, noise generated by air compressors, lawn mowers, power saws, etc. is NOT effectively suppressed. They do work effectively with impact noise, e.g. hammers, presses, and firearms.
So if you plan to use them on a lawn mower while listening to your ipod or iphone, forget it. It aint gonna happen.
The Howard Leight R-01526 is the perfect fit for a low budget high quality noise reduction solution for ear muffs. It has a nice compact fold-able design which does not put pressure on the foam ear pieces which over time would deform and reduce functionality and fit. The electronics will shut off after 4 hours so if you forget to turn it off after you are done using it, it saves the battery life. In case the batteries do expire, the batteries (2 AAA cells) are easily installed/replaced. The ON/OFF & volume control switch is easily reached with one hand so adjustment is just as easy. There is a 3.5 mm jack port for your MP3 player of choice so you can listen to digital recordings while still protecting your ears as well as being able to hear someone speaking in a normal conversation level around you in a noisy environment. It is easily adjustable for a comfortable fit and it noise reduction rating of 22 dBA makes it more than a match for even some other higher dollar models. It has a low profile so shooting against a rifle butt is not awkward nor clumsy. I would highly recommend this product to someone looking for a high quality, noise reducing electronic ear muff that will not break the bank.
As a hunter, I want to protect my valuable hearing from the muzzle blast noise. I have tried several brands of hearing protectors, and have found these to be the best in terms of overall quality, comfort, effectiveness, and cost.
Pros:
1. The set is lighweight and they are comfortable to wear all day long without making one's ears sore.
2. The sound suppression is reliable and efficient. The blast of a rifle or shotgun is muffled to the extent that it is barely audible.
3. The volume can be turned up to actually hear better than "normal" hearing. The sounds amplified are those typically made by animals rustling in the leaves, grass, or the crackling of sticks and brush.
4. They run on two 3A batteries included with the set. The batteries will easily last 2 or more days even with continuous use.
5. The muffs have a plug-in for exterior radio, MP3 players, etc.
6. The muffs fold up into a compact size that can fit into a large coat pocket if necessary.
7. Compared to other much more expensive "name" brands, these muffs cost much less, are more reliable, and produce quality hearing and loud noise reduction.
8. Best of all, one can actually tell where a sound is coming from when wearing these muffs! Other brands claim this feature, but this brand actually makes it a reality.
Cons:
There really are no cons to this muff set. The only disadvantage (and this is common to all muffs), is that one will bump "clunk" into the stock of a firearm when shouldering aiming. If you know beforehand it is coming, the "clunk" can be minimized.
I would not hunt or shoot without these muffs. I have tried much more expensive brands (Walkers), and some "in the ear" models, but these are the best I have experienced. I consider these muffs the best on the market.
konedog'
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