I've been looking at the Peltor ones. Lets say a budget of $150. I've seen the Beretta ones, but I think they are made by someone else.

Me & my mates have the Peltor Com-Tac , we have never had any troubles with them , outstanding stuff in our opinion but others say the Sordin are better quality.....may be.

PP out

Pat Rogers recommends the Sordins. Go to military morons webside, he has a review there.

Picked up some ProEars Dimension 3 on Ebay for $100.
Check eBay for some cheap deals, mine were NIB, still sealed in wrapper.

Sordins are excellent!  also on the expensive side...but, they'll probably be the last pair of ear muffs you buy .

You guys will throw this in the Tacpoint trach can, but I got a pair from Habor Freight fot $15.00 and they work good enough for me..

They are mono wich kinda sucks, but hey for less then a 20 dollar bills, I don't care.. they are however a little small for my big head, but I manage to wear them fine..

Sordins. No comparison to the Peltors.

We had 3 brand new pairs of Peltors that failed to finish a week long carbine class.

Quoted: Sordins. No comparison to the Peltors. We had 3 brand new pairs of Peltors that failed to finish a week long carbine class.

+1 on the Sordins...

Quoted: +1 Pro-Ears Try them side-by-side on the range.

Another +1 for the Pro-Ears

I've had a pair of Peltor Comtacs for about four yrs. The've been great. I'm curious to try the Sordins. Where can I get a pair of those?

Quoted: I've had a pair of Peltor Comtacs for about four yrs. The've been great. I'm curious to try the Sordins. Where can I get a pair of those?

http://www.bhigear.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=414

Or try:

Tactical Command

fixed link from above post

www.bhigear.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=414

Tactical Command is where I got mine.... Wish I would have known about BHI... Good experience with Tactical Command, but had to pay sales tax...

I talked with the Sordin guy at SHOT 2004, but I had never heard of them before.  Since they were the same price as Com-Tacs, with similar features, I decided to pass.  I think he was selling them at the show for $200.  I knew Com-Tacs as a known quantity, but wasn't willing to risk the $200 on some outfit I never heard of. Seems like I should have taken the chance.  Maybe he'll be at SHOT 2005 with the same deal.  I might have to get them this time.

Also, any comments about the new Com-Tac II??

I have the Peltor Tac-6's. I picked them up from Botac for $79.99 which was about $20 less than everyone else. Now they are on sale for $69.99 LINK
I know a lot of people hate Botac, but they shipped my order out pretty damn fast. YMMV

Never used Sordin's but I have had a pair of Peltors Com-Tacs for years and they are outstanding.
I also have a pair of Tac 7s which I like but the comtacs are great.

Quoted: Quoted: Sordins. No comparison to the Peltors. We'll see. I'm using the Peltor Comtacs now, and I just ordered a pair of the Sordins.

So, Jarhead_22, have you received your Sordins and compared them to the ComTacs?  I'm on the lookout for people who have used both before I go and spend a couple hundred dollars on one of them.  

Alpine

Peltor, no question in my mind.

Military Moron has a review of the Sordins on his excellent website...

www.militarymorons.com/equipment/equipment.3.html

Peltor.  No need for Comtacs for range use.  The low pro ones eat batteries.  The standard ones are about $100 wholesale and the 9V batt lives a long life.  Amplification is much better.  Comtacs are just good marketing, unless you really need them for some specific purpose.  I say this because my Dad was all bought into them, until he tried the $100 model.  

Dillon Precision sells Peltors with their name on them.  I would hope they have value added warranty, but please inquire before spending extra money.

Quoted: Quoted: So, Jarhead_22, have you received your Sordins and compared them to the ComTacs?  I'm on the lookout for people who have used both before I go and spend a couple hundred dollars on one of them.   Alpine Not yet. I ordered the Sordins to be delivered to my site in Iraq, and I just got home on leave for a month. They should be waiting for me when I get back, and I'll post a review here then.

Thanks, I'll keep an eye out for it.

