Bose A20 or Zulu.2

akpilot907

akpilot907

Pre-takeoff checklist
Joined
May 14, 2013
Messages
398
Location
Anchorage, Alaska
Display Name
Display name:
citabriav8tr
Trying to decide which to buy! I've heard bose are better than the Zulu. Has anyone tried both?
 
I think I'm gonna try the PFX once there are some reviews out there on it. Otherwise I'd prob go zulu.2 just for the price point alone.
 
I have both and prefer the A20. It is lighter than the Zulu.2, and on longer trips it is a bit less fatiguing. They are both fantastic headsets and you cannot possibly go wrong with either one. The thing I hate about the A20 the most is no A2DP audio via bluetooth. I hate having to plug my iPad in to listen to music with a cable.
 
As a Flight Instructor, I received a discount on the Zulu 2. I really like the fitment on my head and very comfortable.
 
I have a Zulu 2. I absolutely love it. My son, the technology diva, tried the Bose and Zulu 2 and picked the Zulu 2 (of course it was on my dime....)
 
Gadgetman said:
As a Flight Instructor, I received a discount on the Zulu 2. I really like the fitment on my head and very comfortable.
Click to expand...

Through NAFI Bose does it too :)

I prefer Bose. Just my personal choice. 250+hrs in mine now.
 
If you have a bigger head and bigger ears Zulu is the way to go. Bose cups hurt my ears on long trips, but Zulu don't squeeze tight if you have a small noggin. When my wife wears my Zulu she wears a ball cap to help.
 
I have the Bose A20 and love them. Mainly the reduced clamp pressure and soft seals are awesome. The Zulu 2s I have no experience with, but I hear that they're equally amazing.

Bose offers 0% interest financing for 6 or 12 months, though; that's what closed the deal for me.
 
akpilot907 said:
Trying to decide which to buy! I've heard bose are better than the Zulu. Has anyone tried both?
Click to expand...

I would find one of the many aviation web stores that offers a 30 day return on headsets, order both and try them.

Weight feel, clamp pressure, comfort, frequency response, Bluetooth connectivity,, are all items that are very individual and should be tried out for comparison. However, you may want to wait till lightspeed ships their new PFX model. It's just about the same price point as the Bose and if the marketing hype is remotely true, it's going to be one helluva headset!
 
Last edited:
I did the head-to-head (NPI) test at OSH, walked back and forth between the two tents numerous times while experimenting with various controls and environmental situations, some of which were supplied by the vendors. I chose Bose for comfort, but could have gone either way on the other features.
 
akpilot907 said:
Has anyone tried both?
Click to expand...
I have, in various client planes before I replaced my old headset (and I do mean old -- literally falling apart after 15 years). They are both great, the Bose maybe a teensy bit better, but definitely not $400 better -- not even close. Hence, I bought a Zulu.2 during their spring sale for $800 with free shipping.
 
akpilot907 said:
Has anyone tried both?
Click to expand...

Yes... as briefly as possible, my headset history:

I tried the Bose X back in 2009. They were nice but I felt like the earcups were too small. Stuck with my DC H10-13.4 passives.

Tried the Lightspeed 30-3G's in 2011. Bought a set used... headband cracked in half while donning them on a cold winter day. Traded them in for new Zulu.2s.

Oshkosh 2013, my copilot had a pair of brand new Bose A20s. I have my Zulu.2's. We traded headsets in-flight in a Mooney J because we were both curious. I felt the Zulu.2 was slightly quieter but the difference was small. I liked construction of the headband and the earcups better on the Zulu.2 also.


Personally I think if you're willing to spend the coin for the A20s, wait until the Zulu PFX comes out in September. I tried the PFX in Oshkosh and I wish I hadn't just bought Zulu.2's. I tried the Sennheiser S1 ANR and felt it was better than the Bose & Zulu.2 as well, I liked the "extra quiet" button. I think the PFX has a similar adaptive ANR feature as the Sennheiser.

