Headset needed

B

buraian

Filing Flight Plan
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Nov 18, 2007
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Buraian
I've just started my private pilot training and would like to buy my own headset to keep my rental expenses down. It doesn't have to be pretty or noise-cancelling, as long as it works.

If anyone wants to unload their old headset, please let me know.

Cheers,
-Brian*
1.6 hrs logged! Woo-hoo!
 
mikea said:
Brian, you'll want to budget at least $125 to $180 for a decent passive headset.

You don't get to get your hearing back once it's gone.

Look for Pilot, FlightCom or Sigtronics
http://spinnerspilotshop.com/cgi-lo...SA.html?L+scstore+bndl8852ff0bea0b+1202200867
Somebody will say Dave Clark but that's the most expensive.
Click to expand...
Nonsense:
www.tinaspilotshop.com
Try the above website. They are based in North Texas and one of the best collections of people around.
Plus they sell a private label of the Lightspeed QFR solo for only 100, including shipping. These guys really have some of the best values in pilot equipment around. Period. Ask Danos, who has been wearing the baseline headset in a whole collection of high performance singles and twins. It's quieter and more comfortable than my David Clark. (BTW I picked up my DC's on ebay, 60 for the used headset, plus 60 to bring to like new is a good deal on a pair of DC's. Just be sure not to buy a helicopter model.)
 
When I stopped selling aviation handheld radios and such, I still got a lot of calls because I'm still listed with Vertex Standard (I'll get back into it later this year). So, I looked around at various pilot shops on-line so I can point folks to a good option.

The two shops I found with the lowest prices are Skygeek.com followed by Spinner's Pilot Shop, previously mentioned. I quit selling on eBay because couldn't even compete with Skygeek after I paid expenses unless it's the very high-end products.

I'd offer to help ya out at cost but by the time shipping cost are added in, you'd be better off going to Skygeek. But, do consider adding in any training materials you might need. They are almost always cheaper from Skygeek than going to your local pilot shop.

As was said, spend what you can. Don't sacrifice quality and protection of your hearing.

Good luck with the search!
 
Where are you located? i.e, at what airport are you training...?

I have a generic headset I won as a door prize that is unused. Has a flex boom microphone and individual volume controls for each earpiece. They do not have active noise-cancelling. If you're not too far away I could get them to you.

buraian said:
I've just started my private pilot training and would like to buy my own headset to keep my rental expenses down. It doesn't have to be pretty or noise-cancelling, as long as it works.

If anyone wants to unload their old headset, please let me know.

Cheers,
-Brian*
1.6 hrs logged! Woo-hoo!
Click to expand...
 
Second the recommendation for LightSPEED. I've been using the QFR SoloC since early 2004. I just replaced the earseals and puff protector last month...only thing that I've had done to them, and I use them A LOT. They've worked wonderfully in everything from the Skyhawk to the twin turboprop, and all for cheap. I don't know anything about LS's other products, but the QFRs have proved to be a great and affordable first headset. That said, no way I'm giving mine away :). Good luck in the hunt for the perfect headset, though, and welcome to the community of aviation!
 
This my "protect your hearing" rant...

if you buy a cheap headset that doesn't have active noise cancellation, go buy yourself some good, and cheap, foam earplugs that are rated at 29dB noise reduction. You can get them at any drug store. Don't buy the wax ones or the plastic ones.

I have a cheap pair of Sennheisers that I bought for 50 bucks when I was doing my training that I still use when I'm not provided with the stupidly expensive BOSE headsets, and I always wear my earplugs underneath the Sennheiser headset.

I measured the loudness of a Cessna 152 with my decibel meter once. On A weighting, it was 96dB at full rental power (pretty much full throttle at cruise) and according to OSHA, you can only take about 4 hours per day of that before you will suffer permanent hearing damage. FWIW, at C weighting, it was over 110dB, which you can only take about a half hour of before permanent hearing damage.

And also, FWIW, I do both audio and fly for a living, and my hearing has not been trashed since I started flying airplanes......
except for the days that I had to fly at 11K' and work in the studio......my ears would get clogged and I wouldn't even realize it till I had been recording for three hours.....imagine my surprise when all of a sudden, all the treble came crashing in right after I let out a big fat yawn........
 
buraian said:
I've just started my private pilot training and would like to buy my own headset to keep my rental expenses down. It doesn't have to be pretty or noise-cancelling, as long as it works.

If anyone wants to unload their old headset, please let me know.

