Headset Evaluation

Get the best you can afford. I dont mind spending money on my wife and kids but when it comes to myself I am cheap and stingy. I have this rich friend who always has to buy the latest and newest gadget. He has the A20 bose headset that he bought in 2023. I said I'll wait till he gets tired of it then I'll take it. Well, yesterday he bought the latest bose A30 because it has the CO monitor so he sold me his A20 for $400. hahahaha
 
Ahmad,
How nice to have friends :) Nice, I'm happy for you. I keep looking...
Tim
 
NC_Flyer said:
I appreciate the point of view. That is part of my angst - good low end as many others have done and it works just fine. Or as



Thanks to all for the input.
I am replying to this post as it is the closest to my thought process and point of view.
Yes, I am looking at a previously a used headset. Again, that said, which way to go?
Reference a previous post above which said (my words, not his), do not to compare ANR to passive because once you do you won't go back. I have done so and agree.
All the above replies are spot on in reference to baseline need and usefulness. However, as a student pilot at 73 I am not entering into this passion lightly. I do plan for this to continue into, hopefully/expecting IFR (OK how long do I have?).
Reference another post above stating that Lightspeed only supports one active connection at a time. Probably so. I have not heard back from Lightspeed and will keep you updated.

In closing - I tend to agree with many above that comfort and functionality (basics) are paramount. No sense getting carried away will high-end gadgets.
All that said, there is a battle dependent on point of view,
Respectfully, Tim
Click to expand...
UPDATE
I was able to talk with Bose Support reference their Bluetooth's ability to connect to multiple devices. Bose cannot connect to multiple concurrent devices, just like Lightspeed.
My statements are not made to disparage either brand. These are just facts from each brand's "tech support". I am submitting this post as clarification.

Withing this forum discussion Salty (I believe) brought up the point of Bluetooth Master/Slave relationship. It just depends on implementation. I was hoping that the "Master" would be the headset and the slave would be the attached devices. Again, that said, there may be a bit of misconception in terminology as we have heard from others in this discussion.

Be that as it may. Apparently both organizations have the same implementation. Thus my attempt at clarification.

In this discussion we have heard many points of view and for that I'm thankful and hope others have gained some level of knowledge.
For me, I'm still looking for a good used ANR headset.
Thanks to all,
Tim
 
I can't vouch for what Bose support told you, but the manual for the Bose 700 and my experience using it for the past four years, it *WILL* connect to two audio devices at the same time. You power it up and it says "Connected to <device1> Connected to <device2>" It will play audio from either without intervention.x
As others have suggested, it probably uses two independent slave connections and merges them together in software in the headset.
 
NC_Flyer said:
UPDATE
I was able to talk with Bose Support reference their Bluetooth's ability to connect to multiple devices. Bose cannot connect to multiple concurrent devices, just like Lightspeed.
My statements are not made to disparage either brand. These are just facts from each brand's "tech support". I am submitting this post as clarification.

Withing this forum discussion Salty (I believe) brought up the point of Bluetooth Master/Slave relationship. It just depends on implementation. I was hoping that the "Master" would be the headset and the slave would be the attached devices. Again, that said, there may be a bit of misconception in terminology as we have heard from others in this discussion.

Be that as it may. Apparently both organizations have the same implementation. Thus my attempt at clarification.

In this discussion we have heard many points of view and for that I'm thankful and hope others have gained some level of knowledge.
For me, I'm still looking for a good used ANR headset.
Thanks to all,
Tim
Click to expand...

I use the Bose A30 and it indeed connects to my iPad and my iPhone at the same time. I use the audio from the iPad and it will switch to the phone if I make a call it will not receive audio inputs from both simultaneously. Meaning, you can’t watch a movie on the iPad while listening to music on the iPhone. But it definitely connect to 2 devices at the same time. The Bose Pro-flight 2 also connects to 2 devices at the same time.
 
All of the headsets have pros and cons. I used the in-ear QT Halos for a while, but eventually grew tired of them. The mic was a bit short for me, and I ended up fiddling with it all the time.
They also made the inside of my ears itch a little bit after a while.
I now have Zulu 3 and Bose A20. I can wear either of them for hours with no issues and they're super easy to put on. The sound, comfort, and microphones are outstanding.
 
I’m a headset junkie. I think I’ve tried nearly all of them, including clarity aloft and faro as well as the Bose A20.

