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3M Peltor WS ProTac XP Ear Defender Review | Defending Your Ears in Stereo Sound

3m-peltor-ws-protac-xp-ear-defender-headband-bluetooth-front-angleIn this review, I will be taking an in-depth look at a great Bluetooth hearing protection headset from 3M called the 3M Peltor WS ProTac XP Ear Defender! It’s definitely one of the higher priced hearing protection headsets out there, but if you’re looking for a great product and willing to invest in a headset that will keep your ears safe while you work, you should keep reading to learn more about the ProTac Ear Defender.

If you’d like to see another similarly priced, high-quality headset you can check out this review of the Peltor WS 100 headset.

P.S. I’ll be referring to this headset as “the ProTac XP” or “ProTac XP” from now on.

Quick Review

3M Peltor WS ProTac XP Ear Defender Review
  • Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) - 100
  • Battery Life - 85
  • Sound Volume/Quality - 90
  • Size & Comfort - 90
  • Durability - 75
  • Other Features - 80
  • Price - 75
85

Summary

This Peltor ProTac XP by 3M is a top of the line Bluetooth enabled hearing protection devices out there. It offers superior hearing protection (NRR of 31), amazing sounds, high-quality Bluetooth capabilities, and is comfortable to boot!

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In-Depth Review

Now we’ll get into the meat of this review and look at all of the features this headset has to offer. I’ll cover the Noise Reduction Rating (NRR), battery life, Bluetooth range and quality, how it deals with phone calls, sound quality, size and comfort, durability, as well as a couple other less common features.

If you’d like to learn more about what to look for and consider when researching which Bluetooth hearing protection headset to buy, please check out this article:

What to Consider when Purchasing Bluetooth Hearing Protection

Noise Reduction Rating (NRR)

With an NRR of 31, this headset is among the highest I’ve seen…and I’ve researched a lot of hearing protection devices! This level of protection ensures that your ears will be protected in all but the noisiest environments on earth, i.e. most industrial settings, shooting ranges, hunting, working in a wood shop, doing yardwork, etc.

This headset utilizes DSP digital noise reduction technology as well as noise attenuation to actively reduce the outside noise entering your ears. This is why they are able to provide such a high NRR when compared to headsets that protect you purely using physical devices.

On top of all of this, the ProTac XP utilizes compression technology to protect your ears from sudden, loud noises such as gunshots or nail guns. This means the headset is actively listening to your environment and is able to instantly “compress” the sudden sounds to safe levels.

While this headset is constantly protecting your ears from loud noises, it still allows you to hear ambient noises as well as giving you the ability to have a conversation by isolating certain sounds. This is an amazing feature because you can hear important sounds (alerts, alarms, voices, etc.) while still protecting your ears from harmful noise levels.

 

Battery Life

According to manufacturer information from 3M, if you’re actively using Bluetooth, you will get up to 24 hours of battery life per charge. If you’re not using Bluetooth they will last up to 150 hours.

The headset requires 2 AA Alkaline batteries to operate. However, if you’re making the investment in this headset (or any other), I would highly suggest investing in some rechargeable NiMH batteries so you’re not burning your money purchasing batteries a few times a week, especially if you’re going to be using this headset regularly for long periods of time.

When your batteries are low a friendly voice will alert you to this by saying “Low battery”. In an effort to help you save batteries when the headset is not in use, there is an auto-off function that can be set for 2 or 8 hours.

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Bluetooth

The ProTac XP supports Bluetooth 2.1 A2DP which allows for high-quality stereo sound to be streamed from any Bluetooth enabled device within range. All you need to do is sync it up with your phone in your pocket and you’re good to go for hands-free listening.

 

Phone Calls/Microphone

There is a built-in boom microphone so you can make and receive phone calls if you have your headset synced to your smartphone via Bluetooth. The microphone uses DSP noise reduction to ensure that the caller on the other end will be able to hear you clearly regardless of the noise environment you are in.

 

3m-peltor-ws-protac-xp-ear-defender-headband-bluetooth-front-angleSound Volume/Quality

There are high-quality stereo speakers in each earmuff so you’ll be able to hear the deepest bass and highest treble as you listen to your favorite podcasts or rock out to your favorite music. The stereo speakers are able to be right/left adjusted and you are able to change the frequency character to ensure the optimal listening experience.

 

Size & Comfort

This headset has the following dimensions, 8″ x 6″ x 6″, and comes in at 13.9 ounces. This means it is on the lighter side compared to many other Bluetooth hearing protection headsets and just about the same physical size.

The headband is padded and flexible and the earcups are cushioned to ensure a comfortable fit. There is also a retainer clip on each side of the headband padding.