Cheers,
-Brian*
1.6 hrs logged! Woo-hoo!
Click to expand...
I'm one of the David Clark supporters. Yes, they're a bit more expensive, but it doesn't really matter because they will last FOREVER and they've got an amazing warranty if you ever have a problem (unlikely). And unlike the cheaper brands, they're virtually indestructible.

You can buy a new DC 13.4 for $300. I did when I first started my training, and I still use that as my primary headset. You really can't go wrong with that.

-Felix
 
deafsound said:
This my "protect your hearing" rant...

if you buy a cheap headset that doesn't have active noise cancellation, go buy yourself some good, and cheap, foam earplugs that are rated at 29dB noise reduction......
Click to expand...

Better yet, buy the headset with the plugs built in and be a lot more comfortable. I recently bought a Clarity Aloft set, and there is no way I'd ever go back to headvises errrr...headsets. I have flown with the Bose, and yes, they are probably the ultimate for noise reduction (Although the new Lightspeeds are making motions for that claim), however, I thought they were just a bit too quiet, I like hearing the engine, I think it's important to hear the engine.... and they are still not comfortable on a long run and have a conflict with sunglasses.
 
Henning said:
Better yet, buy the headset with the plugs built in and be a lot more comfortable. I recently bought a Clarity Aloft set, and there is no way I'd ever go back to headvises errrr...headsets. I have flown with the Bose, and yes, they are probably the ultimate for noise reduction (Although the new Lightspeeds are making motions for that claim), however, I thought they were just a bit too quiet, I like hearing the engine, I think it's important to hear the engine.... and they are still not comfortable on a long run and have a conflict with sunglasses.
Click to expand...

My dad tried the Clarity Aloft's last year. He said even in the rattling tin-can RV, they are MUCH quieter than any other headset he had ever tried - and an added bonus: He can wear sunglasses comfortably! He went back to get another pair for my mom and noticed that everyone else has figured out that they are good too - the price reflected the increase in D in the S&D curve. He found another company making a VERY similar product (I'll have to search for their name) for a noticeably lower price. He bought that set and compared with the Clarity's are just as comfortable and quiet. They are on my "wish-list" at this point.
 
CJones said:
My dad tried the Clarity Aloft's last year. He said even in the rattling tin-can RV, they are MUCH quieter than any other headset he had ever tried - and an added bonus: He can wear sunglasses comfortably! He went back to get another pair for my mom and noticed that everyone else has figured out that they are good too - the price reflected the increase in D in the S&D curve. He found another company making a VERY similar product (I'll have to search for their name) for a noticeably lower price. He bought that set and compared with the Clarity's are just as comfortable and quiet. They are on my "wish-list" at this point.
Click to expand...
Lightspeed has a comparable product, the Mach 1. I was between than and a Zulu. I opted for the Zulu, but it was close.
 
gprellwitz said:
Lightspeed has a comparable product, the Mach 1. I was between than and a Zulu. I opted for the Zulu, but it was close.
Click to expand...
How are you liking your Zulu? I have been switching back and forth between it and my DC. With the exception of the bluetooth, I am liking the DC better. I may end up parting with my Zulu.
 
smigaldi said:
How are you liking your Zulu? I have been switching back and forth between it and my DC. With the exception of the bluetooth, I am liking the DC better. I may end up parting with my Zulu.
Click to expand...
Well I got the Zulu for Leslie for Christmas. I think she's flown maybe once since then!:mad: I got a Thirty-3G for myself and will be doing the upgrade to the Zulu when it becomes available. They're talking about April or so for the upgrade program.
 
sba55 said:
And unlike the cheaper brands, they're virtually indestructible.
Click to expand...
However, those "cheaper" brands may have superior electronics.

Much is said about how DCs don't need to be sent back to the factory etc even after being run over by a truck, however, if another headset, say, a Lightspeed, has superior performance but needs to go back every three years or so for a refurb that happens to be free and quick, then I don't really see what you gain by going with the "indestructible" ones.

Signed,
7 different headsets. Used to be 8, but I gave the DCs away.
 
smigaldi said:
How are you liking your Zulu? I have been switching back and forth between it and my DC. With the exception of the bluetooth, I am liking the DC better. I may end up parting with my Zulu.
Click to expand...

What don't you like about the Zulu, Scott? I've been very tempted by the Zulu (my ears are too small for the Mach 1, I fear), but find it hard to justify spending the money when my SoloCs are still working. As long as they don't totally suck, I might be able to help you part with the Zulus.
 
