I just bought some brand new Supreme Pro X ear protection. They are the most comfortable ear muffs I have ever worn. They scream quality. The outfit I bought them from seems top notch.

One problem. They only provide 18 db of protection. I was in pain shooting them with my .223 AR15. Anyone else experience the same thing?

Double plugging with foam ear plugs won't work. I want to use them for hunting and the foam plugs would defeat the purpose. Has anyone tried these with the Surefire Sonic defenders? This seems like a good combination to block the high noise of the .223 and be able to hear low sounds.

The Sonic Defenders are listed at 9 db. So, would the total protection (if used together) be 18 + 9 = 27 db? Does it work that way?

I use foam earplugs with my cheap $70 Peltors, and crank up the volume to the max.  



The net result is hearing that is about 75% what i can hear normally.



I have above average hearing perception, so i'm pretty paranoid about hearing protection.



The surefire EP3s aren't that comfortable in my opinion, and i'm not too convinced they are that much better than foamies.  Some people love them though, so i'm thinking you should experiment with foamies and the surefire plugs in conjunction with your Sordins.

I personally don't have any problems using my Pro-X's with ear plugs underneath, but then again being young and having great hearing might have something to do with that.



You could try using plugs underneath while at the range and not using plugs while hunting since I would think you're only going to be taking a shot or two.



You can't quite add reduction ratings to get a compound rating for hearing protection. I've been trying to find out a way to calculate it myself, but haven't come across a concrete way yet.





 

I have been to the range twice since purchasing my Sordin Pro X's.  I can hear every shot being fired and they are loud, but after 2 hours and getting in the car my ears don't ring.  Meaning that the Sordin's are doing their job.  I still jump when the guy next to me shoots though and that is a problem, even on low volume.  Also the roof over the firing stations is metal and echos like a SOB.  I thought the Sordin's would be much different in squelching the sound more, but no.  They only allow up to 82db to hit your ears, which is non-destructive.

I would assume that adding 9 db's of another ear protector would take the max hit to 73 db's hitting your ears.

This is according to Sordin -

The electronic design is based upon our own ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) circuit and controlled by a micro-processor. This makes it possible to combine very low current consumption with high performance and instead of cutting off peak sounds it compresses them down to al level of 82 dB(A).

The MSA Sordin Supreme Pro X are hearing protectors that reproduce a natural and realistic sound. You should have perfect locational hearing without any disturbing noise. Superb sound quality and high amplification actually let you hear better when wearing our hearing protection. All moving components are made of steel, microphones are waterproof and circuit boards are lacquered and therefore water protected.

5 Year Warranty against Water Damage to the electronics.

   * Microphone positioning provides excellent stero sound reproduction of ambient sounds
   * Over 600 hours of battery life from 2 x AAA batteries
   * Battery Save and Low battery warning system
   * External battery
   * The sound is limited to 82 dB(A) equivalent sound level
   * AUX input for connection of external radios
   * Waterproof


If the Sordin's only took off 20db's then my ears would have been ringing - 145 db's for 2 hours - I would be deaf.  Also, guys run these all day at shooting classes.  There has to be more protection than lowering the sound just 20db's.

My peltor com-tac II's hurt also, but they work when I turn the volume down.

I spoke with one of Sordin's engineers several years ago regarding the effectiveness of their "ears".  The bottom line according to him is that the absolute sound attenuation is directly related to the size of the ear cup and is frequency dependant.  In the case of Sordin the maximum attenuation was limited by the size of the ear cup that would fit under a helmet.

Sordins do not provide adequate protection by themselves for long term exposure to high noise levels.  They are intended for short term exposure particularly when combined with integrated communication equipment.

I use custom fitted plugs with my Sordins and with the volume at max I can hear range commands over a loud speaker but not much more.`

+1 I have them and they work just fine by themselves but after an hour or so they kill my ears. Surefire EP3's are about as comfortable as OEM iPod headphones!