Today on the blog, we're taking a look at the Brownells 3.0 Premium Electronic earmuff. These earmuffs are made for Brownells by Walkers. They have a noise attenuation rating of 23db. They are electronic, so they amplify normal ambient sound like voices, while blocking out harmful levels of sound like gunshots. They have got the Brownells logo on the earups and on the headband. The earcups are comprised of plastic bodies and foam filling for sound attenuation and isolation. Inside the earcups are the HD speakers that, according to the packaging, are "tuned for natural sound". The earcup pads are covered in a soft vinyl, so they are resistant to things like water, sweat, oils from your skin, etc. The foam inside the pads are very soft, so the earcup sits comfortably on your ear without the outer cover touching your skin. The headband is a curved wire design, and they have a curved, padded foam cover. The clamping force is secure without generating unnecessary pressure points anywhere on your skull. This means that you can wear them pretty much all day at the range without feeling like your skull is being crushed. The electronics are controlled by a large, rubberized knob. Its a one-touch setting for power and volume, so you turn it past the click to turn them on, and the further you turn the knob the louder the ambient sound amplification is. The knob itself is large and easy to use, and it has ridges so it's easy to get a good grip on. Theres a good amount of resistance to the knob, so its easy to dial in the volume you want without going way too far past it if you're manipulating it quickly. The muffs have two microphones, one on each side, so they can caputre sound from everywhere around you. They also have a 3.5mm headphone jack, for plugging in any audio devices that you might want to listen to while shooting. The electronics are powered by 2 AAA batteries that live under this cover, and a set of batteries does come in the package. Taking these on a few range trips and shooting with them for a few hours each time, I definitely noticed a difference between them and other sets of ear muffs that I have. Compared to my Howard Leight Impact Sports, the Brownells set fits my head a bit better, and the earcups sit more flushly and securely on my head without any increase in clamping pressure from the headband. I also felt like the shape of the earcups made it easier to shoot long guns, because the bottom of the earcups would not interfere with the stock of the gun like the Impact Sports sometimes do. The sound also seems a bit clearer and less grainy than the Impact Spor, perhaps due to the "HD" speaker system. This set of earmuffs are a great value electronic earmuff. They give you everything you need and nothing you don't. They're light, offer 23db of noise reduction, and have a good amount of clamping force without really squeezing your head too much. So all in all, these are a solid pair of electronic earmuffs, especially for the price. Brownells sells these for 50 dollars a set, and at that price they're a no-brainer.
You can find these on the Brownells website: