The new winner for best Hearing Protection - Clear Armor 34dB

[nickao]

I have tried every brand hearing protection I could get my hands on. I have tried active and passive,  units with radios and Bluetooth as well. For pure sound reduction the Peltor X 5A have been the best for me for the last 2 years. And they are darn comfortable too.

The clear Armor are tight so anyone with a larger head I suggest the X5A  below for sure.

3M Peltor X-Series X5A

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http://www.amazon.com/3M-Peltor-Over--Earmuffs-X5A/dp/B00CPCHBCQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1439387099&sr=1-1&keywords=peltor+X5A

The new best as far as I am concerned are the Clear Armor, all I can say is WOW! The best noise reduction I have ever heard and most comfortable as well!

Clear Armor Safety Ear Muffs 34dB

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http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NKSMPZW/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_3?&ie=UTF8&p;smid;sc=1

Either of these two are good, but for me the the Clear Armor 34dB are now the new King of The Hill in Hearing Protection.  The noise reduction is far and above all others I have tried and the two different padding material combined with the .2"  plastic shell makes the frequencies they do block great for woodworking. I just ordered 3 more pair after a week of testing. Anyone looking for new hearing protection I highly recommend them.

 

[semenza]

    Those look really good. I think I will be trying  pair. I like the folding feature on the one model.

  I have been using the Peltor Ultimate 10 (blue) which appear to be the same as the H10 (red & black), both rated at 30db. They have been good.

Seth

 

[nickao]

I place the ultimate 10 - H10 right under the Peltor X5A, they are nice and I have several Pair. The X5A are just more comfortable and a bit better sound reduction at  the highest pitched type sounds.  Until the Peltor X5 came put  the 10's were my go to.

What I do love about the X5A's is that the channel where the ear goes is so very deep and large that there is zero pinching of the ear on plastic when the pads start getting worn. I wont know about the Clear Armor on that aspect for many more month of use, but right now there is no pinching of the ear.

I just wish the X5A , Ultimate 10 or the Cleear Armor had blue tooth or at least a 3mm hack and speakers because my best Howard light that allow me to listen to the TV or music are just not comfortable for more than an hour or two.

 

[semenza]

Looks like the x5A is 31db and the Clear Armor is 34db.

How about the head band pad / no pad, comfort, adjustments?

Also I came across this which looks like it is the clear armor made by Peltor. I wonder if the only difference is the color?

Yellow Clear Armor?

Seth

 

[nickao]

Those yellow are a lot cheaper I  ordered and I'll do a comparison once I receive them. If the yellow are the same as the Clear Armor that's a nice savings. Maybe TR industries makes them and Clear Armor put their name on them for a fee.

The Clear Armor definitely are much more Quiet than my X5. I love the X 5 though, I have a pair on right now.

The bands and whether they are padded or adjustable or not rarely effect me my head is normal to smaller. It's the pads and the ear pinching that effect my the most. The clear armor do adjust in a  similar way as most foldable hearing protection though.

 

[josephgewing]

I got some Sensigard (spelling?) 26 abd 30 db attenuators and found that the 30's were too quiet - gave them away to a shooter friend of mine who said they were great for shooting.

With the 30's I could not tell if my machines were on or off, especially if I had two machines going at the same time.

I would be afraid the 35's  would be too quiet for me.

Joe

 

[nickao]

Even the 34dB all my tools are easily heard. I was watching tv with them and can hear it 10 feet away perfectly, even with the 34dB muffs on.  These take out more the horrible frequencies of tools than anything else. I am asking this in the nicest way not trying to be a smart Alec, but are you sure your hearing is 100%? I have never had a muff that drowned out my router or any of my tools to where I wish I could hear them more. I wish they sold a 40dB and sometimes I use the foam ear plugs PLUS my head phones. I work alone so I dont need to communicate with others, but I can still hear my kids talk to me even with the muffs on.

I guess if someone wanted to hear talking then an active type system is better, But for me those units just were not quiet enough for me. I tried the 500.00 active units  from many makers, made mostly for gun shots, I just didn't like them for shop use at all.

The clear Armor are tight so anyone with a larger head I suggest the X5A for sure.

The best thing about both these muffs for me over any other muff is that my ears fit 100% inside the cups with none of the pad or plastic touching my ear at all. That's what allows me to wear them for super ling days. There is so much room I wish these exact models had speakers in them.

 

[GarryMartin]

Higher db isn't necessarily better. I posted on this subject previously if you are interested;

http://festoolownersgroup.com/other-tools-accessories/most-comfortable-hearing-protection/msg297447/#msg297447

 

[BMAC]

I use my Dillon Precision electronic muffs both in the shop and at the range. I can hear the slightest whisper but they electronically filter out the loud noises perfectly! Works great in the shop for any loud noises I may encounter.

At the range, these muffs excel as my race handgun for ipsc open competition (see ipsc.org) is chambered in .38super loaded very hot (1540 fps) and it is extremly loud as the muzzle break (compensator) directs the muzzle blast out to the sides and top and people standing to the side usually flinch due to the percussion wave hitting them in the chest!

Often on competition days at the range I'm wearing the muffs comfortably for 8 hours or more. My hearing tests show normal hearing levels for someone in their 50's and I attribute this to being very careful to protect my hearing from any loud noises or frequencies that can cause hearing loss. I highly recommend these muffs.

https://www.dillonprecision.com/#/content/p/9/pid/23562/catid/21/HP1_Electronic_Hearing_Protector__Black