In the market for a nice headset

RyanB

RyanB

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Went to a bose store today and tried on an A20 (amazing headset) just didnt like the price. However im still considering it. I hear a nice headset makes all the difference in your flying. Anyone recommend a nice headset for the money?
 
Many like the light speed, I own the A20 and have bought 2 new and 2 used. Keep your eye out. You should be able to pick an A20 up for $750 or so.

Other with chime in with some good choices but I do enjoy my Bose.
 
After highlighting all the ANR offerings out there one of my students just ordered the Sennheiser. It looks like a lot of bang for the buck. Anxious to try it out.
 
Ryanb said:
Went to a bose store today and tried on an A20 (amazing headset) just didnt like the price. However im still considering it. I hear a nice headset makes all the difference in your flying. Anyone recommend a nice headset for the money?
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With headsets you are gonna get what you pay for and there are feature that will cost a little more too. If you are gonna be flying long durations, you might want to make sure the headset is lightweight and comfortable.

Two types of headsets:
Passive - basically the earmuffs muffle the sound
Active - like the Bose Quietcomfort headphones they use some techno magic to reduce sound in the headset(the A20 has this) and are a lot quieter than passive headsets

You can also get ones that have an audio jack to plug your iphone/ipad into to listen to music while you fly, or some(A20 included) are able to connect to those same devices through bluetooth.

All depends on how much you want to spend and what features you want.
If you just want a basic headset I would look at the David Clark H10-13.4. I fly usually 3 hours max in a small plane and it is comfortable to me. Durable too and David Clark has excellent customer service.
 
I guess I need to try somebody because I got 2 pair off amazon called Rugged I think and they've been fine for me. I mean I know they don't have features (bluetooth etc) but I wonder if a good headset makes any difference with a cheesy radio...
 
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I have a pair of the Bose A20's and love them. They're comfortable and the noise canceling is great. They were expensive but worth it.
 
I have old David Clarks and had Headset Inc put the ANR kit in them for $250. I love em.
 
The A20 is like the Toyota Camry commercial. The A20 seems to be the reference standard for which others are compared -
- less expensive than
- better or worse ANR
- more or less clamping

I've got two pairs of A20s - bought them both new. Yep, a little expensive, but the comfort and NR quality is huge when flying door-less helicopters and I don't think it gets better.
 
Im debating the A20's and the Lightspeed zulu 2's.
 
The Zulu 2 headsets are a better fit and better sound than the Bose for my taste. That weird headband on the Bose hits the square corners on my head. The only thing better than the Zulu 2 are the new Lightspeed PFX headsets. These will blow your mind. Bluetooth in a little music on a long flight and the sound quality is simply stunning. They sound soooooo good my friend who loves his old headsets decided to try them at Oshkosh. I warned him not to try them as he was going to like them too much. He would not listen. We bought two pair of the PFX. He was blown away by the sound quality. They also have a feature that allows you to adjust bass, treble, and voice quality via a smartphone or Ipad. The voice quality adjustment really helps when listening to some of the ATC controllers. These are really fantastic. Heck I did not even want a new set as I really liked my Zulu 2 headset, I just tried them out to see what all the hype was about. I found out it was true !!!!!
 
I'm really happy with my Lightspeed Sierra...somewhere around $650.
 
I love my Halo headset from Quiet Technologies.

I started with the Lightspeed Zulus. I don't miss the constant battery changes, head clamping and Bluetooth.

The Halos are so comfortable I forget I'm wearing them. I think the noise reduction is the same too.

http://www.quiettechnologies.com
 
I'll second the Clarity Aloft, super lightweight, fantastic sound and mic quality and very good passive noise protection once you figure out the right size and how to put the earbuds in correctly. Worked great in a 285hp T-34 just yesterday.

'Gimp
 
I have to second Halos. "Lightweight" doesn't begin to describe the sensation of nothing on your head. Stereo sound, now with Bluetooth, and a 30-day money back guarantee. The company is owned by a PhD audiologist who is a pilot and aircraft owner. Buy one Bose, or two Halos a test flight and supper.

No more headaches, no more sweaty ears, no more cutting buttons off of ball chaps . . .
 
Is the bluetooth feature important to you? I bought a pair of Zulu 2's when I was in training and loved them. Earlier this year I bought a set of the QT Halo's and now the Zulu's are reserved for my passenger. :)

Seriously though, if you are OK with plugs these things are incredible. They are designed by an audiologist and get rave reviews - never heard anyone say anything other than what I just said...as in, it supplanted whatever headset they were using that they paid over twice what they paid for the Halo's.

