Predator Gold

(8 customer reviews)

$259.99

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  • Only Weighs 9.3 ounces.
  • Contoured cups ideal shape for shouldering long range rifles.
  • NRR is 26 – The most protection available on the market today.
  • Battery life is up to 250 hours with normal use.
  • 3.5mm input jacks for connecting phones & music devices.
  • Gold connectors for premium sound quality.
  • Industry-leading attack time of 1.5 milliseconds.
  • Automatic shut off after 4 hours of inactivity.
  • 2 military grade circuit boards rather than the standard single circuit board for greater adjustability.
  • Exclusive DLSC Compression Technology for improved situational awareness.
  • 8 bit microprocessor controls self-diagnostics test, ensuring that the device works properly.
  • Pro Form Leather ultra-comfortable visco-elastic ears seals & padded, adjustable headband.
  • 4 N Batteries Included.
  • Ships in Certified Frustration Free Packaging
  • 5 Year Warranty
  • Made in the USA

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Description

The Predator Gold muff is the premium hunting model of Pro Ears. Designed with a Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) of 26, the Predator Golds provide exceptional protection for the loudest environments while still amplifying quieter sounds for improved situational awareness. Constructed using dual circuit board technology, adjust your hearing and amplification levels separately for each ear to compensate for uneven hearing loss using the dual knob system. Additional adjustment for high and low gain using internal pin settings. For the ultimate in Performance, Comfort and Reliability.

Click here to view our Electronic Over-Ear Comparison Chart

Click here to view our Hearing Protection Selection Guide

Pro Ears Shooter Spotlight Paul Dandini Pro Ears Shooter Spotlight: Paul Dandini – Predator Gold

Paul has been involved in competition shooting since 1998 – disciplines have included Field Target, Smallbore Rifle, High Power Rifle, CMP Matches, Long Range Shooting, Bowling Pins, Action Steel, IDPA, Sportsman’s Team Challenge, USPSA, Steel Challenge and Rimfire Challenge.

He is an NRA Certified Instructor, NRA Safety Officer and USPSA Range Officer

“I have been wearing the same set of Predator Golds for more than a few years and would not think of wearing anything else.  The sound quality is the thing that really impresses me – none of that tinny sound I get from other electronics.  It is hard to describe what a difference this makes when you wear muffs as long as I do when I am competing.”

8 reviews for Predator Gold

  1. Edward Ducote

    WOW! These electronic muffs are everything Pro Ears says. After researching quite a few muffs, I settled on the Pro Ears brand in the Predator Gold model. I follow a shooting instructor who teaches the instinctive shooting methods and during one of his videos he said, “And get you a pair of Pro Ears”. That sent me on a journey to find out all I could about Pro Ears. Read about them, you’ll find a great story.
    Unlike many other brands and configurations, this pair of muffs has individual volume control on each muff which is important to me because I have more hearing loss in my left ear than my right. And so to get that stereo affect, I always have the left muff volume a little higher than the right. The fit of these muffs is snug and seals very well around my ears even while wearing my prescription eye glasses (a big plus for me). So the big question then was how they would seal while wearing my thick framed Costa prescription sunglasses and the answers is….I could not distinguish any degradation in ear protection….and that is huge in my book!
    Regarding the 3.5 mm jacks on each muff, the only thing I have at the moment to plug into them is my cell phone. So I turned my playlist on and listened to music. I don’t think that everybody will listen to music while shooting, but there are those down times when they can be handy. Like when you might be on a hunt and things get really slow, just hook em to the phone and jam the boredom away. The ability with the Pro Ears muffs to re-align (or program) the sounds you here is spectacular. Within the ear muffs adjacent to the battery compartment are a set of pins with a plastic jumper. 1) You can re-align one of the jumpers to boost the volume level in each muff for ambient sounds, in case you are hard of hearing like I am and , 2) you can re-align the second jumper to direct audio from the 3.5 mm jacks directly to the speakers, bypassing the compression stage. Doing this allows for hearing higher musical notes without them being compressed…..it works great. All you need to do the re-alignment is some decent light and a pair of tweezers, it’s that simple. But don’t be concerned about shooting. Even though the sound of the audio device is bypassing the compression chamber, if a gun fires, it will still compress the blast to a safe db level…..absolutely outstanding design!
    The big bonus for me is the ambient sound amplification. Having worn passive ear plugs for a while, it is so nice to now have situational awareness while I shoot. I was simply amazed at how much I can hear around me even while shooting. The way the Pro Ears compression technology works is that if you are talking are listening to someone and a shot is fired next to you, you hear both things simultaneously. The shot is compressed safely and you still hear the ambient sounds around you amplified. I am a retired Civil Engineer and am 64 years old, and this DLSC technology simply amazes me….Bravo Pro Ears!
    These ear muffs do fit snugly on my normal size head but are not uncomfortable at all. In fact, I’m glad they are snug because it means I am getting a good ear seal and protection. That’s the primary goal of ear muffs, right?. The adjustment of the ear muffs along the head band is stiff, but again, way better than being loose. I set mine where I wanted them one time and haven’t had to adjust them since after multiple uses…..that’s good stuff right there. Not having to re-seat them every shoot is good quality design.
    One last thing is that the Predator Gold is offered in Typhon black which matches my A300 synthetic that I wrapped in the same pattern……booyah!
    So to end this review I submit that the Pro Ears Predator Gold model is everything Pro Ears says it is. It’s a great sound compressing/sound amplifying set of muffs with additional features that are useful, not just gadgetry. I am beyond just satisfied….I love these things!
    Last but certainly not least: If you desire any information or need any help about the Pro Ears products, simply call the number listed on the website. I did an was extremely pleased at how helpful, knowledgeable, and reachable these people are. When I was on the phone with them deciding which model I wanted, I never felt rushed and the rep answered every question I had and actually offered information I didn’t even think I needed to consider. Great people, Great Company. Get a set of Pro Ears, you won’t be disappointed.

