Best Ear Pro Options for Serious Shooting

[@supermutt007]

The fact that this is a "one take" should be commended. Well done on presenting this off the cuff and without a script while feeling incredibly natural and informative. 😊

[@ikeo1]

So much harder than it seems to do a single take with the camera. Lol! This channel will glow up if he keeps going. Just needs more whiz bang! Music, intro, sponsors, etc.

[@liketadied]

Hey man it was nice to meet you at the classifier the other day . I meant it when I said thanks ! Your vids are top notch with no cocky-ness like you see in some others !

[@SpecTrain]

Thanks, you too!

[@IkeStarnes40]

>no cocky-ness like you see in some others I feel attacked.

[@SpecTrain]

@@IkeStarnes40 🤣

[@EthanBares]

a brand called otopro came to our local PD and outfitted everyone with the custom molded ear pro. They have special "filters" such as a solid one or a dynamic one that lets normal sounds in but then shuts itself when it gets over a certain decibel level like a gun shot. I've heard from guys that the dynamic filter doesn't work the best. But for just the custom mold is around $350 I think. I've considered getting them just for the ease of taking them in and out quickly since they are custom molded to your ear

[@Seablack66]

As someone who has taken damage on the range from inferior ear pro, there should be no "budget" option. Trust me when i say, if you end up taking damage, if you could go back in time you would pay 100x to prevent it. At the end of the day, THE best ear pro you can find is the most important part of your load out. Do your research and get the best quality possible

[@ZEE0H6]

Everybody is always talking about the latest and greatest gear but earpro is almost always an afterthought. The Otto Noizebarriers are easily one of the best shooting gear I’ve ever purchased. The sound quality and small form factor they are so small, light, and with the excellent audio, I’ll often forget I have them in until I just notice the car radio sounds slightly muted or my wife tells me I still have my buds in. I’ve always wondered how these stack up to custom hearing aids, thanks for your honest opinion. Highly recommend the Comply professional tips. The fit, comfort, and noise isolation is superb.

[@is-nv1lu]

Do the comply tips help keep them from shifting when sweaty?

[@ZEE0H6]

⁠@@is-nv1luyea, the comply tips dont move at all and are super comfortable. They come in multiple sizes.

[@willws2conceptsshephard]

@@is-nv1lu yes 100%. That’s what i use as well

[@liquidrockaquatics3900]

Do you normally wear any other kinds of earplug or earbud? I hate having things in my ears, but I would love a lightweight earbud that is comfortable for under cans. I just use silicone plugs at the moment under my cans.

[@ZEE0H6]

⁠@@liquidrockaquatics3900i dont wear muffs over these. I have no issues with an open gun indoors. If the 85 db is to loud, you can just shut them off completely and the function as a regular passive earplug.

[@koozie83]

Peltor TEP-100 case charges the buds off of replaceable AA batteries. Been using these for years instructing, and have never run the buds dry after teaching 8-12 hour classes on a regular basis. In-ear active protection is absolutely the way to go unless you need to double up for large calibers or indoor ranges.

[@ComeonmenID10T]

best thing on the electronic ear muffs is .......... if someone breaks into your House, you put them on, turn them on and you can hear where that MF'er is, plus you protect your hearing yourself when you have to engage

[@b4ds33d]

Cool story bro.

[@loarmistead]

Recommend the aftermarket Comply foam tips for the Otto buds. They do a great job.

[@allsport916]

I’ve heard that from a bunch of folks too. It’s like you buy great boots and know you automatically have to replace the insoles. Sucks haha.

[@loarmistead]

@@allsport916 it really does. Otto sells the Comply tips on their website, not sure why they don't ship the buds from the factory with them. The cost difference can't be that much.

[@lukeclement1981]

Use your HSA and buy some good stuff if you shoot a lot. Hearing aids are $5000+ A suppressor is way cheaper In PRS matches most are running a muzzle brake and it’s punishing at times.

[@ArmedCitizensEvolution]

I loved my sordins till they just stopped working , and they never got any serious abuse. I even bought a protective case for them. Waiting on the new safariland liberator to show up tomorrow, I have the walkers and the howard Lite, both still running reliably after 7 years.

