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Shooting and Hunting Hearing Protection
You need two things that normally conflict: protection from the shot, and the ability to hear a whisper, a twig or the person next to you. Electronic protection does both, and it is the reason we fit far more of it than plain plugs to shooters.
IN SHORT
Electronic hearing protection amplifies quiet sounds so you keep your situational awareness, then instantly limits output when a gunshot arrives. We fit SoundGear in three forms at our Marietta office: custom molded electronic, the instant-fit Shield, and non-electronic custom earplugs. Custom versions start with a five minute ear impression and come back in one to two weeks.
Trust your ears to SoundGear
Gun blasts, power tools and industrial machinery can damage hearing in a heartbeat. A single unprotected round is enough. Yet hunters, recreational shooters and workers all need to hear clearly to be safe and to be any good at what they are doing, and conventional plugs and muffs take that away.
SoundGear electronic devices answer both needs in one product: they digitally enhance the environmental sound you want while protecting against the sudden noise you do not. Starkey, who make them, has been a recognized leader in custom hearing instruments for over fifty years, and that manufacturing pedigree is the reason the custom fit is as good as it is.
Three styles, for hunters, shooters and industrial work
Also fitted for construction crews, military personnel and police officers. Which one suits you comes down to whether you want a custom mold and whether you want electronics.
Custom molded
Electronic Custom Fit
Molded to your ear from an impression, for maximum comfort and stability over a long day. The most advanced digital option, and the one to choose if you refuse to compromise between comfort and performance.
- Custom impression taken here
- Best seal and best retention
- Most discreet of the three
Instant fit
SoundGear Shield
You hear the environment around you normally, and it is comfortable enough that you forget you are wearing protection, until the moment it is needed. SoundGear rate the Shield at up to 26 dB of noise reduction, and it limits output instantly.
- No impression needed, ready today
- Rated up to 26 dB reduction
- Good first step if you are unsure
Non-electronic
Custom Earplugs
Custom molded protection without electronics. Simpler, less expensive, and completely reliable because there is nothing to charge or switch on.
- Custom impression taken here
- Nothing to power or maintain
- Good for high-volume machine work
SoundGear Phantom
SoundGear describe the Phantom as the world’s first, and still the most popular, custom rechargeable Bluetooth-compatible hearing protection and enhancement device. In plain terms: it is a custom molded electronic protector that also streams.
The custom fit is what makes it work. You hear environmental sound and conversation more clearly than with the naked ear, while it protects against both sudden noise like a shot and continuous noise like an engine. Battery life is around 23 hours, which means you put it in for the day rather than taking it out and back in every time you answer the phone or stop for a break.
The Phantom is also an FDA-listed prescription hearing aid and may be fitted to compensate for hearing loss, consistent with the product’s labeling and applicable law. If you have both noise exposure and existing hearing loss, that combination is worth discussing at a fitting.
What that 26 dB figure actually means
Noise reduction ratings come from laboratory testing with an ideal fit. Real ears in a hurry do worse, which is why occupational safety guidance recommends assuming you get less attenuation in practice than the number on the box. That is not a criticism of the product; it applies to every plug and muff sold.
Two practical consequences worth knowing before you buy:
- Fit is most of the performance. This is the strongest argument for a custom mold over anything instant-fit: it seals the same way every single time, without you having to get it right.
- Indoor ranges are a different problem. Gunfire indoors reflects off hard walls and the exposure is far higher than the same firearm outdoors. For indoor range work, standard safety practice is to double up: plugs and muffs over the top. Any single device, electronic or not, is doing less than you think in that environment.
We would rather tell you that than sell you one device and let you assume you are fully covered. Bring us the specifics of where and how much you shoot, and we will tell you honestly what is enough.
Common questions
Can I hear conversation with electronic protection in?
Better than without it. Electronic protection amplifies quiet sound, so speech, footsteps and game movement are clearer than with the naked ear, and it clamps down only when a loud impulse arrives.
Is electronic protection better than muffs?
For hearing what you want to hear, considerably. Muffs block indiscriminately and interfere with a cheek weld on a rifle stock. For maximum attenuation at an indoor range, though, muffs over plugs is still the safest combination.
How long does SoundGear last on a charge?
SoundGear rate the Phantom at around 23 hours, which covers a full day in the field without taking it out.
Do I need a custom impression?
For the custom molded versions, yes, and it takes about five minutes here in the office. The Shield is instant fit, so you can leave with it the same day.
Can SoundGear work as a hearing aid too?
The Phantom is an FDA-listed prescription hearing aid and may be fitted to compensate for hearing loss, consistent with its labeling and applicable law. If you already have noise-induced loss, that dual use is worth discussing.
I already have hearing loss from shooting. Is protection still worth it?
Absolutely. Protecting what remains is the one part of this you still control, and further exposure will make it worse. Plenty of our patients wear hearing aids and shooting protection both.
What about my children and grandchildren at the range?
Fit them properly from the first outing. Noise damage accumulates across a lifetime and the exposure they get at fifteen is still with them at sixty. Bring them in and we will fit them too.
Come and try a pair
Tell us where and how often you shoot and we will tell you which of the three is right, including when the cheapest one is the correct answer.