Team SNAFU

Up until now I'd been hunting for the perfect comms setup for some time. I'd gone through various headsets, hand mics and earpieces and always found them uncomfortable, unclear (both ways, incoming and outgoing) and unstable (in the case of the headsets and earpieces). They generally had a nasty habit of blocking hearing in whichever ear the incoming speaker was over. Frankly, they just weren't worth the hassle.

About 2 years ago, a friend of mine and fellow member of SNAFU, TMC, purchased a Liberator II headset from Tactical Command Industries in the USA. I'd never really come across TCI before, but after some research found that they had a stirling reputation for building outstanding comms solutions in various forms. Shortly after, another SNAFU member, skullface, also bought a Liberator-II system. After receiving them, both guys had nothing but praise for the system.

Naturally, I looked into buying one. I was met with a $600+ price tag, probably closer to $700+ taking into account shipping and customs tax in the UK. Way out of my price range, I resigned to keeping an eye on the second-hand market in case one should come up. In the mean time, I purchased a set of Peltor Comtac electronic ear defenders for CQB/MOUT games, with a view to possibly picking up the pieces from Peltor in the future to make them comms-compatible, much like a home-built Liberator I system (the Liberator IIs, on the other hand, were based on the MSA Sordin Supreme Pro headset).

About a year later, skullface approached me saying that he was selling a bunch of his kit...including his Liberator IIs. I was all over that shit, and paid him the money that night. A few days later, the Liberator IIs were in my posession. But what was all the fuss about?

As soon as they turned up and I put them on, I noticed the difference between the Lib-IIs and my existing Comtacs. The Comtacs 'clipped' sound frequently, distorting natural sounds even when they weren't cancelling out loud background noise. The Lib-IIs, on the other hand, kept everything sounding very natural, with no clipping or distortion. Surround reproduction was excellent. They also seemed to place less pressure on the area surrounding the ear, which made for a far more comfortable fit. In short, a heck of an improvement.

The next step was to plug in the whole setup to my Kenwood TK3101 radio (running on the UK standard open PMR446 system). Testing it with another radio some distance away, both incoming and outgoing signals were crystal clear (radio dependant, of course). The boom mic was nicely adjustable - the only problem being that it may be slightly too long. That said, I have a pretty small head, so it may well just be my personal experience.

The build and design of the PTT is perfect. The button block is big and chunky, and the button itself offers a tactile response (although not an audible click) when pressed. It is very easily used with gloves of any sort, including aviator-style Nomex gloves or Oakley MTB gloves, even up to larger, thicker types of winter glove. Indeed, you could just about depress it with your elbow or other body part should you need to, but the shroud around the outside prevents accidental transmission, which is often a problem with PTTs.

To test the sound cancelling of the headset, I took it outside and set off a number of loud pyrotechnic devices. I've no idea what the decibel reading of such bangs is, but they seem comparable to something like a 9mm gunshot (from my limited shooting experience outside of the UK, anyway). The headset did not completely neutralise the sound, of course, but it seemed to reduce the both the low-end 'boom' of the explosions and the overall volume quite markedly. Remarkably, natural sounds seemed pretty much unaffected, even during the actual explosion. In comparison, the Peltor Comtacs simply seemed to mute everything during that time, then turn back on again.

In a further test, radio communications were sent simultaneously to these loud bangs. Radio communications apparently run on a seperate circuit to the sound cancelling, and should be unaffected by the headset's function. Signals should even be sent and received while the headset is turned off (or, indeed, out of battery). These claims proved true, with radio comms coming across crystal clear even while the headset's noise cancelling was working to block out harmful external noise. In short, functionally, the headset worked flawlessly.