If you can take advantage of the trade-up program on an older headset, the Zulu.2 can be a bargain. Or as close to a bargain as there is in ANR headsets.
 
Summer before last I baked off just about every one of the high end ANRS (Zulu.2, Bose, Sennheiser, Beyer) and decided the Zulu.2 worked best for me.
 
I think the Zulu.2 and PFX are the best constructed out of the bunch. They are a really solid, and well built line of headsets.
 
My CFI has the A20's and let me use them on one of my early flights. I thought they were OK, until I used a set of Zulu's. That said, headphones are a very personal decision - there is no 'best' answer for everyone. I went with the Zulu's and haven't been disapointed at all.

That said, this might sway your decision a bit. Be sure to listen on headphones so you can really hear what's going on. Pretty safe to say that the Bose's are not the winners in this test.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhRz6XZIE7E
 
Ron Levy said:
After near 200 hours with the Zulu.2, I'm not sure that's possible. I'd be willing to try on an OA-modified Z.2 and find out, but not to pay to try it.
Click to expand...

Don't get their ear seals. They destroy the seal needed for ANR. The headband however is very nice.
 
kenjr said:
My CFI has the A20's and let me use them on one of my early flights. I thought they were OK, until I used a set of Zulu's. That said, headphones are a very personal decision - there is no 'best' answer for everyone. I went with the Zulu's and haven't been disapointed at all.

That said, this might sway your decision a bit. Be sure to listen on headphones so you can really hear what's going on. Pretty safe to say that the Bose's are not the winners in this test.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhRz6XZIE7E
Click to expand...


You mean a headset comparison by Sennheiser showed the Bose not performing well? Nooooooooooooooo...
 
kenjr said:
My CFI has the A20's and let me use them on one of my early flights. I thought they were OK, until I used a set of Zulu's. That said, headphones are a very personal decision - there is no 'best' answer for everyone. I went with the Zulu's and haven't been disapointed at all.

That said, this might sway your decision a bit. Be sure to listen on headphones so you can really hear what's going on. Pretty safe to say that the Bose's are not the winners in this test.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhRz6XZIE7E
Click to expand...

I fell asleep about halfway through, what happened? Did the Rapa Nui people really cut down all the trees to make those heads?
 
Yeah, I'm sure they rigged it. Good lord - whatever makes you feel good about your purchase, I guess.

IMHO, the Zulu's outperformed everything in that test - to my ears. But honestly, I believe that the Senn's ANR technology is way better than Bose - and I also believe it's a better overall ANR headset (one of the Partner's in my plane has a set and we switched on a XC...he liked his Senn's better than the Zulu's).

Like I said, picking headphones is a subjective thing - people have big ears or big heads or whatever, prefer specific features, etc... But assuming that since Senn sponsored a video that it's rigged is just plain ignorant. They have everything to lose and nothing to gain.

All that being said, Bose for many, many years has been the butt of jokes with audiophiles...ever heard, BOSE - "Buy Other Sound Equipment"...or "No high, no lows...must be BOSE". To be fair, some of their stuff does sound good to me in the right setting - but then I see the price tag and think...who the hell buy's this stuff? I've never been a fan of their original ANR headphones. The engineering behind Bose speakers is designed to play to the sounds the human ear hears best. Through acoustical wizardry, Bose is able to create the illusion of accurate and full range sound. This does not change the fact that Bose speakers are not accurately reproducing music or movie soundtracks. Whatever, doesn't matter for headsets in the air - good ANR and clear audio at specific frequencies is what matters.

Earlier in this thread you made the comment about color - since from a tech perspective the headsets are the same. They aren't (I was a professional sound engineer for many years - I was a front of house engineer for several bands on tour that I'm sure you listen to on your iPod...) and I can assure you that Sennheiser knows what they are doing in this space - way more than Bose. So, even if they were technically the same - why is the Bose $300 more? That alone would keep my from buying one.

