Communications
Three Reasons To Let Go Of The Acoustic Tube Earpiece
In the early days, you used to only see acoustic tube earpieces being worn by people in dark suits, typically flanking Political dignitaries, or high-value individuals. Initially, they were designed for and used exclusively by elite operators. By their design, they provided communications in a discreet form factor, that didn’t draw much attention to the user or the mission at hand.
Fast forward to today, what was once a hidden in plain sight, is now being used by members of the public in a whole raft of different situations. These days you can see the acoustic tubes being used in security scenarios, such as airports, grocery stores, nightclubs, hotels, restaurants and the list goes on.
Since acoustic tubes are now commonplace and common knowledge, here are three reasons why it might be time to move on from the acoustic tube.
- Covertness
The original perk of the acoustic tubes is that they were discrete, keyword – were. Using acoustic tubes, you no longer blend into the environment; in fact, you tend to stand out more.
The general public and bad guys are more subconsciously aware of this equipment, which in turn draws attention to you, your mission and those around you.
- Wearer Comfort
How often these days do you see acoustic tube users with the earpiece flapping around outside their ear? Far too often and it’s not because their radio is off and not in use anymore.
Let’s face it, acoustic tubes aren’t comfortable for extended use. The common acoustic tube kits are typically supplied with a couple of generic ear tip sizes which begin to irritate your ear after a few hours of constant use – one size does not fit all.
The other option is the custom moulded ear inserts, but with the fiscal environment and budget pressures looming, most agencies/employers aren’t going to pay the money for custom moulded ear inserts for the team.
- Quality of communications
Acoustic tubes are good at putting the audio directly into your ear, right?
Not really, when you think about it, once stretched out, acoustic tubes are quite long, which puts the audio source a fair distance away from your ear. This distance degrades the sound quality and requires a higher volume to get it to your ear, which also introduces audio leakage at certain volumes and in certain environments, which can, of course, compromise operational security.
So where to now from the acoustic tube?
Defcon Technologies proudly now supplies the Stealth 360 discrete earpiece. It features a microwire that is practically invisible and provides excellent retention while providing superior wearer comfort and communications quality. The earpiece is designed with a voice-tuned speaker, which is placed directly into the ear canal. The Stealth 360 is the next generation of discrete communications, and it is available now.
Defcon Technologies has over 20 years’ experience in covert and discrete communications, so talk to us today about your communications needs.
