Axil GS Extreme 2.0 – Gear Review
I know, I know there is a certain natural suspicion that arises whenever a new product seemingly comes out of nowhere and is suddenly everywhere (targeted ads on Instagram, Facebook, etc.). Axil definitely spent their fair share on the advertising budget however, should this in and of itself prevent one from trying the product?
I was a longtime MSA Supreme user and had not been following the market as I was pretty happy with that piece of equipment. Except for when I was shooting stocked weapons when the earmuff created interference with the comb on the stock but there was no work around so I figured I had to just deal with it.
Then came the day when my Supremes kicked the can and I began looking at what the world of hearing protection had developed in my time ignoring it and now had to offer. Due to their aforementioned marketing prowess, it was not long before I came across Axil and their GS Extreme 2.0 in-ear hearing protection.
It caught my interest due to the fact that it was the first time I had seen in-ear profile hearing protection with an integral microphone. Additionally, the GS Extreme 2.0s came in at less than half the price it would have cost to grab another pair of MSAs.
Features
Construction – When you open up the included case you will find two earpieces on rubber coated wire “sportfit earhooks” which allow you to bend them to shape to properly fit your particular ears.
The earhook section runs for a couple of inches and then transitions into a rubber coated cable, with a remote positioned directly beneath each earpiece (in case you are having trouble distinguishing between the L and R earpiece it is marked on the remote body).
Both the remotes and the earpieces are made what feels like a quality plastic and all of the cabling feels securely attached.
Battery - The GS Extreme 2.0s have a rechargeable battery which is quoted from Axil to last 25hrs in hearing enhancement mode and 120hrs on standby. Based on my experience, I buy the 25hr life as I have found it to las long enough for two full 8 hour range days without a recharge. The GS Extremes are also Bluetooth 5.0 capable, enabling them to sync with your phone or other devices and play audio. With both hearing enhancement and Bluetooth activated Axil advertises a battery life of 8 hours. I cannot confirm this spec as I have not found myself using the Bluetooth feature really at all other than an initial function check.
Function - From a hearing protection standpoint, they perform very well and carry a 29dB sound reduction rating with the foam tips based on Axil’s documentation (sticking with the MSA comparison, Supreme Pro Xs rate at 25dB based on their current product page). This brings up a good time to mention that the Extreme 2.0s include both silicone and foam tips of various sizes, foam is what you want to put on for hearing protection uses.
Thus far, I have used the GS Extreme 2.0s in both indoor and outdoor shooting environments and while shooting handguns, shotguns, and rifles. I will also add that my indoor shooting environment is about as hard a test as possible as I regularly teach on a 7 lane range that is fully occupied and also have to deal with noise from adjacent ranges. Outdoors they also performed well, my version came with a foam cover for the microphones which I understand was part of a rolling upgrade to deal with outdoor wind noise that was an issue with the previous version.
Admittedly, the microphones do not deliver the same quality at the ear as the MSAs did. They are good enough to hold conversations with shooters on an active firing line, filtering out the noise from firing and appropriately amplifying non-gunfire sounds on the range. As always, there is no free lunch and the reduced form factor these provide require a compromise somewhere.
The controls of the device are simple to use, each remote has an on/off slider switch and volume control which are easily accessed when worn. The left remote controls the hearing enhancement mode and the right remote controls the Bluetooth.
Going on 4 months of at least weekly use, the function of the GS Extremes has been without fault so far. No issues with build quality, recharging, or function to report and I have enjoyed the reduced form factor more than initially anticipated.
Specifications:
-6.5mm Dynamic Speaker
-5.0 Bluetooth
-29Db SNR with foam tips (19dB SNR with silicone tips)
-25hr battery life with hearing enhancement mode, 9hrs audio only, 8hrs combined modes
-Includes charging cable, multiple sized tips of foam and silicone, retention clip, zipper case
-MSRP - $199 (sales are frequent)
About the author:
Rob comes from a law enforcement training background, spending 10 years as a sworn LEO and finishing his career as the supervisor of weapons and tactics for his agency. Rob currently works as a firearms instructor and armorer on government and private contracts and is the owner of R2 Gunworks LLC.
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