Headsets

cocolos

cocolos

Pre-takeoff checklist
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cocolos
Is there a site out there that has reviews on aviation headsets?

If not what would be a good pair under $300? I'd like to have ANR but I don't think they're worth the $1000 they cost.
 
Well, if you wear a headset for an extended period of time and fly alot, I think ANR is indeed worth $1000. Plus if you have the headset for10 years and fly 100 hours a year, it only adds $1 an hour.

A nifty way to think about it.
 
Go on ebay get a $100 pair of David Clark H10-30s then save your pennies while you use them and get a good ANR set, I too felt like you, I now own 2 pair of Bose A20s that weren't "worth it" The H10-30s are indestructible, cheap and a great spare set for the occasional passenger when you outgrow them.
 
TRY THEM ON FIRST!!

Every noggin is shaped differently, one man's comfort is another man's head vise.
 
I have two DRE-6000 ANR headsets and love them. Ebay is a good place to find used ones and they are a bit of a secret item. I purchased the first one for about $100 and the second one for $50. I had the DRE service people go through the second one and they made it lime new for another $50.
 
cocolos said:
Is there a site out there that has reviews on aviation headsets?

If not what would be a good pair under $300? I'd like to have ANR but I don't think they're worth the $1000 they cost.
Click to expand...

Have you priced hearing aids? :dunno:

Get the best headsets made. Period.
 
If you're on a budget, these are a decent set:
http://www.mypilotstore.com/MyPilotStore/sep/633

I've had a pair of these for ages, but have flown with Lightspeed ANRs for the last 14 years and love them. But I loaned them to a friend to try so put the old Flightcoms on and was duly impressed with just how good they were after 20 years!

Only caveat, the headband is pretty thin and you feel it after awhile. You can either add some of your own padding, or pop a few more dollars for the step up:
http://www.mypilotstore.com/MyPilotStore/sep/632

It has a better headband pad.

On a budget, these are really hard to beat.
 
Deals on top brand/model of ANRs can be found if you look long enough.

From a fellow AOPA forum member, I found some Zulu.2's for about 675 shipped, had about 10 hrs on them when I got it. I really like them.

But for $359, quiettechnologies.com has their Halo model. They have a big following and many say they perform as well as the ANRs. http://www.quiettechnologies.com/st...ndex&cPath=1&zenid=kjln8shvjhntugot24r21odvs6
 
Is it typically expected that if you fly you should have your own headset?

I've just been using the one they have with the rental when I've been taking lessons. Works for me so far.
 
I have had the Zulus for a couple of years and love them. I upgraded from Lightspeed XL15's, which were ANR and about your price range. They are now my passenger headset. The Zulus feel a lot better after 2+ hours of flying. For short trips, it probably doesn't matter.
 
cowman said:
Is it typically expected that if you fly you should have your own headset?

I've just been using the one they have with the rental when I've been taking lessons. Works for me so far.
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I don't know if it is expected, but it seems like it is one of the first thing people buy. Let's say you are hanging around the airport and a buddy says "let's take my 182 and go grab a burger". I suppose you could run over to the FBO and rent a pair. Also, for longer flights, you will really appreciate ANR and lighter clamp pressure (this is the real reason).
 
How much is your hearing worth? Mine was definitely worth the $1,100 that my Bose was. The Bose fit me better and I liked the way it felt on my head better than the Zulu's so that's what I went with. I've got about 80 hours with it so far and XC's as long as 7 hours in the air. Totally worth every penny over the Telex I was using. I'm pretty darn young, and I'd like to keep flying for a long time and I'd like to be able to hear for a long time too.
 
I really like my ANR headset, the Sennheiser HMC250. I believe it sells for $499 new, right in between some of the cheaper ANRs and the high-end BoseA20/Zulu2/S1 products. It's very lightweight and doesn't clamp my head like a lot of the passive headsets I've worn and owned. Have not tried the top line ANR headsets to compare, though.
 
cocolos said:
If not what would be a good pair under $300? I'd like to have ANR but I don't think they're worth the $1000 they cost.
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Compare that to the cost of hearing aids later on. Speaking as one with permanent hearing impairment thanks to too many years of flying before ANR came into existence, i wish I'd had the option the first 25 years I was flying. As far as I'm concerned, ANR is an absolute necessity.

And you can get perfectly good ANR headsets for half that, including the Pilot 17-79 I use.
 
cowman said:
Is it typically expected that if you fly you should have your own headset?
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Yes.
I've just been using the one they have with the rental when I've been taking lessons. Works for me so far.
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Probably not ANR's, so you are losing your hearing a bit at a time every time you fly. That wouldn't work for me.
 
John221us said:
I don't know if it is expected, but it seems like it is one of the first thing people buy. Let's say you are hanging around the airport and a buddy says "let's take my 182 and go grab a burger". I suppose you could run over to the FBO and rent a pair. Also, for longer flights, you will really appreciate ANR and lighter clamp pressure (this is the real reason).
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The other advantage is you don't pick up someone else's cooties.
 
People are referencing hearing loss. Just curious, do passive sets result in noise levels that will cause hearing loss? Is ANR necessary if you don't want to lose your hearing?
 
ANRs are definitely worth the money, but if you don't have it right now, ANY hearing protection beats NO hearing protection. Get what you can afford now, then start saving your nickels for the ANRs. All very good. The Lightspeeds Sierra is a nice set in the mid range. The Bose and Lightspeed Zulu's compete for the top end. I went with Zulus since they took my 12 year pair of ANRs in trade and gave me $400 for them, for a net cost of $200 over the course of 12 years use. I thought that was a great deal, so honored their generosity with my continued patronage. Love the Zulus.
 
