AO Safety 90541 WorkTunes AM/FM Hearing Protector with Digital Tuning and MP3 Input

Review by Mechanic1 for AO Safety 90541 WorkTunes AM/FM Hearing Protector with Digital Tuning and MP3 Input
Rating:
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.

Review by Clovis for AO Safety 90541 WorkTunes AM/FM Hearing Protector with Digital Tuning and MP3 Input
Rating:
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!

Review by DosLady for AO Safety 90541 WorkTunes AM/FM Hearing Protector with Digital Tuning and MP3 Input
Rating:
I bought this for my husband. For years and years, he has worn protector headsets while working outside and in his workshop with NO listening to music. Now, he was truly excited to listen to music/talk radio while he works.

I set up the radio stations. 5 AM and 5 FM stations for preset. The enclosed instructions on this were vague. But following the instructions and pressing the menu button I knew the radio station had done the preset. The digital screen would show the preset as m1, m2, m3, m4,or m5. There is a right/left arrow button to search between radio stations. Then the AM/FM dial. There is a place for a stereo jack for your players. The screen will indicate when the batteries are low.

One thing, one radio station would not preset. A local station, too. It could not pick up a strong signal and therefore could not preset. But I succeeded with the rest. He says, “reception is great”. We live in rural Oregon.

My husband did say the headset fit better than any other he had used.

He nows takes it back and forth from work as he is a heavy machine operator. He says Peltor is a well known brand.

June 24, Update

I have been using this headset while I vaccum. I can hear my stations just fine. Once in a while when I bend over I will hear static for a second or two. I still hear the vaccum, but it sounds like it is far away and muffled.

Review by John Randazzo for AO Safety 90541 WorkTunes AM/FM Hearing Protector with Digital Tuning and MP3 Input
Rating:
As a pilot who uses headsets, and an avid AM radio listener, I was very excited to obtain my new Digital Worktunes 22 headset for working around the house. I ordered it from Amazon and received it promptly. Pretty exciting!

The headset is effective at cutting out noise. Unfortunately, it has the worst AM radio reception of any radio I have ever owned (and I own at least 10 AM radios including: Sangeen/CCrane (3), Sony (4), Coby, Eton’s (2) and a few more. Due to my aviation background I truly expected Peltor to be at least comparable to the basic radios I own, but the AM reception quality of this headset is so inferior that I have sent a letter to Peltor (something I never do) to voice my unhappiness with this product. The buzzing/static sound is loud and annoying no matter if the station is close and powerful. Distant stations (that can be received by my other radios) are completely impossible to receive.

I will say the comfort and quietness is quite effective, but I bought these to listen to AM radio and to use my IPOD (audio IN) connection. The lack of reception ability is shockingly inferior to even my worst radio. It’s truly disappointing to research a product and, after purchasing it, discovering that it’s reception capabilities are inferior to any product I’ve ever owned in my lifetime (I’m 60 years old).

In a time of increased technology and competitive product lines I just would expect a decent product (especially from Peltor). If you market this primarily as an AUDIO IN device with good sound deadening qualities, that would be reasonable, but to suggest this as even a comparable AM radio is clearly misleading. In fairness, other that Amazon feedback, I never saw any marketing that suggested this was a capable AM product, I just assumed as a Peltor, it would be capable. Note: I haven’t used the FM so I can’t judge it.

I just enjoy AM radio and hoped this would be a decent addition to my fairly large AM radio collection. It sure would have been nice to be able to enjoy this product as described and to be able to recommend it to friends and family.

It may be possible that I have a lemon and if Peltor responds I will give an update. In the meantime, I would caution anyone from buying this product unless the AM radio station you enjoy has a transmitter within a few block of where you live.

Note: Update (5/15) I was unable to change my rating to a 2 star which I chose to do because of it’s effective noise reduction quality and relative comfort.

Review by Charleen D. Singer for AO Safety 90541 WorkTunes AM/FM Hearing Protector with Digital Tuning and MP3 Input
Rating:
I got these for my husband and he is totally satisfied. Very good quality and the price is great too. He says he’d recommend them to anyone. He likes being able to read the digital am/fm tuning. Sounds great, and for safety you are able to ‘hear’ other sounds that can alert you to any situation.

This doesn’t protect those who listen to rock. I can only imagine how they can still hear…

It may not be loud enough why don’t you do the ipod then
headphones over the earplugs that’ll be sufficient.

911 emergency operator.

LOL! Well, you know what I do for a living . . . and I don’t think DOG or Primary would appreciate it if they called me on the RAT Headset and heard Blue Oyster Cult in the background when I’m supposed to be catching a Helo. I’m pretty sure that’s at LEAST worth an EMI

Seriously doubt it. Quality assurance on your job site will require appropriate hearing protection. mp3 and digital.

satelite

Justin

WHAT?……HUH?

Can you speak up!
Small ear pieces fit beautifully under ear muffs, cant be seen, you cant be caught