Any experience with Isotunes Sport "Caliber" hearing protection?

[el_duderino04]

Looking to get in-ear hearing protection for an upcoming hunt. I've heard good things about Isotunes for woodworking, and see they offer a "sport" model with sound amplification (specifically the "Caliber" in-ears). Anyone have experience using them for hunting? How accurate are they with placing sound directionality? Are they comfortable for long periods?

 

[ElPollo]

I had never heard of these so I did some looking. Very competitive price and reasonable NRR. It looks like they are relatively new to the shooting world, but have been producing hearing protection for industrial and shop use for some time. There are lots of YouTube videos on previous versions of these, but not much related to guns and hunting. Your question about directionality is a good one that I rarely see addressed in marketing materials or reviews, but it is critical for my use. If you get any direct feedback on these, please let us know.

 

[el_duderino04]

Thanks! I agree, it seems like a decent option for the price, but only if it works. I like the idea of the Isotunes, because like you I've seen decent reviews of their stuff for woodworking/industry, so I imagine they'll at least be decently durable (which has me holding back on Axils; I've seen a fair number of people complaining about them failing). I have a set of 3M over the ears that do a good job of reproducing sound directionality so I know it's possible, but I'm looking for something more comfortable to wear for hours out in the field. I may pull the trigger, and will definitely report back here if I do.

 

[jKsled]

Don't buy Axil's. Was gifted a pair earlier this year and they do NOT adequately protect when shooting, and quality sucks.

 

[el_duderino04]

Thanks! That comports with a lot of what I've seen. It seems like a lot of promise, but the execution seems to really fall flat. From what I've seen the Isotunes Sports are the only real option that's moderately affordable (assuming they work well). Past that, I've heard decent things about Otto, but they're double the price of the isotunes, and they seem to need aftermarket foam plugs to work well.

 

[Deerfield]

No experience with the isotunes sport model. But I have a set from their construction lineup and love them. Wear them everyday and they’ve held up well. I might have to check out the sport model.

 

[el_duderino04]

Nice, that's great to hear. Does your construction model have microphones for hear-through? If so, do they work well? Regardless, it looks like they're at least worth a try.

 

[safarihunter]

@el_duderino04 did you end up buying the Isotunes? If so have you had a chance to use them while hunting yet?

 

[el_duderino04]

@el_duderino04 did you end up buying the Isotunes? If so have you had a chance to use them while hunting yet?

Apologies for the delay. I went with Etymotic plugs (got them for a price I couldn't pass on). Took them on a hunt a couple weeks ago and they worked great. The hear through feature amplified sounds over natural hearing (not massively, but noticeably). And they worked great for moderating gunshots. For perspective, I was shooting a 300 WSM with muzzle brake, and had no issues with the gunshots.

One note: you definitely need to use the grey foam plugs that are included. The standard ones do very little to block gunshots (I tried them in the stock configuration at my local range and changed them out almost immediately). Also, one annoying downside is the fact they use hearing aid batteries. This means once the batteries are installed, they will die in about a week or two. So for frequent use, you'll burn through batteries fairly quickly. That said, I'm pretty happy with them, and plan to continue using them for hunting.

 

[ElPollo]

Apologies for the delay. I went with Etymotic plugs (got them for a price I couldn't pass on). Took them on a hunt a couple weeks ago and they worked great. The hear through feature amplified sounds over natural hearing (not massively, but noticeably). And they worked great for moderating gunshots. For perspective, I was shooting a 300 WSM with muzzle brake, and had no issues with the gunshots.

One note: you definitely need to use the grey foam plugs that are included. The standard ones do very little to block gunshots (I tried them in the stock configuration at my local range and changed them out almost immediately). Also, one annoying downside is the fact they use hearing aid batteries. This means once the batteries are installed, they will die in about a week or two. So for frequent use, you'll burn through batteries fairly quickly. That said, I'm pretty happy with them, and plan to continue using them for hunting.

How is the directionality with these? 35 dB NRR is pretty good. I believe the SoundGear plugs I’m a using are about 23 dB. I also have a 300 WSM without a break and will get some ringing after a few shots using just my plugs. Have you noticed this with yours? Agree that the batteries are a pain in the ass. My SoundGear plugs use them as well and it’s one of the reasons (this and the NRR) that I consider upgrading to a new system. I think mine are about 5 years old now and are still going strong for what they are.

 

[safarihunter]

@el_duderino04 I ended up buying some Ottobock Noizebarrier Micros based on a number of positive reviews on Rokslide. Through a few duck hunts I've found them to be very nice. Using the standard rubber cone plugs definitely reduced noise well, but didn't do as well as the Comply foam tips that I bought. The standard foam tips that came with them were too large to be comfortable in my ears for any length of time.

One of the main reasons I went with the Ottobocks is that they are rechargeable. I haven't tried sitting with them all day, but in the half days I've used them they've been at 60% battery. The case they come in also charges the ear pieces, so that is really handy as well.

If at any point yours die, I'd recommend these as a slight upgrade.

 

[safarihunter]

How is the directionality with these? 35 dB NRR is pretty good. I believe the SoundGear plugs I’m a using are about 23 dB. I also have a 300 WSM without a break and will get some ringing after a few shots using just my plugs. Have you noticed this with yours? Agree that the batteries are a pain in the ass. My SoundGear plugs use them as well and it’s one of the reasons (this and the NRR) that I consider upgrading to a new system. I think mine are about 5 years old now and are still going strong for what they are.

Can't speak to the Etymotics, but the Ottobocks have very good directionality to them. They also aren't too bad in wind (to my standards at least). When wearing a hood you definitely get some rustling, but honestly that happens with your bare ears, and with the volume boost on low it's not bad.