[@onpsxmember]

Think about changing the foam inside and the pads. The noise reduction isn't the same when they degrade.

[@bearman000ify]

I work at at busy gun range and have never seen a failure of Sordins. Mine are 8 years old, heavily used, and still work great.

[@ikeo1]

Good video, I've gone through this evolution just like timers. Some good stuff being dropped here. An update with better tech is sometimes necessary or even things just wear out.

[@calitovegas408]

Etymotic makes the otto Noizebarriers. You can get the Etymotic gunsport elite or the Saf - T - Ear ones and its literally the exact same thing for $50 cheaper. I confirmed they are the same with different branding with Etymotic.

[@ryanblue4166]

Looks like the etymotic is 300ish on Walmart. But their website lists them at 500 and Otto's website at 450....

[@SilentKnight600]

Outside ear. Fucking love my sordins, inside ear budget ish cant be an on sale goaxil they range from 100-200 bucks and kick the shit out of everything else in that range

[@IkeStarnes40]

Thanks Billy!

[@O8WRx]

For replacement gel cups, I found some on Amazon for about $20. I have had them for around 6 months now and they are still great.

[@honduh9348]

Pretty sure the other pair he was showing that wasnt flattened were the amazon ones so kind of weird he didn't even mention them. But yeah, those Amazon's ones have been working great for me too. 👍

[@BigPapaRomeo]

Love my Otto Noizebarries. Don't care much for the flanges I prefer the foam style. Otto sent me a replacement after I had an earbud die after 4 hours of use (probably after 3-4 years of usage). I was able to get over 7 hours of use until it didn't hold that charge. It was only one bud that had the issue but OTTO replaced the whole kit. Make sure you keep your invoice to get a replacement.

[@zombiesmeal]

Mine are doing the same thing.

[@swiftaudi]

Ive own the otto in ear buds for two years. I charge the case about once a year and the buds charge from the case. They only have two sensitivity levels which is ok not great. I wear them for about 4 hours, 2-3 times a month and for about 2 hours, 4 times a month. I actually purchased the comply tips from comply (cheaper) and they work so much better. Love them and have had zero issues. If you’re using them often the price is worth it. If you’re not using them as often id probably just get a set of 3m electronic eat pro. The axil my wife has are terrible. They work but the battery life is so short and they don’t always charge correctly. The Howard lights are terrible, too large don’t fit well, and didn’t last long. Just my two cents.

[@drewjonespdx]

pro ear work great for $125

[@ricklytton1045]

I too have the Otto NoizeBarriers and had battery issues after 3-4 years. I only used them during hunting season, so I think its more of a battery age versus use issue. Unfortunately the batteries are not replaceable, but I loved those things! If they fixed the battery issue, I'd buy another set in a heartbeat.

[@itsjustme77]

Great video! I just picked up the Ottos based on your recommendation. Do you use the standard audio amplification or the 5x hearing amplified setting?

[@keplergso8369]

I bought a 32dB electronic ear defender, not too expensive (100/110€ in Europe) : the Peltor ProTac Shooter (green), especially made for big and sudden noises, like shots fire, it gives 32dB attenuation. At this price, most of active ear defenders gives only 26dB attenuation.The same model exists too for big and long noises (big machines) : the Peltor ProTac III (black), same price. But the shells are big, so, potentially, I'll use my old passive Peltor X4 (32dB) which has thin shells, to shoot with my 308 rifle at shooting range, in order to more easily shoulder the butt.

[@ChrisWilliams-vm1do]

Work bought me a set of Otto’s a couple years ago. Love them. I got the pro foam tips from Amazon for them and it makes a massive difference. My all time favorite ear pro. Recently I picked up a set of Soundgear Phantoms. These are covered under Fed Bc/bs. They’re nice, custom molded, and more comfortable than my Otto’s. However, I think the Otto’s with the pro ear tips, block more loud noise. I’ll be saving my Phantoms for when my Otto’s die. One thing is for sure, I’ll never go back to over the ear cups. Unless I’m shooting indoors and that’s a rarity. If you want the best bang for the buck and it’s within your budget, go with the Otto’s. The Phantoms retail for like $1500 and well beyond what I’m willing to spend on ear pro, especially when the Otto’s are a 3rd of that price.

