I posted on this last year, after my first year of turkey hunting with Tetra... But I felt it is a topic worth revisiting.
Upon doing some research, I looked at SoundGear Phantom, E.A.R., and Tetra's.
I went with the Custom Alpha Shield Tetra, that was programmed to my hearing loss, with several different settings (including waterfowl, upland, Target, and general noise). I cannot speak to SoundGear or E.A.R., as I have not had the opportunity to try them.
I previously purchased some Walker Game protection, and had the opportunity to use Axil ear protection as well... I did have a preference for the Axil (although could have been due to the model I was using). Tetra is vastly superior to both... Vastly. Walker and Axil function more as sound protection that you can still hear with while wearing, while Tetra's serve as "sound enhancement" that also protects your hearing.
I do have some hearing loss, and suffer from significant and continuous Tinnitus... The Tetra's work as hearing enhancers, and were customized to my hearing loss...
I have now hunted 2 wing-shooting seasons, and 1 turkey season... I absolutely love them for waterfowl; I am hearing sounds from waterfowl (and other wildlife) I have long since forgotten. I can hear my partner speaking in quiet tones, and the sound protection/enhancement has generally made my hunting experiences more pleasant. Upland hunting, I can hear birds running through the brush, and immediately hear and pinpoint flushing birds...
So while I have noticed an appreciable improvement in wing-shooting, last year using them for turkey hunting was profound. Hearing birds gobble from long distances, hearing multiple other turkey vocals, as well as hearing them walking towards me, not to mention other sounds from wildlife.
My hearing protection is now the single most expensive hunting gear I own, and I would make that purchase in a heartbeat.
I purchased the custom Alpha Shield, but were I to do it again, I would spend the extra for a molded model... One big reason is due to fear of loss, and the molded come with a tether and you can get a bright color... I also prefer the battery over the rechargeable option... Batteries are cheap and easy to replace, and I KNOW I would forget to recharge, or forget to put them in my bag from recharging them...
Anyone using hearing protection or enhancement please post up!
I use the Walker ear muffs for shooting at my pistol range and can definitely hear things I am missing without them. I am having a harder time with direction than just hearing.
When turkey hunting, I can usually hear him gobble, but can't tell the direction at all. Often 90 degrees off (when hunting with younger hunters). I think I will be going this route before long.
Quote from: g8rvet on February 22, 2025, 03:42:16 PMI use the Walker ear muffs for shooting at my pistol range and can definitely hear things I am missing without them. I am having a harder time with direction than just hearing.
When turkey hunting, I can usually hear him gobble, but can't tell the direction at all. Often 90 degrees off (when hunting with younger hunters). I think I will be going this route before long.
With my Walker's I could tell direction to some degree (although not as good as without them in). With Tetra's in, I feel "directionality" is actually enhanced. Number of times hunting in the fog, I could either hear vocals or wingbeats, and was able to know what direction to look for birds appearing out of the fog...
I suspect that the more money spent, the better the overall quality and ability to tell direction becomes.
I hunted 7 days last season with a young man, I think he was 24, I knew my hearing was not what it once was but had no idea how much I had lost.
I pretty much heard all the gobbling he did but man he would pick out hen talk long before me, we called in many hens he heard a solid 100 yards further than I did, maybe more, some took several minutes after he heard them before I did!
Good post Marc! I have the same ones you have and love them - much better than the cheaper options as you said. I too wish I'd gone with the molded ones. For anyone on the fence, this is one thing where you pay for what you get and it can bring old ears back to life.
Interesting thread.
I definitely can't afford a thousand + bucks but I'm wondering if a 100 dollar device would give me a 100 bucks worth of better than nothing.
I am 4 deer, duck and turkey seasons in on my Tetra customs and I am beyond pleased with how much of the hunt I can hear that I hadn't heard in long time. They just work and the guys at Tetra are great! Nothing can replace what has been lost but these sure do go a long way toward that end. If you're like me and don't quite need hearing aids full time but hearing turkeys gobble at long distance is gone the Tetras may just be the deal.
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I bought SoundGear Phantoms last year just before turkey season. My hearing is fine for my age (some tinnitus) and I'm motivated to keep it that way, hence the high-end protection.
The short time I had them I thought they were great. They amplified all kinds of sounds and moderated the gun blast. But, I sent them back for only one reason: they would not pick up the sound of a turkey drumming.
Sitting with a buddy as a bird was coming in, but out of sight, he signaled that he could hear drumming. When I took the phantoms out, it was clearly heard. I put them back in... everything but the drumming. I sent them back as I was still within the full-refund time period. I was disappointed they didn't pick up drumming, but since turkey hunting was the primary purpose, it wasn't worth the high cost. If it was upland, waterfowl, or anything else, I imagine they would be great.
I have looked into getting a suppressor for my shotgun. In short, the commercial offerings aren't as far along as it is for rifles. When they do start building a shotgun suppressor that can throw turkey patterns with TSS, I'll gladly get one.
I will add that for me, the Tetras do not amplify car noises or wind like most of the others I've tried. I did hear drumming last season on one bird I harvested and I've only heard two others since I started turkey hunting due to my bad ears. I lost 50% of my hearing in one ear overnight and was diagnosed with atypical meneier's, which is doctor speak for we have zero idea what happened. These have given me a new set of ears for turkeys and deer. I had mine tuned specifically for turkeys but they work well for other hunting too. Yes they cost a lot, but they are HSA eligible so look into that option like I did.
I use tetras during waterfowl season when I'm hunting from blinds. No complaints. I've not used them for turkey hunting. I'm trying to maintain what I have hearing wise. I'm likley within 10 yards of 2000 shotgun blasts in a year so trying to do better
Tetra was a game changer for me. Some protection but lots of enhancement to hear gobbles. Speedy, but Well worth the price imho.
Quote from: mcw3734 on February 22, 2025, 08:58:46 PMI bought SoundGear Phantoms last year just before turkey season. My hearing is fine for my age (some tinnitus) and I'm motivated to keep it that way, hence the high-end protection.
I sent them back for only one reason: they would not pick up the sound of a turkey drumming.
Interestingly, my hearing loss is all on the high end, and my low end is actually better than average... I did notice last year that I was not hearing drumming as well... I have since sent mine back to Tetra, so they could enhance the low-end drumming... Hopefully I will find out this season.
Tetra does truly customize the sounds you want to hear, and the sounds you do not.
On another side note, due to my hearing loss I was able to write mine off... I know of others who have used medical flex spending to pay for theirs...
I recently got a set of the turkey ampods from Tetra - looking forward to hearing better in the woods. I will say that customer service is top notch. They took time and answered every question without ever pressuring me into a decision. The least expensive option is what they recommended for my situation.
Let me ask it this way.
Has anyone used a lower end hearing device that they abandoned and regret purchasing in the first place or is a moderately priced unit still a worthwhile improvement?
Obviously most of you have gone high end.
Thank you for the update Marc. Hope they can tune for drumming, I never hear it till 20yds or so. Have been looking at Tetra's for a few years, the owners are hunters, so they know how important it is to hear certain sounds. Good luck this season.
Quote from: NEhomer on February 23, 2025, 07:53:49 AMLet me ask it this way.
Has anyone used a lower end hearing device that they abandoned and regret purchasing in the first place or is a moderately priced unit still a worthwhile improvement?
Obviously most of you have gone high end.
This is my perspective from someone with some hearing loss and tinnitus...
The moderately priced units I have tried act as hearing protection, that you can still hear with. Some sounds you can hear better, and some units you can turn up the volume.
Higher priced units act as hearing enhancement that also act as hearing protection.
Tetras sound much more natural, less wind interference, and rather than still being able to hear while protecting me, I can hear the sounds I want much, much better. (You still have to get used to hearing with them on, but it was a much more natural experience for me). The fact that they were customized to my hearing loss made it strange for me to put them on and hear equally well out of both ears, while maintaining the ability to tell direction.
