Sordins (Supreme Pro-X) - ArniesAirsoft

Author

Darthwhite

Registered: January 2005
Location: London
Posts: 1,693

Review Date: 16/9/08

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: �180.00 | Rating: 10

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Total hearing protection, Hearing amplification, Lightweight, Ambidextrous
Cons:	High cost, not compatable with some comms systems, does not work with most helmets.

Before i start, these are only really suitable for two kinds of people; a) Geardoes who must have the best, and b) those who need PPE in game. In terms of quality, they are in the same league as real eotechs, TAG gear, etc; there are cheaper alternatives, but real is better.

Right boring bit out of the way! I work as an audio engineer most of the time, so i need to protect my hearing from pyros etc, and as a CQB player a loud bang in a confined space is a fact of life. Not wanting my hearing damaged from both high noise exposure at work and at play, i invested in a set of these.

Physically the unit has two cups attached to a headband, with microphones on each cup to let audio through. It's powered by two AAA batteries with a rated life time 600 hours. The unit also has a stereo female minijack input for MP3 players, radios, etc. This model uses digital electronics and is waterproof.

The unit has two functions. The boring/necessary one is the auto cut off. The unit has two microphones which let audio through the headset. They sample and monitor a range of audio frequencies, and if any of them go over a certain level (82db according to the manual) those frequencies are cut out, protecting your hearing. The microphones work totally independently, so you still get a complete stereo image so as to not limit situational awareness.

The second cool function is to amplify background sound. The microphones have several volume levels (so if you are in a loud place you can reduce incoming audio levels to suit your preferences), no the highest two they act to amplify background sound, increasing your tactical awareness.

Both these systems work in tandem, so if you are listening on the highest level and a flashbang goes off next to you, they still cut off those frequencies and protect your hearing.

This model does not have a built in comms system, but higher end models do. As a left handed shooter i did not want a boom mic getting in the way of shouldering a rifle, hence the ambidextrous model i went for. Until i build something better i am using a standard security earpiece/PTT but with a male minijack wired on instead of the earpiece. Just for fun i wired the male end to only give out comms on the left ear.

I used them in game last weekend, and they worked perfectly as advertised. I was standing over a multi-bang flashbang when breaching a room, and the guy in front was literally cowering from the noise and light, whereas i was totally unaffected. It was literally a turkey shoot. We also played a all on all game, and i could literally hear people on the other side of walls or coming down corridors. It makes you impossible to ambush, and almost immune to noise generating pyros... awesome!

There are a few downsides to the product, firstly you have to get used to discriminating away all the extra "useless" noise coming through, and concentrate on what you need to hear. For example, i can hear the computer fan through these sordins, whereas my natural hearing without sordins discriminate away that un-needed noise unless i concentrate on hearing it.

Also, when using them in an room with no "soft" surfaces (like a bunker which is full of brick walls), the echoes and bounce which your ears naturally eliminate become a problem, and you really need to pay attention to what you are listening too! Fortunately this problem only really comes up on "boost" mode, on the regular levels it's easier to naturally discriminate, so the problem is diminished. Obviously they do not fit under every helmet on the market, so you may have to replace or modify your helmet unless you have a MICH or something which is designed to work with headsets.

Would I recommend it. Absolutely! Peltors may be slightly cheaper, but having tried them I trust my hearing to my Sordins. They are worth the extra money!

Shriven

Sweet But Lesbian Geek Lady

Registered: May 2006
Location: South East Kent, UK
Posts: 1,517

Review Date: 20/4/09

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: �110.00 | Rating: 9

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Saves hearing from prolonged pyro exposure, increases your ability to hear sneaky sods!
Cons:	Expensive!

I actually bought Darthwhite's off of him, and they're most excellent indeed! I tried them in woodland, and while it did take a bit of getting used to ( an airsoft skirmish in Sordins sounds a HELL of a lot scarier, making it actually quite difficult to hear people from a ways off), they were still useful when sneaking about, and as a comms set up, they're superb. You don't have to turn it up to 11 to hear incoming comms over a firefight, because the Sordins turn the firefight down!

However, I'm willing to lay money on these being a damn sight better in CQB/FIBUA.

Another thing is that I found they're a bit uncomfortable with a pair of glasses on underneath. Goggles on the other hand would be supoib.

------------------------------

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff234/Shriven89/MA65sig-1.png