Axil XCOR Bluetooth Hearing Protection Earbuds... Are They Any Good?

[@hamiltonwhite7479]

I love the "what is an AirBNB opening".

[@SupremeRuleroftheWorld]

"im not deaf yet" great endorsment 😂

[@KamikazKid]

As a person who is going deaf, my audiologist has told me that when using ear buds to also use over ear protection as well. These do not have sufficient noise dampening.

[@Hawk7886]

I'd need to see more actual data on NRR before I seriously considered these, but they would be nice for motorcycle stuff. I switched to helmet comms just for simplicity but I really miss the protection of real in-ear hardware.

[@firebladeflow]

been there fixed that: rws (ammo manufacturer) makes in ear ear protection, with some kind of impact filters. these puppies (the rubber ) fit right onto most bluetooth in ears!!!! Voila you got 20db dampening in ears. Really nice on high speed long distance stuff. For fun riding way to quiet, cant hear the engine properly.

[@JohnDoe-fk6id]

You might enjoy the SHURE SE215 True Wireless "earbuds". With proper foam tips, they're rated at 37dB NRR. I use the Comply tips, to get more comfort, because I wear them ~8 hours a day, at work. I also added little fuzzems over the mics, to limit popping while riding.

[@Jahoosapheth]

I have been looking for something for the mics. Can you elaborate on fuzzems? What did you use?

[@JohnDoe-fk6id]

@@Jahoosapheth I bought mine on eBay, searching "microphone wind filter sticker" and buying the gomet foam ones.

[@jmr]

How ironic will it be when someone ruins their hearing turning the music up too loud on these?

[@jr416de]

I have an older set of Axils and they have held up well and they have worked well even with my obnoxiously loud .450 Bushmaster and short barreled .556.

[@DeviantOllam]

Nice to know! 👍

[@OneDollarWilliam]

The problem with any sort of wireless buds isn't so much the battery life as the longevity. The size of crystals that form in lithium batteries (and cause them to die) is based on the chemistry of lithium not the size of the battery, so to extend their lifespan as much as possible you want to be running them all the way down when you use them (I'm assuming here that as a responsible manufacturer of electronic products that Axil is doing proper battery management and the buds will cut out around 10% actual SoC). Even with careful management though, they're only going to last a few years, particularly if you're also using them regularly for BT audio. The sensible long term solution would be a neckband form factor (a proper chunky one, not a bit of wire with a wireless bud slapped on each end) with a replaceable battery, but obviously building products to last isn't a viable business strategy in electronics.

[@joeltyler3427]

0:51 The United Guitar incident comes to mind..

[@TTRTIM]

Hey Deviant, could you please test and see how they feel when worn underneath a set of over ear hearing protection? I work with power equipment and like to listen to music underneath my ear protection but haven't found ear buds that are comfortable with a set worn overtop

[@Martin42944]

Does it do a complete cut out during loud sounds, or does it lessen the loud sounds and keep lower volume sounds? I find my walkers work just find to amplify sound and protect my ears, but they don’t work if you’re trying to talk to someone while there is shooting in the background? Ops cores, peltors and silynx are the only ones I’ve found to work well enough to let you carry on a conversation with someone shooting right next to you.

[@DeviantOllam]

That's something I definitely have to check indoors

[@edsai2041]

"It didn't hurt" combined with no published NRR rating is going to get people injured who think that these make shooting 5.56 out of a 10in barrel hearing safe. I now have tinnitus because I thought the Etymotic gunsport elite's were adequate for shooting a 5.56 indoors and they only have an NRR of 25db. I've switched over to ops-core amps with their nfmi plugs. One other question, are you a part of the Axil influencer program? Or sponsored by them in any way? Axil has an influencer program and pays a number of yt'ers for their content. Just curious if you received anything free or discounted in exchange for a review.

[@mattrognstad]

This is true, but the published NRR ratings by different manufacturers can't really be compared either. Many of them twist the testing to their own advantage. Sordins, which only claim an NRR of 19, are significantly better than many other muffs that claim ~25 or so. It's the wild west out there

[@Benabik]

Literally says at the end of the video that it's not sponsored. Axil's site says it's 29db SNR (NRR vs SNR is a mystery to me).

[@FluffRat]

Yeah, the tips on the Etymotic Research buds are not the best. They're fine for light industrial use, but for shooting I would swap out for 3M/Peltor "skull screw" tips, much better isolation.