[@onpsxmember]

How do they fare wearing them under over ear cups?

[@TNRonin]

Sadly you can buy from a repeatable dealer and still get counterfeit. I had that happen with some HL, got permanent damage for my troubles. Now it would be a cold day before I'd use HL. I'm addition I augment with gel ear cups and additional neoprene in the body (it really helps). Take a look at the foam if you dough me. It rather look THROUGH the foam.

[@BobDenver-ep4pj]

Great job! Harris and sons new 24’s are amazing! You can send your in and they’ll update the program for you at no cost..😮

[@nickst-jean9023]

Great video man! I'm curious why you didn't touch on the 3M Peltor Tep-200 and other options from 3M marketed towards firearm use. I'm running the eep-100 with skull screw but it spooks me that they are labeled for construction not shooting.

[@russtilot7339]

I waited too long and need hearing aids now but yet my ears are super sensitive to loud noises. I went to my hearing doc and got custom fit earplugs and then wear quality over ear protection too. I don’t want to gamble making my ears any worse

[@CoFRTheGamerXxX]

Been running sordins for a long time, Gels are the bomb. Been wearing them on a range for the whole day without issues. (Other than the hat button issue lol, but you cant it a bit and no problems) Been looking at the in ears options out there. Bought the Axil Xcore Pro. We’ll see how they are

[@chuckkuang91]

My jaw dropped when I saw how much the Harris & sons were

[@kweeks10045]

You hear through the occipital bone as well as the ear canal. That's why headphone style hearing protection is so important. I have some industrial full cup units that are absolutely amazing, but WAY too bulky for rifle shooting. I wear them during pistol shooting quite often, however.

[@SpecTrain]

Commonly held belief, that I'm not sure if supported by the research at all. Couple caveats, obviously if plugs don't fit properly and aren't deeply inserted they don't work as well, just as muff don't work as well when there are leaks due to eye pro being shoved under them etc. But the research I've seen indicated only a margin increase in sound attenuation from adding muffs ON TOP of custom molds, let alone much difference between the two. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5187656/

[@mco8061]

@@SpecTrain what is your opinion on the custom molds after spending some time running them? Do you feel the sound seal & comfort are significant enough to make the jump from the Otto’s? Or does the sound quality differ enough to the point where you still wear the Otto’s for short range days?

[@sunvalleyorganics]

Amazon has gel cups (PROHEAR Gel Ear Pads) for Howard Leights and other brands that are like 20 bucks and have actually held up 100x better than my noise fighters. The cool thing about the noisefighters was the notch in them for your shades/eye pro but the durability of the gel is definitely horrible. Completely flat at this point for me aswell.. where as the "PROHEAR" generic gel cups are still like new basically after a year and a half. That's with pretty heavy use and the ear pro all the way collapsed together for storage. I have multiple pairs with those cups in them and they're so inexpensive if they did wear out I'll just buy another set. I will say the NF's were slightly more comfy/softer but definitely not worth spending 60-70$ on them again. Just my 2 cents

[@SpecTrain]

Preciate the info man! The eye pro slot on the NF was a cool concept but was never actually practical for me. It was so shallow it just totally collapsed and applied virtually the same pressure so I always still ran the eye pro fully above the cup.

[@David-kb2nh]

These have an 18 month warranty which seems pretty low for the price of these. People have complained about the battery losing its strength a couple years in and the battery is not replaceable. With the chance of these going out or the battery dying after 18 months I just cant justify buying them.

[@drewjonespdx]

Good point

[@robertseal5758]

Clearly you know your stuff. This is an off topic, but what water filter would you use if you had to go off grid starting tomorrow? Since you know a lot of military people, I figure you might have a good answer.

[@quincymcneeley8950]

Great job I just ordered the Otto’s

[@liquidrockaquatics3900]

10:41 if you want to prolong the battery life of your lithium ion batteries, drain them to half life or close before storing them. Somewhere between 75-50% charge. Under no circumstances should you charge the batteries fully and leave them sitting; the charge differential between the anode and the cathode is significantly higher in that last 25% of charge and leads to quicker failure and catastrophic failure (possibly “thermal runaway “ (exploding battery)) the single best source for information about lithium ion batteries is Battery Mooch. He has a KZbin and patreon, but has years of research dedicated to stress testing and destructive testing of lithium ion cells as well as testing manufacturers’ claims/specifications. Vaping is why I learned of Mooch, but I stuck around for his immense knowledge

[@AustinAudiS6]

this is why people whom never take their laptops off the charger end up with dead batteries.. just poor firmware.