Setting the system up with my gear, in this case an Eagle Industries Rhodesian Recon Vest (RRV), was very easy. A coiled cord joins the PTT to the radio jacks, making radio placement no problem. In fact, I had too much spare cord so I coiled it around my radio. The PTT is backed with velcro and comes with a very, very strong alligator clip with the opposite velcro attached to one side. This allows PTT placement either on a large velcro-fronted pouch such as an admin pouch, or on any straps or PALS webbing using the clip. One problem I found was that the velcro had trouble supporting the weight of the PTT, and so it had a tendency to fall off the clip. Once I had placement set, therefore, I ran a zip-tie around each side of the PTT block (away from the touch pad so as not to interfere with operation). This held it on so well that there is absolutely no chance of it falling off.

A large Nexus plug hangs off the other side of the PTT, into which fits the Nexus jack on the end of the wire from the headset itself. The plug and jack fit together tightly with no chance of them coming apart with anything less than a deliberate tug, or possibly snagging on something solid while you are running.

Having now owned the headset for a good half year or more, and having used it frequently during this time, I have not had a single functional problem. Transmission is always clear as day, comfort is very good (although they get a little warm, of course), whether over a ballcap or under a MICH helmet, and they seem built exceptionally well...with one exception.

During a recent weekend game, someone managed to stand on my headset. Naturally, I was pissed. This also cracked the plastic headband - the single weak point of the design. I taped it up and carried on, but this altered the fit, so eventually I searched around for a replacment part. In the end I acquired a pair of the relevant parts for free (and very quickly indeed) from a UK Sordin supplier. I assume this is a common breakage. The fit was a two-minute job and the headset was as good as new. I wouldn't rate this as a particular problem with the headset, just be aware that it can happen - I personally have heard of 2 other reports of it occurring as of this point in time.

To sum up, then? Fit is flawless over or under a variety of headgear, and is apparently even more so with the optional MSA Sordin replacement gel ear pads, which distribute the pressure even more evenly around the ear. Communications and noise-cancelling cannot really be faulted by myself. Build quality is superb (aside from the aforementioned weak point).

If you have the money and/or are torn between getting a Sordin- or Peltor-based headset, this is the one to go for, without a doubt in my mind. For what you pay, and that is a lot, for sure, I'm pretty confident you won't find anything better right now.

