Proper protective equipment is a must-have for one’s range bag. Good eye protection and good ear protection go a long way into enjoying shooting, competitions, and getting the most out of your training. Oftentimes these products rarely warrant a review. Earmuffs protect your ears, glasses protect your eyes and that’s about it. But sometimes a product comes around that’s absolutely fantastic and most certainly worth a full review, and today we are looking at the Axil Trackr Blu ear muffs.
I’ve always insisted that electronic ear protection is a must-have for serious shooters. Passive earmuffs work fine in terms of providing protection, but if you shoot a lot then investing in a set of electronic ear protection is a good idea.
Why Electronic Hearing Protection Rules
Electronic hearing protection like the Axil Trackr Blu takes things to a new level. First, obviously, they do the basics of providing you with a set of ear protection that blocks the deafening noise of gunshots at the range.
The electronic hearing component boosts your situational awareness substantially when on the range. Electronic hearing protection can amplify the normal noises around you and automatically block the loud sound of gunshots at the same time. This makes it easy to hear critical things like calls to, “Ceasefire”!
If you take a training class at the range then electronic hearing protection is also helpful. You don’t have to keep taking them off every time the instructor wants to offer advice or teach a lesson.
What Axil Trackr Blu Offers
As you’ve likely assumed Axil Trackr Blu is electronic hearing protection that provides external amplification of noises below a certain decibel level. Anything above that noise level will automatically be shut out when detected. The time to kill the noise is fractions of a second and it’s too fast to be perceived by the wearer.
The ability to amplify noise around you makes it perfect not just for the range, but if you choose to go hunting. You can amplify the noises around you to make animals a bit easier to detect. You can also amplify the volume to hear conversations or instructions a bit beyond you. On the side, you have a set of two dials that allows you to amplify or dampen volume.
One dial controls the external noise and the second, smaller dial controls the internal volume. The internal volume refers to the Blu portions of the Axil Trackr Blu. “Blu” means Bluetooth and the Axil Trackr Blu has Bluetooth compatibility to connect to whatever electronic device you may choose.
That allows you to connect to your phone and have conversations, connect to Bluetooth-enabled alert systems, and similar situations. I have a private range where it’s just me and I love the ability to listen to podcasts or music while shooting at the range. Especially when I am sitting in the prone and doing a slow fire.
Breaking Down Audio Quality
The Axil Trackr Blu has two levels of audio quality. The external microphone and the internal Bluetooth setup. The internal is much better than the external, but both are very capable and useful. The internal makes the quality of the audio extremely nice. Listening to music or Joe Rogan is nice, as is phone call quality.
The external quality is obviously a little less clear and consistent than the internal. However, it’s plenty easy to hear and make out conversations, instructions, and everything else. At “The Gathering,” a firearms media event, I used the Axil Trackr Blu headphones while interviewing firearms manufacturers, instructors, and more.
This was at an active range with a ton of firearms popping off, everything from 22LR handguns to M240 machine guns. I had zero issues asking questions, and getting answers amidst the noise with the Trackrs on.
I’ve used them for several months now and never had my ear rung. They provide enough protection to use a short-barreled, 5.56 rifle in an indoor range. I also get great wind noise reduction when I was outdoors and it’s very nice on those not-so-nice days.
Comfort in Spades
I love these things comfort-wise. I have a big head and they never feel like they are pinching my head. I’ve worn them for hours at a time and never felt any major discomfort. As muffs will do they get a little sweaty and hot after extended use, but they never get bad enough to be a pain in the ass.
I even wear them off the range. When I go to mow my yard I toss on my Axil Trackr Blu headphones and connect them to my phone and mow along while listening to the latest PKA episode. I have a big yard so that can be a few hours of work and I never find the headphone uncomfortable.
Durability and Design
The Axil Trackr Blu headphones fold down into a very nice package that is super compact and easy to store in a range bag or cargo pocket. They are also extremely well made and very durable. I’ve traveled via plane and car with them, dropped them, let ‘em bounce around in a range bag, and even left them out in the rain.
They refuse to fail and refuse to stop working. Honestly, after they sat in an inch of rain I figured the electronics were dead. Imagine my shock when they instantly popped on, connected to my phone, and fired right up! I wouldn’t advise setting these things in water, and I don’t think Axil will warranty such foolish use, but they seem to be water-resistant at the very least.
Staying on Trackr
The Axil Trackr Blu headphones provide fantastic hearing protection with an awesome audio component that offers Bluetooth compatibility for superior connectivity in the modern world. This is my first experience with Axil products and I can’t help but be impressed. They’ve since become my very favorite headphones and I look forward to seeing what else Axil has to offer.
They are rated at 27 straight off the manufacturers website. Leaves a lot on the table for those of us trying to preserve what we have left.
What’s the noise reduction ratings?