The arrival of Swatcom’s new Active360 headset promises a step forward in both performance and usability. Is it a genuine evolution or simply a refinement of an already proven formula?
As a shooting photographer, it is often that I find myself (safely) in front, below and to the side of the muzzles and exposed to above normal levels of sound from shotguns and, on occasion on a range, unmoderated rifles. I suffer from migraines if exposed to loud noises for too long so, in addition to prevention of long-term hearing damage, quality hearing protection is crucial for me.
For the past four years, my hearing – whether behind the gun or the camera – has been almost exclusively protected by a mix of Swatcom electronic devices. I will choose electric over passive every day of the week, because I like to hear wings or whistles, horns and so on clearly, but also to be able to react instantly if I am in the way, photographing on a grouse moor, for example.
For a headset, I have the Active8, and for in-ear protection the SC20 Enhanced plugs. Both have been great, though I find each better suited to different requirements and not without some flaws.
If I am on a day where there is a considerable volume of shooting, I will wear the headset. If I know I am further away from the action, or enjoying walked-up sport where shots are few and far between, I will wear the plugs. Likewise, if I have a long way to walk and a lot of kit to carry, i.e. cameras with spare batteries, lenses, mini-tripods, a hide even, the fact the buds take up as much room as a crab apple in one’s pocket is a huge benefit. The downside is the comparable short-term battery life and the fiddly battery change, especially with cold fingers.
As a proponent of electronic headsets, my interest was captured when the brand launched the Active360 headset at the British Shooting Show in February. Then subsequently delighted to get my hands on a pair not long after.
Included in the packaging for the headset is everything you would expect: the device; 2x AAA batteries; quick-start guide; main user manual; and warranty card.
The headsets come in four new colours: black, tan, orange and – the colour my set came in – green. Personally, I prefer the Active8 green, which is darker, looks a little more premium and better at blending into one’s surroundings if attempting to be concealed when pigeon shooting, for example.
Size wise, the cups of the 360 model are marketed as a slim design, and look to me almost identical to the Active8. The head band is longer as size is adjustable via the headband brackets, versus concealed within the headband itself. I found this much simpler to use, especially single handedly or when making minor adjustments.
The material of the headband itself is synthetic versus leather, but for the price difference (some £125 cheaper) this is certainly acceptable.
The ear seals themselves are made from foam and surrounded in a stiffer synthetic material. While I love gel seals of more expensive models, I often find they make me sweat, especially during busy drives like that on a sim day. During my field tests of the Active360, I never once perspired due to the seals. Granted, we have only had mild to cold weather since I got hold of the set, but I have walked a considerably long way to some of the roosting woods and had some really busy periods with gun in the shoulder, so that is a big bonus for me.
Tipping the scales at only 320g (without batteries), they are suitably lightweight – noticeably so versus the Active8 – without compromising on a robust frame. When carrying a lot of gear, it makes a difference, and you certainly notice them less when mounting a gun too.
On the new Active360 set, each cup has it’s own battery slot, which I can tell you is a lot easier to operate when installing or changing the batteries, rather than having to find a pen which you never seem to have when you need it to install or drop out a depleted bottom battery out of the Active8.
I have had a busy couple of months with the gun and camera. I have been lucky to shoot on a large number of organised roost shooting evenings and a few trips to the clay ground. I have worn the Active360 on every outing – come heavy rain, hail, mizzle and strong winds – and, quite simply, performance has been faultless.
Noise cancellation – with a reduction of 28db for sounds over 82-85db – is responsive when in active mode, on par with all top hearing protection devices. For those who want to cut out sound for focus in competition, they reduce all sound considerably when in passive mode.
I found no official IPX rating, but they have been designed for immersion in water for 30 minutes at 1m. What real-world scenario that test for, I am unsure, but I have worn them a handful of times in heavy rain with no faults so far.
If I have one bugbear with the older Active8 or SC20 plugs, it is that wind interference is particularly annoying. The Active360 massively reduces (not completely removes) this in my experience, with visibly larger and more exposed windsocks (small foam sections), and certainly provides a lot less frustrating experience in windy conditions.
The Active360’s ‘Superhearing’ mode is also quite fascinating, capable of picking up sounds even better than my naked ear. This is due to an upgrade from compressed audio – as is found in the Active8 – to a natural directional sound. While there is a bit of noise in the background, like any speaker, the sound clarity is exceptional – capable of picking up song birds, nearby deer, and all manner of sounds that would normally be missed. The same can be enjoyed in any of the active playback levels, though progressively quieter. This enhanced technology comes at a considerable cost in battery life, which is estimated at 250 hours. For the same battery, the Active8 gets 600 hours.
Having ‘360’ in the name, they are obviously designed for directional sound, and they certainly deliver that. An unlucky squirrel or pigeon knocking a branch or fir, a clap of wings or a jackdaw chattering overhead has been quickly and accurately located with the new headset on. This technology will certainly benefit the fowler, and I can’t wait to use them for such next season.
With a retail value of £375, the set is by no means cheap. You can visibly see where the costs have been shaved, which lie in the cosmetic and construction materials versus technological elements, but that is the way I would want it.
I certainly believe the Active360 is a very competitive option for all shooters, especially those who want to hear their surroundings while protecting their hearing for later in life. And who can put a price on that?
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