Aftermarket ANR add on.

benyflyguy

benyflyguy

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benyflyguy
Any body out there ever use one of these style of ANR add ons??
https://www.ebay.com/i/161732849249...rk=12&rkt=30&sd=132938055797&itm=161732849249

dilemma- kids need better headsets for back. I have Zulu 3 for me. Sierra for copilot (wife)
I bought two non aviation headsets for my kids so they could listen to their games and keep off the radio. Last flight i grabbed one and put it on and tried it out as was embarrassed how poorly they performed.
I have two old DC headsets that I used last flight for them and it worked better but wanted to step it up a bit.
Thoughts?
 
There’s more to the kit than what’s pictured. You replace the speakers in the ear cups with ANR units. That’s just the battery box pictured.
 
Putting a DC on craigslist and then adding $269 to the proceeds is about enough to buy a good used Sierra or perhaps even a Bose X. I'd go that route.
 
http://www.headsetsinc.com/ANR_kits.html

These are the guys that sell the ANR kits for DC and other non-ANR ($170). I keep meaning to get an extra DC, do the upgrade, then see if I like it enough to upgrade my current DC. I would DIY. I think that Headsets Inc will do the upgrade for you, but I don't know what they charge for that service.

I keep seeing used DC 13.4 for around $250, adding $170 gets a $420 headset... I really gotta think about that. $420 puts a good dent into a Clarity Aloft and is > a new Halo.

I don't want to do the upgrade on my existing headset until I have a spare. I keep doing the math and stalling.
 
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I have converted three headsets (two David Clarks, and one David Clark clone), and am very satisfied with the quality of the noise reduction. It is in my opinion as good as, or possibly better than, any of the other major brands.

Somebody posted the link above to Headsets, Inc., and they produce a fine product, have excellent support, and have been in business for quite a while.

If you have any electronic assembly skills at all, installation of the kit is very straightforward; if you do not, you are bound to know somebody who is a friend, and can do it.

A couple of caveats:

1. Get the auto shut-off battery box;
2. Get the one-piece cable (for a clean installation) - they call it the "AMP Cable," and it is considerably discounted if purchased at the same time as the rest of the kit;
3. If the headset you are converting is not stereo, you will want to get a second volume control to put on the ear cup that does not have one now. Headsets, Inc. can sell you that, as well, for a very reasonable price.
 
I did a headsets inc upgrade to a pair of AVCOMMs. If you’re handy with a soldering iron and such it’s about an hour project. It’s not a bad project. They work reasonably well. It’s not (I’d guess) Bose or Lightspeed quality noise reduction but it’s pretty good and not to pricey.
 
jsstevens said:
I did a headsets inc upgrade to a pair of AVCOMMs. If you’re handy with a soldering iron and such it’s about an hour project. It’s not a bad project. They work reasonably well. It’s not (I’d guess) Bose or Lightspeed quality noise reduction but it’s pretty good and not to pricey.
Click to expand...

Actually, Flying magazine did a comparison a while back and found that the converted headsets were as good as Bose and better than some of the others they were compared with. That’s why i decided to try it. I was very satisfied so I converted my other set as well.
 
FlySince9 said:
Actually, Flying magazine did a comparison a while back and found that the converted headsets were as good as Bose and better than some of the others they were compared with. That’s why i decided to try it. I was very satisfied so I converted my other set as well.
Click to expand...

I have no experience with either Bose or Lightspeed. That was the source of my comments. I did have one issue with the converted headset: the mic volume was lower. I had to consciously speak up to be understood. I have no idea why. Unfortunately my converted headset’s cable got damaged and I haven’t taken time to repair them.
 
I converted a DC headset many moons ago. The kit wasn't too tough to install and the noise cancelling worked very well. But it did give the headset a shop project/do-it yourself kit kind of vibe with the extra wires and battery box hanging off. Its a nice solution if you already own a comfortable headset that you don't want to let go of. But I don't think I'd pay anyone to install it for me.
 
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