The Delta Zulu’s CO monitor can save your life. No other headset can make that claim. I used to fly with a CO monitor when I didn’t forget to bring it, or forget to turn it on, or remember to change the batteries. The Delta Zulu just works. And not only does it give you a warning, but it tracks the entire flight:


IMG_5315.png

And get this: you don’t even have to remember to re-open the Lightspeed app or ‘turn on’ the recording. Just check your numbers after the flight. It’s there.
 
flyingron said:
I can't vouch for what Bose support told you, but the manual for the Bose 700 and my experience using it for the past four years, it *WILL* connect to two audio devices at the same time. You power it up and it says "Connected to Connected to " It will play audio from either without intervention.x
As others have suggested, it probably uses two independent slave connections and merges them together in software in the headset.
Click to expand...

There’s 2 kind of audio BT connections, 1 is a phone connection and the other is a plain audio connection. I can’t see having 2 phone connections but you might be able to have 2 audio connections.
 
Skyrys62 said:
All of the headsets have pros and cons. I used the in-ear QT Halos for a while, but eventually grew tired of them. The mic was a bit short for me, and I ended up fiddling with it all the time.
Click to expand...
That’s the main complaint with the QT Halo.not shortness but stability. if you watch videos with people using them, you see them holding the mic to their mouth with their hand most every time they talk. It was the reason I didn’t buy after trying a pair,
“Radio check.”​
“You sound like you’re in a wind tunnel.”​
 
midlifeflyer said:
That’s the main complaint with the QT Halo.not shortness but stability. if you watch videos with people using them, you see them holding the mic to their mouth with their hand most every time they talk. It was the reason I didn’t buy after trying a pair,
“Radio check.”​
“You sound like you’re in a wind tunnel.”​
Click to expand...
YMMV. I don't have that problem. The mic sits in front of my lips just like any other headset.

I do use a mic muff (leather bag that slides over the mic, with a small hole in it). Does a reasonable job of filtering out ambient noise. But I started using that with my old DCs and just carried it over when I got the Halos.
 
ahmad said:
yesterday he bought the latest bose A30 because it has the CO monitor
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He's gonna be pretty bummed when he finds out the A30 doesn't have the CO monitor
 
NC_Flyer said:
Ahmad,
How nice to have friends :) Nice, I'm happy for you. I keep looking...
Tim
Click to expand...
Ha. That's the only friend I have. I am here to make friends. I probably should have more than 1.
 
TL, DNR

But, some good advice. But I did not see the MOST IMPORTANT CRITERIA for a headset.

How comfortable is it after 5+ hours? THAT is the most important thing. All the other stuff is nice, but only nice. And any quality headset will protect your hearing.
 
WDD said:
IMHO - yes, absolutely get the the best headset you can. As a student you're learning a lot quickly. Being distracted by noise and vibration will get in the way of your learning process.

As a student I started off with a passive headset, and I should have had an ANR day 1. Even if it means buying new.

LightSpeed, Bose, or David Clark ANR. Which one? Between these three, get the one most comfortable. Go to a local store that has all three. Put each on for 10 min or so and see how each feels.
Click to expand...
I agree to spend the money once on a good ANR headset. I bought a A20 back in 2015 when I started training and am still using them today. No regrets.
After I got my PPL I bought my wife a Lightspeed Siera ANR headset. She is still using them today. The plastic hand held volume control has gotten weird, like the plastic is melting but still works fine.

Last week the battery in my Bose went dead and my flight bag was in the back and I couldn't get to it for batterys since she just got out. I usually keep my flight bag on the front floor but it it was moved in back in luggage area.

So I grabbed her headset and turned on. Not the first time I compared but you can hear the 400 dollar price difference between the 2 headsets. The Siera does not have as much ANR, it made me realize how much better the A20 was. Just my opinion. Now I want to get her a A20 so she can be more comfortable flying.
 
Gary Ward said:
I bought my wife a Lightspeed Siera ANR headset. She is still using them today. The plastic hand held volume control has gotten weird, like the plastic is melting but still works fine.
Click to expand...
15 minutes with rubbing alcohol will get that rubberized coating off. I hate rubberized plastic coating.
Gary Ward said:
Last week the battery in my Bose went dead and my flight bag was in the back and I couldn't get to it for batterys since she just got out. I usually keep my flight bag on the front floor but it it was moved in back in luggage area.
Click to expand...
Behind the copilot seat is where I keep mine. If there's a passenger there, I always brief on keeping stuff (including spare batteries) handy.
 
I converted my Factory Refurbed Bose QC 45 into an ANR Headset by adding an NFlight Mike. Nice thing about that is I can remove the Mike anytime and use the QC 45 as a regular listening headset. Much cheaper and more useful than a dedicated Aircraft Headset. That said, all of my prior flying was with a ASA non ANR Headset and it was fine.
 
StraightnLevel said:
I have a set of DC One-X, and they work very well. Not sure about multiple Bluetooth sources though, as I've never tried it.
Click to expand...

