Chad Wallace

August 23, 2021

ISOtunes, review, Defy, Advance, Hearing protection

ISOtunes Sport - Defy & Advance

Chad Wallace

August 23, 2021

ISOtunes, review, Defy, Advance, Hearing protection

ISOtunes has come on the market with hearing protection designed for the shooter under the ISOtunes Sport brand. ISOtunes has made industrial hearing protection for some time, but just recently introduced the Sport brand. There are currently two models to choose from, the Defy, and the Advance. They are both very similar in use. The Defy is your standard Over Ear (muff) style, while the Advance is an In-Ear style.

Both the Defy and Advance are packed with features. One of those is that they both have the “Tactical sound” control. The Tactical sound control is a separate volume control for outside sound. ISOtunes Sport claims an increase in exterior sound up to 8x their normal volume. If you turn it up, it amplifies everything, including background noise. This can be a plus when listening to range commands, your friends, or while hunting. You can also turn it all the way down, which essentially cuts all exterior volume. Don’t worry, the Tactical sound control still reduces loud noises to a safe level, so as to not damage your hearing. When you power on the ISOtunes Sport’s the Tactical sound turns on to about half volume. One of my only complaints is that I wish they would remember the last volume setting when turned off. The high impact noise response time is listed at less than 2 milliseconds, so hearing damage is greatly, if not completely, reduced by the initial gun shot sound.

Since we are talking about sound, both the Defy and Advance have bluetooth connectivity. As with most bluetooth, just pair it to your device and away you go. They do both have noise cancelling mic’s, so if you are on a phone call at the range, whoever you are talking with can hear you clearly. My daughter called me at the range one day while I had the Advance on. She said that she could hear me fine even with the occasional gun shots. So that part seems to work okay. With the bluetooth, you can also use the Advance or Defy to listen to your favorite podcast or music. However, the ISOtunes Sport line will cap the output volume to 85 db’s using their “SafeMax” technology. This is because 85 db’s is the safe volume limit for all day long exposure. If you are in an extremely loud environment, it can sometimes still be hard to hear whatever is playing through the bluetooth. The bluetooth controls are separate from the Tactical Sound controls, making it easier to know which volume you are adjusting.

Even though the Defy and Advance have similar features, there are some differences besides the obvious. The Advance in-ear is listed as a 26db NRR (noise reduction rating), but the Defy only comes in with a 25db NRR rating. Definitely not enough for me to tell the difference. Connection to a device, via bluetooth, varies by an hour with the lead going to the Defy at 11 hours and the Advance at 10 hours. When not connected to bluetooth, the times can jump up a couple of hours. The Defy has the option of using 3 AAA batteries instead of the supplied rechargeable. This increases the use time to 22 hours. It also gives the Defy an option if the rechargeable battery dies when using them in the field. The Advance, being an in-ear, does not have this luxury. Both have auto off functions also. The Advance’s is 2 hrs of non use, while the Defy is 4 hrs. Both are resistant to dust and water. Since the Defy and Advance are different styles, there is definitely going to be a weight difference. The Defy (over ear) comes in at 15.5 ounces, while the Advance (in-ear) comes in at 23.25 grams, or just under an ounce. The Defy and Advance come with a usb charging cord. While the Advance also comes with 4 sizes of eartips and one set of triple flange style to use when you’re not worried about sound suppression. The Advance also comes with a zippered carrying case.

After using the ISOtunes Sport’s for a while, I’ve concluded that both are really good at what they do. The Tactical Sound works great and lets me hear range commands and friends clearly. It also does a decent job of not amplifying wind. Not perfect, but better than some hearing protection I’ve used, at least as far as wind noise is concerned. I simply love the Advance, as they give me lightweight in-ear protection. The Advance allows me to use rifles and shotguns without causing any problems with a cheek weld. Plus they are not hot like over the ear ones can be. I also use the bluetooth, on the Advance, daily while at work. They are fantastic for this. If you work in a loud industrial environment, they are even better. The Advance is my newest favorite hearing protection. The Defy, however, is not far behind the Advance. It has its own advantages. They are very comfortable for over the ear hearing protection. They have the option of running AAA batteries. The top strap has a slot for heat management, or more importantly, so the button on your hat doesn’t push against your head. The cushions are also very soft and comfortable. The Defy will also open up extremely wide, so if you have an extremely large brain capsule, these might work well for you. I like the Defy if I’m just shooting pistols, or when it’s cooler outside.

If you’re looking into some new hearing protection, I wouldn’t hesitate to check out the ISOtunes Sport line. Both have great useful features. My favorite would be the Advance, but the Defy are really good also. Anytime you can get decent hearing protection, with decent rechargeable battery life, I’m all for it. Go check out the Defy and Advance at ISOtune Sport, you’ll probably like what you see.

Firearms Insider Reviews - 8 Key Points

Claim to Fame:

Hearing protection with bluetooth

Target Market:

Shooters, Hunters, or anyone needing hearing protection

FNBs (Features & Benefits of this product):

Tactical sound control
25 to 26 db noise reduction
23.25 grams for the Advance
15.5 ounces for the Defy
Rechargeable for 10-11 hrs of Bluetooth connection
Noise Isolation Mic
Bluetooth audio output limited to 85db
2 hour auto off (Advance)
4 hour auto off (Defy)
Dust, water, and sweat resistant
Micro USB charging port

What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?

In Ear (Advance) and Over ear style (Defy)

What others are saying?:

5/5 stars on Amazon

Does the job

These rock! I am a firearms instructor for my local LE Agency. These guys seem a little awkward at first as fas as getting them to fit correctly. But once I found the earplugs that fit the best... they do exactly what they were intended to do.

I completely charged them as the directions stated and the next day I set out to the range and spent 5 hours wearing them. I had no issues with short battery life as some would expect. It connects with my iphone and plays music at a safe level while still being able to hear voices.

As soon as we started shooting, they did their job. I did have some issues with the ear foam not fitting well.

My only complaint is that I wish there was a size between the smallest ear foam and the medium ear foam. The medium was just a bit big, but it would be impossible the have a foam to fit EVERY SINGLE EAR.

That being said, I would still purchase 100% and have already recommended it to my LEO buddies.

Our Rating:

Pros:

Lightweight
Bluetooth
Tactical Sound Control with separate controls
Rechargeable
Long battery life
Both are comfortable
AAA option with the Defy
4 different earpieces for the Advance

Cons:

Doesn’t remember volume level of the “Tactical Sound”
85db sound limit (sometimes I like to hear it loud)

Score: 8.50 Great

Favorite Link: Walker Defense Research

Chad Wallace

November 14, 2020

review, pro ears, stealth elite

Pro Ears Stealth Elite

Chad Wallace

November 14, 2020

review, pro ears, stealth elite

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.