The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: billt on March 12, 2019, 04:45:29 AM
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I'm talking about those Walker Game Ears headphones, that supposedly amplify surrounding sounds, but will block out gunfire. I'm wondering how well those things would work for watching TV? Would they be better than wearing headphones? Or do they make everything sound "tinny"?
I ask because I now wear headphones, so I don't blast the old lady out of her chair. But every time she talks, (which is all the time), I have to remove them to hear her. The whole thing becomes a Royal PITA.
If these things amplify both the TV and her voice at the same time, it would solve my problem......... Until my dog barks. Even when I'm wearing headphones, he's louder than standing next to the tracks when a 4 engine freight rolls by! I've noticed these things have come down in price quite a bit lately.
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I had a pair of the things some years back. I'm fairly certain they have been improved since then, but when they broke, I didn't replace them.
To answer your question: I doubt you would find them satisfactory in improving conversations with the wife while watching TV. They don't really do all that much to amplify ambient sounds. What they do well is cut off sudden, sharp noises (like gun fire) before those sounds reach your ear while allowing ambient sounds to be heard relatively normally. And, they do that in a fairly satisfactory manner.
If you are expecting to hear things crisply while you sit back in your La-Z-Boy with the TV playing at a normal level, I think you're going to be disappointed.
You may be able to determine this for yourself by ordering a set from Amazon and trying them at home. When/if they don't work, send 'em back for a full refund. If you have Amazon Prime, you won't even pay postage.
I'm a little hard of hearing and I have a set of wireless headphones connected to the TV. If Bunny says something I think may be of importance, she will say it more than once and at an increased volume. I take off the headphones and properly respond, "What was that, honey?" Most of the time when she sees me wearing the headphones, she doesn't bother trying to talk to me. It took some time to instill this behavior, but it was worth the effort.
Good luck.
Crusader Rabbit
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These will amplify: https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1805652370/howard-leight-impact-sport-electronic-earmuffs-nrr-22-db (https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1805652370/howard-leight-impact-sport-electronic-earmuffs-nrr-22-db)
I have had several pair for the family. They aren't the best noise reduction at 22 db, but they are 1) comfortable and 2) work well along with ear plugs. I use ear plugs and the earmuff. I turn the earmuff up so I can hear and then when I shoot I have the earplug noise reduction (typically around 30 db) plus a little more help from the earmuff.
Note that you cannot add the two noise reductions together. The highest plus several db on to of that is the best you can do....db is a log scale sound level indicator.
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These will amplify: https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1805652370/howard-leight-impact-sport-electronic-earmuffs-nrr-22-db (https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1805652370/howard-leight-impact-sport-electronic-earmuffs-nrr-22-db)
I have had several pair for the family. They aren't the best noise reduction at 22 db, but they are 1) comfortable and 2) work well along with ear plugs. I use ear plugs and the earmuff. I turn the earmuff up so I can hear and then when I shoot I have the earplug noise reduction (typically around 30 db) plus a little more help from the earmuff.
Note that you cannot add the two noise reductions together. The highest plus several db on to of that is the best you can do....db is a log scale sound level indicator.
Ditto what Rastus says.
They work OK in the sound amplification area but the one issue is they amplify all ambient noise, so if watching TV and the wife is doing something in the kitchen or a fan is running it will be noticeable (maybe not an irritant, but noticeable). I used them deer hunting and can hear critters moving in the woods really well but they also amplify wind noise trough the trees.
They have adjustable volume, so you can work with that to find a balance point. They also have a headphone jack that allows audio input.
EDIT:
I just did a test and it didn't work as well with activity going on in the area. It seemed to amplify all sounds equally (as I alluded to above). I could hear the TV but could also hear the running water from the kitchen sink faucet almost equally along with my wife's kitchen activities...which made them all blend together equally. I could concentrate on singling out the TV, but not well enough to really hear what was going on.
This might be much different in an enclosed area such as a den or living room that was apart from other noise inputs.
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EDIT:
I just did a test and it didn't work as well with activity going on in the area. It seemed to amplify all sounds equally (as I alluded to above). I could hear the TV but could also hear the running water from the kitchen sink faucet almost equally along with my wife's kitchen activities...which made them all blend together equally. I could concentrate on singling out the TV, but not well enough to really hear what was going on.
This might be much different in an enclosed area such as a den or living room that was apart from other noise inputs.
Thanks. This is good to know because our kitchen and family room is connected. So any and all noise coming form the kitchen will most likely get amplified. It was worth a shot.
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If you wear hearing aids, there might be another solution path.
My hearing aids can pair ( through auxiliary deviced ) to my TV sound and my computer sound and the volume is independent of the "heard" volume.
Let me know if that might help you.
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No hearing aids.
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What a shame! I can't help you then ;D ;D ;D
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Peg is right about the amplified background. I started to speak to that but I figured they would all do that so I just passed on that comment. However some models, like the one I have, are equipped with a jack so you can listen to music...which then, if you had headphones why would you need amplified muffs?
Great minds think alike. Peg I turn mine up while hunting also! ;D
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FINALLY! The the big upgrade is finished. The Pentagon could have been done over in the time it took for this. It will be a wonder if everybody returns here after such a long absence.
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hmmm
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Bill what did you end up with?
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Bill what did you end up with?
Nothing. I'm still using my standard cord headphones with my TV. I heard too many reports of how the sound amplifying "game ears" won't work for that purpose. I might get a small amplifier to work with my cheap headphones. That will allow me to raise the volume to a higher level than what I have now.
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I forgot that years ago the wife bought me a wireless set of headphones for watching TV. The base plugs into the headphone jack and is powered from a wall outlet and the headphones use three or four AA batteries. They have good sound, but the way they fit against my ears isn't as good as I'd like. I'm sure there are better styles nowadays.
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I had a set of wireless headphones too. They sat on top of the base and plugged in to recharge. They sat around such a long time that the foam on the ear pads crumbled and I threw them away. I hardly ever used them but plugged them into my stereo and wore them in the yard a few times. If you're watching TV with a pair on and want to make a snack or use the bathroom you can still listen to the TV while you're walking around. You could be like Pinocchio.
I've got no strings
To hold me down
To make me fret, or make me frown