I am frugal, and it took me some years to make the plunge. I sometimes use them at home and work as hearing enhancement... They are used for all my shooting activities... Wish I had made the purchase years ago, as I might not have the severity of tinnitus I currently do.
I did not "need" Tetra's till I had them... But after hunting with them on, I would definitely feel at a disadvantage without them... Never felt like that with the Walker's...
NEhomer, many of us have tried lower priced options first. I had a single ear Walker's Game Ear. It barely amplified anything and did nothing to enhance my turkey hunting needs. I used Howard Leight electronic muffs. The amplified everything, including the wind. It was harder to determine direction, tho not impossible. When using them hunting with my grandson or friends, I learned I wasn't hearing near as much as I was still missing. Tetra put my ability to hear gobbles back up with others. Including my 15 year old grandson. We have tested it for a couple of seasons now.
I've tried to get myself to use hearing protection for waterfowl before and everything was pretty terrible.
The tetras were great though. Worked in 30 mph wind. I could tell direction. Often heard wings way before blind mates.
Looking forward to trying them while turkey hunting. Don't really need them, but maybe I'll be able to hear a drum now.
Tried axil and walkers. I like the Bluetooth for the range, dove hunting, and the lawn mower. That's about the best I can give them. They are useless in a wind. They are useless for directional hearing. And I'm not wearing/carrying bulky muffs.
Bought a used pair (hadn't even gotten through the batteries it came with) of custom alpha shields with all the bells and whistles of eBay using HSA money for $700. I don't regret not having the molds, they don't feel like they are going anywhere.
Quote from: ruination on February 24, 2025, 06:14:01 AMI've tried to get myself to use hearing protection for waterfowl before and everything was pretty terrible.
The tetras were great though. Worked in 30 mph wind. I could tell direction. Often heard wings way before blind mates.
Looking forward to trying them while turkey hunting. Don't really need them, but maybe I'll be able to hear a drum now.
Tried axil and walkers. I like the Bluetooth for the range, dove hunting, and the lawn mower. That's about the best I can give them. They are useless in a wind. They are useless for directional hearing. And I'm not wearing/carrying bulky muffs.
Bought a used pair (hadn't even gotten through the batteries it came with) of custom alpha shields with all the bells and whistles of eBay using HSA money for $700. I don't regret not having the molds, they don't feel like they are going anywhere.
Did you send them back to tetra to reprogram to your hearing loss?
I bought a used pair of ampod75s and contacted tetra and they want $300 to reprogram
Not sure the tetras are any better than the walkers I have. May be able to tell direction a little better
I did tetra online hearing loss test with tetras in and without. No significant difference
The ones I have there is no volume adjustment. Wonder if it would be worthwhile to pay the $300
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Quote from: wchadw on February 24, 2025, 12:47:31 PMQuote from: ruination on February 24, 2025, 06:14:01 AMI've tried to get myself to use hearing protection for waterfowl before and everything was pretty terrible.
The tetras were great though. Worked in 30 mph wind. I could tell direction. Often heard wings way before blind mates.
Looking forward to trying them while turkey hunting. Don't really need them, but maybe I'll be able to hear a drum now.
Tried axil and walkers. I like the Bluetooth for the range, dove hunting, and the lawn mower. That's about the best I can give them. They are useless in a wind. They are useless for directional hearing. And I'm not wearing/carrying bulky muffs.
Bought a used pair (hadn't even gotten through the batteries it came with) of custom alpha shields with all the bells and whistles of eBay using HSA money for $700. I don't regret not having the molds, they don't feel like they are going anywhere.
Did you send them back to tetra to reprogram to your hearing loss?
I bought a used pair of ampod75s and contacted tetra and they want $300 to reprogram
Not sure the tetras are any better than the walkers I have. May be able to tell direction a little better
I did tetra online hearing loss test with tetras in and without. No significant difference
The ones I have there is no volume adjustment. Wonder if it would be worthwhile to pay the $300
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I don't have any hearing loss.
I just can't hear the low end for w/e reason.
