The Peltor Tactical Pro By 3M
You can’t get better electronic hearing protection than this! Cut out dangerous noise and amplify useful sounds. The Peltor Tactical Pro Headsets electronic suppression of harmful impulse noises common to industrial workers and gun shooters, while at the same time amplifying surrounding ambient sounds such as voices, signals, and warnings.
The Tactical Pro’s electronics were designed to limit sound amplification up to 82 dB. The high quality microphones on each ear cup were specifically and carefully designed to pick up and reproduce ambient and useful sound in stereo. This in turn brings you true omnidirectional hearing at it’s best. With the built in audio jack you can plug in your MP3 player, dog trackers, or other input devices via an optional Peltor patch cable.
The Peltor Tactical Pro headset also comes with a wide, soft padded folding headband that distributes weight evenly. Added to it is a two-point suspension to help exert low pressure for comfortable, long term use. The ear cushions are liquid-foam filled in order to provide softness and extra comfort.
The unit also comes with an auto shut-off feature which is triggered after two hours of the unit being on and if no function on the unit has been used. This is great for conserving battery life which is around 1000 hours via 2 AA batteries. A warning signal alerts you when battery is low before the unit completely shuts off.
Since you know that protecting your hearing is a must when involved in sport or work activities such as hunting, shooting, airport ground personnel, or maintenance mechanic work, you know that you need the right equipment to do just that. This is where Peltor steps in once again with one of their most well-made, efficient, yet durable headset units yet, the Peltor Tactical Pro Hearing Protector.
Packaging
The Peltor Tactical Pro Headsets are easy to unpack and come with two AA batteries which is a plus if you want to start using the headsets right out of the box. It also comes with user’s manual which according to many other reviews it is very poorly written.
The instructions are not clear and the tiny images are incomprehensible. If there is something that you don’t understand about the headset you will more than likely have to contact Peltor directly.
Weight, Feel, and External Features
There are three different models of this particular headset, the neckband model, the hardhat model, and the padded folding headband model. There is no difference between the three other than neckband model is obviously worn around the neck instead of over the head, and the hardhat model comes with a hard hat mounted to it, so when you slip on the headsets over your head you are also slipping on a hard hat on your head at the same time.
The headset is reasonably light weight and because it folds into itself, it is easy to fit into pretty much any type of carrying case. If you are looking for a slimmer ear cup size these would not be for you as the ear cups tend to protrude out a good bit. This of course makes this particular model much more bulkier than other popular Peltor models such as the Peltor Tactical Sport.
Some users of this model complain that due to the fact that the ear cups protrude out so much, that it doesn’t make them a solid fit for rifle or shotgun shooting because it’s almost impossible to get a good cheek weld. Others don’t complain about this, but the person’s frame would be a big deciding factor on this.
Although the ear cups do protrude out a bit more than other Peltor models, this in turn causes to cups to be nice and deep. This of course helps with the nice fit around the ears. The cups are gel filled which help with comfortability. Some units do come with regular vinyl-covered ear foams instead of the gel filled ones. The unit also fits very well over eye glasses or any other type of eye protection with a nice seal around the ears.
Some drawbacks of the ear cups is the fact that they can become bothersome if you wear them in hot weather and you perspire a lot. They tend to become very messy with the perspiration. Also, some have reported that the gel inside the model with the gel filled cups, has seeped out if they are left exposed to extreme heat for long periods of time.
The Pro Headsets are very comfortable to wear. The headband is made of high quality steel with a rubber coat over it which makes it very durable. Overall the headband fits well over the head and is comfortable although some have complained that it is not totally especially if you are wearing a hat over the headset.
The controls are pretty intuitive. You will find three buttons on the right ear cup, the power button, the volume up, and volume down button. The buttons are pretty rugged and are encased in rubber and are probably waterproof although not too sure.
They are easy to find when wearing the headset because they are slightly recessed. This is good especially for the power button because it us much less likely for the unit to be turned on by accident when your headsets are in a shooting bag or something similar.
One thing about the unit that can lead to some confusion, is that in order to power on the unit you must hold down the power button for 3 to 5 seconds. Many people try to power on the unit with just a tap of the power button and think that there is something wrong with the unit or batteries because it doesn’t power on.
Also, the poorly written manual does not make this clear. Another feature that would be nice to have on the unit is separate volume controls. Not only would this be nice to have in order to control the audio balance for each ear cup, but also to help those with asymmetrical hearing issues.
The two external microphones of the unit are very powerful and do a very good job at picking up low ambient sound around you. The bad thing about the microphones is that they protrude out a bit too much.
This could be an annoyance for rifle shooters. This is because the ear cups tend to protrude out as well, so in order for you to get a good cheek weld on the rifle, the microphone tends to get banged by the rifle butt which sometimes causes the microphone foam protectors to come off. This may not be a problem for you, but just be aware that this is a potential drawback of the microphones.