    I am a verified purchasing customer and was not solicited in any way to provide this review………… Pro Ears is just simply that good.

  2. Chuck in NC – Verified Purchase

    Comfortable and effective
    Color: Black
    Great hearing protection. Use weekly on the range for practice and competitive shooting. Important that they are comfortable and that I can hear the range commands and instructions to ensure safety. Batteries size is not commonly found but available on Amazon for a good price. Highly recommended. Several other shooters have tried them and are switching to Pro Ears.

  3. Michael J Baker – Verified Purchase

    Quality Hearing Protection!
    Color: Black
    I already had one pair of Pro Ears that a friend recommended. I shoot competitively and had trouble hearing my hits on the steel. I tried these and there was no going back!! Not only could I hear my hits I could carry on a normal conversation while shooting and they are extremely comfortable! Another fantastic feature is the separate volume control on each ear! Allows me to adjust to any situation!! I let my wife try the pair I had and she wouldn’t give them back! So there was no doubt I was going to order another pair! I just used the Pro Ears Predator Gold in the World Rimfire Championships and they perform flawlessly! If you want the best in hearing protection while being able to still hear what’s going on around you I recommend these highly!!

  4. Greengiant – Verified Purchase

    Not as good as the Full Sized Ear-Cup Pro Ears of old
    As a 32 year LEO veteran, lifetime hunter and sport shooter, I have experienced many thousands of rounds exploding. For approximately 20 years I have used a pair of Pro Ears Demension-1 electronic hearing protection, I have replaced the cup seals several times and other than that, I rate them 5-Stars Plus “Best I have ever seen”. Now as for the “Predator Gold” set rated 3-Stars here. I have recently taken up long range precision rifle shooting and needed ear protection with less bulk, therefore, I ordered the Low Profile Predator Gold, They do not fit as well as the old ones, they do not offer the noise protection of the old ones and the amplification of lower decibel sounds such as range officer commands, they is simply no comparison to the 20(+-) year old Demension-1 set. For shotgun and lower caliber rifle or surpressed rifle shooting, the Predator Golds are adicuate (I am keeping mine). However, for use with high caliber, un-surpressed weapons, especially being fired from under a range shed, I would order the Pro Ears with the full size ear cups.

  5. Davidf2 – Verified Purchase

    4 days at Tactical Response
    I wore these for 2 separate classes I took in Tenn. over the last 10 weeks at James Yeager’s Tactical Response school. I took his 2 day Fighting Pistol class at the end of Sept. and then the same class again the weekend before Thanksgiving. I was satisfied with the muffs overall performance. I did wear 33NRR foam ear plugs underneath them the whole time. The foam plugs were what gave the noise reduction of the gun shots. Taking the muffs off but keeping the plugs in, the gun shots sounded the same. The shots were louder with the muffs minus the plugs. Muffs and plugs together, normal level voice commands from the instructors were heard fine with the amplification, which was definitely needed. I’m convinced that if you’re going to wear a good pair of plugs under your muffs, a more expensive pair of muffs will not reduce gun shot volume any more than the plugs alone will. However, having the muffs even with the plugs probably will save you some pain over prolonged exposure, like the thousands of rounds going off all around you during an all day pistol class. I’ve heard or read something about having a muff covering all the small bones surrounding the eardrum as being essential protection.

    I did not use the MP3 jacks. The muffs have some pretty trick LEDs on the inside where the batteries go. There is a very small hum when you turn them on but I stopped noticing it very quickly. I wore eyeglasses with them the whole time and there was no discomfort from that.

