In the world of hearing protection, everyone is looking for the newest and greatest earbud style protection. This brings us to the Pro Ears Stealth Elite in ear hearing protection. The stealth elites are essentially electronic hearing protection, in a small compact, earbud size package.

When I first heard about the Stealth Elite’s, I was very curious. If I could get the benefits of electronic sound cancellation, in an ear bud, what more could I ask for? Part of what made these so attractive, was the price. At an msrp of $159.99, they are less expensive than other brands in this market. Plus they have the added option of using a rechargeable bluetooth lanyard.

The specifications on the Stealth Elite’s is quite extensive. They have a very good noise reduction rating of 28 db’s. Are IPX6 rated, so you can drop them in water or use them in the rain. The pair weighs 28 grams. A neck lanyard, that clips to the ear buds, is included for when you don’t have the bluetooth one connected. Plus they are supplied with a variety of compressible foam or silicone ear tips. All of which can be stored in a nice little carrying case.

Besides the specifications mentioned before, the Stealth Elite’s has electronic noise cancellation. There are 3 modes in which each earbud can be set. These are Isolation, Awareness, and Amplification. On each earbud is a tiny switch to change between these settings. A “0” setting for off, or “isolation”. A “I” setting for “Awareness”. And a “II” setting for “Amplification”. The off, or isolation setting, makes these earbuds work as a regular earplug. The awareness setting allows the wearer to hear their surroundings. Essentially letting you hear normally, at a normal volume. Then there is the amplification setting. This, as the name implies, amplifies what you hear at 5 times normal volume. Both the latter two modes will cut any loud sounds, down to hearing safe levels. In my experience, they work very well at cutting out unsafe noise levels.

Because of the electronics needed to make the Stealth Elite’s work, they run on batteries. They designed the earbuds to use a #10 hearing aid battery. The batteries will last about 80 hrs each. There is one battery in each one of the earbuds. The batteries are relatively inexpensive and can be found at just about any local store. 60 of them cost between $15-20 on Amazon. So for $20 you can run the set of earbuds for 2400 hours, that’s 100 days straight. The batteries are easily changed, through a little built in door, in each earbud.

Also included is the aforementioned bluetooth lanyard. The bluetooth lanyard is rechargeable and gives around 9 hours of use. As with most bluetooth stuff, it has up/down and a larger button in the middle. The middle button is also the power button, answer call, etc. The lanyard uses a tiny little connector that just plugs into the bottom of the earbuds. It is a pass through connection. This means that it powers the earbuds for sound, so one can actually use this feature when the battery is dead or missing. I mainly use the bluetooth, when using the earbuds for other things, like mowing the yard. It works good enough for me. One interesting thing about using the bluetooth is: it has a built in sound limiter, so you can not turn the volume up past 110 db’s and damage your hearing.

Since you are probably wondering how they perform, let's get into it. I have used the Stealth Elite’s on the range a lot. They do a great job of letting me hear my surroundings, while cutting out gunshots. Battery life is good, as explained earlier. When the batteries start to get low, I get a crackling sound. I have learned that when it gets to that point, I just change the battery. Even though they supposedly have a “wind shield”, they still pick up wind noise and amplify it. When using either of the “on” settings, sound is really good and I am able to hear conversations at a noisy shooting range. The Stealth Elite’s stick out of one's ears more than some earplugs and I was worried about this when shooting rifles and shotguns. Well, after using them with both, there is nothing to worry about. I never had any problems with them hitting the stocks of various rifles and shotguns. In fact, I prefer them over muffs because they don’t get pushed out of the way. Because they are “in ear” hearing protection, they also keep your head and ears from getting hot like “over ear” hearing protection does. With the compressible foam ear tips, they are very comfortable to wear all day. I have worn them continually for 8+ hours on the range without causing me discomfort. Of course, results may vary on your comfort.

So if you are looking into getting some electronic hearing protection, do check out Pro Ears and their Stealth Elite’s. I’m pretty happy with their performance. The price seems good. Battery life is good. The noise reduction is top notch. Plus, they are a USA based business.

Firearms Insider Reviews - 8 Key Points

Claim to Fame:

In ear, electronic noise reduction hearing protection

Target Market:

Those who dislike ear muffs, or those wanting in ear hearing protection

FNBs (Features & Benefits of this product):

Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) of 28db
IPX6 rated -Water Resistant & Sweat-proof.
Amplification Mode: Let’s you hear faint sounds from a distance while protecting your ears from extremely loud sounds (5x amplification).
Awareness Mode: Allows ambient sounds to pass through even while you are listening to music or talking on the phone so you remain situationally aware.
Isolation Mode: Enjoy complete peace and quiet when you want to focus or recharge.
Wind Shield
In ear, earbud style
Rechargeable BlueTooth lanyard
80 hour battery life for earbuds
Uses #10 batteries (60 pieces are around $20)
Foam and Silicone tips included

What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?

