Get a new headset?

SkySpy

SkySpy

Pre-Flight
Joined
Dec 23, 2006
Messages
70
Location
Palm Beach, Florida
Display Name
Display name:
Jerry
I've been using a Bose X when flying an Archer or Mooney, Although sooo quiet, I find it is sometimes not as crisp or super clear as I would like. Should I upgrade to the Bose A20? Of course also having Bluetooth would be wonderful with music etc.
Could you share any experience and suggestions?
 
I know this doesnt help, but I am thinking of upgrading my Lightspeed 30G headset with either the following...

  1. Bose A20 - bluetooth
  2. Lightspeed Zulu 3 [Has a tradeup program with my old headsets]
  3. Clarity Aloft - bluetooth
Decisions, decisions...
 
the more technical gurus can shoot this theory down, but if you have krappy radios and a krappy audio panel, would a better headset make THAT much of a difference? not trying to talk u out of it at all, just wondering if you'll get the full benefit.
 
RDUPilot said:
Clarity Aloft - bluetooth
Click to expand...

This is the only answer! Except.. when you do it, get the Clarity without BT and buy the BlueLink separately. The cost is the same. There is a little extra cable involved, but you're free to use the BT with any headset instead. Best of both worlds.
 
eman1200 said:
the more technical gurus can shoot this theory down, but if you have krappy radios and a krappy audio panel, would a better headset make THAT much of a difference? not trying to talk u out of it at all, just wondering if you'll get the full benefit.
Click to expand...
my motivation is to provide my wife with ANR.. so if I purchase any of the abv, then I will most likely pass her my old set or if they are very good, purchase her a set... But I dont disagree with your assessment...
 
Ravioli said:
This is the only answer! Except.. when you do it, get the Clarity without BT and buy the BlueLink separately. The cost is the same. There is a little extra cable involved, but you're free to use the BT with any headset instead. Best of both worlds.
Click to expand...

Not a bad idea there... :)
 
Ravioli said:
This is the only answer! Except.. when you do it, get the Clarity without BT and buy the BlueLink separately. The cost is the same. There is a little extra cable involved, but you're free to use the BT with any headset instead. Best of both worlds.
Click to expand...
I see a lot of mixed reviews for the Clarity... so light but fragile and more complicated to put on,, more feedback would be wonderful.
 
eman1200 said:
the more technical gurus can shoot this theory down, but if you have krappy radios and a krappy audio panel, would a better headset make THAT much of a difference? not trying to talk u out of it at all, just wondering if you'll get the full benefit.
Click to expand...
Good call... The Bose X was a big step up from my DC 10-40 ,,, but would I get MUCH more from the A20 ?? I am hoping to hear more feedback.
 
I like my Halos. I'm starting to lose my hearing a little bit and the in-ear helps a lot.
 
SkySpy said:
I see a lot of mixed reviews for the Clarity... so light but fragile and more complicated to put on,, more feedback would be wonderful.
Click to expand...

You WANT more feedback in your headset? That's a joke.

The procedure to put them on not complicated. If you have ever worked in a high noise area you already know how to roll down an earplug, lift top of your ear, and pop them in. Takes a few seconds longer than putting on a clamp, but really?

Fly 'em... you'll like 'em.
 
Ravioli said:
You WANT more feedback in your headset? That's a joke.

The procedure to put them on not complicated. If you have ever worked in a high noise area you already know how to roll down an earplug, lift top of your ear, and pop them in. Takes a few seconds longer than putting on a clamp, but really?

Fly 'em... you'll like 'em.
Click to expand...
More feedback = more advice = more confusion,, sometimes :) BTW yes I use ear plugs occasionally and you are right,, roll them and insert.. but how fragile is that Clarity?
 
RDUPilot said:
my motivation is to provide my wife with ANR.. so if I purchase any of the abv, then I will most likely pass her my old set or if they are very good, purchase her a set... But I dont disagree with your assessment...
Click to expand...
Everyone has different likes. That said, I got my lady the Halo's (would be the same for Clarity) and she will never wear a normal headset again. She loves that she can leave her earrings in and her hair isn't messed up after flying. Also, she used to take off the clamp headsets for a while during long flights because they hurt her head and now leaves the in ear's on all the time.