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Durability

As long as you care for this headset properly, you shouldn’t have any problem with their durability. They’re high-quality and manufactured by 3M, which produces high-quality products. The only concern I would have is catching the boom microphone on a stick or something if I’m walking through the woods while hunting, or some similar circumstance.

 

Other Capabilities

This headset also has a built-in communications radio that can be operated hands-free using its VOX functions. This means you can communicate via this headset while you work simply using voice commands!

 

Price

On Amazon, the 3M Peltor WS ProTac XP Ear Defender Headband Bluetooth headset will run you about $405. This is a high price point, but that’s because it is feature rich and does a great job protecting your ears compared to the cheaper options out there.

 

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a top-of-the-line Bluetooth hearing protection headset that has a very high NRR, Bluetooth capabilities, high-quality stereo speakers, as well as many other physical and technological features, then you need to look no further. The ProTac XP headset from 3M will fulfill just about every demand you might have when it comes to a hearing protection headset. It will cost you a bit more than some other headsets, but that’s because you’re paying for a feature-rich device.

If you’re going to be spending a lot of time in dangerously noisy environments and are looking for a hearing protection headset to keep you safely entertained, then I highly recommend this one!

Protect Your Ears Now

If you have any questions or comments regarding the 3M Peltor WS ProTac XP Ear Defender headset or anything else hearing protection related, please don’t hesitate to drop a comment below and I’ll get back to you ASAP!

Peace,
Dustin “Kirby” Garness

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About The Author

Dustin G.

5 Comments

  1. Thomas B. Holladay, III January 9, 2017

    Dustin, a super great review my friend, I’ve had many like words to say about it myself. Even have done quite a few videos on YouTube on this headset ProTac XP, and the ProTac 2 , WS Alert XP and headset XP with many other Peltor products . I simply fell head over heels for Peltor once I found how great they were. Recently though I bought the Peltor LiteCom Plus, SNR 34 I don’t know what the NRR is in the US. Anyway I’m stuck with it being I paid ,555.00 US Dollars , and the thing is the headset is perfect , alot like the ProTac XP , but it has so many channels I don’t need where I’m at, so to send it back cost more money and to keep it is money wasted. May want to do an article on that one day. I had no idea you were on here. As for the ProTac XP, your so dead on about the features ,just confusing when you compare NRR, because the box says 27 DB and the British add says SNR is 31 DB . Anyway maybe you can clarify the two for us. As far as comfort , dead on that too, yet what I have done is purchased some HY80 ear Seals and put some plush minky fleece in the ear cups. Oh WOW! Super soft on my ears and seals better than standard ear cushions. The fleece helps with sweat ( you don’t) and cuddles the ear canal much like fur earmuffs with the fur or fleece on the inside. Gels are supper soft and stay warm from your head if you need to take them off for a few minutes. I have gone 27 hours wearing them ( ProTac XP) without a problem. Silly maybe but proved the all day comfort literally. Hope to see more reviews on the other Peltor headsets named above by me. Again great review, abd pleas e tell us the difference in NRR and SNR. Thanks from a Peltor lover. They should make a Peltor lovers page btw.

    Reply
    • Dustin G. January 28, 2017

      Hey there Thomas!

      Thank you so much for this comment! I really appreciate it! Peltor really is a great brand for hearing protection devices!

      I’m still relatively new at this so I’m learning about everything as I go. I’ll look into doing an article explaining the difference between NRR and SRR as it has been a point of confusion for me as well!

      The problem I’m encountering now is that there doesn’t actually seem to be many Bluetooth enabled hearing protection devices out there, so I’m glad you gave me some more to look at and hopefully review!

      By the way, where are you from?

      Peace,
      Dustin

      Reply
      • Butch Holladay February 28, 2021

        Hey Dustin, im in Etowah TN, sorry it took 4 years to answer lol. I loved the Protac xp , just wasn’t much for the blinking power button lol. They were super comfortable and all i wanted to do was keep them on my ears, lol. Gels and sheepskin lining work better on my ears, and prevents ear pain. I’m a weirdo I guess. But I enjoy have my ears in comfort if something is over them. Hoping to make more correspondence with you, and I’ll be giving my opinion on a few of these BT earmuffs on here .
        I go by Butch, Tom or Thomas … Don’t call me late for dinner. 🤣

        Reply
  2. Ben March 4, 2017

    Does the mic boom fold out of the way when not in use?

    Reply
    • Dustin G. March 5, 2017

      Yes, the boom microphone does fold up along the side of the headset when not in use.

      Thanks for asking and I hope you found this review helpful!

      Peace,
      Dustin

      Reply

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