Alpine

Quoted: Quoted: +1 Pro-Ears Try them side-by-side on the range. Another +1 for the Pro-Ears

And another...

I don't have a basis for comparison with others mentioned here & can't say who is the "BEST," as I've only used Pro-Ears - but I love them & they have served me very well.

www.pro-ears.com/index.htm

I currently have both Peltor Tactical 6s and the Peltor Com-Tacs. I also had a pair of the Pro Ears. I have a set of the Sordins on the way. As for the Peltors and Pro Ears, here is my eval:

Pro-Ears

Pros: have the best sound. They suppress the sound without totally cutting off conversation....

cons: Least rugged of the bunch. My pair were not very sturdy and also, one time I was at SigArms and one of the instructors had some Pro-Ears and they were also falling apart. Single exposed knob allowed for accidental unit activation in range bag.

The Peltor models.......

Tactical 6s

pros: Cost. They are steadily declining in price. Peltor backs them up with good service (my personal experience). Had a pair that had low volume on one side (not battery related) and I sent them in for service. Peltor shipped me a new pair. Decent noise atenuation, but, they clip the loud sound impulses. Makes having a conversation on the firing line difficult. The unit has a somewhat slim profile for lefties and righties (when using long arms).

cons: Battery life is ok, but the rotary knobs make it easy for the unit to accidentally be switched on in a range bag. Battery access is a pain in the ass (gotta remove cushions to get to batteries). Noise attenuation is thru clipping the loud sound impulses. Unit uses AAA batteries (another type to carry)Unit is not water resistant. The protruding microphones are not well protected.....

Com-Tacs

pros: Rugged (this is my experience....several firearms courses, both pistol and shotgun). Somewhat better noise attenuation than the 6s model. Water resistant (but not submersible). Battery access is very easy and uses AA's. Push button for on-off and volume adjust. Low chance of accidental activation. Microphones well protected. Battery save feature: unit will sound an audible tone at two hours to alert user of shut down (push any volume button to over-ride shut down).

cons: Although it is designed to fit under combat helmets, the battery compartment (which is on the left ear unit) protrudes down. This interferes when a lefty is using a long arm. Unit is not submersible. Unit clips loud sound impulses. Price: at over $200, they are not much less than the Sordins.

When I get the Sordins, I'll do a comparison between them and the Com Tacs......

Quoted: Tactical 6s pros: Cost. They are steadily declining in price. Peltor backs them up with good service (my personal experience). Had a pair that had low volume on one side (not battery related) and I sent them in for service. Peltor shipped me a new pair. Decent noise atenuation, but, they clip the loud sound impulses. Makes having a conversation on the firing line difficult. The unit has a somewhat slim profile for lefties and righties (when using long arms). cons: Battery life is ok, but the rotary knobs make it easy for the unit to accidentally be switched on in a range bag. Battery access is a pain in the ass (gotta remove cushions to get to batteries). Noise attenuation is thru clipping the loud sound impulses. Unit uses AAA batteries (another type to carry)Unit is not water resistant. The protruding microphones are not well protected.....

+1

I have had mine for a couple of years, and they work ok. I do know they are worth a shit if the batteries are dead.

I solved the knob problem by keeping them in a fanny pack insde the range bag, with my glasses.

I dont know about the official water resistant policy, but I have worn mine in the rain (and snow) more than once, and never had ay problems whatsoever.

mo4040,

I'm looking forward to your review of the Sordins compared to the others.  I took a risk and ordered some Sordins as a X-mas present for myself but I don't have any experience with the others.

I just picked up a pair of Radians from a local place down in Oregon...

I paid 59.99, and I havent regreted anything.

I've shot everything from 22lr, 9mm, 40sw, .223,  7.62x39, and 7.62x54.

Had no problems talking to people while shooting, and never once had the headset fail.