In closing, she may try your new Clarity's and then they will become hers. :)
 
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Radar Contact said:
Everyone has different likes. That said, I got my lady the Halo's (would be the same for Clarity) and she will never where a normal headset again. She loves that she can leave her earrings in and her hair isn't messed up after flying. Also, she used to take off the clamp headsets for a while during long flights because they hurt her head and now leaves the in ear's on all the time.

In closing, she may try your new Clarity's and then they will become hers. :)
Click to expand...
Thats is true. Mostlikely we will both be doni g something new..
 
I went from the dc 10 40 to a new set of A 20s bought a few weeks ago. Day and night. I love the A 20s, the Bluetooth is great, I have it set up with my IPAD now, will add my phone soon. Music is great through them, Foreflight talks to me. I don't think you can go wrong, can't help with ANR difference compared to the X.
 
Thanks so much ( don't stop weighing in please) ..... for the A20, please correct me....From what I have read,,, you can set up Bluetooth with the iPad for Foreflight, as well as timer apps etc, and you can also set up a smartphone for calls on the ground,, both ( 2 Bluetooth devices ) at the same time.. is that true?? Please see below from a website Q&A :
================================================== Q&A
Can I listen to music with my Bose A20?
Yes, all Bose A20 headsets allow you to connect to your smartphone or MP3 player via a 3.5mm patch cable (included) or via Bluetooth on the Bluetooth model (new in July 2015!). It can also connect to other devices such as a GPS or traffic warning system. An Audio Priority switch on the A20 allows you to control if/when external audio will cutout during an ATC transmission. The A20 headset also has other Bluetooth profiles, including hands-free calling and multi-point, which allows you to connect to more than one wireless device simultaneously.
 
SkySpy said:
Thanks so much ( don't stop weighing in please) ..... for the A20, please correct me....From what I have read,,, you can set up Bluetooth with the iPad for Foreflight, as well as timer apps etc, and you can also set up a smartphone for calls on the ground,, both ( 2 Bluetooth devices ) at the same time.. is that true?? Please see below from a website Q&A :
================================================== Q&A
Can I listen to music with my Bose A20?
Yes, all Bose A20 headsets allow you to connect to your smartphone or MP3 player via a 3.5mm patch cable (included) or via Bluetooth on the Bluetooth model (new in July 2015!). It can also connect to other devices such as a GPS or traffic warning system. An Audio Priority switch on the A20 allows you to control if/when external audio will cutout during an ATC transmission. The A20 headset also has other Bluetooth profiles, including hands-free calling and multi-point, which allows you to connect to more than one wireless device simultaneously.
Click to expand...
Haven't done it yet, but yes you are supposed to be able to do that.
 
SkySpy said:
Thanks so much ( don't stop weighing in please) ..... for the A20, please correct me....From what I have read,,, you can set up Bluetooth with the iPad for Foreflight, as well as timer apps etc, and you can also set up a smartphone for calls on the ground,, both ( 2 Bluetooth devices ) at the same time.. is that true?? Please see below from a website Q&A :
================================================== Q&A
Can I listen to music with my Bose A20?
Yes, all Bose A20 headsets allow you to connect to your smartphone or MP3 player via a 3.5mm patch cable (included) or via Bluetooth on the Bluetooth model (new in July 2015!). It can also connect to other devices such as a GPS or traffic warning system. An Audio Priority switch on the A20 allows you to control if/when external audio will cutout during an ATC transmission. The A20 headset also has other Bluetooth profiles, including hands-free calling and multi-point, which allows you to connect to more than one wireless device simultaneously.
Click to expand...
Yes you can, I do it all the time. When the phone rings it cuts out the music and switches to the call. If the intercom or radio is active the Bluetooth can be set to either mute or mix.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
Catalo said:
Yes you can, I do it all the time. When the phone rings it cuts out the music and switches to the call. If the intercom or radio is active the Bluetooth can be set to either mute or mix.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
That is wonderful ! ! It sounds perfect for me then. Now I will have to spend more time in the plane playing with it and bothering ATC,,,,,,,
 
I haven't seen anyone mention it, so I thought I'd put in a plug for the DC One-X.

