In the world of hearing protection, everyone is looking for the newest and greatest earbud style protection. This brings us to the Pro Ears Stealth Elite in ear hearing protection. The stealth elites are essentially electronic hearing protection, in a small compact, earbud size package.

When I first heard about the Stealth Elite’s, I was very curious. If I could get the benefits of electronic sound cancellation, in an ear bud, what more could I ask for? Part of what made these so attractive, was the price. At an msrp of $159.99, they are less expensive than other brands in this market. Plus they have the added option of using a rechargeable bluetooth lanyard.

The specifications on the Stealth Elite’s is quite extensive. They have a very good noise reduction rating of 28 db’s. Are IPX6 rated, so you can drop them in water or use them in the rain. The pair weighs 28 grams. A neck lanyard, that clips to the ear buds, is included for when you don’t have the bluetooth one connected. Plus they are supplied with a variety of compressible foam or silicone ear tips. All of which can be stored in a nice little carrying case.

Besides the specifications mentioned before, the Stealth Elite’s has electronic noise cancellation. There are 3 modes in which each earbud can be set. These are Isolation, Awareness, and Amplification. On each earbud is a tiny switch to change between these settings. A “0” setting for off, or “isolation”. A “I” setting for “Awareness”. And a “II” setting for “Amplification”. The off, or isolation setting, makes these earbuds work as a regular earplug. The awareness setting allows the wearer to hear their surroundings. Essentially letting you hear normally, at a normal volume. Then there is the amplification setting. This, as the name implies, amplifies what you hear at 5 times normal volume. Both the latter two modes will cut any loud sounds, down to hearing safe levels. In my experience, they work very well at cutting out unsafe noise levels.

Because of the electronics needed to make the Stealth Elite’s work, they run on batteries. They designed the earbuds to use a #10 hearing aid battery. The batteries will last about 80 hrs each. There is one battery in each one of the earbuds. The batteries are relatively inexpensive and can be found at just about any local store. 60 of them cost between $15-20 on Amazon. So for $20 you can run the set of earbuds for 2400 hours, that’s 100 days straight. The batteries are easily changed, through a little built in door, in each earbud.

Also included is the aforementioned bluetooth lanyard. The bluetooth lanyard is rechargeable and gives around 9 hours of use. As with most bluetooth stuff, it has up/down and a larger button in the middle. The middle button is also the power button, answer call, etc. The lanyard uses a tiny little connector that just plugs into the bottom of the earbuds. It is a pass through connection. This means that it powers the earbuds for sound, so one can actually use this feature when the battery is dead or missing. I mainly use the bluetooth, when using the earbuds for other things, like mowing the yard. It works good enough for me. One interesting thing about using the bluetooth is: it has a built in sound limiter, so you can not turn the volume up past 110 db’s and damage your hearing.

Since you are probably wondering how they perform, let's get into it. I have used the Stealth Elite’s on the range a lot. They do a great job of letting me hear my surroundings, while cutting out gunshots. Battery life is good, as explained earlier. When the batteries start to get low, I get a crackling sound. I have learned that when it gets to that point, I just change the battery. Even though they supposedly have a “wind shield”, they still pick up wind noise and amplify it. When using either of the “on” settings, sound is really good and I am able to hear conversations at a noisy shooting range. The Stealth Elite’s stick out of one's ears more than some earplugs and I was worried about this when shooting rifles and shotguns. Well, after using them with both, there is nothing to worry about. I never had any problems with them hitting the stocks of various rifles and shotguns. In fact, I prefer them over muffs because they don’t get pushed out of the way. Because they are “in ear” hearing protection, they also keep your head and ears from getting hot like “over ear” hearing protection does. With the compressible foam ear tips, they are very comfortable to wear all day. I have worn them continually for 8+ hours on the range without causing me discomfort. Of course, results may vary on your comfort.

So if you are looking into getting some electronic hearing protection, do check out Pro Ears and their Stealth Elite’s. I’m pretty happy with their performance. The price seems good. Battery life is good. The noise reduction is top notch. Plus, they are a USA based business.

Firearms Insider Reviews - 8 Key Points

Claim to Fame:

In ear, electronic noise reduction hearing protection

Target Market:

Those who dislike ear muffs, or those wanting in ear hearing protection

FNBs (Features & Benefits of this product):

Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) of 28db
IPX6 rated -Water Resistant & Sweat-proof.
Amplification Mode: Let’s you hear faint sounds from a distance while protecting your ears from extremely loud sounds (5x amplification).
Awareness Mode: Allows ambient sounds to pass through even while you are listening to music or talking on the phone so you remain situationally aware.
Isolation Mode: Enjoy complete peace and quiet when you want to focus or recharge.
Wind Shield
In ear, earbud style
Rechargeable BlueTooth lanyard
80 hour battery life for earbuds
Uses #10 batteries (60 pieces are around $20)
Foam and Silicone tips included

What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?

None

What others are saying?:

Richard M. on Amazon 5/5 stars

Nice hearing protections and excellent hearing enhancement

I bought these for hunting in the blind. The hearing enhancement feature is unbelievable. I can pick up the slightest of sound. It did take a little time to set it up to select the right ear buds and clips for my ears. I was surprised with all the options it came with to make sure the fit is comfortable and secure. I also like the fact it comes with a line that attaches to each ear piece so I can't lose one.