The YHM Phantom brakes work very well, are very nice and only $25
...and when employed on a carbine gassed 16" bbl are tooth shatteringly loud to everyone around, including shooter if not planted right tight into full cheek weld with jaw clamped tightly shut.
I thought my eyes were going to bleed the first time I took one to the range and others were leaving the firing line or asking for a heads up when I was going to shoot.
Can be mellowed a bit by some discretionary remodelling with a dremel, but is still stupid loud.
The tweaked one is 'better' only because the sound isn't as sharp and gasses are slightly redirected.
I have a few of them and cannot tell the difference between a $100 brake and the YHM for $25. I also have a PWS-FSC556 that was $100. Its a nice brake and probably not quite as loud as the yhms are but does not feel any different shooting it.
My opinion is don't waste your money on the battle comps or anything high dollar cause there really isn't any difference except for looks. Go with the YHM and buy 200 rounds of ammo with the rest of the money.
I have a phantom, a modded phantom, spike's dynacomp (short) and a standard M16A2 compensator and can definitely tell the difference between all when used on the same gas system and length of barrel.
Both in sound and effectiveness.
All below is descriptive of standing unsupported in agressive 'face target with plate' stance
(it takes advantage of the large aerodynamic hump in my back)
• Modded phantom does fair job for muzzle flip with not super braking, can produce some stupid flash occasionally otherwise kind of simular to no device bbl.
Loud to most people within 30' or so, but more concussive than ice pick
Stepped/recessed crown, no taper
• Unmodded has better braking effect than modded but can't really tell about flip as I'm usually too busy wincing in pain from the
very sharp sounding shockwave it puts out. Makes consistant up in front of your eyes radial fire streams out the ports when used with M855
(several times after switching from modded to unmodded people across the road in the clubhouse ask what that bigger caliber I switched to was)
50' out still shatteringly loud
Stepped/recessed crown, no taper.
• The A2 compensator just works.
Decent flip reduction, no braking to speak of, not ignorant loud nor fireball producing with quality ammo ('quality' being Lake City NATO M193 & M855. American Eagle and Federal are ok too, commie steel cased 14¢ a round stuff, not so much)
Loud but not painful nor terribly radial most noise goes downrange.
No crown.
• Dynacomp (short) is the only one that hasn't been on a carbine gas system for me.
Perm'd to a 14.7" 1:7 midlength gas upper is fairly close to the battlecomp in appearance of design but used different size/shape porting.
About 50~50 on brake to comp ratio with favor going to comp if I had to choose.
Not difficult to string controlled doubles within a couple inches of each other at 15~20yds
Sounds more concussive than the others. Not neccisarily louder, but certainly a stouter 'thump in the chest' feel ('bassier'?)
Makes big fire in front of muzzle 30~70% depending on ammo. M855 at the low end M193 at the top end
(big like 'holy ****! did you see that?!?' from people off to side who've not been near it before)
Shallow tapered crown (°10~°15 rougly guessing w/o actually measuring)
You may want to look into the Troy Claymore.
Reputed to have very good braking, no compensating and majority of sound is thrown downrange.
I've only been around them a couple times, but the sound difference to all around is absolutely noticable by all but the stone deaf, and even they can feel the reduction in shock wave.
Almost meets your price point at $60~$65 each
PWS-FSC556 is outside your $ range but reputed to be among the best comps out there that combines subtle/low level braking and good compensation with excellent flash supressing characteristics for a device of that type.
Flash is generally described (and filmed) to be almost on par with an A2 compensator
Anyway, another unsolicited 2¢ for the collection jar
