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Electronic hearing protection


kdiver58

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G-man, you mention the gel insert for the Sordins. Is it beneficial? The only thing stopping the Sordins from being perfect for me is that they push my glasses into the side of my head, which hurts after a few hours. I imagine they could also seal around my glasses better...

Do the gel inserts help with that?

Yeah, they definitely are more comfortable with the gel seals. I think they do a better job of sealing around glasses than most foam style seals, but never really thought about it. R,

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I've got them and the gels, and my glasses still hurt after a long day at the range. Whether I wear Rudy's or Sunbusters or Wiley...makes no difference.

I still cannot decide which electronic ear muff to get. I am willing to get expensive ear muffs because my hearing is vital. The choices that I am considering is the MSA Sordins, Pro Ears, and the Peltors. Which one do you like best?

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I have the MSA Sordin Pro and the Peltor SportTac, and can't really tell the difference between the two of them, save the Peltors fit my head and ears better. MSA fits the ears nice but I can't get the plastic head band to hug the same way my SportTacs do.

I have a gap between the side of my head and the headband of the MSA, but the Peltors have no gap. I like that.

Gels for both (they are nice) but both whack me with the glasses over extended periods.

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Jason,

I have tried just about all but the Pro-Ears and I highly recommend the MSA Sordins....they feel good with the gel inserts and just seem to be better than everything else I have tried.

Lee

Lee,

Do they make several different models of the Sordins? If so, which one do you like?

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I have the Peltor tac 6S muffs and really like them. They seal really tite but do cause soar spots with glasses after a few hours. I would like to try the behind the neck set to see if they're alittle more comfortable.

Scott

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Jason,

I have tried just about all but the Pro-Ears and I highly recommend the MSA Sordins....they feel good with the gel inserts and just seem to be better than everything else I have tried.

Lee

Lee,

Do they make several different models of the Sordins? If so, which one do you like?

Yes, they make several...I got the MSA Sordin Supreme Pro-X's with the gel inserts. Wonderful.....I got them here.

Lee

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Jason,

I have tried just about all but the Pro-Ears and I highly recommend the MSA Sordins....they feel good with the gel inserts and just seem to be better than everything else I have tried.

Lee

Lee,

Do they make several different models of the Sordins? If so, which one do you like?

Yes, they make several...I got the MSA Sordin Supreme Pro-X's with the gel inserts. Wonderful.....I got them here.

Lee

Thanks Lee,

Looks like I am going to get these ear muffs with the gel inserts. :cheers:

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I had a chance to try out the MSA Sordins at 2 matches this weekend to compare them to my new Pro Ears ProMags. I'll come straight to the point - I sent my Pro Ears back, and ordered a pair of MSA Sordins. Here's why:

  1. Sound Deadening - Surprisingly, the MSA Sordins did a much better job deadening the blast of all the Open guns my squad mates were shooting. (I'm an RO, so even though I don't shoot Open, I have to stand right next to Open shooters all afternoon, which requires some seriously good ear protection.) Even though the specs say 18 NRR on the MSA Sordins, vs 33 NRR on the ProMags, the reality was that the MSA Sordins did a much better job deadening muzzle blasts. (The guy I was swapping back and forth with reported the same impression.) Being that the ProMag is supposed to be the "quietest" of all the ProEars models, I decided not to even bother trying the other models.
  2. Fit - I've noticed that pretty much every pair of electronic ear muffs that I've worn don't have a big enough ear cavity to fit comfortably all day like my passive Peltors (or probably most any passive muffs). I thought the larger models like the ProMags would have a little more space than their slimmer model equivalents, but they're the same as all the others. The MSA Sordins, which are a MUCH slimmer profile than the ProMags, actually have about the same amount of room, if not more. They were as comfortable around my ears as any electronic muff I've ever worn.
  3. Size/Weight - The Pro Ears ProMags were too big. I shot a tight stage this weekend with 2 cooper tunnels, and every time I did a walk-through, I was whacking them into something or other... I think any set of muffs this big are potentially an issue for practical shooting. It's also worth noting that the ProMags were quite heavy... Pro Ears does offer a slimmer/lighter version of the ProMag (ProSlim), as well as a couple of other slim models (Predator, Sporting Clay/Stalker), so if that were the only issue, I would have just exchanged for another ProEars model.
  4. Sound/Amplification Quality - Advantage definitely went to the DLSC compression and 1.5ms attack time of the Pro Ears here... but the compression of the MSA Sordins seemed good enough to be happy with. (I'm not sure of the MSA Sordin attack time specs, but the Pro Ears were noticeably smoother in reproducing speech while deadening muzzle blasts.) My concern in this area is that I've heard that sometimes the headaches that shooters get after a day on the range are at least partially due to the brain struggling to make sense of poorly amplified sounds all day long... kind of the auditory equivalent of looking through cloudy sunglasses all day. Hopefully the MSA Sordins will be good enough to keep this from happening like it did on my Peltor electronic muffs.
  5. Other Factors - In favor of the MSA Sordins, I like the fact that they're waterproof, and also that the control switches are buttons rather than dials that stick out (which tend to get bumped and turn on and drain the battery). Not to mention the cost - I found the MSA Sordins on eBay, new-in-the-box, from a reputable store for about $100 less than the ProEars. (CSUK I think it was. Spoke to the shop owner, Robert Brown - heck of a nice guy.)

