View Full Version : Surefire hearing protection
Anybody know about the new Surefire hearing protection? I heard about them the other day and that they worked very well. Kind of like Peltors but hearing aid size. Before I contacted Surefire directly I wanted to check with you guys. Thanks.
The Reaper
11-21-2005, 09:15
Anybody know about the new Surefire hearing protection? I heard about them the other day and that they worked very well. Kind of like Peltors but hearing aid size. Before I contacted Surefire directly I wanted to check with you guys. Thanks.
I have a set and they work pretty well up to a point. After that you really need double ear pro. You can easily have a conversation while around loud noises without losing too much. The zinc-air batteries definitely have to be changed periodically. Some versions of them can also accomodate sound tube or electronic secondary inputs. There is a custom molded set and a generic set that uses foam covers.
They also make a passive set that blocks loud noises while permitting most low level sound to come through. Not perfect, but better than a set of normal ear plugs.
TR
Peregrino
11-21-2005, 09:59
TR and I use a set of the Gen II hearing protectors. According to the brief we got when we were fitted, they use analog audio compression to control decible spikes above 80(+/-) db. They look like old fashioned hearing protectors and require a custom molded ear piece. So far, I'm very happy with them. What you are describing is the Gen III version (major product improvement and digital too!). If I survive long enought to coax a set of them, I'll post a review. All of them also work like hearing aids/"Hunter's Ears", amplifying small sounds around the wearer. Because of the audio compression technology you still hear the "bang", it's just limited to about 80 db. As a result, they sound "louder" than anything you may have experienced previously. Peltors (and other similar electronic muffs I know of) work by "clipping" - they quit passing the sound through (turn-off) whenever the spike exceeds the set point. Unlike the SureFires, this can make conversation less "optimal." I find I prefer the SureFires.
I gave some samples of the passive hearing protectors to interested parties and have recieved positive reviews of them too. (One of my brothers has a pair in the sandbox - I'll try debriefing him when he gets home.) They seem to work well in continuous use in areas where occasional loud noises might be encountered unexpectedly (gunfights) without degrading hearing acuity below a personally acceptable threshold. I have loaned sets on rifle ranges during matches and gotten good reviews - though most people think they're a "little loud." They don't deaden anything (like the foam plugs do), you can still carry on conversations without suffering hearing damage from gunfire, and they're (relatively) cheap. Unfortunately they are designed to block impulse noise so they aren't ideal in high ambient noise environments. Hope this adds something useful to TR's comments. FWIW - Peregrino
Team Sergeant
11-21-2005, 10:25
I've tried many types of hearing protection over twenty years and unless I'm dropping motars, firing anti-tank weapons or breaching with demo I wear these......
when I was involved with the above listed activities I wore these ear plugs "and" ear muffs. (Which will explain my above average hearing when I retired from 20 years in Combat Arms.)
While you all are on the subject, is this one any good?
www.walkersgameear.com/tacticalear.asp