Electronic Ear Plugs with NRR 31dB rating

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Pawpaw
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Electronic Ear Plugs with NRR 31dB rating

Post by Pawpaw »

MidwayUSA has a sale going on for Walker''s newest ear plugs. The main unit is worn around the neck and there is a retractable cable going to each plug, like some of the newer bluetooth ear plugs for listening to tunes on your phone.

The Razor-X is ear pro only.

The Razor-XV adds bluetooth so you can listen to music. They also have a microphone, so they can function as a wireless headset for phone calls.

I searched the internet and could not find prices even close to what MidwayUSA wants for these.

NRR 31dB provides better hearing protection than almost anything but foam plugs.

Here's the owner's manual for the bluetooth model.

https://fccid.io/document.php?id=3019254
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Re: Electronic Ear Plugs with NRR 31dB rating

Post by warnmar10 »

How to explain the shipping restrictions?

Shipping Weight: 0.40 Pounds
Ships Alone: No
DOT-Regulated: Yes
Carrier Restrictions:

Cannot ship via air
Cannot ship via USPS
Cannot ship to PO Box

HazMat Product: No
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Re: Electronic Ear Plugs with NRR 31dB rating

Post by Pawpaw »

warnmar10 wrote:How to explain the shipping restrictions?

Shipping Weight: 0.40 Pounds
Ships Alone: No Means it can be shipped with other products in the box
DOT-Regulated: Yes Probably because of the LiPo battery
Carrier Restrictions:

Cannot ship via air
Cannot ship via USPS
Cannot ship to PO Box It will come by UPS, probably because of the LiPo battery

HazMat Product: No
Does this answer your questions?
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Re: Electronic Ear Plugs with NRR 31dB rating

Post by Skiprr »

I ordered a pair (non-Bluetooth) this morning about an hour after I got the email ad from Midway. These new Razor-X ear plugs don't even appear on Walker's website yet. I used standard shipping, so expect to see them the 22nd or 23rd. I'll post a quick review by the following weekend.

I have a unique situation that's rendered me unable to use over-the-ear muffs, and the custom in-ear plugs that I had made in the past will no longer fit one of my ears. Short of having new (expensive) custom in-ear plugs made, I've struggled with alternatives other than cheap, uncomfortable foam or baffle-type plugs.

At 90 bucks, giving these new Walker's plugs a try is worth it. If they'll work as advertised, they may be a home-run for me. I have some level of concern about positioning the retractable cables and stability of the plugs when on the move (IDPA, etc.). If the cables are long enough, I'm betting the best method would be to run them up behind the ears and have the plugs swing in from the top front. We'll see.
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Re: Electronic Ear Plugs with NRR 31dB rating

Post by warnmar10 »

Skiprr wrote:... I have some level of concern about positioning the retractable cables and stability of the plugs when on the move (IDPA, etc.). If the cables are long enough, I'm betting the best method would be to run them up behind the ears and have the plugs swing in from the top front. We'll see.
I wear my LG headset under my collar. It does shift around some so I wrapped the portion between the left and right module with florist's tape and it stays put now. As you suggested, I wear mine with the wire entry point on the bud pointing up and forward. I'm not shooting IDPA but I am active in my job and for the most part I'm satisfied.
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Re: Electronic Ear Plugs with NRR 31dB rating

Post by Pawpaw »

It's going to be interesting to find out if these things use sound compression to lower the volume of lout noises or if they just cut off. I expect the latter, but I'll be pleasantly surprised if it's the former.
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Re: Electronic Ear Plugs with NRR 31dB rating

Post by TexasJohnBoy »

I'm interested to see how these work out.
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Re: Electronic Ear Plugs with NRR 31dB rating

Post by C-dub »

Pawpaw wrote:It's going to be interesting to find out if these things use sound compression to lower the volume of lout noises or if they just cut off. I expect the latter, but I'll be pleasantly surprised if it's the former.
It says they use sound compression.
They provide NRR 31 dB protection through sound activated compression.
I'm seriously thinking about ordering one of those. I just can't make up my mind which ones.
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Re: Electronic Ear Plugs with NRR 31dB rating

Post by warnmar10 »

Pawpaw wrote:... Does this answer your questions?
It was a rhetorical question but thank you just the same.
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Re: Electronic Ear Plugs with NRR 31dB rating

Post by Charles L. Cotton »

I'm looking forward to reading reviews by Forum Members. I'm really interested in these, but what is the purpose of Bluetooth?

