How hearing protection works
Comfort helps you keep hearing protection on. At the range, fit matters too: choose protection suited to the noise, check the seal and follow the instructions every time you use it.
Fit and seal
Glasses, hair and headwear can interrupt an earmuff seal. Gel cushions provide a soft contact surface, but they do not guarantee a seal with every frame or head shape. Check the fit each time you put the earmuffs on, keeping the cushions in continuous contact around your ears.
Passive and electronic muffs
The ear cups and cushions provide passive noise reduction. Electronic earmuffs also use outside microphones and inside speakers to relay surrounding sound. VX1 PRO has four ambient microphones and an adjustable listening level for conversation and range commands. Electronic compression limits the sound reproduced through the speakers; it does not cancel the external gunshot. Fit and correct use remain essential.
SNR and NRR
SNR (Single Number Rating) and NRR (Noise Reduction Rating) describe laboratory attenuation using different methods. SNR is used in European markets; NRR is used in the United States. The figures are not interchangeable, and one should not be converted to the other by subtracting a fixed number.
The VX1 PRO is rated SNR 29 under EN 352. It does not have a US NRR figure yet.
What SNR 29 means in practice
A laboratory attenuation rating does not guarantee the reduction an individual wearer will receive. Do not treat it as a simple subtraction from a gunshot peak. Fit, the noise environment and correct use affect protection.
NIOSH recommends that hunters and shooters wear earplugs together with earmuffs whenever a firearm is fired. Follow both products’ fitting instructions and the range’s rules. See NIOSH’s firearms and hearing protection guidance and hearing protection selection and fit guidance.
Common questions
Is SNR the same as NRR? No. They use different methods. Use the applicable product label and supporting test information; there is no fixed conversion between them.
Do electronic muffs protect when the batteries die? Yes. The shell and the cushions keep blocking noise. You only lose the amplified sound until you change the batteries.
Is more amplification better? No. Choose a comfortable listening level for your surroundings. Amplification is a listening feature, not an attenuation rating.