Impact Sport Sound Amplification Electronic Earmuff, Green (R - 01526)

I had been searching for a better set of ear protection, wanted something electronic, but did not want to spend a few hundred dollars. Then I found these, and they work great. I have been using them at shooting matches. My older non-electronic hearing protectors were not serving me well. I have a bit of hearing loss, and I have an issue hearing conversation when there is a lot of background noise. At the matches I sometimes had an issue hearing the Range Officers and would sometimes have to lift one side of the hearing protector to hear clearly. Which is a problem because someone on the next stage will be shooting and I get to hear their gunshot at full volume. This set of electronic earmuffs allows me to block out the loud noises (gunshots) while still being able to clearly hear conversation. I can adjust the amplification up or down to the point where I can clearly hear even a whisper at a good distance. This was exactly what I was looking for. I have also tried the audio input connected to my Iphone and was able to block the noise from my lawnmower while I listened to music. That is a very nice feature. The earmuffs fit snugly to my head and offer ample adjustment. They fit my ears a bit more snugly than some of the bigger mickey-mouse type earmuffs. But my ears do lay flat to the side of my head, not like a few of my friends who have ears that stick straight out sideways. Maybe this would be a bit more uncomfortable for them, and they know who I am talking about. ;) I also found another great use for these, listening to TV. You see while I have some hearing loss, if my house is noisy (and with 4 boys it is always noisy) I cannot hear the TV unless I turn it up louder. Which my wife hates. I also have tinnitus, which I just recently found out gets much worse on days when I have sugar. So if I have a soda or ice cream that day, when I get home I need to have the TV turned up louder to overcome the ringing in my ears. Well problem solved, because I can wear these ear muffs and adjust the volume on them so I can clearly hear the TV at a much lower volume. My wife appreciates that feature.

EDIT, 2 years of regular use later: (I'm going to leave my original review below. For the most part, it's still accurate. For potential buyers, I want to include new info that only extended experience could have brought to light) I have other ear pro. One 3M Peltor Tactical (mid-range model, I can't recall model#) and one very inexpensive pair of Champion Electronic ear pro. The Champions work but have issues that keep them being any more than backups or for 'ear-less' people who may need to borrow a set. The Peltors are amazing. The sound is better than the Howard Leight's and I have zero complaints about them. But this is about Howard Leight ear pro. Mine are both my oldest pair of electronic ear pro and the ones I use most often - my 'go-to' ears. They're affordable by anybody at ~$50 (sometimes deals make them cheaper yet). They're effective enough to make them a viable competitor w/ higher-end and more expensive ear pro. I've never felt as though I needed to 'double up' and use earplugs underneath because they didn't offer enough noise reduction. Battery life is good. I use mine 2-3x or more per week, for between 1-3hrs/session and I typically need to replace batts once per month. I've never used the Howard Leight's input 3.5mm jack to play audio or phone into my ear pro. When I'm training/shooting targets, I'm training/shooting targets. Nor am I interested in hearing music while shooting - mostly due to safety. Some people may need to stay connected and may find an input jack to be a positive feature - I'm just not one of those people. Free Americans can decide what's most appropriate for themselves w/o advice from me or anybody else. Let's address the biggest, ugliest problem the HL's have, IMO: They will bring the pain when worn w/ eye pro (100% of the time, for me) and/or for extended periods of time. I can usually feel the headache starting after a half-hour to hour into a session. It's a 'surface' headache for me, personally. I'm assuming it's due to constant pressure from the head band piece, pushing against the ear pro. When I first heard of this issue (prior to experiencing it myself), I kind of chuckled to myself and thought perhaps some people were being sensitive (sissies?)...But I was wrong! It's not horrible, unbearable pain - it is difficult to simply ignore after a time, and it's certainly a distraction that nobody needs on the firing line when training or teaching/learning, or trying to shave fractions of a second from a shot timer. It gets old - quickly. There are gel inserts you can buy to replace the stock setup. They will cost you about 60-75% of the total cost of the Howard Leight's, though, unfortunately. To me, it wasn't even a question: I gladly forkes over the cash and my head/ears have thanked me repeatedly. Last, about durability: Internet 'torture testing' can't account for one factor that is difficult to simulate accurately: Durability and function over time. I've probably used and abused Howard Leight's namesake ear pro more than the majority of the target demographic. I'm not an outlier, a pipe hitter, HSLD, or somebody that purposely abuses my gear. But, I am a guy that spends a whole lot of time down on my personal range, shooting steel and consuming a lot of brass, and my gear gets used quite a bit like I said earlier. HL ear pro hasn't broken or let me down since I bought them in 2016. They aren't affected by sweat. Wires haven't split from folding and opening a zillion times. Single potentiometer/power switch is fine and does not crackle. Like most electronic ear pro, very close proximity to microphones will cause squeeling feedback, but it's not overly loud and doesn't occur in normal use; usually only when a hand, etc. comes very close to mic. They are inexpensive and durable. If and when they eventually do wear out, I will absolutely replace them because they are such a good value. Original review (2016) Incredible deal. Perfectly functional and takes a beating. It's difficult to put a price on your hearing...especially as you get older.