My wife and I share a Bose A20 and a DC One-X, and although they are very different, I go back and forth between which one is my favorite. The Bose is definitely quieter overall, but it's bigger and feels heavier on my head, and I don't particularly like the audio quality - it's a little muffled and bass-heavy for my taste. The DC is smaller and lighter, fits a little better with glasses and has a somewhat "brighter" sound quality that makes it a little easier for me to make out radio calls without jacking the volume way up. Batteries seem to last a bit longer in the DC - a pair of Energizer lithium AA's get me about 50 hours, versus about 30 hours in the Bose. Without batteries, I find the DC slightly quieter. The Bluetooth features are excellent and they work about the same in both headsets.

Honestly, the differences pretty much just come down to personal preference - I don't think you can go wrong with either of these.
 
I know I am the unpopular opinion here, but I prefer an over the ear headset (I have the Bose A20s) over the Clarity Alofts. I am keeping my Clarity Alofts because they are hard to beat for aerobatics, but they are quite uncomfortable for longer cross countries. No matter what I tried they always hurt the top of my ears (I even wrapped Comply Custom Wrap foam around them and that didn't help). I have a small head so I don't know why I have this issue, but I do. The Clarity Aloft's are quite comfortable for about 2 hours and then after that they really start to bug me. I've tried tweaking the wire a bit, but nothing seems to really change the fact that they hurt the top of my ears over time.

So...just keep that in mind. If it were me I would be buying the Lightspeed Zulu 3s. Take my opinion with a grain of salt as most folks seem to like the CAs.
 
RDUPilot said:
I know this doesnt help, but I am thinking of upgrading my Lightspeed 30G headset with either the following...

  1. Bose A20 - bluetooth
  2. Lightspeed Zulu 3 [Has a tradeup program with my old headsets]
  3. Clarity Aloft - bluetooth
Decisions, decisions...
Click to expand...

Zulu 3 (and I have the other two headsets on your list).
 
Another vote for in-ear. I use QT Halos, but the same could be said for CA. I just happened to find the Halos more comfortable and I like that you can actually get the Dr. who designed them on the phone if you need. My Halos live in my flight bag with no other protection, I've never had any fragility issues. My Bose and Lightspeed headclamps have been gathering dust for a couple of years. One note of warning, my wife has a condition called TMJ which is some kind of jaw-bone/nerve damage and she absolutely cannot tolerate roll-up ear plugs, she must use her custom fit ear molds. If you or your wife have a similar condition, you may be stuck with over-the-ear.
 
I have both the A20 and the Zulu 3. I go back and forth with them and share with my wife. In the end, when alone I defer to the Zulu 3, while note quite as sharp in sound quality as the A20, in the end, I just like the Zulu better. For music, A20 is a little better. Bluetooth I prefer Zulu 3. Comfort goes to the Zulu 3 over the A20.
 
Hank S said:
Halos come with several sizes of foam tips, which I gave away after finding that the included silicone tips work great and are very comfortable. No more head-clamp headaches after a couple of hours.
Click to expand...

Which silicones? The dark regular shaped ones or the 'Christmas tree' looking ones?
 
When I got forced to upgrade my Zulu 1s that has 3,000hrs on them for my new Zulu 2s (long story but my old headset met a really bad end) I couldn't really notice much of a difference, if my Zulu 1s were not in over 15 pieces I'd have kept them.

Not sure how similar it is with Bose, but I'd look at upgrading elsewhere before I made that minor step up, only benifit I think you -might- see would be Bluetooth if you're IFR at a remote non tower field, or in a few other odd ball situations.
 
If your audio quality is poor then it may not have anything to do with Bose. I have Bose ANR which is about 13 years old and still has great quality audio.
I needed an ANR headset for my passengers and I bought AKG aviation on sale I believe about $800 and I am impressed with the audio quality and instead of using it for passenger I am using for me most of the time.
 
lightspeed Zulu pfx, coming from someone who tried Bose A 20 and is a big fan of Bose
 
I've owned most of the Lightspeed models going back to the 25XL... and the Bose X and Bose A20. To me the A20 is clearly the Ferrari of the bunch (with a price tag to match.) I have Zulu 2s as well. I had the PFX also, and I disliked that one very much. Prefer ANY of the Zulus to the PFX, ugh, what a monstrosity. But the A20s are superior to everything out there.