Chas.
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Re: Electronic Ear Plugs with NRR 31dB rating

Post by Pawpaw »

warnmar10 wrote:
Pawpaw wrote:... Does this answer your questions?
It was a rhetorical question but thank you just the same.
Oh, sorry! I can't read rhetorical. :lol:
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Re: Electronic Ear Plugs with NRR 31dB rating

Post by TreyHouston »

Charles L. Cotton wrote:I'm looking forward to reading reviews by Forum Members. I'm really interested in these, but what is the purpose of Bluetooth?

Chas.
So you can listen to Marilyn Manson while shooting! Or Tupac whatever you prefer :mrgreen:
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Re: Electronic Ear Plugs with NRR 31dB rating

Post by Pawpaw »

TreyHouston wrote:
Charles L. Cotton wrote:I'm looking forward to reading reviews by Forum Members. I'm really interested in these, but what is the purpose of Bluetooth?

Chas.
So you can listen to Marilyn Manson while shooting! Or Tupac whatever you prefer :mrgreen:
It will also work with your cellphone as a bluetooth headset. My hearing aids do that, and boy does it spoil you. I have a tough time understanding some people (like my daughter) without it.
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Re: Electronic Ear Plugs with NRR 31dB rating

Post by rotor »

Pawpaw wrote:It's going to be interesting to find out if these things use sound compression to lower the volume of lout noises or if they just cut off. I expect the latter, but I'll be pleasantly surprised if it's the former.
Interesting. I bought a pair of their passive low profile muffs today. They fit good and will have to see how they work in the field. From everything I can see these do not use out of phase noise cancelling like that of Bose aviation headsets. I think these are probably just shut off the amplifier to the earpieces when a shot is heard. The real test is to see how they do when the battery is dead as far as NRR 31db reduction. If they still have NRR 31db reduction without battery power they are just ear plugs. They sure don't have much info about their products on the website.
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Re: Electronic Ear Plugs with NRR 31dB rating

Post by Pawpaw »

My order arrived a couple of hours ago. It took less than an hour to get them fully charged. The power switch is a slider, so there's little chance of them being inadvertently turned on in your range bag.

This seems to be a very well constructed piece of gear. They're heavy enough to inspire confidence, but not too heavy. Each bud has a flat, retractable cable that will not retract until you push a button on the neck piece. You need to be careful because they will snap back pretty hard. I recommend grabbing the bud and easing it back while you hold the button.

Pairing with my phone was very easy. No PIN required. The sound quality with the phone is pretty good. Ambient sound quality is equally good. Even with the volume turned all the way up, there is no hiss or other noise you sometimes get with electronic ear pro.

Included in the package is a good assortment of foam plugs. Anyone should be able to find a size that fits comfortably. The foam plugs hold the buds in the ear pretty solidly. I don't think there will be any need to loop the cable over the top of your ears, but YMMV.

The storage pouch looks like it will do the job of keeping the unit clean, but it's not going to provide much protection from bumps. To be honest, I don't think the unit needs a lot of protection. There is an internal pouch that is held closed by Velcro. It's big enough to hold the spare earbuds as well as the included charger & cable, That keeps everything in a nice, neat package.

I haven't shot with them yet, but they seem to do a good job of blocking sound. Turning them off makes a big difference in your hearing.

I think I'm going to like these earbuds. :thumbs2:

EDIT: I forgot to add something. There is one tiny little LED located next to the micro USB charging port. When the headset is charging, it glows solid red. When it goes off, charging is done. When you have the unit in Bluetooth pairing mode, it glows solid blue. When the unit is connected to your phone (or other device), it slow flashes blue. The LED and charging port are located on the inside of the neck piece, next to your neck, so you don't have a flashing blue light like some headsets do.

If you have the earbuds in when you turn the unit on, you hear a female voice say, "Power on."
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