While wearing these I can hear my surroundings clearly except for loud noises which are hugely reduced. They’re kind of magic. Super comfortable, fit well and provide excellent protection. Highly recommended.

Worked great, was able to hear people talk and call out my times in competition without the shots deafening me. Only recommendation is to get the gel ear pads of you're going to wear for any extended time at all.

Hands down the best hearing protection that I’ve ever bought the picture below was taken today they were bought in September 2019. They still have the original battery in them and still at work. I’ve not had any issues with these. I do a lot of shooting they get a lot of wear and tear still in great shape. Can’t say anything about the competitors, but I can’t say these are well and way beyond what you pay for them.

Very good noise cancelling! My ears already have hearing damage so I needed all the protection I could get (foam earplugs underneath) but I bet you’d be fine with just these on. Super comfortable and definitely forget I’m wearing them until I have to take them off. Nice adjustment for big heads like mine or if I’m wearing a hat. Highly recommend grabbing the gel pads and installing for more comfort.

Second one I bought (this one for my wife. Original is still great). Thrilled. Great quality. Super comfortable. The volume control is excellent. It cuts sound in a millisecond. Great design. Multi fit. Love the grey color. Really gain a lot of enjoyment using it.

I was looking for a good electronic affordable ear protection head muffs and one of my friend recommended these. I must say wow! they are just great. - Fit: Initially right out of the box, when I tried to wear them, they felt a bit off to me. Then after some adjustment I felt that they fit me good and decided to take them to the range the next day. I was wearing my ear plugs and the howard Leight on top of it. They are very comfortable and does not create any pressure points which causes pain after wearing it for a long time. - Sound cancellation: They cancel out loud frequencies pretty well. I have to keep the volume control maxed out to hear the conversations because I also wear ear plugs inside my head muffs. That's not a big deal, once I turn these on, I can hear people whispering, I can hear actions clicking :). Its a fun experience when the loud frequencies are cut out and you can still hear range commands and people talking around you very clearly. I love it. - Compactness They are very compact once folded in but I don't do it anymore coz this changes the adjustment of the ear cups that you have done initially. I don't have any issues with space so I just don't fold it. - Music Well I have tried this, I have tried listening to music by connecting my iphone to the jack while I am shooting. It works pretty well but it just gives me an odd feeling :). I want to be attentive of my surroundings when I am shooting rather than listening to music and just being careless.. - price The price is just right and you get much more quality for the price you pay. Its good bang for the buck. - Rifle cheek wield I guess most of us have the concern whether the rifle cheek wield would be good with any ear muffs? Well in case of Howard Leight its not an issue. This is because of their ear cup shape. The bottom part of the cup is thinner as compared to the top part. The bottom part of the cup is shaved off to create this space that helps you wield your rifle butt better to the cheek. I shot around 250 rounds wearing these for over a period of 3+ hours and they were perfect for me. no issues. I highly recommend this to anyone who is looking to get into electronic noise cancellation ear protection. Thanks.