They do have an AUX input but no BT. I suppose if I needed the BT for a flight then I'd just use the Zulu's and let someone else use the Halo's but that hasn't happened yet.

Anyway, just another option to consider. They are solid - sound amazing (they aren't ANR but you wouldn't know it...I actually prefer them to ANR because they don't sound so 'tinny' like ANR sets that completely cut the low end. I can hear just enough of the engine which I felt like I lost a lot of when turning the ANR on...) and have the absolute best microphone of any headset I've ever used.

Oh, and they are $359 :)

http://www.quiettechnologies.com/index_002.htm
 
Most of the guys I work with use either Clarks or Zulus......Only a couple use Bose and I think both of them just did the trade-in thing for the 2's.......

Lightspeeds and Clarks are both very sturdy. You should see my headset....mud, dirt, possibly some sort of excrement, and it still works great. Zulu 2s FWIW but will soon be upgrading to the PFX.
 
I've been using Bose for years and love them, mine are the older version, "X", I bought 2 new in 2007 and 2 used in 2010-2011.
Nothing wrong with buying a used headset, I paid $500 for one set and $350 for the other. :D Watch the classified section here and ask around, when people upgrade, they often sell their old headsets. ;)
 
Check out http://www.thesquawkshoppe.com , they have a special on for Labor week.

I got a pair from them for the wife and she loves them, thinking off picking up a pair for myself soon, once I come up with a custom design I want

Check them out, several members here have them
 
DavidWhite said:
You should see my headset....mud, dirt, possibly some sort of excrement, and it still works great. Zulu 2s FWIW but will soon be upgrading to the PFX.
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Hmm, suddenly the idea of buying a used Zulu2 has lost its appeal. Unless lightspeed does a heck of a job cleaning their trade- ins.
 
I have the following:

  • Me: Bose A20 with 6-pin powered LEMO connector (has battery backup and I think it is very comfortable and has *amazing* ANR). I don't think the A20s do Bluetooth *audio* (like control ipod audio stuff) - only phone IIRC, which is dumb - you just have to plug your iphone in via cord. :-/ Battery backup for the LEMO version so you can still get ANR when flying in a non-LEMO aircraft.
  • Wife: Lightspeed Zulu 2 with LEMO (wife likes the larger earcups, but no battery backup on the LEMO version so no-go for the PIC. Excellent ANR as well. And it does both Bluetooth phone and audio, which was the decider.
  • Kids: Lightspeed Zulu 1 with twin plugs (Bluetooth phone and audio but the bluetooths interfere with each other and they end up having to plug in cables - if anyone knows how to remedy this let me know.)
I had David Clark H-10 13.4s prior and they were good but not even close to the quietness and comfort of ANR. The gripping force of the A20s and Zulus is much less.

If you are switching from passive to active noise reduction, you will not go wrong in terms of ANR quality with any of the offerings from the brands you know. For me it came down to bluetooth functionality and battery backup more than the absolute best ANR.
 
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Some one needs to wake up Shane... this is a perfect thread for him (www.thesquawkshoppe.com)

Me: Started with LightSpeed 30-3G I got off of eBay
Then found a pilot on the Red board selling lightly used LS Sulu.2 for a steal
Now have the QT Halo.

I will switch between the Halo and .2's as the need desire fits. Love the Halo for IFR training as it doesn't interfere with my JeppShades.

And I'm lusting after the PFX. Might consider trading in the 30-3G if the deal is a good one.
 
Hhhhmmmm lemme see what the SS has to offer....
 
*Runs in winded and disheveled*
Hey, hey I'm here! Sorry, I didn't see the bat signal go off, and Robin (AKA Paul) is out of town, and he usually watches for the signals. hehe

Hey Ryan, I would just regurgitate what these folks have already said. There are many really quality options, and it just really depends on your mission / desires rather than price, so-to-speak.

Most of the good headset makers these guys have listed have a 30 day guarantee. You also need to try some different headsets on and see what feels the best, and sounds the best to you. Some people prefer the lax feel of the Bose, some prefer the in-ear comfort of the QT Halos, or Clarity Aloft, and some prefer the traditional snap-ons like David Clark. However, just because it's the most expensive, the most popular, or even different, doesn't mean it will work for YOU. Many of us learned that the hard way.

I won't spiel you too much on us, but we are a conventional style headset, with non-traditional updated electronics, ANR and fit. We took a conventional headset and reworked it to fit better, sound better, and look better. Then we want you to have all the options you need to fit your style, mission & comfort.