None

What others are saying?:

Richard M. on Amazon 5/5 stars

Nice hearing protections and excellent hearing enhancement

I bought these for hunting in the blind. The hearing enhancement feature is unbelievable. I can pick up the slightest of sound. It did take a little time to set it up to select the right ear buds and clips for my ears. I was surprised with all the options it came with to make sure the fit is comfortable and secure. I also like the fact it comes with a line that attaches to each ear piece so I can't lose one.

Our Rating:

Pros:

Sound reduction
Rechargeable Bluetooth lanyard
Assortment of different ear pieces
Comfort
3 different sound/hearing protection choices

Cons:

Wind noise
Crackling static when battery is low
Not as quiet as regular over-ear muffs

Score: 7.00 Good

Favorite Link: Gun & Gear Cult

As shooters, we all know that good hearing protection is needed. Usually opting for over the ear style. Or most likely, amplified earmuffs so you can still hear other people talking, while cutting out the harsh noise of the gun shot. Sometimes the earmuffs can lift off your head slightly and now you have lost the benefit of them. Well, Decibullz has come out with a percussive filter, custom molded in ear, earplug.

Decibullz had made standard moldable earplugs for a while. But they recently introduced their new Percussive Filter ones. The percussive filter cuts out harmful noise, while allowing you to still hear relatively normally. Not quite like the amplified muffs we are use to. These do not require any batteries! Granted, they won't amplify sound, but they also don't lift up when pressed against a rifle stock. When I asked how much noise reduction they have, Decibullz said they have a Noise Reduction Rating of 32, so 32 NRR. But at normal levels like talking, it is rated at 10 NRR. So what does this mean for you? Well, it basically means that you can hear normal voices, but they are a little reduced in volume. But on the other side, they do a great job at cutting out loud volumes like gunshots.

Probably one one the best features of the Decibullz percussive ear plugs, is they are custom moldable. When the earplugs first arrive, they are kind of bean shaped. Don't worry, this isn't how they are used, you must first mold them. To mold the earplugs to the shape of your ear, all it takes is hot water. First remove the filter and set it aside. Install the orange tip onto the plug. Then just boil some water on the stove. Once it is boiling, take it off the burner. Toss in one plug only, as they can stick together if you put both in at the same time. Wait 5 minutes, remove the plug with a spoon and let rest for 30 seconds. Install the filter. Now press the plug, filter, and orange tip into your ear, pressing to form it to your ear. Let sit in your ear for 5 more minutes. Now your done with that ear, do the same for the other plug. If you mess up, don't worry, because you can just do the process over again to remold it. One of the only problems with these being moldable in hot water is that they can unform in high heat environments, like a hot car in the summer. But if this happens, just remold them. Decibullz has a very good video on molding the different model of plugs on their website.

After wearing these for some time now, I can honestly say they are great. So good that I ordered a set of the standard ones also. If your worried about fit, don't be, they are really comfortable, even for extended periods of time. The plugs also come with a plethora of tips to fit different size ear canals. Also included is a neat little carrying bag to store the plugs in. While using these I didn't have any problem hearing normal conversations, even if the were muted a small amount. When shooting rifles, they allowed me to get a much better cheek weld than I normally get with my electronic muffs. They also did an excellent job cutting noise from short barreled rifles and compensated rifles, and we know those can be loud. For right now they only come in black. The ones they supplied me with are orange, as you can see. I would expect them to be offered in the same colors as the rest of their product lines. The orange is actually nice because it is easier for range officials to see that you have your ear protection on.

I mentioned ordering a normal set, since the moldable part is the same, I'll talk about a different experience. These were for my wife. After molding them, she was not really getting any noise reduction. She tried the different size tips and the foam tips as recommended on the Decibullz website, but that didn't seem to help. If you pushed on them, they would work. We tried to remold them, and even though they fit a little better, the plugs did the same thing and didn't block noise. After reading some of the reviews on Amazon, we decided that that her ears are small and/or narrow. There seemed to just be too much plastic to mold and get a good fit in her ears. Since all of the Decibullz products are one size, you might want to be cautious if you have small ears. Maybe Decibullz will offer sizes some time in the future.

On a side note. The plugs are hard, not soft or rubbery. But since they are molded to your ear, they are still comfortable. Installing them in your ear is self explanatory. I found that when removing them from my ear, it helped to pull your ear lobe out of the way and then kind of pop them out. That's how well they stay in. But if you don't want the percussive filters, and just want standard plugs, they do not come with the plug insert

At first I was reluctant at how these Percussive filter plugs were going to work. I have used other brands that were said to do the same thing and didn't. But the Decibullz work! I am so glad that they sent me out a pair, because I know that I wouldn't have probably purchased them myself. Like I said before, I even purchased a non percussive set. If you don't like ear muffs, but want to hear sounds around you without loud noises damaging your hearing, these are the ticket. Go give Decibullz a look, They also make headphones that are custom moldable.