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The Liberators IV and V introduced a totally revamped and original design to the market followed shortly by the Liberator HP, which does away with the communications requirement to deliver the same form factor and circuitry at a more competitive cost. For some time now, Tactical Command Industries - now a subsidiary of The Safariland Group - has been quietly purchasing headset shells from Peltor and Sordin, adding their own improved electronics, and selling them under their “Liberator” moniker. The Safariland TCI Liberator HP 2.0 might be the first and last pair of powered ear protection that you ever buy, and that’s not hyperbole. Finally, every pair of hearing protection on this list is officially certified to undergo use in high noise environments to include military usage, something prices will reflect accordingly -although it’s cheaper than the medical bills for hearing damage.

In addition, there are several obscure options, like the full-size Otto Noizebarriers and Silynx Clarus Pro, and more common options like the Comtac V and VI that we couldn’t test just due to time constraints and availability. As a rule, everything on this list is commercially available, so if you don’t see things like TEA Hi-Threats or Invisio X50s it’s because they don’t generally sell to civilians. In addition to standard powered hearing protection systems, we’ve included more costly options that allow for integrated communications should you need them for military, first responder, or personal use.Īll options on this list were physically evaluated for this review and all are officially certified and ready for anything. Most powered hearing protection systems feature microphones that playback noise through headphone speakers in real-time, allowing for stereophonic situational awareness of your surroundings while protecting your hearing from damage due to gunshots, explosions, power tools, or even artillery fire. With this in mind, Task & Purpose set out to compile an exhaustive list of the best powered hearing protection on the market, based on professional military usage, sport shooting, and expert opinions. On Amazon alone, there are legions of imitators, subpar offerings, and “American-made” headsets that are not officially certified in any way to protect your hearing. Regular Joes often buy their own to get in on the cool-guy factor (and save themselves from premature hearing loss), but unfortunately, not all powered hearing protection is created equal. For years, special operations types have enjoyed powered shooting ear protection that not only shielded their ears from harsh sounds and blast pressure but also provided integrated communications and computer-enhanced bionic hearing.
