Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

At the time that I am composing this review, I am the author of the "Most Helpful Critical Review" of the Howard Leight Impact Sport electronic hearing protection. In my review of that product I said that "for the money" it was an excellent product, but average overall. This product--the Howard Leight Impact Pro electronic shooting muffs--is what the Impact Sport should have been in the first place! Most of my shooting is done at indoor ranges; and everyone knows that gunfire (or any loud noise) is more severe in an enclosed environment. These muffs, with their NRR-30 rating, do an absolutely superb job of blocking out the percussion. The best set of protective earmuffs I have ever owned, based solely on noise blocking, were the Howard Leight Leightning-31 earmuffs (which for some inexplicable reason Howard Leight chose to discontinue). Those were passive non-electronic muffs. The Impact Pro muffs are on a par with the Leightning-31... and to get that kind of performance out of an electronic muff is simply unheard of! Seldom do you find an electronic earmuff with an NRR-25 rating or better. Even my Peltor Tac-7s, which I've always sworn by, only have an NRR-24 rating. The Impact Pro does a fantastic job of sound dampening. So why only 4 stars? Well, there are a couple of reasons. First is comfort, or lack thereof. These aren't bad for short durations (e.g. an hour at the range), but when it comes to "all day comfort" they fall a bit short. The next criticism is the electronics; specifically the amplification. In my set of Impact Pros, the volume needs to be cranked up almost to full maximum in order to attain a "normal" level of hearing, and it seems to me that there is also an unusually high amount of background hiss. As far as "cutting out" when there is a sharp spike in the noise level, though, the electronics in the Impact Pro are wonderful. They seem to cut back in quickly when the noise level drops back to a safe level, too (but to be perfectly honest, this is a non-issue for me and I really don't pay attention to how soon the electronics turn back on as much as a lot of other people do). The last negative thing I'll say about the Impact Pro is that I would never use them in a life-or-death tactical situation. Lots of people in this country keep a gun by their bedside at night; but based on my experience, I seem to be the only person who also keeps a set of earmuffs by the bedside also. If the unthinkable happens and I really do have to press that trigger one unfortunate night, I'd prefer to come out on the other side with my hearing still intact; but the other 'plus' about the (electronic) earmuffs that is often overlooked is the sound amplification. I feel very comfortable clearing a shoothouse or outdoor simulator with my Tac-7s; I don't feel my hearing is at a disadvantage in any way by wearing the muffs, and in fact can be improved by turning up the volume. I cannot say the same for the Impact Pro. They're good for hearing typical range commands/conversation, but not suited for a combat situation. [IMHO] For the record, this last criticism did not affect my rating of this product. Howard Leight does not market these as "tactical" hearing protection, so it would be unfair of me to rate them as such. So would I recommend the Howard Leight Impact Pro earmuffs to my best friend or family members? In a heartbeat! They provide excellent hearing protection at any price; and speaking of price, the price Amazon is charging right now makes this an incredible value for your money (even the regular retail pricing that local stores in my area charge for these is a good deal for what you get). That's what you call "revolutionizing" the sport hearing protection industry. Howard Leight has come out with a high-quality product that everyone can afford. Okay, 3M (Peltor)... the ball is in your court. Beat these if you can! For completeness... the Impact Sport muffs that I mentioned earlier are low-profile muffs. Some misguided individuals will claim that the low profile makes them better suited for long gun use than the full size Impact Pro; i.e. that the low profile design doesn't interfere with their cheek weld. I totally disagree with that, personally, and have never had a problem using full size earcups with a long gun (including the Impact Pro)... but maybe I just have an unusually long head or something. I don't know. So that's something for you to consider when making a hearing protection purchase. What I know for a fact, though, is that bigger guns make a bigger boom, and I'd much rather be wearing these Impact Pro muffs than the Impact Sport when I'm shooting a big-bore rifle/shotgun... or worse, when I'm standing NEXT TO a person shooting one at the indoor range! :-) UPDATE 3/6/16: I recently had the honor/pleasure of teaching my new daughter-in-law how to shoot. As a "graduation present", I bought her a pair of these Howard Leight Impact Pro earmuffs. So when I say I'd recommend this product to family & friends, I put my money where my mouth is. Best part? They were $7 less expensive than when I originally bought the first set. Sweeeeet! However, I discovered a serious flaw with the Impact Pros as a result of the purchase. They don't come in pink! :-) FYI: I also bought my daughter-in-law the ESS ICE NARO 2x Eyeshield Kit as part of the graduation present. For anyone in the market for eye protection as well as hearing protection, give serious consideration to the ESS ICE series. I myself use the ESS ICE 3-lens system.