It also comes with an auxiliary audio port which can be used for devices such as radios, MP3 players, or dog trackers. This is great, but the drawback is that you will need a proprietary 2-pin terminator cable made by Peltor in order to connect the headset to your external input device. The cable usually runs around $35.00 to $45.00 depending on where it’s purchased.
Usage and Battery Life
The Peltor Tactical Pro ear protectors are perfect for most shooters, and working environments where individuals are surrounded by high noise levels such as airport ground personnel, or maintenance mechanics. The greatest thing about these ear muffs is the fact that they not only quickly suppress loud impact noises such as gunshots, but also amplify the noises and sounds around you that are not easily picked up by the naked human ear.
This is specially useful at indoor or outdoor gun ranges. As guns are going off, the gun shots will sound very muffled and be very easy to the ear, but at the same time if someone is trying to talk to you, they will be easily heard and understood.
The noise levels are reduced to 25 dB and there is no delay before the sound returns to normal when sound suppression is triggered by the electronics. For shooters, this is great for anything up to and including a 50 caliber revolver. It works perfectly when hammering as well.
The unit is designed in such a way to help prevent temple pressure. They fit nicely enough to your temple and ears to not interfere in any way with hearing aids if you are a hearing aid user. Omnidirectional sounds is very realistic and does not have have an electronic type of sound.
Adjusting the volume of the unit is very easy by just pressing the volume up and volume down buttons on the right ear cup of the unit. One drawback about the volume is that many have complained that there is a slight hiss or white noise that can be heard when you turn the volume all the way up. This of course may not bother all users, especially if they are around very noisy environments, but some users could find this a bit annoying.
The battery life and usage of this particular unit is very impressive. The battery compartment is located on the left ear cup which is very easy to access without having to actually remove the ear cup to replace the batteries. The unit runs on 2 AA batteries which you can easily get about 1000 hours of battery life out of them.
The unit also comes with an auto-shutoff feature which is triggered after two hours of the unit’s controls not being touched. This of course is a nice feature to have in order to help conserve battery life.
One drawback of the unit in regards to the batteries is that you only get about 5 minutes to replace the batteries in the unit before it completely powers off. The unit does however emit a beeping sound to let you know that the batteries will be running out soon. A suggestion would be to always have spare batteries with you at all times when using your headsets.
Price
You will expect to pay $185.00 to $200.00 for the 3M Peltor Tactical Pro. A little more expensive than some other brands, but consider that they are built by a reputable company like Peltor and the quality is pretty good overall. You can purchase this unit here.
Overall
Overall the Peltor Tactical Pro Headsets is a very thoroughly and rugged headset that will certain do the job that it was intended to do. There is no doubt that you as a hunter, a shooter, or a professional who is constantly bombarded by noisy environments know that you can’t put a price on ear protection.
Other than a few drawbacks such as the auxiliary port and the bulkiness of the unit and if the price is not a pocket breaker for you, then you can’t go wrong with this particular unit if you want a good set of hearing protectors.
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Pros and Cons of the Peltor Tactical Sport Headset
Pros:
– Right out of the box, the hearing amplifiers/protectors are easy to unpack and load the batteries (two AA batteries, included).
– Excellent for shooting or to help protect hearing in any type of noisy environment.
– Great 360 degree amplification and sound quality, nearly instant sound cut off and fast recovery.
– Good quality headband
– The gel cups provide a good comfortable seal
– The unit only requires 2 AA batteries which last about 1000 hours of use. Batteries are included. Batteries are easily accessible for replacement by just lifting the flip up lever on the left ear cup.
– Auto shut-off after two hours to conserve battery life.
– The power and volume control buttons are easily accessible.
– Reasonably lightweight, very sturdy and well-built. Wire frame is very durable. They fold into themselves making them very compact to carry around or to place in a carrying bag.
– An audio aux port to connect a music device or to use for communications.
Cons:
– Audio jack for “cell phones, MP3 players or dog trackers” but it is a completely non-standard (and mono, not stereo) port on the device, and the audio cable is not included. The cord can be purchased for about $40.00 by clicking here
– Somewhat bulky overall.
– Very poorly written instruction manual.
– Microphones protrude out too much making it easy to knock off their protective foam.
– Gel cups could be come a problem and a nuisance in hot weather.
– There is a bit of white noise when turning the volume all the way up.
– No individual volume controls for each ear cup.
– A little more expensive than some other brands – Runs around $185.00 to $200.00 depending on where you purchase. You can purchase the unit by clicking here.
Manufacturer’s Specs
– Audio input jack which can be used with portable radios, MP3 players or other input capable devices.
– NRR of 26 dBA
– Electronics limit amplified sounds to 82 dBA within 2 milliseconds
– Active-volume provides maximum distortion free amplification low level sounds up to 18 dBA
– Touch pad rubber encased controls
– Folding headband design
– Power saving feature
– Omni-directional stereo microphones provide 360-degree external ambient listening
– Uses new Peltor DIGITAL SOUND SUPPRESSION (DSST) chip technology
– 2 AA batteries required. A set already comes with the unit.
– Great for the shooting range and people with hearing loss
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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