At work we were informed over Christmas we get to pick the headset of our choice... I'm going to get yet another A20. (Even though I already have an A20 and a Zulu2, plus a QC15/uflymike combo I use at work... why not... free headset.)

We have one pilot at work who likes the Clarity Alofts. He has quite a process getting the headset on and off every time get gets up from the flight deck. Not a fan personally, but some people like them. I wouldn't want to deal with all that stuff, plus I hate things inserted into my ears. I had a helicopter helmet with in-ear plugs/mini speakers. It's just not comfortable.
 
Radar Contact said:
Everyone has different likes. That said, I got my lady the Halo's (would be the same for Clarity) and she will never wear a normal headset again. She loves that she can leave her earrings in and her hair isn't messed up after flying. Also, she used to take off the clamp headsets for a while during long flights because they hurt her head and now leaves the in ear's on all the time.

In closing, she may try your new Clarity's and then they will become hers. :)
Click to expand...

When I bought the Halo headset, I gave my wife the Bose X I had been wearing. She wanted to try the Halos. Not even 5 minutes before she informed me she'd just wear those from now on. Now we both wear the Halos and I use the Pilot BluLink for calls to pick up clearances and music on long cross countries. I don't think I could go back to head clamps.
 
BrianNC said:
Which silicones? The dark regular shaped ones or the 'Christmas tree' looking ones?
Click to expand...
The Halo silicones are the triple flange Christmas Tree tips. They tend to be longer than the round ones so the fit deeper into the ear canal. For some people, although the memory foam material is supposed have more noise-blocking capability, the triples fit better which means net better noise isolation.

That's pretty much the case no matter what type of in-ear unit you're using.
 
Bose A20 is the undisputed best in light weight and sound clarity. LightSpeed's ZULU 3's are a close #2. The people I know who prefer LightSpeeds are due to some anatomical fitment preference or just wanting to save $100-$150. LIghtSpeed also offers special pricing to CFI's and it's a common reason they fly with them a lot.

Not trying to be incendiary here... Like most things in Aviation, some people develop a near religous connection to whatever they purchased. Headsets are classic.

Best place to try headsets are some dealers like Banyan in Tampa or the big airshows like Sun N Fun or OSH. They have all the major brands with side-by-side comparison to real traffic radio demos.

Whatever fits you best is the right headset.
 
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NordicDave said:
Bose A20 is the undisputed best in light weight and sound clarity. LightSpeed's ZULU 3's are a close #2. The people I know who prefer LightSpeeds are due to some anatomical fitment preference or just wanting to save $100-$150. LIghtSpeed also offers special pricing to CFI's and it's a common reason they fly with them a lot.

Not trying to be incendiary here... Like most things in Aviation, some people develop a near religous connection to whatever they purchased. Headsets are classic.

Best place to try headsets are some dealers like Banyan in Tampa or the big airshows like Sun N Fun or OSH. They have all the major brands with side-by-side comparison to real traffic radio demos.

Whatever fits you best is the right headset.
Click to expand...

Undesputed? Lol

I've flown a ton of headsets, and the higher end Bose and lightspeed and more or less all the same, it's really just a matter of fitment and style/which name you think is cooler.
 
NordicDave said:
Bose A20 is the undisputed best in light weight and sound clarity.
Click to expand...

James331 said:
Undesputed? Lol
Click to expand...

While one of you spelled undisputed correctly, I tend to agree with the one who didn't.

Where did this showdown go down? Who were the judges?

LET'S GET READY TO NOT HEAR RUMBLES!!!!!
 
James331 said:
Undesputed? Lol

I've flown a ton of headsets, and the higher end Bose and lightspeed and more or less all the same, it's really just a matter of fitment and style/which name you think is cooler.
Click to expand...
You know how it goes. What I like is the best of all time. Anything else is the pits. Its the way of the world. Or at least this country.
 
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