I even used them in the rain, that later turned to snow, without a single problem.

www.cdnninvestments.com/radproamelea.html

-Jason

I wear a set of Pro Ears Dimension 2 Stalkers  every day, seven hours a day , when shooting on weekends and while hunting. This current set is 3 years old and has held up very well. I much prefer the way ProEars handles the noise reduction. A lot of the others have a irritating click each time they "clip" the noise, And you may be surprised at the type of noises that will be clipped.  When working in an evironment that is only noisey intermittently, even very small sharp sounds will be clipped and the clicking can drive me nuts.

I also use the external inputs to listen to my radio during the work day, and the Pro Ears have worked out very well. Ridgeline Manufacturing has given me very good customer service, replacing some small items for free( MIC foam pads) and providing kits for replacing the ear pads and cup foam inserts  for a fair price.

The first set of Peltor  Tac6 I owned failed in 10 days, and I had a tough time returning them as defective (Purchased through Cabela's) and the clicking nearly drove me over the edge(some would say a short trip) The right side board worked intermittently right out of the box and Cabela's was reluctant to refund my money. It took them six months to get it done!

Has anybody tried the cheapies from Harbor Freight Tools?  <$30, IIRC!  I'm not thinking they'll replace my Pro-Ears, but I thought about picking up a set or two to keep around for visitors to my range (i.e., light & infrequent use).  Anyone know if they work at all?  

This is a good topic, any other input?

On Friday I'm picking up a couple pairs of the Harbor Freight ones to have for guests and to use in the workshop.  I'll use them at the range Friday afternoon and post back how they do.

I agree with HardShell, I'm hoping they'll be OK for light use when I bring a guest to the range.

Dave

My problem with Peltors (Dillons) is them getting bumped off my ear when rapidly bringing the rifle up to my shoulder.  Otherwise I am happy with Peltors.   Do the Sordins have a similar problem? Or does the low profile help?

the cheap ones from harbor freight work just fine.  Occasionally you get a little interference.  The low sound cutout of 85db makes loud conversation hard.  they are mono,

My Sordins came in last night. I am going to do a range session later today.

First, it should be noted that the instructions said:

         "The earmuffs must not be immersed in water!"

I thought that they were submersible. The instructions said that the battery compartment was water-tight, that's about it......


My initial impressons are as follows:

battery installation: unconventional in that you place each battery one at a time into a hole and the first battery is "jiggled" into position. After this, the second is installed.
Battery cap is untethered--->Easy to lose this (in a tactical environment). Good thing these have a reported 600 hour battery life...

volume controls: each volume level is a distinct setting (5 levels). On the Com-Tacs, you held the button down until the sound was at the level you wanted. I'll do a direct comparison tomorrow of sound quality and sound suppression......

comfort: these are very comfortable with no pressure points (although, I did not wear them for more than a few minutes)....

profile: they are definately lefty friendly (using a long-arm). The profile is nice and slim (for electronic muffs. You have to really roll your head over pretty far to hit the stock with them....

Lastly, the design allows easy adjustment and for them to fold fairly easily into a compact package.

Again, I'll have a full review/comparison up before the end of the weekend. Hopefully, I'll throw in some close-up pics.

BIG tag - excellent topic - thanks.

Great thread!

Has anyone tried the Radians and Peltor Tac6 side by side?  I'm thinking og getting a couple of the Radians unless the Peltors are really a lot better.

tagged for the full Sordin review.


Also, I'm currently looking into what it would take to sell the Sordins.  Come January they should be much easier to buy in the US.

GIFFMANN

Harbor Freight - $25

Best bang for the buck.  Mine work great, and I'm getting a few more for when I take newbies to the range.

Peltor: NO.  I've had three fail shortly out of the box.

Pro-Ears: YES.  The sound level compression is more pleasant to me than a sharp cut off.  The only problem I have with the Pro-Ears is they take 4 N type cells.  Still easy to find, but more expensive than AAA cells.

Take a look at the user reviews at Midway USA.  Go to the hearing protection section and click on user reviews.

Here is my full review/comparison between the Sordin Supreme Pro (SSP)
and the Peltor Com-Tac (PCT) electronic hearing protectors…..

First, the Peltor Com-Tac’s were purchased for $200 (plus S&H) at Botach Tactical
(I know, I know, but…they were on SALE!)

