This review is for Peltor Sport Tactical 500 Smart Electronic Hearing Protector with Bluetooth Wireless Technology, NRR 26 dB. What initially brought me to order this set was the outstanding reviews (both customer and professional), high NRR rating, digital voice listening (for person-to-person communication), and wanting Bluetooth capability for phone/multimedia interactions. I'm going to break this review up into sections.
Pros:
This set has a high 26 dB NRR rating. This is one of the higher NRR ratings I have seen for headphones. Since they are headphones, you can wear them with earplugs to further increase your ear protection. I have been able to wear these for an hour at a time without any issue. I have not tried them longer than that. These are quite adjustable for a large range of head sizes. The headphones do collapse for better storage, and they come with a nice storage bag. These also feel sturdy and appear to be very well constructed. These fit fine with thin safety glasses. I have not done much with the Bluetooth functionality or the digital voice communication. These have auto power shut off and lower battery warning.
Cons:
These headphones are a bit on the bulky side. They are definitely not the bulkiest out there, and they aren't obnoxiously bulky. However, there are applications where they could be in the way that you may need thin headphones or earplugs for instead. The headphones are medium in weight. They are definitely not heavy, but if you need to wear these for hours continuously, you might start to notice the weight. The padded cups don't feel very comfortable at first, and they apply a fair amount of pressure. It takes me a bit of positioning to get them into a comfortable position so that they aren't applying pressure to my temples, so that I don't get a headache.
Other Thoughts:
Overall, these are outstanding headphones for hearing protection. They are feature rich, very adjustable, high NRR rating, and well made. I don't really have much to say about the price, because I find the price to be equal to the quality and feature set. Therefore, I find the value to be good for the price. I ordered the ALPHA1100 rechargeable Li-ion battery pack for these headphones, and I definitely recommend this battery over 2 AA batteries. I do regret not ordering the gel replacement earcups. I have gel replacement earcups for a different set of hearing protection headphones, and they make a big difference. The gel replacement earcups are far more comfortable, provide a better seal, especially with safety glasses on, and they have the potential to offer a slight increase in NRR. This potential NRR increase is possible by achieving a better seal (particularly with glasses on), the material used, and the double hump design (allows two chances to create a complete seal).
Update - 10/21/2023
I finally upgraded the stock ear pads on the 3M Peltor Sport Tactical 500 to PROHEAR gel ear pads. It was immediately a significant improvement. The noise reduction was noticeably improved. The gel pads are more comfortable, and they seal much better, especially with glasses on. Each gel pad is about 1mm thicker than the stock pads. I looked at both the gel pads with and without the replacement plastic base. I went with the version without the plastic base, only because they were a bit softer. I'm going to assume it just happened to be a sample variance, and that normally they are both the same. To install I peeled off the original pad, no tools required. I removed the original adhesive residue from the plastic base. Then I did a dry lineup of the new ear pad, removed the adhesive cover, and installed the new pads.
I can also say that the digital capabilities for listening with the built-in microphone and speakers is excellent. I am able to hear everything just fine while having hearing protection. It is also very good about muting loud noises but keeping speech audible. I'm also able to hear the digital output (speech/sounds) just fine with earplugs in. This is great, because I can get a very high level of hearing protection, while having very good situational awareness. I would never consider anything other than digital headphones for hearing protection.
| Manufacturer | 3M CHIMD |
|---|---|
| Part Number | TAC500-OTH |
| Item Weight | 15.2 ounces |
| Product Dimensions | 4.57 x 7.78 x 11.58 inches |
| Country of Origin | China |
| Item model number | TAC500-OTH |
| Batteries | 3 AAA batteries required. |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Size | One Size |
| Color | Black |
| Style | Tac 500 |
| Material | Synthetic |
| Pattern | Solid |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Special Features | Foldable |
| Included Components | Hearing Protector |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
| Battery Cell Type | Alkaline |
| Warranty Description | Manufacturer Warranty |