So no, I didn't pay for reprogramming. I'm sure they could be tuned a little.
Bummer about it costing $300 though, scummy.
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Quote from: Marc on February 23, 2025, 10:55:28 AMQuote from: NEhomer on February 23, 2025, 07:53:49 AMLet me ask it this way.
Has anyone used a lower end hearing device that they abandoned and regret purchasing in the first place or is a moderately priced unit still a worthwhile improvement?
Obviously most of you have gone high end.
This is my perspective from someone with some hearing loss and tinnitus...
The moderately priced units I have tried act as hearing protection, that you can still hear with. Some sounds you can hear better, and some units you can turn up the volume.
Higher priced units act as hearing enhancement that also act as hearing protection.
Tetras sound much more natural, less wind interference, and rather than still being able to hear while protecting me, I can hear the sounds I want much, much better. (You still have to get used to hearing with them on, but it was a much more natural experience for me). The fact that they were customized to my hearing loss made it strange for me to put them on and hear equally well out of both ears, while maintaining the ability to tell direction.
I am frugal, and it took me some years to make the plunge. I sometimes use them at home and work as hearing enhancement... They are used for all my shooting activities... Wish I had made the purchase years ago, as I might not have the severity of tinnitus I currently do.
I did not "need" Tetra's till I had them... But after hunting with them on, I would definitely feel at a disadvantage without them... Never felt like that with the Walker's...
Quote from: Tail Feathers on February 23, 2025, 11:12:49 PMNEhomer, many of us have tried lower priced options first. I had a single ear Walker's Game Ear. It barely amplified anything and did nothing to enhance my turkey hunting needs. I used Howard Leight electronic muffs. The amplified everything, including the wind. It was harder to determine direction, tho not impossible. When using them hunting with my grandson or friends, I learned I wasn't hearing near as much as I was still missing. Tetra put my ability to hear gobbles back up with others. Including my 15 year old grandson. We have tested it for a couple of seasons now.
Thanks so much you guys.
My next line of thinking is where's the line between hearing a bird and not hearing a bird? 200yds...400yds? I'm 64 and I don't have hearing issues though I'm sure that I don't hear as well as I used to. It would have to be a marked difference between kills for me to justify the expense but you've definitely put the tetras on my wish list and I'll consider them at some point.
Again, thanks and good luck this season.
Marc said it best" Higher priced units act as hearing enhancement that also act as hearing protection."
I am looking at the many years of not having protection and now regretting and getting added enhancement for now and future.
Beginner, I learned a couple years ago how many gobbles I was missing when I hunted with a friend and my grandson. Gobbles as close as 200 yards-zero for me. Tetras allow me to hear them as well as my teen grandson and friends. Tested in the woods for two seasons and a few states now.
I wear hearing aids daily due to loss. The high end aids don't help much in the turkey woods. Tetras sure do tho.
Quote from: NEhomer on February 24, 2025, 01:49:16 PMMy next line of thinking is where's the line between hearing a bird and not hearing a bird? 200yds...400yds? I'm 64 and I don't have hearing issues though I'm sure that I don't hear as well as I used to. It would have to be a marked difference between kills for me to justify the expense but you've definitely put the tetras on my wish list and I'll consider them at some point.
Again, thanks and good luck this season.
Tetra's are not magic... You are still to some degree limited by the physical landscape. If you are hunting next to a river, it will still be difficult to hear birds long distances, same with wind. If you are hunting a canyon, you will be able to hear them further.
Last season I hunted with a good friend... I worked a bird for 20 minutes before he finally heard it... I could hear it clearly LONG before he could, and his hearing is far, far better than mine.
I know that I killed a bird last season, I would not have heard or gone after with hearing enhancement. I was walking out, and barely heard it with the Tetra's... Decided to head back down 100 yards and see what happened... To date, it is the best bird I killed.
I carry binoculars in large part due to my enjoyment of observing and interacting with nature... They are a key piece of equipment for me... Last season, I heard critters I never heard before, and that in and of itself increased my enjoyment... There was a bird making sounds, I am determined to find the source of... Heard it on several hunts in the area, and part of the reason I will return this season it to lay eyes on whatever it is...
