Deben Supreme Pro-X Electronic Ear Defenders

Noise levels can be an issue where shooting sports are concerned, and everyone has their own idea of what is ‘acceptable’.

But you only get one pair of ears as they say, and it’s foolish not to protect one of the body’s most sensitive organs, when such activities are undertaken. There’s an impressive choice of ear defender available these days too, and top brand Deben Group, bring several options to the market place.

Super Supreme

On test here are Deben’s Supreme Pro-X electronic ear defenders, which protect the shooters hearing from harmful and obtrusive noise levels, whilst reproducing harmless noise. These ‘Active’ electronic ear defenders are manufactured by MSA for Deben, and the company has many years’ experience in the field.

Sound is produced in stereo via the speakers, and sound reproduction is limited to a maximum of 82db, in order to prevent damage to hearing. Surrounding ambient sound is (Top) Airmasters 88 Rigidity Scope Rail for HW100 Series rifles (Right) The superb finish of the Airmasters rail is a perfect match for the Weihrauch
it left the drawing board stage. Part of the design of the HW100 sees a two-part breech block, and with this in mind, Airmasters have produced a dedicated scope rail to bridge the two sections, and add super rigidity in the process. With all pre-charged pneumatics, microscopic movements take place as the cylinder expands and
picked up by two microphones mounted on the outside of each cup, and relayed through speakers inside the earmuff housing. Advanced electronics compress the hazardous noise down to safe levels, whilst still allowing the background noise through. In reality, this means that when out shooting shotgun, for example, you can still hold a conversation with someone when wearing the headphones, yet have the aggressive report of the gun muted right down.

The unit features five levels of volume up and five down, with an on/off button in the centre of the + and – buttons. An adjustable headband will fit all head sizes, and is easily adjusted via the sliding rack design. Just push or pull each side to the desired length.

These headphones derive their power from 2x AAA batteries, and fitting them is a little fiddly, but with around 200hrs of battery life quoted, the removal process should be fairly infrequent.

Field Use

I found this Supreme ProX headset extremely comfortable to wear, given the soft, nicely cushioned cups, and the electronic volume control worked a treat. The sensation is very rewarding, with a full crisp sound experienced once the volume had been adjusted to suit. Any harshness of the gun’s crack was properly filtered too, yet with background/surrounding noise conversation fully detectable, that remote, isolated feeling of conventional headphones is avoided.

Rugged construction and waterproofed speakers all adds to the quality feel. In addition, Deben supply a jack lead with this product, to facilitate the use of an external acoustic source, such as a radio or mobile phone; bringing added versatility. The in-built microphones incidentally, come with an impressive 5 year warranty, so peace of mind is assured on that front. My only reservation is the asking price, as the Supreme Pro-X seems a little pricey at £209.95. One things for sure though, performance is impressive.

For those so inclined, a Bluetooth version is also available, at significant extra cost, which allows for wireless conversation, via a mouthpiece, with a mobile phone. Little wonder then that Deben apparently supply these ear defenders to the military and police service, which is all the endorsement required.

PRICE: £209.95