Additional options to look at are Clarity Aloft and Quiet Technologies Halo. Both are light weight and function by putting what amounts to foam ear plugs in your ears.

Both my wife and I use the Clarity Alofts. I can't tell you how they compare to ANR but I do know they are quieter than DCs.
 
ANR is necessary if you fly around 25+ hrs a month, or if you fly a R985, Garrett, or other loud plane.

If you are flying something like 10hrs a month in a 172/PA28/cirrus/etc a nice set of David Clarks with the gels will do just fine.

IMO all the guys that put some hours on their headsets tend to lean towards:

Lightspeed (ANR), I've been running the Zulus at work for 3 years not, I like em, minus they are made in china which kinda sucks.

Bose (ANR), lots of guys like them, they seem fine when I've worn them

David Clark (passive), industry standard headset, MANY guys from backcountry pilots to acro guys swear by them.

My pax set is a DC 10-56 with the oregon aero goodies
(http://www.oregonaero.com/headset-upgrades/headset-upgrade-kits),
ALMOST as quiet as my Zulus. Basically DCs are like the Zippo lighter of headsets, they will last forever, made in the US and have great customer support.
 
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F01LA said:
People are referencing hearing loss. Just curious, do passive sets result in noise levels that will cause hearing loss? Is ANR necessary if you don't want to lose your hearing?
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Passives mitigate much of the damaging noise, dropping the db level 20-25 points, which brings the typical cockpit noise level into an OSHA-acceptable range. Adding ANR drops that several points further. Obviously, more is better, but the drop from nothing to passive is much greater than passive to ANR, so the initial protection comes with a good passive.

Here's an FAA publication on the topic:
http://www.faa.gov/pilots/safety/pilotsafetybrochures/media/hearing_brochure.pdf

Here's a page where you can pick several sets and compare specs. Unfortunately, they don't have the db drops on all the ANRs.
http://www.mypilotstore.com/mypilotstore/aviation-headsets/#
 
NineThreeKilo said:
David Clark (passive), industry standard headset, MANY guys from backcountry pilots to acro guys swear by them.
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I've never worn DCs without coming away from the plane with a splitting headache. I think a big part of their "protection" is clamping your skull like a 100 lb. vice.

Whatever you think you're going to get, try to borrow a pair to see how they perform on at least a two hour flight.
 
NineThreeKilo said:
If you are flying something like 10hrs a month in a 172/PA28/cirrus/etc a nice set of David Clarks with the gels will do just fine.
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Don't bet your hearing on that. Losing a money bet is one thing (you can always earn more), but your hearing is irreplaceable.
 
LDJones said:
I've never worn DCs without coming away from the plane with a splitting headache. I think a big part of their "protection" is clamping your skull like a 100 lb. vice.

Whatever you think you're going to get, try to borrow a pair to see how they perform on at least a two hour flight.
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Agreed. They aren't called David clamps for nothin'. I don't get nor understand the DC hype. People are always amazed they they work for so long. I am less impressed by how long something lasts if it only does the bare minimum.
 
You guys make a good point. I will shoot for A20. Any advice on headsets for passengers? won't be having too many so just need something decent.
 
cocolos said:
You guys make a good point. I will shoot for A20. Any advice on headsets for passengers? won't be having too many so just need something decent.
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Our passengers use his old DC's and my old Telex. Unless a passenger is a pilot friend and then they're smart enough to bring their own :lol:
 
I have the Lightspeed 15XLc ANR headset. I bought them new and to this day I have no complaints.

I also have a pair of David Clark H10-20s as a spare. I feel pretty terrible for anyone using those DCs. I bought those used and made them new by putting gel seals, fuzzy headband and spit sponge on the mic. I will say they are light and comfy but that IS all. The DCs do a poor job at reducing noise. The frequency curve of the speaker in the headset is EXTREMELY fatiguing. Its difficult to explain but imagine turning down the bass and mids on your stereo and listening just to the highs. The engine drone and this headset is a nasty combination no matter how short/long your flight is. In all fairness, I don't know if other David Clarks are like this but this was enough to know I will never entertain purchasing another pair.

Whenever I need to purchase another headset it will be Lightspeed again.
 
What are the most comfortable headset you ever had on your head? A20s?
 
I use a Quiet Technlogies Halo and I'm quite fond of it. I doubt there are many ANR headsets out there that provides the hearing protection that these do.

In every plane I get into, I have to turn down the radio (or the volume on the headset) because it seems loud with all of the noise gone. I took one of the ear plugs out during flight the other day and was startled with how loud the plane is.

They're similar to industrial foam earplug hearing protection, but with a tube through the middle that lets the radio in.

They're lightweight (youu forget they're there), don't have a seal that sunglasses can interfere with, and you don't have to take them off to put a ballcap on.

I like mine a lot.
 
This is right up there with a Ford vs Chevy debate...

I started with these: http://www.sportys.com/PilotShop/product/9567 Not bad, but I soon realized the drone of the engine would get to me. Super comfy to wear.

And to counter all the DC hate:
I didn't want to spend $1000 either, so I opted for the DC H10-13X and couldn't be more happy. So much so that I bought a second pair for my wife. I am happy with the purchase. Maybe someday I'll upgrade to the Bose or LighSpeed, but the DCs work for me right now. http://www.sportys.com/PilotShop/product/9020. I bought them on eBay for about $500 each.
 
zulu or a20 im thinking a20 because i love bose product and the qc 15 but never tried zulu
 
Lightspeed customer service is much better than Bose.
 
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