AXIL XCOR Bluetooth Earbuds for the Range

If you want small, smart, and convenient earbuds, you should check out the AXIL XCOR buds. According to AXIL, they are the first wireless, digital hear-pro buds with touch control. I’ve been using a pair for a few weeks, and so far, I like what I hear (and don’t hear) at the range. Like other Bluetooth earbuds, you charge the case, and the case charges the buds when they are docked. It’s a convenient way to keep them with you compared to larger, full-size earmuffs.

When my grandfather was little, he stuffed cotton in his ears while shooting. People were not as concerned with the long-term effects of high-decibel sounds on a person’s ears as we are today. When I was a kid, orange foam earplugs were the most common thing to use. After that, we had earmuffs that could block out almost any noise. The only problem with traditional earplugs and earmuffs is they block out all sounds, including the ones you need to hear.

Then along came a great wave of technology, which made things easier and more complicated at the same time. Noise-canceling earmuffs are the norm for shooters, but noise-canceling earbuds are growing in popularity as well. AXIL is moving up fast in the ear protection world by focusing on new designs, quality, and affordability. Here is a quick rundown of the XCOR Bluetooth noise-canceling earbuds from AXIL.

How well do they stay in your ears?

Canceling out high-decibel sounds while allowing you to hear what your friends are whispering about is just the beginning of these earbuds. They also sync with your phone and allow you to listen to music or answer phone calls. There are several settings on the XCOR earbuds that make them beneficial. I’ll talk about the settings here in a minute. First, I want to talk about the ergonomics of the XCOR buds and how well they stay in your ears.

I’ve tried some electronic earbuds in the past and didn’t like them because they wouldn’t stay in my ears. As I shot, they slowly came out, causing me to cringe when a gun went off. The XCOR buds come in a small zip-open bag that holds the hard case/charger and a plastic tray with different size earpieces. Both foam and silicone attachments are included so you can find what works best for you. AXIL recommends foam for shooting and other extremely loud sounds. Silicone is good for audio and general hearing purposes.

There are three sizes of both, so I started with the smallest size of foam tips. Just like the old foam earbuds, you squeeze the ends to smash them before placing the earbud in your ear. AXIL recommends you start with the body of the earbud facing the front of you. Slowly twist the earbud up until it is facing the back of you (see photo above). This helps them stay in place during use. I wore mine for about 4 hours and it did cause my ears to start aching some. But regular earmuffs have the same effect on me.

Functions on the XCOR Earbuds

The hard case that comes with the XCOR buds doubles as a charging port. One feature I like is they start searching for Bluetooth devices when you open the lid on the case. Once my phone was connected the first time, the earbuds connected automatically before I even got them in my ears. A charging cord comes in the box, and the case takes about 2 hours to charge. It will charge the earbuds at the same time. Once fully charged, the case has enough power to charge the earbuds 3 full times.

After your phone is connected and you have the XCOR buds in, you can control several things by simply touching the side of them. Tap twice to play music from your phone or press and hold to turn audio hearing on/off. You can use audio hearing and music separately or together. When the audio hearing function is on, there are three sound levels. Push on the small button located at the top of the earbuds to cycle through these settings. I found the first setting (lowest audio settings) was sufficient. But if you want superhuman hearing, turn it up to two or three.

When the earbuds are in music mode, you can tap the right ear to turn them up or the left ear to turn them down. A double tap will pause/play the music, and a triple tap on the right ear will skip a song. In phone call mode, double-tap the right ear to answer or triple-tap to reject. Once you answer a call, the volume works the same as it does with music.

On the range with the AXIL XCOR earbuds

With the audio function turned on, I could easily hear those around me, and the sound was clear. When I would speak, my own voice sounded different to me than it does with earmuffs, but that’s to be expected. I fired several different calibers of handguns and rifles to test the XCOR buds. If you plan to be on the range all day, AXIL earmuffs are a little more comfortable. Earmuffs may reduce noise just a little better, but these work close enough that it’s hard to tell the much of a difference. The upside of the earbuds is they are small and convenient compared to bulky earmuffs.

The small hard case/charging dock will fit in your pocket, making them easy to carry around when you’re not using them. If you have a tactical/mump/ballistic helmet that covers your ears, these are perfect. Most commercial earmuffs will not work under a tactical helmet unless it’s a high-cut version. Here are some of the specifications from the company:

• 9-29 DB SNR (DEPENDING ON THE EAR TIP STYLE; FOAM PROVIDES MORE)
• USB-C CHARGING
• WATER & DUST RESISTANT
• WIND RESISTANT
• 5.2 BLUETOOTH

BATTERY LIFE

• UP TO 12 HOURS → HEAR CONTROL ONLY
• UP TO 6 HOURS → BT AUDIO ONLY
• UP TO 4 HOURS → HEAR CONTROL AND BT SIMULTANEOUSLY

Do you need a pair of AXIL XCOR earbuds?

These earbuds won’t be a replacement for traditional earmuffs, but they are nice to have as a substitute when needed. Being able to answer the phone, listen to music, and hear normal sounds around you is helpful. They work great at suppressing loud noise like gunshots. You can charge them with a small case that fits in your pocket, and they connect automatically when you get them out. They retail for around $200, and for a small pair of earbuds that can do so much, these things are worth the money.