The Sordin’s were purchased from TCI (Tactical Command Industries) for $225 (plus S&H).

                          SSP                                   PCT

Battery:        AAA (included)               AA (I believe they were incl)

Waterproof
batt comparment?         Yes                            No

volume memory?          Yes                           Yes

Immersible?                  No*                            No

Battery life:               600 hrs                       200 + hrs

Auto shutdown time
(w/ warning tone)?      Yes/ 4 hr                    Yes/ 2 hr

NRR (per company
Documentation):           18db                            25db

Thickness
(not incl cushions):       1.125”                         1.125"**



*The unit does have a water proof battery compartment. One Sordin vendor website states that the SSP is "a completely waterproof system with a watertight battery compartment." However, in the directions that came with the unit, there was a direct warning stating that the unit was NOT to be immersed in water

** Thickness does not include battery compartment


The SSP has three separate control buttons: two for volume (up and down), one to turn the unit off and on (see pic #1). The PCT has two buttons: Both must be simultaneously pushed to turn the unit on/off. Separately, they control volume level. The SSP’s single on/off button is a plus, and (if you are a PCT user) a hinderance. At first, while trying to adjust the volume, I kept hitting the off button (not long enough to turn the unit off….you have to hold it for more than ½ second) instead of the other volume button. Once I had them on for a while, I became familiar with the button placement. One-button on/off is a nice feature, however, it is easier for accidental unit activation
On the PCT, you must hold down both buttons simultaneously to turn the unit off or on. This will pretty much prevent accidental activation, but, if you are in a hurry, or are wearing gloves, turning the unit on/off is not as easy. In the end, it is a toss-up as to which is better. Personally, I like the PCT dual button on/off; as I don’t like the idea of accidental activation (then again, the SSP has 600 hrs of battery life, with auto shutdown after 4 hours, it is not really a big issue, is it?)
As to volume levels, the SSP has six different volume levels. Once the unit is on, each button press will raise/lower the volume to a pre-set level. According tho the SSP product documentation, the highest two levels are louder than normal hearing.
I was erroneous in my prelim report about the PCT volume control. I was using the controls improperly all the time I have had them.

The PCT volume control functions the same as the SSP, but only has four separate levels of volume.

The SSP’s max volume is louder than the PCT’s max. For this, the nod goes to the SSP.

On a side note, when I was at the range, I first tried the SSP without wearing plugs underneath. At the lowest volume setting for the SSP, the sound of a Glock (.45 ACP) was uncomfortable. At that point, I decided my hearing was not going to be sacrificed for the sake of this review and put ear plugs in.

Both units will fit under combat helmets. It was noted that the SSP is about the same thickness as the PCT (see pic #2). However, the PCT has a protruding battery compartment on the left side, which interferes with stockweld for left-handed shooters (see pic #3).

Comfort for both units (bare headed, no helmet or other headgear) is about the same. Ear cushioning was good on both. The difference is that the SSP has a plastic headband and the PCT has a metal headband. Both are leather covered. The metal headband of the PCT may be more durable than the plastic headband on the SSP. This is purely theory and conjecture. No data/experience to prove either way. In the end, when it comes to comfort, it is a draw.

Audio qualities (the big deal):

Outside of the fact that a .45 cal Glock made my ears uncomfortable (without plugs, which is not my normal modus operandi), I did like the SSP’s noise attenuation quality. It did not suppress the sound as much as the PCT, but, you could still have a decent conversation during a firing. The response/recovery time was good, better (to me) than the PCT. The PCT will do a good job of suppressing loud/harmful sounds, but,at the expense of clipping/slow sound recovery. At home (and without earplugs) I conducted a simple test. At my desk, there was a small, empty cardboard box that one of my ARMS #40 BUIS came in. I took a plastic ruler and slapped (flat-side down) on the bottom of the box. The PCT will “dull” the sharp edged sounds, while the SSP simply lowered the volume slightly. To further illustrate, the SSP had an echo, while the PCT had reduced the slap to a thud-like sound. Thus, it appears that the PCT attenuates higher pitched sounds more so than the SSP. I am no audiologist, so I cannot draw a conclusion. This would probably support the reason behind the PCT having a higher NRR than the SSP.
Sordin does have a unit with a higher NRR, but it comes at the expense of not having a slim, beveled bottom (stock clearance, anyone?).