Teller1900 said:
my ears are too small for the Mach 1, I fear
Click to expand...
You can get custom molds for the earpieces that are both more comfortable and provide better noise attenuation. You get fitted for them at an audiologist.
 
gprellwitz said:
You can get custom molds for the earpieces that are both more comfortable and provide better noise attenuation. You get fitted for them at an audiologist.
Click to expand...

I had that type of ear mold for my IFB when I was at the TV station...even that got uncomfortable for me after a while. When I had them made, the audiologist said I have rather small ear canals for someone my size. It makes even the fitted ear molds uncomfortable after a couple hours.
 
Ken Ibold said:
Much is said about how DCs don't need to be sent back to the factory etc even after being run over by a truck, however, if another headset, say, a Lightspeed, has superior performance but needs to go back every three years or so for a refurb that happens to be free and quick, then I don't really see what you gain by going with the "indestructible" ones.
Click to expand...
Sure, things might look a bit differently with ANR headsets. I wouldn't go with a DC if I wanted ANR.

With a passive headset, though, I want reliability and quality, two things I get from DC and less so from Lightspeed.

-Felix
 
sba55 said:
Sure, things might look a bit differently with ANR headsets. I wouldn't go with a DC if I wanted ANR.
Click to expand...
I tried the X11, an ANR from DC (I think that's the model number) at Oshkosh last year. I was extremely unimpressed by the noise reduction of it.
 
gprellwitz said:
I tried the X11, an ANR from DC (I think that's the model number) at Oshkosh last year. I was extremely unimpressed by the noise reduction of it.
Click to expand...
DC really seems to have missed the target with its ANR headsets. I'm not really sure why. The X11 would have been my next headset if it didn't perform so poorly.
 
I took a pair of virtually indestructible DCs (more importantly, long-since paid-for DCs), and installed the Headsets, Inc. ANR upgrade. Very, very impressed am I with the noise cancellation- it's almost freaky to have all the loud noise just "slurp away," replaced by the whishing sound of wind by the window.

Nonetheless, I may have to try a Clarity Aloft or equivalent, as I like the lightweight design and apparent comfort, and a good friend raves at great length about how great his are.
 
sba55 said:
DC really seems to have missed the target with its ANR headsets. I'm not really sure why. The X11 would have been my next headset if it didn't perform so poorly.
Click to expand...

SCCutler said:
I took a pair of virtually indestructible DCs (more importantly, long-since paid-for DCs), and installed the Headsets, Inc. ANR upgrade. Very, very impressed am I with the noise cancellation- it's almost freaky to have all the loud noise just "slurp away," replaced by the whishing sound of wind by the window....
Click to expand...

You would think that David Clark would have the sense to simply resell and install the Headsets, Inc. electronics (if THEY even make that) - even give them a few R&D bucks to improve it.

Then David Clark can go back to what they really specialized in, spacesuits and ladies brassieres.
 
SCCutler said:
Nonetheless, I may have to try a Clarity Aloft or equivalent, as I like the lightweight design and apparent comfort, and a good friend raves at great length about how great his are.
Click to expand...

I really, really like mine. I won't go back to clamp cups.
 
What I really want is one of those helmets that the air force uses, together with the oxygen mask and microphone. I got to wear one of those during my high altitude training, and not only do they have great passive noise reduction, they look cool, work up to 85,000', and Headset, Inc. even makes a ANR module for them! :D
 
CJones said:
My dad tried the Clarity Aloft's last year. He said even in the rattling tin-can RV, they are MUCH quieter than any other headset he had ever tried - and an added bonus: He can wear sunglasses comfortably! He went back to get another pair for my mom and noticed that everyone else has figured out that they are good too - the price reflected the increase in D in the S&D curve. He found another company making a VERY similar product (I'll have to search for their name) for a noticeably lower price. He bought that set and compared with the Clarity's are just as comfortable and quiet. They are on my "wish-list" at this point.
Click to expand...


The similar set I was thinking of is called "Quiet Technologies" (http://www.quiettechnologies.com/). If I remember correctly, they have been reviewed by a NASA flight surgeon and given the 'thumbs-up'.

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=17603
 
sba55 said:
What I really want is one of those helmets that the air force uses, together with the oxygen mask and microphone. I got to wear one of those during my high altitude training, and not only do they have great passive noise reduction, they look cool, work up to 85,000', and Headset, Inc. even makes a ANR module for them! :D
Click to expand...

I can put the cups from any headset (except those monsterous Lightspeed cups) in mine very simply. They bare nice for flying in a tight tube frame cockpit in turbulence or in a subzero temp plane, but outside of that, they aren't very comfortable or practical, and unless you have a positive pressure mask clipped fed by the airconditioner clipped on, they get really hot.
 
