I tune and rebuild pianos as a hobby, so you can imagine how much I value my hearing. I never even swing a hammer without hearing protection, so I have a pair of earmuffs on pretty much all the time while in the shop.
Of course, I also love music. Since I got the Worktunes headphones, I can listen to my music clearly without having to blast it over the sounds of power equipment.
Pros: Digital tuning. Memory presets. Lasts 2 solid days on AA batteries when listening to the radio. Pretty durable. Great reception in rural areas (as good as can be expected from an antenna of this size). Speaker sound quality and dynamic range from an external MP3 player is excellent - much better than I expected.
Cons: In cities and areas of strong signals, the receiver frontend saturates easily and you will hear several stations poorly at once (intermodulation). This is a common problem for many simple FM receivers.
The volume knob doesn't function for the MP3 input... it would be nice if I could change the volume of my music without fidgeting with the MP3 player. This also means that the MP3 input bypasses the amplification circuitry. The power for sound comes from your tiny MP3 player's battery rather than the cheap robust AA batteries in the headphones. That was poor engineering, as it would have been very easy to pipe in the input through the audio amp - sparing the tiny MP3 battery and utilizing the volume knob. In fact, I will modify the input in this manner very soon.
With the radio and the noise reduction, you really can't hear a darn thing that is going on. That could be good and bad. Someone could be robbing your shop in a bulldozer and you'd never know it. Two people have already snuck up on me while wearing these. Be aware of your security. I would not recommend using these while working in a bad neighborhood, or in a situation where a partner will be depending on you to hear screams for help.
Summary: For the price, don't expect anything perfect. The radio problem is minor and common. The noise reduction is excellent. This product exceeded my expectations. If I break these, I will gladly buy another pair. I don't know how I lived without them! AO Safety 90541 WorkTunes AM/FM Hearing Protector with Digital Tuning and MP3 Input
This Worktunes AM/FM headphone radio (#90541) isn't worth buying, even at the reduced price Amazon is selling them for. They are junk.
I was persistent and tried out two(2) of the Worktunes from Amazon, thinking the first one was just defective from the factory. Amazon was good at replacing them promptly.
I think the unit is good for hearing protection against outside loud sounds or perhaps as a MP3 only listening device (I hadn't tried that) and, though tight on the head, it fits around ears well(a little tight) and is fairly comfortable. But, as a digital AM/FM radio, it is the poorest radio I've ever owned. I've seen similar comments from others hear.
I have a similar digital AM/FM (with an input jack) headphone radio that I purchased about 10 years ago from Radio Shack that is three (3) times better for listening to AM/FM stations while working. I wanted to replace it because the outside noise wasn't being blocked enough when I cut my grass or worked in the woodshop and the earmuff part of the headphone was getting pretty ragged. I like the digital tuning part of the radio.
I owned a "dial-type" tuner AM/FM headphone radio once that kept getting knocked off station every time you bumped the radio's tuner dial. This would happen while bending your head and the radio touching your shoulder, or your forearm touches the dial while working-I'll never buy the dial-type one again for listening while working.
I have the same local AM and FM stations that I can pickup very well with my table top radios, the Radio Shack AM/FM headphone radio, and an undercounter radio, that this radio picks up either poorly or not at all. The local FM station (~15-20 miles away) sounds good unless you turn your head. It starts to fade into other FM stations. The only way to then get the signal back is to either turn your head back where it was or put your hand on it's whip antenna. This shouldn't happen on a FM channel. There is definitely something wrong with the FM antenna system (probably AM, too) on this radio.
The AM station's reception is similar to my Radio Shack unit. You face one direction, you get the station. You face another direction, the signal goes away. The only difference with the Worktunes, compared to my Radio Shack radio, is that the Worktunes won't even pickup, at all, a station about 30 miles away.
This radio has antenna, perhaps internal radio circuitry problems. I expected more from a Peltor radio. I tried to find information on the Net about these reception problems, from the company that makes the radio, without luck.
I returned my last Worktunes to Amazon within the 30 days and am awaiting a full refund.
I'll keep an eye out for another company making a digital AM/FM headphone radio, or for Peltor to come out with a redesigned digital AM/FM headphone radio before buying one again.
Hope this helps others decide on their purchase of this radio. - Hearing Protection - Radio - Noise Reduction - Hearing Protector'
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