[@edsai2041]

@@FluffRat I swapped their tips out for Comply's which did better than all of their included tips. But 5.56 with a lantac brake indoors is probably what caused the bulk of the damage. It was early on in my shooting days but you live and you learn I guess.

[@MikrySoft]

@@Benabik SNR is completely different measurement to NNR, it's audio quality measurement, not how well they reject external sound.

[@svbarryduckworth628]

"feels?" I thought the standard way to rate hearing protection was the dB attenuation rating. Permanent hearing damage happens when you "feel" just fine about the sound. I like my Walker's muffs. They are a little weak on attenuation but for outdoor shooting they work fine and if inside or shooting rifles I can always add foam. I bought my Walker's at Sam's club for $30-ish and I see them for $40 all over. I like how I can use the Walker's with a 3.5mm audio jack like ordinary headphones or you can buy a $10 Bluetooth adapter to do the same thing. They also make FRS radios that snap right into the Walker's. I never liked earbuds or fiddly little in-ear junk. It's expensive, they don't last, the replacement hearing aid batteries suck or the rechargeable batteries don't last and go bad in a year anyhow and they sre all uncomfortable as heck. To me, the plain Jane Walker's muffs work super well and hold up. The AAA batteries are easy to find everywhere and are cheap jn bulk and they just work. You don't even need the batteries to use them as earphones -they are only needed to use the external amplification feature

[@Heizenberg32]

Wireless earbuds are some of the worst offenders of planned obsolescence out there. I would be offended... except I lose and break them so often it hardly matters in real world circumstances!

[@Fatvod]

Sometimes i carry my little .25 pocket pistols because they are rad as hell

[@BeeWhere]

Thank you for the honest review, Definitely interested in the long term review.

[@gabeeg]

LOL, the only thing that would make the house you are staying in funnier to me is if it were your actual house...that would be priceless. That you had a love of pastels and Thomas Kinkade knockoff paintings...you have no idea the joy that would bring to me...not really sure why...but it would.

[@TeamTwo22]

Oh fuck off with that perfect reload at 4:25, that was just you showing off XD

[@DeviantOllam]

💪

[@ekfinn]

First home-built rig dude brings out is an A1 with correct hand guard and 3-prong muzzle device. Yuuuuge flex.

[@ke6gwf]

"yes, you CAN stay in other people's houses"... Yes Dev, you teach us all the skillz needed to do just that! Lol

[@caffeinepuppy]

Do you think they’d be effective at protecting hearing (and not being awful for listening to stuff) in a wood/metalworking shop, where the noises that need to be filtered out are more sustained?

[@petergamache5368]

My question too! While bang-bangs are fun, there's a lot more sound exposure over time for us makers who use saws, grinders, and other less-percussive noisemakers.

[@mwechtal]

Cutting sheet metal with a circular saw?

[@cheyannei5983]

I think the Shure SE215 wireless or true wireless, or Fiio's two pin adapter would be a better option for woodworking simply because these are REALLY deep insertion which isn't going to be comfortable for 40 hours a week. You'll enjoy it a lot more if you can find a comfortable IEM body to attach to one of those wireless adapters.

[@orlandocarranza7187]

Can you please do a follow up video, especially after using them for a few months. I'm a combat medic and I have been looking for a good pair of ear pro.

[@lvcsslacker]

given the price, I imagine they're a bit more fancy than a typical set of bluetooth IEM's that have active noise canceling.

[@SmogFighter]

I had an older pair of the GS Xtreme (or some such nonsense) and they did not do very well. It seemed like every time I moved my jaw the insert would compress and then allow sound to bypass.

[@jefffrasca4054]

The sound quality is going to be interesting, because, like the guitar pelican case, those might be useful for musicians as monitors.

[@thedownwardmachine]

I used to use Sony WI-1000X (not XM2) neckband headphones for outdoor classes. They cut out loud noises but still do ambient sound. The XM2 lost the loudness cutout and gained a chunky control on the left wire. Anyway they worked great but eventually got smashed under recoil while in prone. Meanwhile I’ve been looking for a suitable replacement. I’m not big into true wireless earbuds, but I may the Axil a try.

[@ssprinklep9107]

Can we get a compilation of your best shots? I know you got um... you're just to damn humble sometimes!

[@nosam6002]

I love my XCOR ear pro. Gotta ask...as a left handed shooter, how many pieces of hot brass have you taken to the face? 😜

[@CivilDefenseEngineer]

XCOR also makes suborbital space planes, look it up

[@EastImp]

Xcor is the product not the brand The brand is axil

[@danlindgren4290]

I’m assuming you were using the foam tips for those? Did they feel secure? I’m just a little sketched out paying that much and worrying they will fall out just as I pull the trigger on my .44 magnum.

