Peltor Tactical 6S
A high quality hearing protector should do a good job at removing harmful noise, be very comfortable to wear, and able to be used in different shooting or noisy working environments. The newly redesigned Peltor Tactical 6S headset truly delivers in all of these areas.
The headset’s electronics amplify ambient sounds such as voices, very effectively while at the same time suppressing loud impact noises in order to protect your hearing.
The unit electronically and successfully suppresses sounds over 79 dB within 5 milliseconds. You get this kind of sound protection while helping you become fully aware of your surroundings audibly. The active-volume system gives you distortion-free amplification of low-level sounds up to 19 dB.
The Peltor Tactical 6S comes with separate controls on each ear cup to adjust microphone sensitivity, amplification, and volume in order to bring you a true stereophonic experience while wearing them. The earmuff is small, compact, lightweight, and folds up into itself in order to neatly fit inside a bag or a carrying case.
The Tac 6-s is one of the most popular electronic hearing protectors among Peltor’s hearing protectors and is a trusted favorite by the United States military.
If budget is a concern and you are looking to switching from a standard hearing protector to an electronic hearing protector then the Peltor Tactical 6S might be what you are looking for.
The 6s is one of Peltor’s most popular headsets among their lineup of headsets. It is highly favored by Police Academies and the US Military as great choice for hearing protection.
These are great headsets for recreational shooting, hunting, and for hearing protection in industrial type jobs. Not only are they a good choice for those on a limited budget but they are also a great option for beginning shooters as well.
Packaging
The headsets come nicely folded into themselves in a blister package. It is recommended that if you don’t have a secure place to store your headsets then keep the blister package to store your headsets in.
This of course will help them stay protected as much as possible from accidental damages to them. The set also comes with an instruction manual as well. Batteries are not included which you will need 4 AAA batteries altogether. Two for each ear cup.
Weight, Feel and External Features
The unit weights about 8 ounces making it a very lightweight, easy to store and carry around with you. Although they are lightweight they have a pretty good sturdy build to them. Some people think that they feel cheap. Compared to Peltor’s other line of well built headsets like the Tactical Sport or the Tactical Pro, the Tactical 6s does feel and look a little bit more flimsier and less sturdier. This of course doesn’t degrade the great features it comes with.
The headband is relatively low profile and hides very well under hats, helmets and most other type of protective headgear. It also works well when using safety glasses without interfering with them. It does seem to be made of inexpensive plastic and feels cheap to the touch, but works well when worn.
The headband cleans up very easily and fits very nice and snug over the head. It can be adjusted up and down for a perfect fit, although some users have complained that it is very uncomfortable over the head even with the adjustment options.
The ear cups and ear pads are made of plastic. Nevertheless, the plastic for the ear pads is very soft and are comfortable enough to wear for hours at a time. The seal on the cups is very good as well in order to prevent dangerous noise from coming in.
The unit also has two microphones, one on each ear cup. The microphones work beautifully and are very sensitive in order to pick up quiet ambient sounds around you that you wouldn’t normally hear or notice with the human ear.
You can also set the microphone sensitivity according to your individual needs. This is specially good if your using them outside on windy days, although the microphones seem to still perform well, even under 10+ mph wind gusts. The foam mic covers are a little thin so you will have to be extra careful not to damage them. The fact that the microphones do tend to protrude out a bit does put the foam mic covers at risk to tear or come off easily.
The Peltor Tactical 6-S also comes with individual volume controls for each ear cup. The volume controls are two knobs which not only control the volume level but also turns the individual ear cups off. This can be good or bad depending on the user because sometimes you may forget to power off one ear cup and not the other one which in turn drains the battery of the ear cup that wasn’t turned off. Unfortunately there isn’t an LED light to let you know if you left one of the ear cups on or not.
Also some users have complained that the power/volume knobs are a bit obtrusive due to the fact that they protrude a little bit too much.
Usage and Battery Life
The Peltor Tactical 6-s hearing protector does a great job at blending comfort, performance and protection. With it’s advanced electronics, the unit can limit amplified sounds up to 82 dBA within 5 milliseconds or so. Also, the active-volume feature provides distortion-free amplification of low-level sounds up to 19dBA.
When shooting there is no noticeable mute on/off with the electronic sound attenuation. The audio is in stereo and sounds very crisp and very lifelike.
The unit works very well in outdoor activities such as hunting and outdoor gun ranges, but it seems to diminish in performance indoors such as indoor shootings ranges. It is possible that you may have to use another level of ear protection such as ear plugs, while wearing this unit indoors. The Tactical 6S seems to be more geared for tactical use and not for static range shooting although most users feel it works very well in outdoor static shooting ranges.
