Headsets for Wife and Kids

[Jackk]

QCs do just fine. Not sure if you are saying they are crap or not, but if you are, you're wrong. They do better than my flightcom ANR.

Saying they are good

 

[Doug States]

I highly recommend Lightspeed Sierra's. They are $650 new, but you can get $150 off each one by sending in some old broken David Clark headsets. I did that for both of mine. If you don't have any old broken DC headsets, I'm sure some of your flying buddies will. The Sierra's have ANR, bluetooth (to connect to their phones/ipads) and are comfortable.

You really don't want to skimp on hearing protection. Your family will enjoy flying more and they won't have damaged hearing.

 

[Dave Theisen]

This is what bose says about using the qc 35 for an aviation communication headset.

Do NOT use the headphones as aviation communication headsets except in case of emergency.

– No incoming audio will be heard with a discharged or improperly installed battery. This could result in the potential of missed communications while piloting an aircraft.

– Extremely loud ambient noise levels common to many propeller-driven aircraft may impair your ability to receive incoming audio communications, particularly during takeoff and climb out.

– The headphones are not engineered for noise conditions, altitude, temperature or other environmental conditions common in non-commercial aircraft, resulting in possible interference to critical communications

811772_og_quietcomfort-35-wireless-ii_en.pdf (bose.com)

Are we really worried about the kids in the back missing an ATC call?

 

[CJones]

I wear a QT Halo in-ear headset, and I prefer it to any other headset I've ever tried, but I'm used to wearing ear plugs all day at work. It weighs nothing, and noise reduction is better than just about anything except maybe the highest end ANR. My wife is not a fan of earplugs, however, and has tiny ear canals.
Might spend a little more on her. She's been wearing an old passive Telex set for too long.

That's fair. In-ear doesn't suit everyone.

With that in mind, we've had good success with the various Lightspeed line of headsets.

 

[schmookeeg]

Since the "wait, what, you bought a plane you can't afford to equip with headsets?" angle has already been explored and deflected (and no need to follow up with my second "well then how will you fuel and maintain this thing? minimally? Five-bucks-in-the-left-main-please?") -- my third tangential question:

Does ANR really protect hearing? I thought it worked by sending an opposing (but "just as loud") sound to counteract the perception of the noise, but the volume is still there?

I'd probably second the David Clamps recommendation. My wife hated hers and we got her a set of One-X that she loves. I like her One-X's better than my A20s, but I feel the clamps did the job of protecting hearing for like $200. There is an ANR retrofit for the 10-13s IIRC that might be interesting to make the 400-500 net cost work out.

 

[CJones]

Does ANR really protect hearing? I thought it worked by sending an opposing (but "just as loud") sound to counteract the perception of the noise, but the volume is still there?

I've wondered about that as well. Assuming it is offsetting waves of the same amplitude and frequency of the noise, does that mean you're ear drum is getting hit with the same amount of pressure, just less fluctuation in the pressure?

 

[Jim K]

I've wondered about that as well. Assuming it is offsetting waves of the same amplitude and frequency of the noise, does that mean you're ear drum is getting hit with the same amount of pressure, just less fluctuation in the pressure?

Which is why I wouldn't consider ANR headsets without passive NR close to that of old fashioned DC's. Eventually you're going to run out of batteries. My cfii had a pair of those little on- the-ear ANR DC's (one-x?). He loved them because they were so light, but more than once I had to loan him batteries.

 

[JOhnH]

I've wondered about that as well. Assuming it is offsetting waves of the same amplitude and frequency of the noise, does that mean you're ear drum is getting hit with the same amount of pressure, just less fluctuation in the pressure?

I have often wondered about that too. I have asked the question several times of several people. (including SGOTI s well as multiple Doctors of Audiology. Many people had an opinion, but nobody would say so with any authority. I'm still interested.

I do know that after a long flight wiht ANRs, I have more trouble hearing for several hours. This fact has had me consider giving up flying several times.

 

[Half Fast]

Assuming it is offsetting waves of the same amplitude and frequency of the noise, does that mean you're ear drum is getting hit with the same amount of pressure, just less fluctuation in the pressure?

Your hearing is AC coupled; it's responding to pressure fluctuations, which are reduced. You can't "hear" a constant pressure. If there's more or less steady-state pressure, that's similar to what your ear experiences as it goes up and down in altitude anyway. So yes, your ear is being protected by the ANR.

 

[Daleandee]

Another consideration of over the ear headsets in general is the effect of the sound waves beating against the ear cups themselves. With in-ear sets this is not a problem. I've noticed different PNR & ANR sets have different approaches to this concern whether it is changing the shape of the ear cup or using a different (softer/harder) material. I'm certain in the design of headsets (at least the higher end manufacturers) every part of the design is scrutinized.

 

[schmookeeg]

Your hearing is AC coupled; it's responding to pressure fluctuations, which are reduced. You can't "hear" a constant pressure. If there's more or less steady-state pressure, that's similar to what your ear experiences as it goes up and down in altitude anyway. So yes, your ear is being protected by the ANR.

Thanks. I didn't know if the mechanism of hearing loss was the oscillations on the eardrum, or only the amount of pressure they're receiving (solid state). This helps frame it for me

 

[Whitney]

I have often wondered about that too. I have asked the question several times of several people. (including SGOTI s well as multiple Doctors of Audiology. Many people had an opinion, but nobody would say so with any authority. I'm still interested.

I do know that after a long flight wiht ANRs, I have more trouble hearing for several hours. This fact has had me consider giving up flying several times.

I prefer my old DC passive headset, to my Bose A20 headset. It's time to sell the Bose, they are not nearly as good as I had hoped.

 

[IK04]

I'm sorry, but $700-900 is too damn much to pay for a stupid headset. Those things are pure profit for the manufacturers.

I'll stick with my David Clarks (non-ANR) and enjoy my excellent hearing.

I wore a well fitted helmet while flying in the noisiest cockpit ever for 25 years and my hearing is just as good as it was 30 years ago, minus the usual notch caused by being so damn old...

 

[Brad W]

I'm no medical professional, but I'm married to one....and I used to work in vibration analysis...and also I've studied the physiology of the ear a fair bit.... my understanding, it's all about vibration of the ear drum. IF the cancellation sound is 100% perfectly out of phase and 100% perfectly equal amplitude, then my understanding is that the eardrum would not vibrate and therefore would not move the fluid...bend the hair in the cochlea, etc...

The thing I haven't wrapped my head around is the sound coming in through conduction...bone conduction or whatever. I can't understand how the microphone in the ear cup would be able to do much with that.

The other thing is how much error can happen in the "anti-noise" phase and amplitude in practice due to any sorts of possible variables...