One-X will only pair to a single device at a time.

I thought I wanted multipoint bluetooth like the A30 to get both the ipad w/ Foreflight and the phone paired, but it turns out to be mostly an theory thing for my club planes and the flying I'm doing.

I did all my primary flight training with a passive David Clark H20-10. These are "good" passive sets with gel earcup seals. As someone else correctly mentioned, the vast majority of ANC sets on the market today have completely given up on passive protection, so just turning them off only tells you what it's going to be like when the batteries die.

Don't get too wrapped up about bluetooth unless someone you are flying with has a very specific use case where you need multiple sources - and I'd argue - why you need Foreflight audio warnings. It's possible your airport environment has some situation where hearing Foreglight tell you that you've entered a runway is useful, and I don't want to take away from that, so ask around locally.
 
To the OP, register to all of the aviation forums you can think of and check the classifieds. Used ANR headsets pop up from time to time. I bought a used Lightspeed here a few years ago and then resold it here a while later. Make friends at the airport. I bought a used Bose A20 from a CFI buddy.
 
farangutan said:
To the OP, register to all of the aviation forums you can think of and check the classifieds. Used ANR headsets pop up from time to time. I bought a used Lightspeed here a few years ago and then resold it here a while later. Make friends at the airport. I bought a used Bose A20 from a CFI buddy.
Click to expand...
Second that - I got my David Clark ANR set from this site.
 
farangutan said:
To the OP, register to all of the aviation forums you can think of and check the classifieds. Used ANR headsets pop up from time to time. I bought a used Lightspeed here a few years ago and then resold it here a while later. Make friends at the airport. I bought a used Bose A20 from a CFI buddy.
Click to expand...
I shopped used Bose Ten (X) back in the day when the A20 was the new hotness. Those CFIs moving up (God love them) and needing TSO'd also needed money and wanted $900 for a used headset that sold for $950 new. Maybe they got that much, just not from me.
 
ahmad said:
Ha. That's the only friend I have. I am here to make friends. I probably should have more than 1.
Click to expand...
Nah. Then you gotta help em move. In my case same friend 3 times in 18 months.
 
If you’re on a budget, take a Dave Clark 13.2 basic headset and spend an hour and a little money for an ANR conversion kit. I’ve been using one for probably five years or so and it works great. When I’m with friends or family in their planes using a Bose, Lightspeed, etc., the only difference I can find between those and my kitted DC is the weight. I found used 13.2’s on eBay for cheap and did the conversion. Makes for a great value. IIRC, the kit comes from a company called Headsets Inc., but my memory is not good.
 
Brad W said:
Do you NEED ANR?
No, most certainly.
Assuming you're flying a typical trainer..... Myself and many thousands of others trained and flew millions of hours with passive headsets.
Now I would not suggest that anyone step back to what folks before my time did.... no headset at all. Hearing is too precious for that.
But a good passive noise reduction headset works just fine. It doesn't even have to be a high end expensive thing.

That said, get what you can afford. Don't be so hung up on getting the latest and greatest top end thing if you can't afford it.
Click to expand...

Passive headset? When I started flying, a passive headset would have been a wonderful luxury. We used a microphone and a speaker. It’s one reason I can now barely hear thunder. Of course that cooling unit on the radar I worked on in the Army, shooting, loud rock music in my youth, and other things may also have been contributors to my lack of hearing at this stage of life.
 
farangutan said:
To the OP, register to all of the aviation forums you can think of and check the classifieds. Used ANR headsets pop up from time to time. I bought a used Lightspeed here a few years ago and then resold it here a while later. Make friends at the airport. I bought a used Bose A20 from a CFI buddy.
Click to expand...
But beware of scammers!
 
That's a good point. I've only been burned once but that was on a motorcycle forum.
 
NC_Flyer said:
UPDATE
I was able to talk with Bose Support reference their Bluetooth's ability to connect to multiple devices. Bose cannot connect to multiple concurrent devices, just like Lightspeed.
My statements are not made to disparage either brand. These are just facts from each brand's "tech support". I am submitting this post as clarification.

Withing this forum discussion Salty (I believe) brought up the point of Bluetooth Master/Slave relationship. It just depends on implementation. I was hoping that the "Master" would be the headset and the slave would be the attached devices. Again, that said, there may be a bit of misconception in terminology as we have heard from others in this discussion.

Be that as it may. Apparently both organizations have the same implementation. Thus my attempt at clarification.

In this discussion we have heard many points of view and for that I'm thankful and hope others have gained some level of knowledge.
For me, I'm still looking for a good used ANR headset.
Thanks to all,
Tim
Click to expand...
So Bose support is bad then lol. It says two connections in their manual.
 