[@ke3552]

Walker's has a gel cup muff option @ ~$75.

[@gaberohrbach7542]

Walkers and Howard Leights are perfect for most shooters, but if you’re shooting a ton often, you’ll still end up with hearing damage unless you have earbuds in as well

[@Israel9209]

which of them are weatherproof? thanks

[@onpsxmember]

Which of the in-ear ones would you recommend to double up under Sordins? I have gel cups and additional rings but it could still be better for indoor use and I still want some decent audio quality.

[@Tony-uo4ml]

Seriously expensive doesnt always mean seriously good......and some of these are disgustingly overpriced.

[@LongDong-w3g]

They have broke folks edition on Amazon

[@JLawL]

Savior Equipment Apollo's for awesome over ear pro with gel cups. They're like 40 bucks and do better than my previous $200 over ear pro.

[@wood-wheel-wizard]

12 hrs @ the range is a party 7:56

[@walterlangkowski4723]

I may or may not have got my insurance to cover the Harris “hearing aids” and now my work has to allow me to wear them at work, they’re pissed lol

[@Johnsormani]

The Howard Leights were the cause of my tinnitus. Best hearing protectors are suppressors. No hearing protection can help you when shooting 338 lapua on an indoor range . I use double protection( in ear and over the ear) when shooting rifle but that just isn’t enough. Governments should be held accountable for our hearing loss, especially in those countries where suppressors are forbidden

[@niklaskoch4931]

No the taxpayer should‘t pay for your stupidity, what are talking about. Seriously, 1 shot of 9mil should be enough to judge that this might not be enough. 😂 Don‘t go cheap on earpro and don‘t learn your lesson too late like you did.

[@Amberlynn_Reid]

sunglasses inside lifes good

[@BKBEDSTUY]

Do the Sordin Pro X need to be doubled up

[@SpecTrain]

No way to answer this question without defining "need". Obviously they are rated to bring noise levels below the hearing safe threshold in normal conditions. But are they still rated for that if people are on both sides of you with full auto SBR's? What about indoors? Sordins are super solid. Doubling up will obviously make the protection even greater. Under normal circumstances, no need. If you are a professional shooting way more than the average person, or are in unusual conditions, or just want to be super safe, nothing wrong with doubling up.

[@IZZYR23]

What sun glasses are those?

[@SpecTrain]

Oakley Frames with Hunters HD Gold lenses in.

[@llend07]

Axil is always having sales on their products

[@llend07]

I often double up with foam inserts

[@drewjonespdx]

Tinnitus is under rated

[@Robert-jx8nr]

I thought the cheapest budget electronic ear pros were the walkers 😂

[@alvarh9398]

I guess it would be good to put some sort of signs with name and model everytime you name some equipment, not all were born and always lived in broken knee , AR. Thank you. And most of it, ramblings.

[@carstereo2493]

Save up and go for the best ones, your ears are definitely worth much more.

[@georgebacha6482]

thank God KZbin has a feature to slow down the speed

[@capablegentleman144]

All you guys that buy Otto’s gonna regret it after the warranty is done. Poor battery life and they’ll charge for replacements

[@bobhoman9410]

See what hearing aids cost. Very bad hearing to go with it. Cheap will cost you.

[@capablegentleman144]

@@bobhoman9410I will go with my “cheap” pro ears or Harris and sons. Good luck with your “expensive” super Otto’s tho. Enjoy that first class customer support too 😊

[@ericteipen]

I'm 60 and have shot since I was 8 years old. It will be a cold day in Hell b4 I pay $400+ for a set of fricking ears! That's just stupid!

[@Spartan490-b1q]

I'm 60 and have been shooting since I was 8, too. Including 31 years as a LEO, and 30+ years of competitive shooting and hunting. I'd happily pay way more than $400 just to have a few days relief from the constant tinnitus. Wish I'd spent more (and used) good ear pro when I was younger.