Skip Howard Leight and get some gel cups from Amazon. I have several pair of them and the cups of each have been replaced. The gel cups make all the difference in the world, a completely different experience.
Hearing protection ear muffs w/ bluetooth wanted
- Thread starter Farrier
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Skip Howard Leight and get some gel cups from Amazon. I have several pair of them and the cups of each have been replaced. The gel cups make all the difference in the world, a completely different experience.
Got an example?
rlitman
Well-known member
The Optime 105 are rebrands of the original American made Peltor model H10A (which was originally rated 29NRR). The X series are the Chinese 3M imports. I can't bring myself to switch over to the dark side, and I have my suspicions of whether or not there's a real difference between the two; i.e. I'm wondering how much 3M has fallen to the marketing number inflation game.
Look at this Optime III for example that claims 35 SNR reduction:
or 33-34dB on 3M's website:
But what's the real NRR? So far as I'm aware, it's illegal to sell hearing protection devices in the USA without an NRR rating (though enforcement is pretty much nonexistent), and we know full well that NRR numbers are always very much lower than dB reduction numbers or EN352 ratings that don't apply here, so it's no surprise that marketing will eschew the lower NRR number that doesn't fair well in comparison to the import dB number with something else, whether that's legal, or ethical, or neither.
Well that's a shame, because I bought my Walkers XCEL BT muffs late last year, and they've held up so far fairly well with light use. But you're not the first to tell me that their BT models don't last. The scuttlebutt at the range I frequent is that the cheapest Walkers electronic muffs that amplify conversations (no BT) are quite reliable, but the BT models aren't at all. My problem is that I want stereo conversational sound with good NRR. Walker's Digital X-TRM is only 21 NRR, and has a rechargeable battery, while the XCEL is 26 and takes AAs. So I figured I would take a chance. They were an upgrade from my non BT Peltor Tactical 7-S that has served me well for quite some time, but even 24 NRR was just barely cutting it for me.
The 3M Pro-Comms I was shopping against were also 26 NRR (I'm not aware of an NRR higher than 26 in a BT headset), but had a rechargeable battery that I ruled out.
I will try to remember to return here and post when my Walker's finally die.
Bought a pair of 3M maybe 8yrs ago, broke after 6months
Ridiculous considering anyone can make headphones these days.I like earmuff style for quick operations like table saw and such, but if wearing all day or in heat i prefer earbud style.
Absolutely love my cheapo pair of buds
the combination of neck band and flanged ear piece really make them jobsite/workshop friendly
No falling out, plenty of noise protection, and easy to keep track of
similar to these, but cant find my original Boltunes?
cvairwerks
Well-known member
Rlitman: I have a tendency to believe the 3M site numbers over what's on Amazon. We got into a huge mess with headsets not meeting specifications at work, and had to dispose of over 500 sets of custom, active noise canceling, with intercom units because we found out too late the supplier's ratings numbers had been fudged. One of the parts guys told me these sets were over 2500$ each, including the individually molded active inner ear units for each person. Safety went back and pulled samples of everything we had and ran tests as well as sending them out for independent verification. If we have it in stock, it meets the vendor advertised specification.
You can order replacement 3M ear piece pads for the work tunes, or any other 3M muff on Amazon. There are Youtube videos on how to replace them.
Chrome Vanadium Cody
Well-known member
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- Jul 25, 2021
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Big thanks to everyone has posted. After reading through I am leaning towards the Pyramex. But for anyone who wants some Worktunes I noticed they are on sale at Amazon for $38.25 after coupon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0723CYHPZ?tag=atomicindus08-20
Perfect. Ordering a set tomorrow
I’ve got three or four sets from different brands. They all seem to be the same.