For most people, they are not a necessity, until you use them.
For gunshots, do the tetras block the sound as good as a decent pair of regular shooting muffs.
For anyone with tetras hunting with a trumpet or wingbone,
Do the tetras block some of the trumpet sound like it would with a gunshot,
Or will it amplify the trumpet making it louder to your ear than the normal sound
Crow, they partially block the shot sound. They don't advertise them as protection, but they do cut the gunshot sound in half by my estimation.
I use a mouth call, not a trumpet, and they don't cause me any feedback or overamplication issues. Not with a pot call either.
Quote from: Tail Feathers on February 25, 2025, 09:23:55 PMCrow, they partially block the shot sound. They don't advertise them as protection, but they do cut the gunshot sound in half by my estimation.
I use a mouth call, not a trumpet, and they don't cause me any feedback or overamplication issues. Not with a pot call either.
I believe they do advertise protection.
For me the test was target shooting... The sound of gunfire does not seem to bother me when I am shooting (although I know it is deleterious). But it sure bothers me standing next to someone shooting when I am not... I can very comfortably shoot clays with Tetra's in, and standing next to someone shooting does not bother me at all with them in.
Blowing a duck call, the call does sound different (so I would assume the same with a trumpet call), and to some degree "muted," less so with a mouth call, but the call does sound different. Friction calls do not seem affected.
But remember, for any call we "blow" the call sounds different in reality than it does in our own head... The adaption for any mouth blown calls was very quick for me (turkey or duck).
Thanks for the replies.
Last year I tried decent electronic shooting ear muffs while predator calling with a hand held mouth call.
Instead of blocking the dying rabbit screams like it would for a gunshot, it magnified the noise making it way too loud and uncomfortable.
Was hoping the tetras would not amplify the trumpet sound, it sounds like if it dulled the sound from a duck call it might work for a trumpet/wingbone
Another freebie for anyone getting Tetras - get a professional hearing test done. They told me to do that since it is much more accurate than their online test and will give you the best results. Sam's Club does them free if you are a member, and likely Costco and others do as well. Also keep tabs on their site, they have a 5% discount right now, but I got mine with 15% off during a special.
All you guys talking about tetras do any of you have sever hearing loss? If so what are your opinions? How much farther do you think you can hear a gobble with tetras versus your own hearing?
Bump
Quote from: slicksbeagles1 on February 28, 2025, 08:27:48 PMAll you guys talking about tetras do any of you have sever hearing loss? If so what are your opinions? How much farther do you think you can hear a gobble with tetras versus your own hearing?
I have 30-40% loss of high frequency in one ear, and mild (10-15%) in the other. Apparently my low frequency is very good in both ears though (above average for my age).
I would guess that I hear birds at at least double (if not more) the distance under any given situation.
I had the opportunity last weekend to experiment (by accident). Had a bird gobbling upwind of me, and had to remove the Tetras... A bird I could clearly hear with them in, I could barely discern (only cause I knew he was gobbling) with them out.
I also hear foot-steps, clucks, and chirps that I simply would not hear at all without them in. Granted, sometimes an excited squirrel running through the leaves sounds like a T-rex coming at me though...
Admittedly, it does not help with hearing drumming (in mine) though.
I hunt waterfowl (avidly), upland, shoot clays, and turkey hunt. I get a lot of use out of them... If I hunted several times a year, I do not know that they would be worth the cost. But as much use as I get out of them, they are worth every penny. I also use them at home, and in some social situations as hearing aids at times... Late night TV, I can turn the volume down, and still hear the TV...
I have a pair of the walkers muffs, they do amplify slightly, but every single noise. Wind, breathing, calls, even small animals or insects can be picked up. I felt it did NOT improve my chances of hearing turkey sounds. It just amplified all noise and made it confusing. It was very hard to pick out direction of gobbles also. I only wear them at the range now. It was also just another thing to fiddle with and create more movement.