CJones said:
The similar set I was thinking of is called "Quiet Technologies" (http://www.quiettechnologies.com/). If I remember correctly, they have been reviewed by a NASA flight surgeon and given the 'thumbs-up'.
Click to expand...
I tried the Quiet Technologies "Halo". My problem was that in one of the airplanes I fly, even with the volume all the way up, it was not loud enough, in fact it was almost inaudible. I sent it back to have the volume adjusted, which made things slightly better, but not great. The strange thing was that I tried the Halo in other airplanes and it worked fine. With the volume turned up I could hear the audio without even having the earplugs in my ears. The manufacturer and I both came to the conclusion that it had something to do with incompatibility between the headset and this particular airplane's intercom system. All through this process the manufacturer (who I believe is a one-man-show) was very accommodating. He ended up giving me a full refund. I ended up buying the Clarity Aloft which works just fine in all the airplanes I fly.
 
Everskyward said:
I tried the Quiet Technologies "Halo". My problem was that in one of the airplanes I fly, even with the volume all the way up, it was not loud enough, in fact it was almost inaudible. I sent it back to have the volume adjusted, which made things slightly better, but not great. The strange thing was that I tried the Halo in other airplanes and it worked fine. With the volume turned up I could hear the audio without even having the earplugs in my ears. The manufacturer and I both came to the conclusion that it had something to do with incompatibility between the headset and this particular airplane's intercom system. All through this process the manufacturer (who I believe is a one-man-show) was very accommodating. He ended up giving me a full refund. I ended up buying the Clarity Aloft which works just fine in all the airplanes I fly.
Click to expand...

Interesting. JOOC - have you ever noticed having to turn up the volume on standard "head vise" headsets for that particular a/c? I wonder if the audio panel output was a little weak or something? Could also be the impedence within the system. If one is running at 4ohm and the other at 8ohm, it would probably cause some issues - I'm sure deafsound could enlighten us about impedence standardization throughout a speaker/amp system.
 
CJones said:
Interesting. JOOC - have you ever noticed having to turn up the volume on standard "head vise" headsets for that particular a/c?
Click to expand...
No. I have used my old DCs and my new(ish) Claritys in that airplane with no noticeable difference from other airplanes. The other two people who fly the airplane don't have any problem with their headsets either. One has a ANR Telex and the other one has DCs.

CJones said:
I wonder if the audio panel output was a little weak or something? Could also be the impedence within the system. If one is running at 4ohm and the other at 8ohm, it would probably cause some issues - I'm sure deafsound could enlighten us about impedence standardization throughout a speaker/amp system.
Click to expand...
It would be interesting to know the reason. It was puzzling to both myself and the Halo guy. I wouldn't be surprised if it has some strangely designed sound system. The British did some different things judging by the rest of the airplane...
 
I have to say this post is taking a scary turn.
The OP comes on looking for something cheap so that he can fly, and maybe even get a decent deal off somebody on the board getting rid of their 'sets, and pretty soon people are scaring him off declaring he NEEDS a pair of $325 dollar headsets. BS. A pilot with 1.6 hours doesn't need anything above the most basic ear protection. In fact, I'd bet nobody who rents an aircraft is going to fly enough to start getting into the territory that deafsound mentioned with hearing loss. (IE four hours a day) With the 20 some dB's of protection a basic headset provides, flying one hour a week is not going to cause permanent hearing loss. In fact, most of the old time pilots who flew DC-3's with a headset that covered only one ear had the biggest hearing loss from the ear that was covered. Many pilots turn the audio up waaay too loud, and blast their hearing out that way. Don't even get me started on the people blasting their iPods on the subway.
If you are really worried about hearing loss, go and buy some decent earplugs to wear under your headset. Probably will work better than all the electronic wizardry at protecting the critical ranges of your hearing anyways.
When you start flying 20 hours a week and getting paid for it, then fine, go ahead and buy the 1000 dollar headset.

IMHO this is what is totally wrong with GA. We go off scaring somebody who is scrapping together just enough money to rent a plane for a few hours a month, telling they all the 325 dollar things they need to have. Pretty soon we will be saying that pilots who don't fly with 1400 dollar handheld GPS units are going to get lost and die horrible deaths.
We eat our young by pricing them out of flying with the stupid accessories.
 
OP here. Heh-heh. Don't worry, I haven't been scared off. In fact, you've all been very helpful, which is one of the things I love about the GA community. Someone even offered me a free pair, which was far more than I hoped for.