[@DeviantOllam]

Yes I was and yes they stayed put very well

[@TheOlsonOutfit]

I recently got a similar product from the brand IsoTunes. I like the concept, but the IsoTunes ones have touch sensitive controls instead of buttons. My fingers don't always register.

[@itwasrightthere]

Great. My current can NC headphones are breaking apart and I’ve been wanting some buds. I shoot 9 pistol outside the vast majority of the time so they will do just fine.

[@itwasrightthere]

Ordered.

[@urbansurvival2024]

Thanks for all the rad videos. We have similar interests, it seems. Keep up the content!

[@lyfandeth]

They're on Amazon, but only rated 3.8 stars for almost $300.

[@jonahkrompart]

Directly from the site they’re $229.99. You have to add it to cart to see it reflect this price. Last year they were $200 lol

[@svbarryduckworth628]

$40 for basic but effective Walker's electronic ear muffs. Who wants these uncomfortable in-the-ear zoomer buds anyhow?

[@Cemi_Mhikku]

@@svbarryduckworth628 The only earmuffs a lot of people today want are a nice pair of thighs. And why the heck do you care about an extra couple hundred bucks? You're boat rich, boomer.

[@KeterMalkuth]

@@svbarryduckworth628 There's a lot of use cases where over ear muffs don't make sense. These may be designed for range use, but small form factor earpro is helpful for anyone who works around roadways, deals with power tools, works near machinery, works at concerts, etc. The list goes on. Over ear muffs might be too bulky or inconvenient or just plain look too weird for some people who's jobs or hobbies necessitate some hearing protection with the ability to still hear what's going on. That being said, the problem with cheap electronic earpro like the walkers is that they *cut off* loud sounds rather than *compress* them. Fine for range use, but if someone works labor around saws or hammers all day long, they won't be able to hear jack shit around them because the audio will constantly get cut off. Potential safety hazard.

[@Kinkajou1015]

​@@svbarryduckworth628earbuds/IEMs/earplugs are very much not a zoomer thing. I personally love a good pair of IEMs for listening to music

[@curtquill8413]

Looks like Deviant is getting into the tech review part of youtube. He could actually take Marquis brownly in subs

[@johnk8825]

Curious how they sound walking around; and just breathing. Those were the two different things that could be annoying, or least noticeable, when I spent long periods using hearing protection.

[@DeviantOllam]

I could hear my footsteps a bit more when walking along crunchy ground. Assuming I had awareness/hunting mode turned on, that is.

[@johnk8825]

That's what I needed thanks@@DeviantOllam

[@jcxtra]

Gotta check actual ratings on any hearing protection and use something appropriate for what you're doing. The human ear is rather good at attenuating loud sounds, but over time get "weaker" doing so. It's often where people will feel "fine" and not realise they've damaged ears. Like if you go to a loud concert and your ears are ringing in the morning you've gone way past the point of no return and have caused damage. I was always a bit mocked as a teen for always carrying hearing protection (usually for concerts attenuators of -25dbA to -35dBA are fine...) but I know how important ears are... and even if you do everything right doesn't mean you won't escape hearing getting worse anyway. You'll miss it when it's gone!

[@KeterMalkuth]

It's the strangest thing when people act like not damaging your ears means you're a wimp. It's especially strange for concerts. You'd think if someone likes music, they'd want to preserve their ability to hear music well for as long as possible?

[@jcxtra]

@@KeterMalkuth I never understood it either. When I used to do DJ nights I used to try and make available disposable plugs and a bunch of other stuff that's good for students on a night out! It only seemed right. Their choice if they don't use it. I used to get sponsors to send huge boxes of stuff so it didn't even cost us anything (earplugs, spikeys for drink bottles, things for safe naughty naughty time and general tat). I'd wanna enjoy music for as long as I can, music is life :D

[@jrob8931]

I love your 1980's AIRBNB time capsule! About that, remember that many people in your Shotshow audience are the same luddites who will only accept Money Orders via mail when they sell firearms, which tells me that they are not exactly the vanguard for technology. 😂 Keep up the great work!

[@nexusone5955]

How are the options for adjusting ear fitment? One of my ear holes is larger than the other, due to past medical issues, so I have a hard time finding earbuds that aren't too tight in one ear, without falling out of the other.