One has to decide if sound quality is more important than sound suppression (and vice versa). Conclusion:

SSP has better sound quality….
PCT has better sound suppression…..

To add a big wrinkle, there is the issue of stereophonic effect. Both units have separate mics and speakers, to reproduce stereophonic hearing. On this, IMHO, the PCT has a distinct advantage over the SSP. I attribute this to the PCT’s microphones being more exposed than on the SSP. Therefore, the PCT gets the nod for stereo sound quality.


Conclusion:

Although I was a die-hard PCT fan/user, I have to give the nod to the SSP. I do this for the following reasons:

1) First and foremost, as a lefty, the SSP is lefty friendly when using long-arms (this applies to righties, when they are using the long-arm with the off-hand). The ability to use a shoulder-fired weapon without the annoying interference from the hearing protector is outstanding.

2) Sound quality….The PCT lowers the sound more, but, I feel that the SSP sounds better. However, I do like the PCT’s stereo effect MUCH better though. I will miss that.

3) Battery life: 600 hrs vs 200-250 hrs. ‘Nuff said about that….

4) Volume level: The SSP has six levels of volume; the PCT has only four.


Now, in defense  of the PCT, I liked it for the following reasons:

Ease of battery installation;

Stereophonic sound reproduction;

Will not accidentally activate;

Uses AA batteries

Higher NRR.

So, there you have it. The usual applies here (YMMV, the dog does not bite, I’ll respect you in the morning, etc, etc, etc).

pic #1:


pic #2:


pic #3:

Per  mo4040

The ability to use a shoulder-fired weapon without the annoying interference from the hearing protector is outstanding.

Thanks for the comprehensive review.  I like my Dillons but it got annoying at Gunsite to have them getting bumped off my right ear during drills.  Sordins here I come.

I believe that Dillon used to sell the Peltor Tactical 6s under the Dillon brand.  What Dillon sells now as a Dillon brand is different from the Tactical 6s.  For example, the Dillon has an external battery compartment for easier battery changes than the Tac 6.  Also, the Dillon has circuitry that does not completely shut off the sound during loud noises, so supposedly conversations are easier to hear with the Dillons as compared to the Tac 6s or many others.  Both are fairly low profile.  

My brother had both and sold the Tac 6s and kept the Dillons.  I have a pair of the Dillons on the way for Christmas.  

Maybe some day I'll try the Com-Tacs or Sordins.

Thanks for the review.  Much appreciated.

I like my comtacs.  The fact I can plug them in and hear my FRS radio, or CD player qhile wearing them is also nice.  I almost never wear plugs under my comtacs, so the 18NRR of the sordins could be problematic for someone like me.

My Pro-Ears get sent back to the factory every year, it seems, and the service is grudging.  I'm not happy with them.

To answer the comment made by gunman0, the Sordins do come with a 3.5mm jack (see pic #2). The unit also came with the connector that allows one to hook up their personal music or comms right away.

Lastly, If you are right-handed and already have the Peltor Com-Tacs, I see no over-riding reason to ditch them and get the Sordins. The main thing for me, was the ability to shoulder a weapon without interference from the muffs. If you are looking to get pair of high-end electronic muffs, then by all means, get the Sordins. Their price is close enough to the Peltors to warrant a close look.......

mo4040 - you're the MAN!  Thanks.  That cardboard box trick and your "sounds to me like" description is 10X better than a bunch of charts and numbers.  I've got to buy 3 sets for the family soon (get rid of the cheapie passive junk) and a $25 or $30 difference stacks up quick.

Bring it on guys - more - MORE

mo4040

Thanks for the comprehensive comparison. Stuff like that really helps with the decisionmaking process!!

Alpine