headsets

[FenderManDan]

I use bose a20.. Are they worth the price? No.. Are they the best at what they do and how they fit my melon? Absolutely.

Just keep the spare batteries in the headset case.

[cpt.sam]

I have tried them all.
The noise cancelling portion of the equation is an almost exact comparison.
The mic and comfort of the A20 sold it for me.
I use good rechargeable NiMH batteries, and get 70+ hours. What a surprise when they fail tho. Bose A20 MUST be the worst PASSIVE headset ever!
I fly a 1900, its loud!
I replaced the ear seals and head pad on my A20 after 2000 hours, cost was like 70.oo ish. A welcomed refresh.
They suggest replacing every 6 months or 300 hours....BS
2000 was a bit long, this time I will use a span of 1500 ish.

[Brownstone]

Anyone using the Lightspeed Sierra ANR? If so, any comment. Thanks

[piperdriver]

I just purchased a lightspeed sierra about two weeks ago. I have not even got a chance to try it flying. But it very comfortable and the noise cancelling seems to work very well.

[duramaxguy]

cap41 wrote:
...once you go ANR you will never go back to PNR...


Balls to that!

I've been using a Clarity Aloft in-the-ear headset for 4 years in King Air and Twin Otter.
I have tried some ANR types (Bose and Lightspeed) and find the passive on my headset is within a dB or two of those ANR...and mine do just fine without batteries!

They do take a little time to adjust to, but once you are comfortable, it is like you aren't wearing a headset at all....

and I've worn mine in the cold (just put a toque over the headset) and in the heat for up to 8 hours at a time.

Cheers
BBB

I'm with this guy ^. I have the quiet technologies halo in the ear (same thing as the clarity aloft) $350. 2 year warranty. I will NEVER go back to an over the ear headset again. I've tried the Zulu 2 and David Clark X11. This is equally as quiet at a fraction of the price and a million times more comfortable. I've used it in king airs Navajo and 206

[xchox]

Sennheiser S1.

[I_Drive_Planes]

Has anyone tried the AKG AV100 http://www.aircraftspruce.ca/catalog/av ... -12862.php

It's quite light and I like the idea of the built in LEDs for flying at night.

[ditar]

I bought the David Clark Pro-X couple months back.

Flying around in a corporate jet as well as a king air. I knew in the jet they would be fine but I was doubtful on the King Air as they are noisier, turns out it is the best headset I've ever bought. Super light weight, fits on the ear nice, noise cancelling/bluetooth is awesome, and most importantly I can wear them as long as the leg length requires as they sit lightly on the ear and not crush the head.

Also, substantially cheaper than the Bose

How noisy is your jet? The 737 can be quite loud, especially above 300 KIAS, and I've decided that I value my long term hearing. As such I'm thinking of upgrading from the standard ole Telex Airman. Some people I know use the Airman 850 and like it. I like the idea of it because it requires no batteries. Others have the Bose QC15 with the microphone. I'm considering these and other options, such as the David Clark Pro-X. Does anybody else have any opinions, particularly on the David Clark, as I do not know anyone personally who uses one.

[AirFrame]

Anyone using the Lightspeed Sierra ANR? If so, any comment. Thanks

Talking to the Lightspeed rep at a fly-in one year, I was told that the Sierra was designed with smaller heads in mind... Not that it's a "women's headset", but average head sizes seem to make it fit women better than men. A lot of women found the Zulu uncomfortable, saying it was "too large".

So if you have a smaller head, the Sierra may be great. If you have a larger head, go with the Zulu.

[C-GKNT]

Anyone using the Lightspeed Sierra ANR? If so, any comment. Thanks

Talking to the Lightspeed rep at a fly-in one year, I was told that the Sierra was designed with smaller heads in mind... Not that it's a "women's headset", but average head sizes seem to make it fit women better than men. A lot of women found the Zulu uncomfortable, saying it was "too large".

So if you have a smaller head, the Sierra may be great. If you have a larger head, go with the Zulu.

I have a Zulu, Zulu 2, Bose X and 2 Sierra's. Also, one of my buddies has a Bose A20. I have used these 4 headsets extensively.

I think the Sierra's represent good value. Certainly not as good as the Zulu's but IMHO the Value/Cost ratio is higher. However, they are somewhat more fragile (more plastic) than the Zulu. My son sat on his Sierra and it broke where the earcup joined the headband. I was fully prepared to pay for have them fixed but Lightspeed repaired it under warranty...excellent customer service.

And yes, the Sierra are fine for larger heads but definitely fit my kids (got them when the youngest was 5) much better than the other headsets because of the way they adjust (the ear-ear distance is adjusted by the earcups sliding together rather than with a fixed "hinge").

Glenn

[flyinhigh]

How noisy is your jet? The 737 can be quite loud, especially above 300 KIAS,

It can be quite loud, I've had ours up to 340 Knots which was very loud. The Pro-X handled it very well.
One benefit that David offers to, is that if you are not satisfied with the headset they will give a full refund provided it is within 30 days of receiving your order.
You cannot go wrong with at least trying it,

Cheers,

[Instructor_Mike]

I am longing for a good "in ear" active set -- I hate ear muffs and am now forced to wear a set -- The best headset I had was the lightspeed mach 0ne with custom ear buds -- I wore it out, wanted to replace to find it is no longer in production -- the search continues -- but I know I want to get rid of my zulu2 -- it's crap --

I use a clarity aloft pro. It's in ear and is better (in my opinion) than a my DC 13X. Big advantage is no batteries. It also weighs only about 3-5 oz I think. Less than half of the old school green headset I started my training with.

I use the stock extra large ear buds. They are pretty cheap overall. Replace the ear buds as you see necessary but mine will last me a few months if I keep them clean (I'm an instructor flying more/less daily). They get a little stiff in the cold but just rub them with your fingers to warm them up and they become more malleable.
I love that I can wear sunglasses and/or a hat without interfering with my headset too.

[PostmasterGeneral]

Ability to use iPod or phone with that in ear unit?

[AirFrame]

If you like the in-ear style, you might be able to make your own with good results.
http://www.cozy1200.com/geeklog/article ... 7102533266

I started making a pair a while ago but stopped when I couldn't pick a good microphone to use and I didn't want to tear apart an older headset...

[lownslow]

Ability to use iPod or phone with that in ear unit?

Yup, the two lower models of Clarity Aloft headsets have a jack for a line in, the top of the line model has Bluetooth.

[PostmasterGeneral]

How does the noise cancelling of the Clarity compare? I'm sure because it's "in ear" it will be able to block almost all noise from entering the ear canal, but how does it work in practice?

[lownslow]

On paper, the Clarity is something like 1-2db less attenuation than a first gen Bose X. In reality, as long as you have a decently fresh pair of tips on it the noise reduction is great, plus I don't feel that weird pressure in my ears that I do with ANR. I'm happy with it and I ride with my head between a pair of Garretts every day. On top of that I can wear any pair of sunglasses I want, or any hat, or feel the slipstream when I fly something with an open cockpit.

[swervin]

I've had my QT Halo for 6 months now. I absolutely love this headset. After a 14 hour day you still don't notice you have them on. My previous headsets were a Bose A20, Senheiser Hmec25 and Telex Airman 750. This blows them all away as far as comfort and noise suppression go. The QT also has an Aux Input jack so you can plug in your music. I'm using the Silicone ear plug that came with the unit, I find that the most comfortable for myself. It comes with approx 8 styles and sizes of ear plugs so you can find the perfect fit. I'm using it mainly in the CRJ 200 and 705.