[@DeviantOllam]

They come with an assortment of different rubber as well as foam ear cups or whatever you call the tips

[@GregoryAHerrera91]

Whats the mic quality like? Do you have to raise your voice while taking calls?

[@Kinkajou1015]

How is the passive noise cancellation? If the battery dies while you're pew pewing how well will they protect?

[@pauljones9150]

Can you wear them at concerts? Or is it made solely for gun/boom noise?

[@DeviantOllam]

I guess we'll find out at my next concert. I bet they'd work there

[@jeffjag2691]

So, Axil has a ringing endorsement? 😏

[@radiantthought]

why can't you say you picked something up at shot show? Is it a no-no to buy things there? Or is that implying they were provided as a free sample? Honestly curious.

[@DeviantOllam]

It's officially against show rules for any booth anywhere to sell things on the show floor.

[@radiantthought]

@@DeviantOllam Aha! Thanks for the clarification. That's more sensible than some dumb youtube rule, although still dumb.

[@ACombineSoldier]

I've been using Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro 2 earbuds for hearing protection, not advertised for this but I find they are perfectly acceptable for jobsites.

[@pauljones9150]

Would love to hear the indoor stuff

[@curtisw5732]

On sale for Memorial day week 2024 for $150 best price so far. I love my Xcor and also have the GS Extreme 2.0 but the XCOR are more convenient to use. Im ordering more now that they are on sale and some spare foam tips in the size I'm using as they do wear from excessive twisting in the ear when inserting and will wear out the connection so the foam will seperate from ear piece when you take them out so you will have to dig the foam out of your ear wimhich again is from continuous use. Otherwise i love mine and have had them for 10 months using them regularly for shooting, cutting the grass, using my chainsaw etc and on flights to cancel the noise and watch some shows, theyre fantasic. Im ordering more for gifts for my sons ans more spare foam tips.

[@William_Borgeson]

Enjoy your pillow Dev!

[@unknownone8479]

I know the battery are rechargeable, but are they replaceable?

[@heatherryan9820]

A few things. First, let's say that the pink horse wasn't an airbnb, and you decided to decorate your house like that, who cares? It would be your house, and you would have to be the one who lived there, not them. Secondly, about the ears disconnecting from your phone randomly, I wear hearing aids that are Bluetooth and they also do that. Drives me up the walls sometimes. So if you happen to figure out why they do that, I'd like to know also. As always though, thanks for the info.

[@svbarryduckworth628]

Probably an android issue. We've got two choices today: Android and Apple and they both suck. Isn't it about time for another company to enter the market?

[@Pyreleaf]

I also have that problem with my PC peripherals. I tried to go all bluetooth, but they kept disconnecting at random, so I switched to the usb dongle. I think bluetooth just isn't really a mature technology yet.

[@prongATO]

Wait! Are you the kick ass Pen Tester?!

[@iggymac3473]

surprise surprise lol nice bro thanks

[@ebouwman034]

I now refuse to buy electronics that are NOT usb-c unless there is a damn good reason

[@Pyreleaf]

I try to get everything with at least one usb-c port. The only time I've broken my rule is when I bought my PC keyboard, which for some reason is usb micro charging even though it was released after usb-c was a thing. In my defense, it's a REALLY nice keyboard with insane battery life 😅

[@svporqueno]

Would you want to get shot with a .32 or a .380? Doubtful.

[@DeviantOllam]

I wouldn't want to get shot with that pellet gun or a paintball marker, either. But it doesn't make those viable self-defense rounds, does it? 😉

[@svporqueno]

@@DeviantOllam Ah, didn't realize you were comparing a handgun round to a paintball or pellet gun round. My bad. 🙂

[@DeviantOllam]

@@svporqueno your comment is fair... I think we wouldn't want to get shot with anything, but also we agree that any gunpowder ammunition, even low caliber, can be very harmful and even lethal

[@IanSharpeCork]

Personally, I use proper ear buds (foam) and then just use openshokz headphones

[@meh.7539]

Wow... that DEFCON Special... She's a *LOUD* girl!

[@DeviantOllam]

Facts

[@Pyreleaf]

Could you answer a question on the efficacy of active hearing protection? I'm kind of new to guns and I'm window shopping for good ear pro before I really get into shooting practice, but the impression I'm getting is that as good as even the best offerings are at noise reduction, they can still only do so much to protect you, and unless you use them in conjunction with a suppressor, you're still looking at hearing loss over time, just at a slower rate. I'm not letting this concern deter me from armed self-defense and community defense, I'm just wondering if I'm correct to believe that hearing loss and tinnitus are more or less inevitable if I continue down this path, and how much is it worth it to invest in top quality ear pro, because it's an investment in my health.

