How to use Sordin ear defenders
Updated: 21 October 2026
You have a Sordin Supreme X2 or a Supreme Pro-X from the [Sordin ear defenders comparison](/hub/hearing-protection/sordin-ear-defenders), and the first session shows whether the cushion seals. Hair, a hat or the arm of your glasses can open a gap the catalogue number never mentions. Seat the cups, pick a profile, fit the right cell, and stop if the muff crackles or cuts out. Peter F. wrote this on 21 October 2026 from Sordin’s notes and these reviews. There was no lab test. A purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
You have a Sordin Supreme X2 or a Supreme Pro-X from the Sordin ear defenders comparison, and the first session shows whether the cushion seals.
You have a Sordin Supreme X2 or a Supreme Pro-X from the Sordin ear defenders comparison, and the first session shows whether the cushion seals. Hair, a hat or the arm of your glasses can open a gap the catalogue number never mentions. Seat the cups, pick a profile, fit the right cell, and stop if the muff crackles or cuts out. Peter F. wrote this on 21 October 2026 from Sordin’s notes and these reviews. There was no lab test. A purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Power | Cushion | Modes on the listing | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Sordin Pro-X LED, gel cushions, EN 352 | 2 cells | Gel | 2 modes | 9.8 | about £318.94 | View offer |
| Best value |  Sordin Pro-X Slim, foam cushion, EN 352 | n/a | Foam | 4 modes | 9.6 | about £306.90 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Sordin Supreme X2 gel, leather headband, SNR 29 | 1 AA, included | Gel | 4 modes | 9.6 | about £349 | View offer |
On this page
Fit the cups first
HSE names what spoils a muff: long hair, a woolly hat, spectacles and earrings. Push your hair back, take the hat off unless the band is a neckband, and settle the cushion on the skin around the ear. Run a finger around the ring. A gap you can feel is a gap sound will use. The X2 gel, LED and green titles say gel. The Slim title says foam. Gel still fails if the frame arm lifts the pad. A later profile change cannot close that gap.
A leather headband should sit without hurting and without the cups riding up. A neckband leaves the crown free. The Slim is the wider low band. If a standard band pinches at full stretch, that is a buying point, not a hat worn under the cups. Lifting one cup for a few minutes on a noisy site undoes a lot of the protection.
HEAR2 profiles
Sordin’s X2 page names Hunter, Focus, Shooter and Ambient off. Hunter is the general outdoor setting. Focus is the quiet one, and the earplug mode. On the X2, Focus is maximum volume, then hold plus. Ambient off is minimum volume, then hold minus. Ambient off still passes an AUX lead. Shooter is the range profile. Changing profile does not change the SNR. The rating is the cup and the seal.
Sordin’s how-to FAQ uses those four names for Pro-X as well. A Pro-X quick guide says Hunting, Shooting, Focus and Comms, and it uses beeps rather than the X2’s spoken prompts. Do not press the X2 sequence on a Pro-X and expect the same voice. With plugs in an X2, the maker manual says use Focus.
Cells, AUX and the LED
The X2 that prints a power line says one AA, included. Sordin claims up to 60 hours. A later bullet says about 70. Do not average them. Pro-X pages claim about 400 hours. A dealer page says 600. Keep the maker line. Pro-X reviews describe two fiddly cells, especially the lower one. Seat the cell as that manual shows before you call the cup dead.
After a reseat, a cup that will not power is a stop. On the £349 X2, reviews say this is the 3.5 mm version and Bluetooth is a different model. The lamp sits in the left cup and times out after three minutes. A button light on a Pro-X guide is not that lamp. Do not soak the cups.
New rings, and when to stop
Wipe the cushions. Do not soak the muff. Sordin’s how-to says replace cushions and inserts every six months in regular use, sooner if they crack or stay squashed. An X2 gel kit is on a three-to-six-month line, and those kits are not listed as Pro-X kits. A split gel is when the printed SNR stops being honest.
Stop if the muff crackles, cuts out as you move, or stays dead after the cell is seated. A sudden change in hearing, ear pain or tinnitus is a GP or NHS question. Plugs under the cups are on the shooting page. Which cushion and band to buy is on the buying guide.
Common questions
Which profile for the range and which for hearing a quiet animal?
On the X2, Shooter is the range profile and Focus is the quiet one, including faint animal noise. Hunter is the general outdoor setting. Ambient off shuts the microphones and still passes AUX. A Pro-X quick guide uses different names and beeps. With plugs in an X2, the maker manual says use Focus.
Does changing profile change the SNR?
No. Sordin states that HEAR2 does not change the protection rating. Profiles change how the electronics present sound. The SNR on the leaflet is for that headband and cushion when the seal is intact. A different profile will not close a gap around your glasses.
What still works in Ambient off?
The AUX input. Ambient off is the mode that shuts the external microphones, reached on the X2 at minimum volume and then holding minus. A 3.5 mm lead can still feed the cups, so a radio or a phone prompt can remain. It is not a powered-off state, and it is not a higher protection rating. If you expected Bluetooth in that mode, this set’s X2 listings are the jack versions.
How do you fit cups over glasses?
Put the glasses on first, seat the cushion on the skin, and run a finger around the ring at each arm. Gel is the softer ring if your listing is a gel cup. Foam on the Slim is less forgiving. If the frames you actually wear leave a gap, change the ring or the band. Turning the volume up does not close it.
How often do you replace the rings?
Sordin’s how-to says every six months in regular use, sooner if the cushion is cracked or stays compressed. For daily use the working line is at least twice a year. The X2 gel refurbish kit is described on a three-to-six-month line. Pro-X cups need their own kit. An X2 hygiene set is not listed as a Pro-X set, so check the cup family before you order.
When do you stop using the muff and speak to a person?
Stop when it crackles, cuts out as you move, or stays dead after the cell is seated the way the manual shows, and take that to the warranty route. Speak to a GP or the NHS if your hearing changes suddenly, an ear hurts, or you have tinnitus. Speak to the employer’s assessor if people are at work and the noise has never been measured. A product page cannot clear those three.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources named below. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts are from the six listings in this comparison. Page updated 21 October 2026.
- HSE, Hearing protection (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- HSE, Employers' responsibilities (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, regulation 4 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Control of Noise at Work Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Sordin Supreme X2 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Sordin Supreme Pro-X (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Sordin how-to (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- JSP Safety, hearing protection standards (retrieved 21 October 2026)