    After the 3rd day (1st day of the 2nd time taking the class), I noticed the battery life begin to diminish, as I could tell the voice amplification was fading out. It was still there, but not quite as good. So, I changed out the small, medical size batteries that it uses. These muffs are very comfy and I had no problems at all with the fit and pressure against my ears. Out of a total of about 35 students there between the 2 classes I took, I was the only one wearing these Pro Ears muffs. At least 6 or 7 other guys had the Howard Leight R-01526 Impact Sport Electronic Earmuffs, which were the most common other brand used. After seeing the difference that the foam plugs made while using the Pro Ears, the Howard Leights’ are the better value, again if you’re going to use plugs also. Price aside, I would still buy these again.

  6. Dave – Verified Purchase

    Intermittent Noise
    Color: Black
    I attended a 4-day defensive handgun course at Front Sight in Nevada last month. They require electronic ears. I have used Pelton, Howard Leight and other passive hearing protection that worked fine for many years. When you are on a range with 40 other shooters, it’s pretty important to be able to hear the range master’s instructions from 10 meters or more away.

    It has always been the COST of electric ears that have kept me away. I had no choice at Front Sight though, so I took the plunge. Overall, I have to say these were a great investment. You can talk at a normal conversational voice level with your range partners. When a gun goes ‘bang’ the sound is limited to 85 decibels. The bang is still certainly audible, but I experienced no pain or ringing in my ears even after 4-days of shooting.

    The reason I only gave the product 4 stars is that intermittently, there would be a buzzing in the earpieces. This usually happened when I had my rain hood over them, but in other cases the headset was not covered. I found that if I slightly increased the volume, the issue disappeared.

    I would also have preferred a passive noise reduction rating of 30db.

    I have already recommended these to all my friends. I have not observed any noticeable drain on the batteries after four 9-hour shooting sessions.

    This is the only brand of electronic shooting protection I have used, so I have only the remarkable difference between my old passive cans to compare them against. The Pro Ears are vastly superior.

  7. Franz – Verified Purchase

    Very Nice
    When it comes to hearing protection, the more the better. With the advent of electronic hearing protection I feel I can say that indisputably. Using 33NRR foamies with a big 33NRR passive muff could create some dangerous situations, not being able to hear range commands, slower moving passing vehicles, etc. However, when used alone neither the best foamies nor the biggest muffs will completely protect against hot gunshot loads, a day at the drag strip, or the airshow, but as already stated it would be inconvenient and perhaps somewhat dangerous in other ways to use them together.

    In comes the electronic muff. This allows you do double stack the hearing protection but still allow the quieter sounds through. There are many to choose from, most of them provide an NRR between 19 and 22, but the Pros Ears Predator Gold provides a 26NRR. Pro-Ears also makes the Pro-Mag rated at 33NRR, but they will not work with rifles and shotguns. This model has the highest NRR rating I could find while still being a low profile muff.
    Long term exposure to noise over 85db will cause hearing loss, the louder the noise, the faster the damage. Quieter guns emit around 140db, larger loads can be 160db or more. For illustrative purposes let’s call it an average of 150db.

    150db – 26NRR = 124db.
    Still very dangerous levels.

    Now throw in a 33NRR foamie and that goes down to 91db. Yes it’s still above 85db but as stated you would have to use a 33NRR muff to get that low and I have yet to find one that’s low profile. My buddy was using foamies and passive muffs along side me. While I was able to hear distant sirens in the valley and birds chirping, he couldn’t.

    Batteries Included! If you purchase directly from pro ears you can select which battery type you would like: N or 123. I have found each battery is close to the same physical size, life, and price so unless you really have a preference save the money and purchase from Amazon. You could end up with either battery.

    I like that there are several colors to choose from to fit your style. My wife has the bright pink, I opted for the more subtle real tree camo.

    The muffs feel to me like they are squeezing my head, but as I understand this is important to properly block noise. There is plenty of adjustment for all head sizes. I am 6’2” with a lean frame. These fit my 4 year old son as well. There is 3 inches of expansion left in the band from my fitting preference so these should fit some pretty large heads

    A cord for connecting a music device is also included in the packaging.

  8. DesertFox – Verified Purchase

    Mixed Feelings
    On one hand, these seem to be great. On the other, they are way too expensive for what they do. I have other passive ear muffs that block out far more sound and other active muffs that were more like $20 that are fine. They do not block out enough for some hot 44 Magnum loads I was shooting out of a 2 3/8″ snubbie – I needed plugs inside these muffs. If they were under $100, I’d give them 5 stars. If you do not have a budget, then by all means buy these. If you ARE on a budget, these aren’t your ticket…

    Update: I have since added 2 stars and have used and enjoyed them quite a bit more since my initial review. Yes, I double up with plugs when shooting Magnums. Decided my hearing was worth much more than what these cost me. Happy customer.

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