Furthermore, The cost of Bose is another part of the illusion. By attaching a high price tag, Bose creates an exclusive mystique to their product.

Anything is going to sound good to you if you paid a bunch of money for it, right? :)

Okay- with all that being said, it comes down to this final statement, which sometimes people forget: "All that matters is that it sounds good to you!"
 
Last edited:
Silvaire said:
I fell asleep about halfway through, what happened? Did the Rapa Nui people really cut down all the trees to make those heads?
Click to expand...

You fell asleep half way through a 3:42 video? I suggest you get checked for narcolepsy.
 
I have used the S1 a few times and there is a reason why it hasn't taken the aviation world by storm. It doesn't perform as well. It doesn't handle noisier situations very well. The Zulu 2 outshines it in every category. Music was clearer, ANR was more powerful, comfort was better (for me) and mic quality seemed better. The A20 being just as good except not having A2DP makes it hard to compare music quality.
 
kenjr said:
Yeah, I'm sure they rigged it. Good lord - whatever makes you feel good about your purchase, I guess.

IMHO, the Zulu's outperformed everything in that test - to my ears. But honestly, I believe that the Senn's ANR technology is way better than Bose - and I also believe it's a better overall ANR headset (one of the Partner's in my plane has a set and we switched on a XC...he liked his Senn's better than the Zulu's).

Like I said, picking headphones is a subjective thing - people have big ears or big heads or whatever, prefer specific features, etc... But assuming that since Senn sponsored a video that it's rigged is just plain ignorant. They have everything to lose and nothing to gain.

All that being said, Bose for many, many years has been the butt of jokes with audiophiles...ever heard, BOSE - "Buy Other Sound Equipment"...or "No high, no lows...must be BOSE". To be fair, some of their stuff does sound good to me in the right setting - but then I see the price tag and think...who the hell buy's this stuff? I've never been a fan of their original ANR headphones. The engineering behind Bose speakers is designed to play to the sounds the human ear hears best. Through acoustical wizardry, Bose is able to create the illusion of accurate and full range sound. This does not change the fact that Bose speakers are not accurately reproducing music or movie soundtracks. Whatever, doesn't matter for headsets in the air - good ANR and clear audio at specific frequencies is what matters.

Earlier in this thread you made the comment about color - since from a tech perspective the headsets are the same. They aren't (I was a professional sound engineer for many years - I was a front of house engineer for several bands on tour that I'm sure you listen to on your iPod...) and I can assure you that Sennheiser knows what they are doing in this space - way more than Bose. So, even if they were technically the same - why is the Bose $300 more? That alone would keep my from buying one.

Furthermore, The cost of Bose is another part of the illusion. By attaching a high price tag, Bose creates an exclusive mystique to their product.

Anything is going to sound good to you if you paid a bunch of money for it, right? :)

Okay- with all that being said, it comes down to this final statement, which sometimes people forget: "All that matters is that it sounds good to you!"
Click to expand...

I have not tried the Senns but suspect the PFX will put it to shame once it is released. The sennheiser just looks big and bulky. Funny thing is sennheiser is Connecticut based, 10 miles from me and none of my flying friends fly with Senn headsets. Lightspeed and Bose is what everyone is using....

Bose has their following, me included, for a variety of consumer products. Heck, the stuff sounds good to my ears and their products are pretty cool, hold up well, at a price point I would consider reasonible when compared to similair products.

I just picked up the in ear ANR earbuds and these things work extremely well. Also, the soundlink mini works awesome and reproduces audio With sharp, crisp highs and lows. Again, I am not a sound engineer and no doubt your more critical on sound reproduction then I would be but it meets my nitch.

YMMV
 
Last edited:
kenjr said:
You fell asleep half way through a 3:42 video? I suggest you get checked for narcolepsy.
Click to expand...

It was that long? I guess I didn't make it half way through :rolleyes:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top