The indoor IPSC shooting facility EG-CZ Academy, in Quimper, France, must be one of the loudest environments imaginable. In other words, the perfect setting for the legendary shooting hearing protector Sordin Supreme Pro-X.
This unique facility is co-run by Eric Grauffel, a living legend in IPSC with no less than nine (!) world championship titles. With EG-CZ Academy, Eric has fulfilled his vision of making his sport more accessible. Today, the academy is a popular venue for both recreational and elite shooters.
Training and education in the dynamic IPSC shooting discipline take place here, with thousands of rounds fired every day. The environment is so extreme that only the most advanced hearing protectors are up to the task. It’s no coincidence then that 75 percent of the shooters at EG-CZ Academy use the Sordin Supreme Pro-X.
“IPSC attracts hundreds of thousands of shooters worldwide. It’s an exciting competition format that combines shooting precision with physical movement along a course. IPSC thus differs from Olympic disciplines, where the shooter is relatively stationary during the shot,” explains Eric Grauffel.
For Eric and his team, having high-quality hearing protection is absolutely essential. Indoor IPSC shooting is a challenging noise environment, where long and frequent shooting sequences demand maximum attenuation performance.
Traditional hearing protectors don’t provide reliable protection against firearm noise. Instead, dedicated shooting hearing protectors are required—specifically designed to handle impulse noise, the short but loud sound bursts generated by firearms. Impulse noise is sometimes underestimated by shooters because of its brief duration, which makes it harder to perceive how loud it really is.
“The Sordin Supreme Pro-X is proven to effectively manage impulse noise, so the reassurance I feel knowing my hearing is protected is crucial to help me focus and perform at my best,” says Eric Grauffel.
An important safety factor at EG-CZ Academy is ensuring the shooter feels fully situationally aware during sessions. While the headset must block strong impulse noise, it must not isolate the shooter in a “bubble.” This is a fine balance that only the world’s best electronic hearing protectors can manage effectively.
“IPSC is different from traditional shooting because we’re constantly moving along a course and need to hear as much of the surrounding sound as possible to feel safe and perform well,” Eric continues.
This is where the high ambient sound quality of the Pro-X makes all the difference—and why many of the world’s top shooting professionals, like Eric Grauffel, stay loyal to their Pro-X year after year.
“We shooters want to hear when our own shots go off, but also when they hit the target—as naturally as possible.”
In addition to his own training, Eric teaches shooters from around the world at the academy. IPSC training demands high safety standards—beyond the obvious need for hearing protection.
“During training, I’m often out on the course together with the student. It goes without saying that safety is absolutely critical in a scenario where a large number of shots are fired in a short time.”
It’s about giving instructions and guidance, including spoken directions. Since the student is focused on their own movement and targets, maintaining awareness of each other is a challenge—but essential for safety.
“You have to get through verbally between volleys. Since we’re constantly moving and I’m positioned behind, the student must always be able to determine the direction of my voice.”
This is where the ambient sound performance of the Pro-X truly excels. Its realistic reproduction of sound direction makes the Pro-X highly effective and safe for IPSC training.
“I spend every day on the range. Whether to assist shooters, teach members or visitors, or for my own training. So I wear my hearing protector up to 8 hours a day. It goes without saying that I value the comfort of my Pro-X highly,” concludes Eric Grauffel.