It does say two, but only one can be heard at a time.
Connect an additional mobile device
You can store up to eight paired devices in the headset pairing list, and your headsetcan be actively connected to two devices at a time.
To connect an additional device, use the Bluetooth menu on your device(see page 39).

NOTES: 
• Only one secondary audio source can be heard at a time.
• Secondary audio will never override the intercom.
Click to expand...

pg 40

Be interesting to see how it works in practice.
 
ahmad said:
Ouch!
That's what he said he bought it for.
Click to expand...

The Delta Zulu’s have the CM monitor, not the A30. I have a set of DZ’s and the A30. I love the A30 more than the DZ’s. The DZ’s are nice but the sound clarity and ANR is superb on the Bose.

The DZ CM monitor settings are too sensitive. My Sentry doesn’t go off and that headset won’t shut up when I know there isn’t CM. My exhaust doesn’t go into the plane during flight (twin engine). After landing with the flaps down, yes it happens, but not in flight. It’s impossible in the 310 unless you’re running the heater.
 
SebIp said:
So Bose support is bad then lol. It says two connections in their manual.
Click to expand...

Bose support is TERRIBLE! All offshore.

Lightspeed has some of the best support I’ve seen.
 
Fracpilot said:
The Delta Zulu’s have the CM monitor, not the A30. I have a set of DZ’s and the A30. I love the A30 more than the DZ’s. The DZ’s are nice but the sound clarity and ANR is superb on the Bose.

The DZ CM monitor settings are too sensitive. My Sentry doesn’t go off and that headset won’t shut up when I know there isn’t CM. My exhaust doesn’t go into the plane during flight (twin engine). After landing with the flaps down, yes it happens, but not in flight. It’s impossible in the 310 unless you’re running the heater.
Click to expand...
Had the opposite experience with the A30. Talking would break the ear cups seal. Hated it.

You can adjust the cm alerts on the light speed app so it won't be as sensitive.
 
Racerx said:
Had the opposite experience with the A30. Talking would break the ear cups seal. Hated it.
Click to expand...
Same here...any moderate movement of my head left/right would break the cup seal. Also, the VOX circuit would not 'break' with my voice at a normal level; I had to speak forcefully to get the mic to activate. I had the same issue with VOX issue with the A20, A30 and LS DZ with the latter being the worst in spite of increasing the adjustable mic gain to max. Perhaps it is my voice tone or an intercom issue but two sets of DC One-X's perform flawlessly. Also, the smaller ear cups of the Bose do not accommodate my hearing aids; the LS DZ's have large ear cups that were both comfortable with glasses and accommodate hearing aids. Still, for me, the One-X wins the day. I sold my LS DZ, traded my A20 for a new One-X and will buy another One-X to complete a set of four. One of those will be the A30...just because I will keep trying it because, for what I paid for it, I want to like it :biggrin:.
 
robin ardoin said:
Also, the VOX circuit would not 'break' with my voice at a normal level; I had to speak forcefully to get the mic to activate. I had the same issue with VOX issue with the A20, A30 and LS DZ with the latter being the worst in spite of increasing the adjustable mic gain to max. Perhaps it is my voice tone or an intercom issue but two sets of DC One-X's perform flawlessly.
Click to expand...

If you have an intercom system sitting in front of your radios, and you have an adjustable squelch on the intercom, this is what it’s designed to accommodate. The squelch level could be adjusted lower for the headsets you had the issues with, and it would open the circuit to send the signal to your radios and intercom. This isn’t really a headset problem, but you can run into different headsets that need adjustments to work great in a plane that was previously working great with some other headset. Maybe the benefit of flying clubs is that you have to deal with this all the time….
 
Back to the OP

Nothing about this hobby is inexpensive. If you can't find a good used LightSpeed/Bose/DC whatever your ultimate pick is, just buy new and get on with the lessons with the benefit of a good ANR head set.

Worse case scenario? You quit flying for whatever reason? Sell it on E Bay - always eager people like yourself wanting one.
 
bentmettle said:
If you have an intercom system sitting in front of your radios, and you have an adjustable squelch on the intercom, this is what it’s designed to accommodate. The squelch level could be adjusted lower for the headsets you had the issues with, and it would open the circuit to send the signal to your radios and intercom. This isn’t really a headset problem, but you can run into different headsets that need adjustments to work great in a plane that was previously working great with some other headset. Maybe the benefit of flying clubs is that you have to deal with this all the time….
Click to expand...
I thought that I had tested adjusting the audio panel squelch but I’ll revisit it and report back. Thanks for the suggestion.
 
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