AM/FM Radio Earmuff with superior sound quality and excellent stereo reception. Easy toggle switch to change between AM and FM on side. Radio volume does not exceed 82db. It's a lightweight design for all day comfort, and quick click height adjustment remains fixed while wearing. Includes 2 AA batteries with 140 hours of battery life, and automatic shut off feature after four hours helping preserve battery life. Battery replacement is easy. Noise Reduction Rating is 23 when radio is in "off" position.
Owner Reviews, Ratings, Comments and Criticism
ORIGIONAL REVIEW: 3 Stars
I have owned 2 pairs of Peltor headphones over the past 7 years. I wear headphones constantly both inside and while working outside. I listen to talk radio the vast majority of the time. I live in the Los Angeles Area, so my signal strength is pretty good.
My last Peltor headset works fine but after 4 years of constant use they have picked up a funky character that won't clean off. I can't count the number of times I dropped them and they still work fine.
The reception of the Stanley unit is about the same as the Peltor. It is slightly directional with AM signals. FM seems solid.
The Stanley headset quality of sound is not as bright as the Peltor Headset. It has a muffled quality because of the lack of high end sound.
The volume of the Stanley headset is not as loud as the Peltor. With the Peltor headset I would never turn the volume up to max because it would be too loud. The same can not be said for the Stanley headset. I can listen to the Stanley at full volume while mowing the lawn and wish for a bit louder volume. This may be a deal breaker for those of you who wear headphones while working with noisy equipment. I listen to talk radio, this may not be a problem for those of you who listen to music.
The top of the headphones is shaped plastic. The cups can be moved up and down but it is not adjustable for fit like the bendable metal Peltor headset frame. I have a large head and they are pretty tight. The exterior size of the ear cup is identical to Peltor. The Peltor have a larger pad area. What this means is a more narrow area of padding against your head. The cup pressure is applied to a smaller area around you ears. In my opinion not as comfortable as the Peltor headset.
The battery compartment of the Stanley is secured by a lock screw. I find this unnecessary and an inconvenience. The Stanley clips that hold the battery are not as well designed as the Peltor. The first time I put the battery in I almost bent the contact pin on the bottom backwards. They are cheap flat pins instead of springs.
The AM/FM selector seems like it was positioned poorly. It is not a very robust switch. It has some protection because it is positioned between the volume control and the headband bracket. I liked the positioning of the Peltor headset AM/FM selector better. In my opinion you are either an AM listener or an FM listener. You don't really need easy access to flip between the two.
If you are going to hook this headset up to your scanner or MP3 player, you need to turn the radio volume all the way down. This headphone does not amplify external inputs so you have no "on headset" volume control.
One nice feature of the Stanley headset is the auto off feature. After several hours of play the raido turns off automatically to preserve battery life.
In conclusion, I think these headsets are OK but not great. Since I wear them so often I have a feeling I'm going to end up getting another set of Peltor headphones. Saving a few bucks on the product I wanted ended up costing me an additional $40.
If you have any questions or suggestions that can improve this review, please leave a comment. I'd be happy to answer you questions and update the review to make it better for my headphone wearing friends
UPDATE: After wearing these headsets for less than 1 week they just died. If you are still going to buy them hold on to the packaging for a while. I understand that a certain percentage of electronics have an early mortality rate. I called Stanley customer sevice and was given the phone number for Experion's customer service. I called several times only to be put on hold for extended periods till I was disconnected. The Experion customer service agent was not friendly and she seemed annoyed that I kept calling after I was cut off.
I gave up and returned the headphones to Amazon sans packaging. Amazon accepted the return.
