so i got these as a possible replacement for the ProTac because the Pro-Comms are $100 versus $500 for the ProTac
there are signs of cheapness for sure but in some ways the Pro-Comms are actually better
the big one is that ProTac has a static noise in the right ear whereas Pro-Comms do not
Pro-Comms are also listenable with music while Pro-Tac only listenable with audiobooks
after trying the Pro-Comms for an hour i am pretty sure i will be sending Pro-Tac back to save myself $400. but i will finish running all my tests and comparisons before doing so.
on other hand the big downside to Pro-Comms is apparent lack of volume control. the Pro-Tac has ( + ) and ( - ) buttons whereas Pro-Comms only has a speaker button that cycles through 4 levels of ambient volume … no way to adjust mic volume it seems and for music and phone calls you have to use your phone to adjust volume. Pro-Tac far superior in that regard.
also Pro-Comms are not as water resistant but i don’t care about that …
anyway one reason i got both sets is specifically to compare them as they’re both 3M flagships but one in the consumer line and one in Industrial line. they also have a military line ( 3M Peltor Comtac ) but i won’t be testing that because the military one is already well known and reviewed to death.
i wanted to specifically test Pro-Comms and ProTac XPI and compare them for the sake of humanity as there aren’t any reviews out there that i consider adequate.
anyway while i couldn’t blanket recommend the Pro-Tac to the average audiophile because it was a very expensive and very specialized tool for airports and such, but i CAN recommend the Pro-Comms because it’s mostly the same but far more affordable.
i expect you will probably get about 5 years of use out of these Pro-Comms or so and your ears are worth $20 / year to protect.
the problem with passive earmuffs ( that i will also review ) is that whenever you need to talk to somebody you have to take them off and then you lose the protection. the idea with electronic earmuffs is you can talk both in person and on the phone without taking them off, thus maintaining the protection.
as i said before the Pro-Comms are for general around the house use such as mowing grass and so on, the ProTac XPI is for industrial use and Comtacs are for military use.
the main reason Pro-Comms and ProTac wouldn’t work very well for shooting is their physical bulkiness may prevent you from placing your shoulder close enough to your head when shooting. the benefit of this bulk though is more optimal acoustics.
just don’t say i didn’t warn you that these aren’t for the shooting range. if you shoot a handgun they will work but if you shoot a rifle they won’t. acoustically and electronically they are similar to the military model but ergonomically they are not. the military models are low profile to allow you to get your head close to your shoulder.
i will spend a week A/B testing these against the ProTac then return the ProTac to Amazon.
i had already fully tested he ProTac as i had them for 2 weeks by now and have another 1.5 weeks to return them.
