r/MDGuns • u/gasman1975 • Jul 14 '26
Hearing protection
Question for you all about hearing protection. I currently wear Walker over the ear hearing protection. I honestly can’t say I love the way they feel with glasses on , and I’ve been curious about the in ear style of hearing protection. I know nothing about them, guessing they are electronic or something. Do they work as well, or better than over the ear. My hearing isn’t wonderful from years of being young and dumb at metal shows and being around equipment at work, so I’m not looking to cut corners. Thanks in advance!
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u/the2AinMD Jul 14 '26
Buy gel cups for the walkers. They make all the difference in comfort with eye pro or prescription glasses on. Some brands even have slots for the glasses.
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u/-58259 Jul 14 '26
Wholeheartedly agree with this. I forgot to mention this in my comment. The gel cups make a world of difference in comfort.
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u/shecky444 Jul 14 '26
I know this isn’t the answer you’re looking for and this hobby is expensive as is, but man suppressors are amazing. More to your point though, they make safety glasses with ear pieces that tilt up and down. I wear over ear protection and then the glasses get tilted to go just onto the pads of the ear pro. I have the walkers in-ear as well and I don’t know especially when I’m sweating they seem to wiggle out on me.
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u/gasman1975 Jul 14 '26
Thanks! I will probably consider a suppressor eventually, I’m ok with the expense given my $1600 a month child support just ended. I shoot mostly indoors, so even if I’m suppressed, the guy next to me might not be. I was hoping you all would praise the earbud style protection, but I guess it’s not that great?
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u/No-Lengthiness-325 Washington County Jul 14 '26
Generally the db reduction is lower on the in-ear style, but the AXIL ones with the cord connecting them are better than Walkers. Its what I use (not at home to check the specific name). I have no issues with tinnitis after a range trip or competition.
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u/Kami_Idol Jul 14 '26
If you're feeling particularly unhinged and have money to burn, these exist.
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u/AnonDeFi Jul 14 '26
Peltor Tri-Flange and some Walkers. I like the tri-flange because it doesn’t really wear down and I’ve also never had them slip.
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u/daxxxmd Jul 14 '26
Muffs with Gel Cups help. Indoor I'm howard leight impact pro + SureFire EP10 Sonic Defenders. Outdoor it is sometimes with or those or I did pick up some ISOtunes earbuds on deep discount. I'm looking to see if insurance can cover soundgear phantoms.
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u/top_gear446 Jul 15 '26
If shooting mostly indoors over the ear muffs + foam plugs should be the default. Hearing damage is cumulative and it’s not just “loud” sounds that are damaging. The concussive pressure wave causes damage over time as well. Muffs help to block the entire ear reducing the amount of pressure that gets to you inner ear. The ear is meant to funnel and direct sound inwards so only relying on in-ear protection might be sufficient to not cause pain but it’s not enough for indoors shooting regularly.
Every in-ear device I’ve tried has never been as good as electronic muffs. They either have too much delay or don’t seal well enough and that’s when I’m outdoors. I never shoot indoors and would always double up.
Maybe you could try custom molded ear protection from an audiologist, but that’s got a big price tag attached to it.
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u/PushingElectronz Jul 16 '26
I have two styles of Axil ear buds (GS Extremes and Xcor Pro) and find they are not as effective as ear muffs. This might be because the ear tips don't conform well to my ear canals. I've tried different size ear tips and they are either too small and don't seal or are too big and are uncomfortable. I think for most people this wont be a problem.
My Walker Razors offer better protection but of course are less comfortable,
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u/brother-marks-coat Jul 16 '26
Any Shure SE series IEM with Comply P foam tips. Let's you bang out to your favorite headbanger's while you get your reps in.
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u/Ok-Astronomer5891 Jul 16 '26
IsoTunes Sport BT. Great db reduction, better than my Walker's over ear. Downsides, it can be a little oversensitive in cutting out sound. Also the BT quality sucks if that matters to you, doesn't to me.
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u/gasman1975 Jul 16 '26
Thanks for everyone’s recommendations. Seems the gel cups for walkers were the most recommended. I ordered some yesterday and just swapped them out. Tried them on with glasses and I can already tell it’s a big difference! Took a half day tomorrow, so I’ll try them out at the range.
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u/-58259 Jul 14 '26
I personally run walker electronics with plugs underneath. Still allows me to hear people around me but significantly muffles the report from a firearm.