Has anyone used the Walker's Silencer Electronic Ear Plugs (NRR 25dB)?

[Berncly]

Has anyone used the Walker's Silencer Electronic Ear Plugs (NRR 25dB)?
https://ads.midwayusa.com/product/28...yABEgIlD_D_BwE

I'm looking for a pair of plugs that function as well or better than the Howard Leight Electronic Shooting Earmuff (R-01526).
https://www.amazon.com/Howard-Leight...BB5MG412KZBAPB

The Walker's plugs are about $180.
There are better plugs on the market for $300, but I would like to know if the Walker's function well enough to save the cash.
If anyone has actually used them a review would be helpful.
Thanks.

[Hawk]

The reviews on the Walker's look promising except for battery life. I took a hard look at them when they first came out (they were on sale for $149 at Midway). Just couldn't pull the trigger because I really don't need anything more than push-in/foam ear plugs (plus the push-in ear plugs are NRR 30 and cheap).

NRR of 22 is on the low side for hearing protection (especially center fire rifles). I'd try to stay at or above NRR 25

Check out this site: https://www.earplugstore.com/earmuffs.html

[Berncly]

The reviews on the Walker's look promising except for battery life. I took a hard look at them when they first came out (they were on sale for $149 at Midway). Just couldn't pull the trigger because I really don't need anything more than push-in/foam ear plugs (plus the push-in ear plugs are NRR 30 and cheap).

NRR of 22 is on the low side for hearing protection (especially center fire rifles). I'd try to stay at or above NRR 25

Check out this site: https://www.earplugstore.com/earmuffs.html

Thanks Hawk.
I like the noise cancellation muffs but I don't like having the pressure on my head for 3 or 4 hours.
I tend to default to the foam plugs also, and they work great.
When I need to talk to people the muffs are more practical.
I was trying to combine the best of both if it was possible.
Thanks for the link.

[TooBigToFit]

I have the Etymotic GSP15. They're one of the best shooting accessories I've ever purchased. The batteries are a bit of a pain (buy em cheap at Costco), but there's no other hearing protection I've been so inclined to wear for extended periods. I use Comply foam tips, which fit better and are more comfortable.

I lost my first pair, and as much as it pained my wallet, I didn't hesitate to buy another.

[Berncly]

I have the Etymotic GSP15. They're one of the best shooting accessories I've ever purchased. The batteries are a bit of a pain (buy em cheap at Costco), but there's no other hearing protection I've been so inclined to wear for extended periods. I use Comply foam tips, which fit better and are more comfortable.

I lost my first pair, and as much as it pained my wallet, I didn't hesitate to buy another.

Yeah, you get what you pay for.
You spent about $300 I'm assuming?

[TooBigToFit]

Yeah, you get what you pay for.
You spent about $300 I'm assuming?

The first pair I bought was $300. The replacement pair I bought, I used the SlickGuns/Gun.Deals search engine and found that these guys were the cheapest, which, at the time, totaled around $215 after shipping and CC processing (which helped cushion the blow of having to buy a second pair in the first place).

https://www.gunsmidwest.com/etymotic...-pro-25db.html

Haven't tried to search again to see if anyone else has them for cheaper.

Not that I'm saying that these are worth it over the Waker's. It's just what I ended up buying. My main goal buying these electronic ears, was sound quality. I recognized Etymotic from before my shooting days as a maker of relatively high end in ear headphones, so I expected them to sound good. And they do. It's not 100% imperceptible from normal hearing, but it sounds pretty good.

I believe one of the main differences between Etymotic and the Walker's is how they achieve amplification and sound cutoff. Etymotic is analog based, Waker's is digital. Digital means that they have to take the input from the microphones, make it digital via an Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC), process the digital information, then turn it back into an analog signal for the speaker via a DAC. This might lead to 2 disadvantages...

1) Loss of sound quality from encoding the signal. If the resolution (number of bits used to represent the analog signal as a digital number) isn't high enough, it might not be able to capture all the detail you're looking for.
2) Processing delay. All that conversion and signal processing takes time, and there is going to be a delay between when the microphone picks up a sound, and when you actually hear it through the speaker. How big of a delay that is depends on the speed of the components they chose and the efficiency of their processing software algorithm.

Doing all of the work via an analog circuit can minimize or eliminate those 2 issues. I will say as a EE that analog circuit design and board layout is an art form though, and it can be very tricky to get right.

As far as the hearing protection portion goes. The Etymotic is rated at 25 dB just as the Walkers. 25 dB on paper is on the lighter side of protection. For reference, a decent pair of muffs is usually in the mid to upper 20s, and foam plugs usually lower 30s. Keep in mind though, that the performance of each product over the frequency range differs, and some may work better at protecting you in a certain range better even though the overall NRR is lower. For best performance, use foam tips. As I mentioned, I use Comply foam tips, instead of the OEM ones. I found that the OEM tips are oddly sized (the small too small, the medium too big), and stiffer/less comfortable. One part of me says it's not a great idea to use an untested/non approved accessory as a part of safety equipment. The other part is fairly certain they perform better than the OEM ones.

Anyways, long post. If you have any questions, fire away.

[Berncly]

Thank you very much for the detailed information Fit, it is very helpful.
I am sure I will end up getting the quality plugs you recommended.
When I get them I will post a follow up about how it goes.
Thanks again.
B-

[danhr]

Grabagun.com has them on sale for 129.99

I just ordered a set off optics planet, who price matched.

[Hawk]

Grabagun.com has them on sale for 129.99

I just ordered a set off optics planet, who price matched.

Let us know how they work for you.

[danhr]

Small review:

I've tried these out a few times now and have a set of peltor electric muffs and Howard leights.... I will use the Howard leights as the standard, because it's the most popular.

Pros: small. Doesn't take up much space in the range bag
Lots of customization... Three different inserts and three deifferent pieces that hold them in your ear
They are pretty stable... I expected them to fall out (especially since I have small ear canal) and they do not
Surprisingly comfortable... I was at the range for 6 or 7 hours
The use of headwear and eye protection. I've always had a problem with muffs and glasses... Sometimes they wouldn't seal the whole way around them. Yesterday I had a beanie and sunglasses on.... I stayed warm and had the sun out of my eyes.

Cons: they are small.... They come with a lanyard.... Use it
The DB rating is kind of far fetched... I shot a few of my semi .308s with them on.... I probably wouldn't go bigger than that. The Howard leights offer better protection
Not a fairly common battery size