As mentioned earlier, the unit does not intrude with hats such as ball caps, beanies, and most other work related type of protective head gear. It also does a good job at not intruding with hearing aids if you happen to be a hearing aid user. The design also allows for very little if any interference with rifle stocks when rifles are held up to the cheek.
The worse part about the headset that seems to really be a pain for most users is how you have to replace the batteries. Unlike the Peltor Tactical Sport, and Tactical Pro headsets, where they only take two batteries and the batteries are easily replaced by just opening up the little latch on the left ear cup, the 6S is a bit more challenging to replace the batteries.
Each ear cup takes two AAA batteries which is 4 batteries in all (Batteries are not included with the unit). They are replaced by pulling the ear cushion off and then removing the gray foam inside and the battery compartment is located there among the electronics. Once you the batteries are in you place the foam back on and the ear cushion snaps back into place.
Some users complain that it’s sometimes very difficult to remove the ear cushion and that foam is not easy to remove making it very vulnerable to tearing. Also, snapping back the ear cushion to the ear cup can be very difficult if you are not used to it.
Despite the battery replacement issue, you can easily get 200+ hours of battery life out of the unit. This is of course if the unit is properly turned off after each use which can easily be forgotten to do due to the individual ear cup power knobs. Unfortunately this model does not come with an auto-shutoff feature so it is imperative that you make sure the unit is properly powered off in order to conserve battery life.
Reviews
You can view the user reviews of The Tactical 6S Here.
Price
Expect to pay about $100.00 to $125.00 for the unit depending on where you purchase it, but the best deals usually come by purchasing it online. Click here if you would like to purchase the unit now.
Overall
Overall, The Peltor Tactical 6S does a great job at quickly and electronically suppressing the harmful noise and amplifying low-level noise to your ears. Although, it does lack mostly in the areas of how some of it’s external features are built, the Tac 6S does not lack in too much in the performance areas.
Other models of this unit such as the behind the neck style and the slim version of the Tactical 6S may give the user more options in case this particular model does not work well for them.
If hearing protection is a priority for you or if you are just jumping into the electronic hearing protection world, but at the same time you don’t want to break the bank, then the Tactical 6S by Peltor may be the right fit for you.
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Pros and Cons of the Peltor Tactical 6S
Pros:
– Excellent for shooting or to help protect hearing in any other noisy environment. Can limit amplified sounds up to 82 dBA within 5 milliseconds
– Good sound amplification. They provide distortion-free amplification of low-level sounds up to 19dBA. giving the user a stereo sound-view of the world.
– Comfortable enough to wear. They fit very snug on your head thanks to the headband adjustment feature.
– Separate power and volume controls for each ear cup. This can be good or bad depending on the user.
– Long battery life. Over 200+ hours.
– They are lightweight as well as very sturdy and well-built.
– They fold into themselves making them very compact to carry around or to place in a carrying bag.
– $100.00 to $125.00 price range depending on where it’s purchased. You get a good product that does the job for a decent price.
Cons:
– Takes 4 AAA batteries, two in each ear cup. Replacing the batteries can be a bit difficult and cumbersome.
– Batteries are not included with the unit like other units do that are made by Peltor.
– External volume/power knobs turn very easily which can accidentally switch the unit on when folded into itself and in a carrying case.
– The user’s manual can be difficult to understand.
– External microphones tend to protrude out a bit too much putting them at easier risk for damage to them or to their protective foam.
– Sound protection is questionable with indoor shooting
– No LED light to indicate if the unit is off or on.
Manufacturer’s Specs
– Reduces hazardous impulse noises from firearms to harmless levels within 5 milliseconds
– Protects hearing with a Noise Reduction Rating of 19 dB
– Perceives and localizes weak sounds while impulse noise is attenuated
– Offers stereophonic reception with microphone, receiver, amplifier and volume
– Features dual, stereo volume controls
– Offers clear 2-way communication in high-noise environments
– Four 1.5 V long life AAA batteries provide 200+ hours of service
– Allows for ease of use and storage with small, compact and foldable design
– Fits under military helmets
– Very reasonably priced for the features it comes with
Warranty Policy
Below is the Warranty Policy according to Peltor.com:
3M™ warrants this product to be free of defects in material and workmanship for a period of one (1) Year from the date of original purchase (the “Warranty Period”). Dated proof of purchase such as a bill of sale is required to establish warranty eligibility.
If the product fails to perform due to a defect in materials or workmanship during the Warranty Period, 3M will repair or, at 3M’s option, replace the merchandise with the same or comparable item at no charge to you for parts or labor.
In the event that the product cannot be repaired and a suitable replacement item is not available, 3M will refund the original purchase price shown on your proof of purchase. All repairs are warranted for 90 days against the same material defect.
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