[@too.much.hustle]

I live with NIHL as a result of shooting without ear pro. I don't recommend it. Good read pro is an up front cost, so shell out once and protect your ear drums.

[@lyfandeth]

The dull beige plain cylindrical FLENS brand, found in any drugstore chain, are still the #1 choice in printing plants and machine shops. You can re-use them till they are soiled then wash or toss them. In a pack of 6 or 8 they're no bargain, but the bottle of 50 or 100 IS cheap and means you can stash them all over and be generous to friends. No other foam plug wirks as well. And despite that, I use an old pair of Peltor industrial "cans" over them, and can still hear conversations. The fancy electronics might do better, but between prices and battery charging, I'd start with FLENS and add cans if shots still sound loud. Electronics are an investment to explore slowly.

[@Pyreleaf]

@@too.much.hustle that's what I was going to do anyways. I guess to clarify what I mean - if I invest in the best, is it possible to avoid hearing loss completely, even if I never get a suppressor? For that matter, what even is 'the best'? Because what I've been able to find on Brownells is ~$450 for Otto Engineering Noizebarrier Micro plugs, and while I'm willing to eat the cost if necessary, I'm hoping I can find something as good or better at a lower cost.

[@Pyreleaf]

@@lyfandeth thank you, i'll keep that in mind. I agree, it would be good to have a bulk pack on hand down the road if i take newbies shooting.

[@KeterMalkuth]

@@Pyreleaf The most expensive in-ear only earpro will never be as effective as doubling up cheap in-ear foamies and over ear muffs. The hearing damage over time of recreational shooting with doubled up earpro is negligible. You're vastly more likely to have repercussions from working a labor job around power tools or machinery, working around roadways doing delivery or what have you, or going to concerts. What's important to remember about hearing damage is that it's a factor of exposure over time. While it's true that if you're stupid and shoot without earpro or with insufficient earpro, you're going to mess yourself up in a matter of seconds, the majority of hearing damage comes from lower volume sounds over longer periods of time. Do you listen to music with earbuds or headphones over 50% volume? Do you do yardwork with a trimmer or mower without earpro? Do you drive around with your car radio volume higher than about 50%? These are all more likely to cause hearing damage than shooting a reasonable amount at an outdoor range with doubled up earpro. All of that being said, if money well and truly is no object, the best option on the market is probably Opscore AMPs with the NFMI earplugs for the sake of maximizing hearing protection while still having phenomenal hearing. That's going to be an obscene cost though. For the sake of a more reasonable cost, my understanding is that the Peltor muffs are very good electronic earmuffs for the price. Get those or something like them, get some gel pads for whatever muffs you buy, and get some good foam earplugs. The ones the other commenter recommended are probably good, a lot of people like Macks as well. That should keep your ears as safe as possible on the range.

[@clonexili]

I think the brand is called sccy or something like that. If you buy more than 3 you get an alphabet visit as its the most modern dumpster gun. I dont believe you were wront about the .32

[@clonexili]

the ear pro I am tempted on, I got hit by 2 trucks at once and it caused some issues.... most importantly instant migraine at my default 300 win mag. So wound mind testing them as over the ear muffs cause pressure leading to a head ache

[@MikeHawkTuah82]

Pineapple belongs on pizza. Fight me.😝😜😝

[@davidhorizon8401]

"Dead mouse?" Is that the smaller version of a dead cat?

[@DeviantOllam]

Yes

[@Biokemist-o3k]

Great video. The $200 silencer tax sucks mainly because of the list that is generated with everyone's name and what they have which I belive can be foia'd

[@DeviantOllam]

Unless you put all your NFA items into living trusts

[@Biokemist-o3k]

@@DeviantOllam Can you still do the trust thing. I thought that was decimated. I have heard guys at the range talk about grandfathered in trust stuff but I never looked into it much. Maybe a good time to do that. Thank you.

[@DeviantOllam]

@@Biokemist-o3k I mean, I did as recently as a few months ago, to my knowledge

[@tfinnegans_wake6182]

"It didn't hurt" is a **foolish** statement. Physical pain is not always a good indicator of physical injury. You're really knowledgeable about certain subject matter; and yeah, maybe you do participate in shooting competitions...but this video is ridiculous.

[@DebakulumToughguts]

👍 für den Algorithmus

[@ImGumbyDangit]

Good video and I am putting pineapple on my pizza

[@XxRRxX-qg8cl]

First?