Try on as many as you can, and see which one works for YOU!! We're here if you need us.

P.S. You guys here are the best freaking people EVER! Seriously, y'all are so supportive it's truly amazing. Thank you for including us.
 
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AggieMike88 said:
Then found a pilot on the Red board selling lightly used LS Sulu.2 for a steal
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Couldn't resist. Fun with typos. :D
 

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Which anr sets out there do not depend on a battery? Ie, can subsist on panel power like the A20's?
Do any have the option of using a 12v "cig lighter" receptacle?
 
Look on craigslist and eBay.

Plenty of rich folk don't even get 10hrs into their training and quit, selling all their fancy crap for WAY less than retail.


My recommendation as professional full time pilot.

With how much time I spend in the air I went with a ANR set.

As for make, I have a Zulu 1, great headset, great support, got about 2500hrs on it between piston planes and turbines and can't say enough good stuff.

I'd also recommend NOT getting a panel powered unit, sucks when you can't use your expensive headset in your buddies plane, or that rental on vacation in Hawaii etc.

They still function when the batterie dies (no safety issue) and my 2 AAs last months with me as a full time pilot. In your personal plane just tape two AAs together and put them in the side pocket of the plane.
 
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Ryanb said:
Went to a bose store today and tried on an A20 (amazing headset) just didnt like the price. However im still considering it. I hear a nice headset makes all the difference in your flying. Anyone recommend a nice headset for the money?
Click to expand...

Love my A20s. Bought both on eBay for under $800. Keep an eye out for the auctions and when they end. Then, bid in the last minute to take one home.
 
James, you can get an adapter for the panel-powered A20 which converts it to 'standard GA plugs'.
(But then you are stuck with batteries for power. No like batteries. Too often have found myself without battery power in the past.)
 
Guess I'm an outlier, but I REALLY like my Sigtronics ANR sets.. I think they retail for about 350, but I bought 2 sets at different times on eBay for less than 150 each.

The noise reduction is quite good, they're sturdy and I've never had a problem with either set I own.
 
Maybe i missed it but anybody using the David-Clark Pro-X?
I really like the way they look and the small size but haven't tried one yet. PIREP?

Currently own 2 Zulu1 and 2 DC 13.4.
NOTE: Customer service from Lightspeed is excellent. Recently sent in a 5 year old zulu1 which was falling apart. LS basically rebuilt the whole thing for FREE!!
 
I currently have an old set of DC H10-13.4s that I've been using for almost 15 years (they're a fantastic passive set) so I'm in the market for my first ANR.

I went to Oshkosh and tried on all the ANRs I could find....Bose, Lightspeed, Sennheiser, DC, etc.

By far, the most impressive to me were the new Lightspeed PFX. It was a noticeable difference, and IMO blew all the other headsets out of the water.

Suggest giving them all a shot if you can. I know if I end up finding the money, the Lightspeeds will be the next headsets I own.
 
Turningfinal said:
I currently have an old set of DC H10-13.4s that I've been using for almost 15 years (they're a fantastic passive set) so I'm in the market for my first ANR.

I went to Oshkosh and tried on all the ANRs I could find....Bose, Lightspeed, Sennheiser, DC, etc.

By far, the most impressive to me were the new Lightspeed PFX. It was a noticeable difference, and IMO blew all the other headsets out of the water.

Suggest giving them all a shot if you can. I know if I end up finding the money, the Lightspeeds will be the next headsets I own.
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What did you think of the Sennheiser's? They're getting good reviews but I've never seen one in person.
 
My Zulu 2s have been great so far and maybe with the new PFX headset out now the Zulus price will drop. Also they (lighspeed) have a great trade in program which may be worth looking into as it can take a significant amount off the price.
 
QT Halo here. Works great because I often put on and take off my reading glasses. That was the real draw for me. Also love not getting sore around my ear from time to time from the head clamp or the extra weight attached to my head.
 
I'll let you know. I just picked up some for work (MD-80) and for the rental planes I fly.


LT4247 said:
Maybe i missed it but anybody using the David-Clark Pro-X?
I really like the way they look and the small size but haven't tried one yet. PIREP?

Currently own 2 Zulu1 and 2 DC 13.4.
NOTE: Customer service from Lightspeed is excellent. Recently sent in a 5 year old zulu1 which was falling apart. LS basically rebuilt the whole thing for FREE!!
Click to expand...
 
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