I'm very protective of my hearing and wouldn't wear a headset that didn't provide adequate protection. But I agree with those who say that it isn't necessary to spend a fortune. If I were flying an open cockpit biplane or something like that (ah to dream), I might be a little more concerned. But I haven't found the C-172s I've flown in so far to be all that deafening.

...Wait... Does that mean I've already damaged my hearing?!!! :hairraise:

-Brian*
 
Couldn't've said it better my self....:no::no: :)

infotango said:
,,,

,,,,

IMHO this is what is totally wrong with GA. We go off scaring somebody who is scrapping together just enough money to rent a plane for a few hours a month, telling they all the 325 dollar things they need to have. Pretty soon we will be saying that pilots who don't fly with 1400 dollar handheld GPS units are going to get lost and die horrible deaths.
We eat our young by pricing them out of flying with the stupid accessories.
Click to expand...
 
Henning said:
I can put the cups from any headset (except those monsterous Lightspeed cups) in mine very simply. They bare nice for flying in a tight tube frame cockpit in turbulence or in a subzero temp plane, but outside of that, they aren't very comfortable or practical, and unless you have a positive pressure mask clipped fed by the airconditioner clipped on, they get really hot.
Click to expand...
Practicality is obviously not the reason that I want one of those helmets :D
 
infotango said:
IMHO this is what is totally wrong with GA. We go off scaring somebody who is scrapping together just enough money to rent a plane for a few hours a month, telling they all the 325 dollar things they need to have. Pretty soon we will be saying that pilots who don't fly with 1400 dollar handheld GPS units are going to get lost and die horrible deaths.
We eat our young by pricing them out of flying with the stupid accessories.
Click to expand...
Huh? Who's scaring off anyone?

The OP asked for recommendations. Presumably, if he's asking, he's curious to learn more about the various options he has. No, he doesn't need a $1000 headset, nor any headset whatsoever. But I'm sure he appreciates learning about these options.

-Felix
 
infotango said:
I have to say this post is taking a scary turn.
The OP comes on looking for something cheap so that he can fly, and maybe even get a decent deal off somebody on the board getting rid of their 'sets, and pretty soon people are scaring him off declaring he NEEDS a pair of $325 dollar headsets. BS. A pilot with 1.6 hours doesn't need anything above the most basic ear protection.
Click to expand...

Well, I spent $80 on a crappy headset when I started flying, and maybe $425 on a better one a year later. If I'd have just spent the $425 to begin with, I'd have had enough dough to fly another hour in the long run.

I guess the best thing to do is to figure out what you're going to want in the long run. For the pilot who's got a family and barely enough dough to go flying for an hour or two every month or two, maybe the cheapo's are a better deal. For someone with a bit more money who's a bit more serious, it might be better to go straight for the expensive stuff. And, that's not only headsets, but other stuff. My plastic/cardboard E6B has been replaced with a metal one now too, and the same goes for a number of accessories that I started with.
 
Teller1900 said:
What don't you like about the Zulu, Scott? I've been very tempted by the Zulu (my ears are too small for the Mach 1, I fear), but find it hard to justify spending the money when my SoloCs are still working. As long as they don't totally suck, I might be able to help you part with the Zulus.
Click to expand...

Teller,

If you don't want to spring for the Zulu's and you like your QFR solo, there is a headset that's basically a QFR solo with ANR that Lightspeed makes for Aircraft Spruce:

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/avpages/skycomIIANR.php

For the OP, I think the Lightspeed QFR Solo is a very good passive headset. I personally have a Lightspeed Twenty 3G ANR and I'm VERY happy with it, planning on adding a Zulu sooner or later.
 
Ken Ibold said:
However, those "cheaper" brands may have superior electronics.

Much is said about how DCs don't need to be sent back to the factory etc even after being run over by a truck, however, if another headset, say, a Lightspeed, has superior performance but needs to go back every three years or so for a refurb that happens to be free and quick, then I don't really see what you gain by going with the "indestructible" ones.
Click to expand...

And the funny thing is, everyone (including me) will tell you how great Lightspeed's customer service is, with the caveat that at some point you'll probably find out how great their service is, while the few people who have actually had to deal with DC's customer service have said that it sucks.
 
And there's me, hanging out in the corner by myself with my Softcomm C-90 headsets. ANR. Paid less than $300 on line for the second pair for my wife when I got my PPL in 2001. Have had exactly ZERO problems with either pair. They work great. And I get the feeling on these boards that I'm the only customer they ever had, although I know that can't be right. :D
 
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