Anyway, my MSA Sordins should arrive tomorrow, so hopefully they won't disappoint!

X,

did you get the Supreme Pro X?

P.S.

How can I find Robert on Ebay to order a pair of Sordins?

Edited by jkatz44
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I have the MSA Sordin Pro and the Peltor SportTac, and can't really tell the difference between the two of them, save the Peltors fit my head and ears better. MSA fits the ears nice but I can't get the plastic head band to hug the same way my SportTacs do.

I have a gap between the side of my head and the headband of the MSA, but the Peltors have no gap. I like that.

Gels for both (they are nice) but both whack me with the glasses over extended periods.

Where did you find gel seals for the Peltors? R,

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I have the MSA Sordin Pro and the Peltor SportTac, and can't really tell the difference between the two of them, save the Peltors fit my head and ears better. MSA fits the ears nice but I can't get the plastic head band to hug the same way my SportTacs do.

I have a gap between the side of my head and the headband of the MSA, but the Peltors have no gap. I like that.

Gels for both (they are nice) but both whack me with the glasses over extended periods.

Where did you find gel seals for the Peltors? R,

G-Man,

Here ya go....

http://www.letargets.com/estylez_item.aspx?item=HY80

http://www.ishot-inc.com/store2/product_in...;products_id=42

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I have the Peltor tac 6S muffs and really like them. They seal really tite but do cause soar spots with glasses after a few hours. I would like to try the behind the neck set to see if they're alittle more comfortable.

Scott

I tried behind the neck peltors and they hurt my ears after about an hour. The muffs sag down and the weight of the muffs rests on the tops of your ears.

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For almost any set of muffs you can simply order David Clark Gel Seals and just glue them to your existing muffs.

They run about $20 and being designed for long term flight use, are quite a bit higher quality than other seals I have seen.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Ok,

Set of MSA Sordin Supreme Pro-x's have arrived and been tested......I have to say....they are awesome, seems to be same/similar sound attentuation to gunfire as my NR33 rated Howard leightening non electronic muffs, but I can hear as well.....I can also now have some low volume music in the background as I train...fantastic!!...plus I swear if you turn up the volume you could listen to people in the next room!

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  • 3 weeks later...

If anyone has a pair of older used Dillon HP1 muffs (in black) they want to sell, please let me know. I brought mine to Russia 7 years ago on a trip, and was shooting with some Russian military personnel... they liked them so much that I *had* to gift them off to one of the officers. I know there are a lot better and newer muffs out there these days, but I really want to re-acquire this particular set. Please let me know! Thanks for all the great info on the newer brands and models also.

-C

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  • 2 weeks later...

This thread is very helpful as I have a cheap pair of electronic muffs right now (single ear amp only). I think they were $60 at cabelas...

I have started shooting twice a week and often run the timer for practices and my muffs simply aren't cutting it any longer. I find I can't hear voices real well through the electronics and the open guns are not being attenuated well enough.

I will see if I can pull of ordering the MSA Supremem pro-x, but is there a good alternative in the $125 - $150 price range?

thanks,

Allen

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I have some Howard Leight's I have been using for 4 months now, and do a very nice job. I am sure the Sordins are nicer, but you pay more. I am satisfied with the HL's, and would recommend they to people who don't want to spend 2-3 hundred dollars.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp;jsessionid=SRDXRW2GGASSDLAQBBKCCOFMCAEFKIWE?id=0044358228573a&type=product&cmCat=froogle&cm_ven=data_feed&cm_cat=froogle&cm_pla=1240605&cm_ite=0044358228573a&_requestid=151835

bt

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OK. After looking around a bunch I just ordered a pair of the Sordin Pro-Xs and gel inserts from Robert at SRS Tactical. He was very helpful and said the order would ship same day.

It is a lot of money, but I only get one set of ears... :-)

Thanks for all the info...

Allen

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Already received my Sordins from across the country and I can't wait to try them at the range!

I can't seem to get the standard "pads" off so I can install the Gel ones. Is it simply a "brute force and violence" type thing or am I missing something obvious?

Thanks,

Allen

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  • 4 weeks later...

Already received my Sordins from across the country and I can't wait to try them at the range!

I can't seem to get the standard "pads" off so I can install the Gel ones. Is it simply a "brute force and violence" type thing or am I missing something obvious?

Thanks,

Allen

Wondering how you made out with those gel pads...

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I'm thinking about getting the Pro Ears Sporting Clay Gold NRR 25.

Anyone try these?

They are not as big as the full size Pro-Ears Golds and they have the cutouts so I can shoot rifle and shotgun without hitting on the stock.

Sounds like the best of both worlds.

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Already received my Sordins from across the country and I can't wait to try them at the range!

I can't seem to get the standard "pads" off so I can install the Gel ones. Is it simply a "brute force and violence" type thing or am I missing something obvious?

Thanks,

Allen

Wondering how you made out with those gel pads...

I am ashamed to say that I haven't even tried after the initial attempts. :blush:

Do you know the secret way to get the standard ones off?

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