The Swedish company Sordin is one of the so-called "big global players" when it comes to protective equipment worn above the neck. This includes earmuffs, protective visors and safety helmets with integrated hearing protection. Sordin can look back on more than 30 years of experience in the field of such protective equipment. As early as 1985, the company began developing occupational safety equipment at its site in Vikmanshyttan, in central Sweden, and delivered its first passive hearing protectors to Husqvarna in 1987, which led to a long-standing and still ongoing partnership with the manufacturer, who is also renowned in the field of forestry and horticultural equipment. In 1995, the Swedes from Vikmanshytten then launched the first electronic hearing protectors and moved production of these active hearing protectors to the electronics site in Värnamo, in southern Sweden. Production of the passive models remained at the old site. In the meantime, the Sordin electronic division passed to the US-based MSA Group. In 2018, the people of Vikmanshytten bought the company back. In 2022, Sordin finally acquired the Italian supplier Shothunt, which specializes in in-ear hearing protection. Currently, Sordin employs around 100 people and manufactures earmuffs at the two plants in question, in Vikmanshyttan the passive models mainly for third-party suppliers and in Värnamo the electronic variants of the Sordin brand. The company achieves an annual turnover of around 20 million euros with its products.
Sordin manufactures its products for such diverse clientele
Sordin plays a leading role in the field of occupational safety, hunting, in the tactical area, but also as a supplier for other companies, such as Husqvarna in the forestry and garden segment. Customers come from sectors such as industry, mining, civil engineering, military and law enforcement, rescue services, forestry, gardening and landscaping, and of course hunting and shooting sports. Sordin secures the future of its product range through continuous development and product maintenance in close dialogue with is customers. For the hunting sector, for example, this also means that the people involved in development there are also hunters and have the relevant experience. In addition, the company has its own development and sound laboratories in order to keep its products up to date at all times. Not only tactical deployment scenarios, but also hunting make very special demands on what should and must be heard. Since hunting is a very specialized and demanding activity, it requires more than just hearing protection alone. When hunting, there can be an instantaneous change from absolute silence to – quite literally – a deafening bang with extreme dB levels. And that's where Sordin can score with its decades of experience in the field of occupational safety and hearing protection in particular, because no other hearing protector can handle these sudden fluctuations in sound pressure levels like a Sordin Supreme model. And, according to Sordin, this can also be proven by independent tests.
Sordin Supreme Pro model range, designed specifically for hunting
At all4hunhters.com, we are of course primarily interested in the Sordin models specifically designed for hunting, that is, the Sordin Supreme Pro and Supreme Pro-X series. With all these models, according to the manufacturer, you can turn up the volume more than any other active hearing protection to perceive even quieter sounds without the noises made by game around your location being drowned out. The hearing protection works like a modern amplifier for the sounds you want or need to hear, such as normal conversations in your environment, for example at the shooting range or with your hunting guide, but at the same time the Sordin technology efficiently suppresses the sound of gunfire that is harmful to your hearing.
All electronic Sordin hearing protector models from the Supreme series offer the ears a pleasant amount of space inside the sealing rings despite the slim cup design. Depending on the model, they are equipped with a foldable head- or neckband that saves space during transport. Overall, the hearing protection follows a practical and contemporary design and can be perfectly adapted to the wearer in just a few steps; the cup shape is equally suitable for both right- and left-handed shooters. The devices have simple and intuitive buttons for all electronic function. The noise cancellation works depending on the volume or sound pressure level. All reproduced sounds are limited to a maximum level of 82 dB. This allows you to hear important ambient sounds, such as warning signals or conversations, without the risk of permanent damage to your hearing from sudden, dangerously "loud" noises, such as the bang of a gunshot. For this purpose, all Sordin models have attenuation performance guaranteed by the manufacturer.
Power is supplied by two commercially available AAA batteries, which are already included in the scope of delivery. To extend battery life, the Sordin devices feature an automatic shutdown function that deactivates the electronics if no button has been pressed for more than four hours. At that moment, of course, the capsules continue to protect hearing just as passive hearing protection does. All external metal parts are rust-proof and the complete hearing protector, including the microphones and the battery compartment, is waterproof according to the IP67 protection rating. A corresponding seal and a special, double-applied protective coating ensure that no water can penetrate the cups or the electronics. The cups themselves are made of a heavy-duty ABS plastic that is claimed to withstand even extreme cold and heat. This, of course, makes the Sordin devices extremely resistant to the elements and has an extremely positive effect on the electronics durability. This is how the story goes in Sweden: a hunter who once had lost his Sordin hearing protection in the forest found it years later and the electronics are said to have still worked after the batteries were replaced.
For the best possible sound Sordin provides the HEAR audio system
At the heart of the legendary sound reproduction of the Sordin Supreme range is the Sordin audio system called HEAR. The idea behind the concept is to create a sound image as natural as if you were not wearing any hearing protection at all. Ambient sounds are not distorted in the process, and you can hear them through the speakers in the ear cups as they actually sound – even enhanced. However, when a noise spike occurs, advanced sound compression technology instantly activates to safely protect your hearing. What puts the Sordin Supreme models in a class by themselves here is their unique audio reproduction. Like most electronic hearing protectors, the Supreme uses digital technology to compress sound levels to safe levels, while allowing harmless sounds to "pass through" and remain audible. Only it does so much more efficiently and innovatively. Smart algorithms also allow it to make the most of the possibilities of advanced ambient audio technology.
SordinHEAR2 – a further development with 4 new audio profiles
Since its introduction in 1998, the Sordin HEAR audio system has undergone continuous development. The fact that Sordin is vehemently defending and even extending its lead over the competition in this field is demonstrated by the current introduction of the new HEAR2 audio system, which now has a total of four audio profiles. These can each be controlled using the operating keys and are supposed to enhance quality especially because they have sound profiles adapted to different scenarios. These are a profile called "Hunting" optimized for the normal hunting day, the "Shooting" profile optimized for the shooting range, the "Focus" profile that the hunter should activate just before firing from the hunting tower, and the "Comms" profile that can be used for optimal conversation reproduction when communicating with the audio interface. We will certainly be able to find out a lot more for you about Sordin's brand new HEAR2 audio system at IWA OutdoorClassics 2023 in early March and report back here. Because the high-tech hearing protectors from Sordin are just as interesting in our environment for sport shooters as they are for hunters.
More information about the hearing protection manufacturer and its products can be found on the Sordin website.
