My personal evaluation
My personal opinion on muffs after an unscientific trial today.
Leightning 31’s vs. Peltor Tac7s vs. Pro-Ears Pro-Mag
1. Leightning 31- best noise suppression when used by themselves, cheaper ($25), non-electronic. Didn’t use them again because I couldn’t hear anyone speaking to me on the indoor range (would have to yell). They are comfortable, ear moldings are very comfortable and seal well, too. I would recommend them for people who want a non-electronic muff.
2. Peltor Tac7s – cost about $150 at the gunshow. Got them because I wanted to hear what was going on in the indoor range. They have amplifiers built in to the headset so you can hear your surroundings, but they shut off all sounds during gunfire. So, if someone is firing continuously at a crowded gunrange, you may not hear anything at all. One knob for stereo sound adjustments (good if both ears hear well, no adjustable balance if one ear is a little deaf). Very comfortable as well. These are heavier compared to the Leightning’s.
3. Pro-ears – Cost about $200 (cheapest price I could find) for the pro-magnum set. “Compresses” sound to a 70 dB level, not supposed to “clip” or completely shut off compared to the Peltors. However, sound diminishes quite a bit (not quite as much as the Peltors). Slightly easier to carry on a conversation during continuous firing (was next to rifle fire, cut down quite a bit. Smaller pistol fire allowed me to hear normal conversation). Comfortable, with dual stereo knobs for left and right hearing amplification. Is it worth $50 more than Peltor? For me (after I laid down the cash), yes by a little bit.
Overall, I like the Pro-ears the best (pro magnum have the best NRR – take it forwhatever its worth), very close second are the Peltor’s. If you want to use them for hunting, Peltor’s will probably do just fine. For indoor use when there is continuous smaller arms fire, then Pro-ears come out slightly ahead. But during heavy booming, there roughly about the same. If the electronic muffs are out of budget, then I highly recommend the Leightning 31’s. Sorry about the long-winded evaluation, hope this helps.