Walker’s Silencer R600 Earbuds Review

Walker’s is a company that is well known for its hearing protection and amplification products for hunting and shooting sports. A few turkey seasons ago, I had to deal with some ringing in my ears for a few days after being tucked away in a cedar tree when I shot a turkey. I knew afterward that I needed some hearing protection I could wear while hunting so that didn’t happen again. Walker’s has several different types, including over-the-ear muffs. I may be different than most people, but I can’t stand things over my ears, so I was excited when I found the Walker’s Silencer R600 Earbuds.

The best part of these devices is that they provide you the ability to hear with them on (and even enhance the sound), but when a sound is over a certain decibel level, the hearing protection function kicks in using what they call Sound Activated Compression technology with a noise reduction rating of 24 dB. I love this for hunting and for shooting at the range, because I don’t have to constantly take them off to hear and put them back on to shoot.

Walker’s Silencer R600 Earbuds Fit

The main reason I bought earbuds instead of earmuffs is because I wanted something I could wear the whole time while walking around without having to fuss with them once I got sat down and was trying to get settled for a (hopefully) approaching turkey. I also feel like earmuffs are too hot and make my ears sweat, especially running around the woods turkey hunting.

So, do the Walker’s Silencer R600 earbuds meet that need?

These earbuds come with three different sized tips, which help in getting a good fit. One thing I want to mention here is that to get the best hearing protection possible, you want to make sure that the fit is secure, providing complete passive protection. Just like foam earplugs, you’ll compress the padding and insert it into your ear canal. It will expand and fill the space.

Because of the foam padding, as well as the curved tip that fits nicely in the ear space, I think these fit very well. I’ve comfortably worn them for 4-5 hours at a time. After that, my ears have definitely needed a break from them.

Walker’s Silencer R600 Earbuds Improvements

Overall, I really like the Walker’s Silencer R600 earbuds. In the Pros section below, I’ll detail a few more things I really like about them. However, here I want to mention a few things that may make them a little better.

I do wish the electronic component of the earbud didn’t stick out from the ear quite as far as it does. When I’m wearing a warm hat over my ears in colder weather, my ears can feel uncomfortable because of the added pressure against the earbuds.

Another thing that is a little troublesome to me is that these devices enhance all sound. So if you’re hunting or shooting on a windy day, you will definitely hear a lot of wind noise. Unfortunately, the wind noise can make it more difficult to hear the sounds you want to hear (like a turkey gobble). On this same note, you will also notice a constant “white noise” sound. If you turn up the sound enhancement, that white noise will get louder.

Finally, the price is a factor as well. MSRP is $249.99, but you can find them for about $190 at various places. You can find the earmuff style for much cheaper, but it definitely depends on what you’re looking for in terms of style, purpose, and fit. Now there are other devices that are significantly more expensive, so consider this too.