



I visited the ProHear booth at SHOT Show 2025 and asked which model offered the best sound quality when connected to a phone or device. One of the deciding factors of Ear Pro (hearing protection) for me is the quality of the sound you hear through electronic earmuffs. The sound quality of music through electronic EarPro is a good indication of a headphone’s ability to recreate a realistic representation of the sounds and environment around you.
Ear Pro at a gun range or just mowing your lawn is important because any damage to your hearing is permanent. Electronic Ear Pro has become the standard for hearing protection, amplifying normal sounds while blocking out loud gunfire and noises. Better quality electronic Ear Pro can simulate or even improve upon what you could hear with your naked ears.
ProHear gave me a set of their EM030 “Machete” headphones. These are Bluetooth-capable, rechargeable headphones. They look like a boxier version of Howard Leight Impact Sports and have compatible earpads. Paired to my phone and playing a sound sample of music, their audio quality was better than Howard Leights or Walker Razors.
Testing them at the gun range, they quickly cut out gunshots while amplifying voices and environmental sounds. Unfortunately, the sound was omnidirectional without stereoscopic directionality or the distance of the sound source (the same complaint with Walker Razors). I could hear conversations a few tables away better than someone directly in front of me.
While the ambient performance was not better than my stereo-sound Howard Leight’s, the ProHear offers Bluetooth connectivity at the same price point. That may be the final determining factor between these two similar Ear Pro.
SHOP
Amazon https://amzn.to/4hESQNb
SPECS
EM030
Bluetooth 5.4
NRR 22dB
Omni-directional mic
USB-C port
0.5 ms reaction time
Weight: 0.63 Pounds
Dimensions: 4.52 x 3.54 x 4.92 inches