<<< Back to Articles	Written by HaVoC, 1st October 2007
PRODUCT REVIEW: TCI LIBERATOR II HEADSET
CLICK TO ENLARGE	Up until now I'd been hunting for the perfect comms setup for some time. I'd gone through various headsets, hand mics and earpieces and always found them uncomfortable, unclear (both ways, incoming and outgoing) and unstable (in the case of the headsets and earpieces). They generally had a nasty habit of blocking hearing in whichever ear the incoming speaker was over. Frankly, they just weren't worth the hassle. About 2 years ago, a friend of mine and fellow member of SNAFU, TMC, purchased a Liberator II headset from Tactical Command Industries in the USA. I'd never really come across TCI before, but after some research found that they had a stirling reputation for building outstanding comms solutions in various forms. Shortly after, another SNAFU member, skullface, also bought a Liberator-II system. After receiving them, both guys had nothing but praise for the system. Naturally, I looked into buying one. I was met with a $600+ price tag, probably closer to $700+ taking into account shipping and customs tax in the UK. Way out of my price range, I resigned to keeping an eye on the second-hand market in case one should come up. In the mean time, I purchased a set of Peltor Comtac electronic ear defenders for CQB/MOUT games, with a view to possibly picking up the pieces from Peltor in the future to make them comms-compatible, much like a home-built Liberator I system (the Liberator IIs, on the other hand, were based on the MSA Sordin Supreme Pro headset). About a year later, skullface approached me saying that he was selling a bunch of his kit...including his Liberator IIs. I was all over that shit, and paid him the money that night. A few days later, the Liberator IIs were in my posession. But what was all the fuss about? As soon as they turned up and I put them on, I noticed the difference between the Lib-IIs and my existing Comtacs. The Comtacs 'clipped' sound frequently, distorting natural sounds even when they weren't cancelling out loud background noise. The Lib-IIs, on the other hand, kept everything sounding very natural, with no clipping or distortion. Surround reproduction was excellent. They also seemed to place less pressure on the area surrounding the ear, which made for a far more comfortable fit. In short, a heck of an improvement. The next step was to plug in the whole setup to my Kenwood TK3101 radio (running on the UK standard open PMR446 system). Testing it with another radio some distance away, both incoming and outgoing signals were crystal clear (radio dependant, of course). The boom mic was nicely adjustable - the only problem being that it may be slightly too long. That said, I have a pretty small head, so it may well just be my personal experience. The build and design of the PTT is perfect. The button block is big and chunky, and the button itself offers a tactile response (although not an audible click) when pressed. It is very easily used with gloves of any sort, including aviator-style Nomex gloves or Oakley MTB gloves, even up to larger, thicker types of winter glove. Indeed, you could just about depress it with your elbow or other body part should you need to, but the shroud around the outside prevents accidental transmission, which is often a problem with PTTs. To test the sound cancelling of the headset, I took it outside and set off a number of loud pyrotechnic devices. I've no idea what the decibel reading of such bangs is, but they seem comparable to something like a 9mm gunshot (from my limited shooting experience outside of the UK, anyway). The headset did not completely neutralise the sound, of course, but it seemed to reduce the both the low-end 'boom' of the explosions and the overall volume quite markedly. Remarkably, natural sounds seemed pretty much unaffected, even during the actual explosion. In comparison, the Peltor Comtacs simply seemed to mute everything during that time, then turn back on again. In a further test, radio communications were sent simultaneously to these loud bangs. Radio communications apparently run on a seperate circuit to the sound cancelling, and should be unaffected by the headset's function. Signals should even be sent and received while the headset is turned off (or, indeed, out of battery). These claims proved true, with radio comms coming across crystal clear even while the headset's noise cancelling was working to block out harmful external noise. In short, functionally, the headset worked flawlessly. Setting the system up with my gear, in this case an Eagle Industries Rhodesian Recon Vest (RRV), was very easy. A coiled cord joins the PTT to the radio jacks, making radio placement no problem. In fact, I had too much spare cord so I coiled it around my radio. The PTT is backed with velcro and comes with a very, very strong alligator clip with the opposite velcro attached to one side. This allows PTT placement either on a large velcro-fronted pouch such as an admin pouch, or on any straps or PALS webbing using the clip. One problem I found was that the velcro had trouble supporting the weight of the PTT, and so it had a tendency to fall off the clip. Once I had placement set, therefore, I ran a zip-tie around each side of the PTT block (away from the touch pad so as not to interfere with operation). This held it on so well that there is absolutely no chance of it falling off. A large Nexus plug hangs off the other side of the PTT, into which fits the Nexus jack on the end of the wire from the headset itself. The plug and jack fit together tightly with no chance of them coming apart with anything less than a deliberate tug, or possibly snagging on something solid while you are running. Having now owned the headset for a good half year or more, and having used it frequently during this time, I have not had a single functional problem. Transmission is always clear as day, comfort is very good (although they get a little warm, of course), whether over a ballcap or under a MICH helmet, and they seem built exceptionally well...with one exception. During a recent weekend game, someone managed to stand on my headset. Naturally, I was pissed. This also cracked the plastic headband - the single weak point of the design. I taped it up and carried on, but this altered the fit, so eventually I searched around for a replacment part. In the end I acquired a pair of the relevant parts for free (and very quickly indeed) from a UK Sordin supplier. I assume this is a common breakage. The fit was a two-minute job and the headset was as good as new. I wouldn't rate this as a particular problem with the headset, just be aware that it can happen - I personally have heard of 2 other reports of it occurring as of this point in time. To sum up, then? Fit is flawless over or under a variety of headgear, and is apparently even more so with the optional MSA Sordin replacement gel ear pads, which distribute the pressure even more evenly around the ear. Communications and noise-cancelling cannot really be faulted by myself. Build quality is superb (aside from the aforementioned weak point). If you have the money and/or are torn between getting a Sordin- or Peltor-based headset, this is the one to go for, without a doubt in my mind. For what you pay, and that is a lot, for sure, I'm pretty confident you won't find anything better right now.