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Howard Leight R-01526
Give your ears a break with the Howard Leight R-01526 - arguably the best earmuffs for the price. Anybody who takes regular part in impact sports like shooting will know the importance of quality earmuffs. The standard method is to wear a pair of earmuffs over a pair of earplugs, and this effectively blocks loud, harmful noises that can damage your hearing. The problem is that this method blocks all sounds making it difficult to hear those things that you should be hearing.
Electronic earmuffs, like Howard Leight R-01526, solve this problem by blocking out the harsh and damaging sounds while allowing the soft, useful sounds. Thus, it gives you protection from the deafening sounds without the inconvenience of being nearly deaf.
Electronic earmuffs accomplish this by quickly cutting off the audio whenever a loud noise occurs, i.e., when a shot is being fired, and then restoring the audio immediately after the loud noise ends. The Howard Leight R-01526 costs much less, maybe a third of what the top-end earmuffs will cost you without compromising on the high quality protection that your ears need. Though it may not beat all the features of the high end earmuffs, the R-01526 is a quality product that will be sufficient for most people and even beats the high end models in some respects.
The Howard Leight works by electronically amplifying the sounds around you and playing it back into the earphone. There is a volume control knob for volume adjustment - at higher levels of volume, it may allow you to hear faint sounds which you may not normally hear, so it works like a hearing aid. Whenever a loud noise occurs, it cuts off all sounds and after the sound has subsided it instantly restores the sounds. The cut-off is instant but the immediate restoration is where this brand beats even the expensive models, which can take a longer time for sound restoration.
The Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) is 22, so for indoor ranges you may benefit by wearing earplugs inside the earmuffs as an added protection. All sounds above 84 dB are blocked. It has a 3.5 mm audio jack which allows you to listen to music. This is cool feature to have if you are alone when using them. After use you can fold it into a compact size for storage.
The R-01526, also known as the Impact Sport, is comfortable to wear. If your head is much bigger than average heads you may find it a little tight initially but after a few uses, the band on top will adjust and it will fit nicely.
The R-01526 is powered by two AAA batteries. The battery compartment is located under a sliding panel on the top left of the headset. A standard set of batteries have a life of about 100 to 120 hours of operation. There is an auto cut off after four hours to preserve battery life. So you will not find the battery drained because you forgot to switch the headset off. It is advisable to get a set of rechargeable batteries which will repay its cost after a few cycles of recharge.
The Howard Leight R-01526 is not necessarily the best quality or the most expensive pair of earmuffs that you can get but, if you are like most people, it has all the features that you will need. For its price, there are not many models that offer you features that are only found in more expensive earmuffs.
Here is what others say about the Howard Leight R-01526:
"These slim Howard Leight earmuffs don't interfere with the shotgun and the dramaticly reduce the noise. These are great and well worth the price I paid."
"These earmuffs protect my ears way better than the ranges cruddy loaners. I shoot a 40 Smith and Wesson and a Glock 22, both which pop fairly loud at the indoor range. I also like the fact that they fold up and fit into the pocket of my tactical bag and when in use they fit my big fat noggin. Great buy."
"If you need a high decible noise cancelling earmuff that still allows you to hear conversations, these are a great choice.
Pros: Fold up nicely, only use a single AA battery, has an auto-shutoff feature.
Cons: They can become warm after long periods of use, like my Bose muffs."
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