Review: Light speed Zulu 3 vs Quiet Technologies Halo

Sinistar

Sinistar

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Brad
First things first....thanks to @pigpenracing for setting me with the new Zulu 3 headset! Excellent price and arrived in just 2 days. Amazon and EBay cant even compete. I’m already saving pennies for a 2nd Zulu 3 headset

The rest is TLDR.

I’ve been using the QT Halos for about 1 year. I have been wanting to try an ANR headset both to compare and to be used by my wife (pilot) and daughter (comfortable, quiet, Bluetooth movie audio). I went with @pigpenracing’s advice and purchased the Zulu 3’s vs the Zulu 2’s or Bose.

Before the comparisons I should mention proper testing. In our case a Cessna 182.

When I first received the headset I tried it out at home using a handheld radio at home as we had 3wks of IFR or just too damn cold to fly weather. I could hear the ANR working, some change but A bit underwhelming. However, that first impression from the relatively quiet at home test was a mistake. If you only try the Zulus in your home or in a relatively quiet setting you will be selling yourself short.

Try them in the plane!

My usual procedure is start the plane with seat belts on but doors unlocked and headsets off. I want everyone to be able to get out fast if there’s a startup fire. I also like to hear the plane startup. So another normal engine start. I put on the headphones (switch is still off). Hmmm...that’s kinda loud, probably louder than my DC’s by just a bit. Switch on. HOLY ****...At idle i barely even hear the motor. My passenger is about to start his PPL and has never heard ANR either. I switch it on and can see the instant HOLY **** moment for him too. This stuff works. Is Bose ANR actually any better?

Comparing Zulu 3s vs Halos is tricky since you have to be able to tolerate ear plugs which I can. This is based on a 2hr flight.

Noise Reduction: Winner is Zulu 3
I think the Zulu 3 noise reduction is just slightly more aggressive than my halos with the industrial orange in ear plugs. And it’s different frequencies so not quite apples to apples.

Audio Quality: Winner Halos
For some reason I just like sound from the Halos. Seems more direct, less filtered and just a bit more clear. The Zulu’s sound great and I understood all radio calls just fine. But to get that clear Halo sound quality requires getting the ear plugs in right.

Microphone: Winner Zulus
Other than in ear being a personal thing, the Halos other major finicky thing is the mic which has 2 issues...where it’s at and which way it’s twisted. The zulus have a perfect boom mic, it’s plenty long and just works always, Now, if you can keep the halo mic in the right place and have correct side facing your mouth there is actually less background noise in the Halo...but once again lots of tweaking to get that outcome.

Control Unit: Winner Zulu 3s
The control unit for the Zulu 3s is very nicely laid out and easy to use. The Bluetooth controls are also easy to use. The Halo control unit is nice and very small but the side volume wheels are easily bumped. The Zulu 3 control unit never needs more than 1 hand and at most a quick glance. The Halo unit is small so you need to find it, then flip it around a bit and then adjust side wheels a bit more gingerly.

Comfort: Winner: Halos (for large heads)
After 3hrs with Halos in I feel like I could go all day. With my big head the Zulu 3 clamping pressure was starting to bother me after 2hrs. I have no doubt a smaller head such as my wife or daughter will have no issue at all. The ears seals are incredibly soft. Now if there was a way to reduce the clamping pressure then it would be closer to a tie.

Bluetooth: Winner: Zulus
Well the Halos don’t even have Bluetooth so this one is obvious. And if you want Bluetooth for Halos you’d need the Blulink and by then the price savings of Halos are going away fast

Price: Winner: Halos
They are cheaper by about half. But no Bluetooth.

Battery: Winner: Halos
No batteries, just like passive headsets.

Cords: Winner Zulu3s
The new kevlar(?) twisted cords easily win. Plus there’s really just one cord. The Halos just have all this extra stuff with a sound tube for each ear flopping around

Size & Weight: Winner: Halos
Pretty obvious, ounces vs closer to a pound. The Halos fit flat just about anywhere so no special case is needed however they probably aren’t quite as durable.

Durability: Winner Zulu 3s
I haven’t owned them long but I see the Halos needing a repair sooner than the Zulu’s under normal to heavy use

Overall: Winner Zulu 3s
Although I think the Halos are better for me, I strongly believe the Zulu 3s are the better overall headset for the masses. They will fit the majority of people just fine and are very comfortable. The quality, cords and control unit are awesome. The Bluetooth integration is excellent. My wife is already claiming these as in ear is not for her. I’ll eventually buy another set for my daughter so she can stream in movie audio and turn down the intercom / atc audio without unplugging anything. I have read in several places that the Lightspeed support is fantastic. I guess I would have to hear a Bose ANR headset to believe it is significantly better to warrant spending even more money.

If you have time to fidget, are very sensitive to headset clamping & weight and are okay with in ear such as ear plugs then you might want to look into the Halos, Clarity Aloft or the other headset similar to the Halos with sound tubes.
 
Ditto. Just love my Halos. I have Bose X also, but just prefer the Halos for comfort and not having to live with sweaty ear cups and a headache at the end of the day from the clamping pressure on my head.
 
Hard to beat the Zulu’s, I’ve been rocking them since the 1s came out, thousands of hours with them, flight levels to loud float planes, SoCal to the north, great product and the company stands behind it very well too.
 
The halos seem to be out of stock , anyone have a lead on where to get them ?

Just sent my Zulu 2 to get upgraded to Zulu 3 can’t wait to try them out.
 
muddy00 said:
The halos seem to be out of stock , anyone have a lead on where to get them ?

Just sent my Zulu 2 to get upgraded to Zulu 3 can’t wait to try them out.
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Call him. Last time they showed out of stock for like a year, I called him up to place a pre order and a few days later they showed up.
 
I only recently got an ANR headset because I happen to get a seriously smoking deal on an A20. Love them, especially in planes with lots of low-frequency noise. Funny thing, I forgot to turn them on during my last two IFR lessons. I plan to hit up pigpen sometime soon for a set of Sierras.
 
I've always been happy with my Lightspeed 15XLC's (entry-level ANR). I'm sure the Z3's would be a marked improvement over mine as well.
 
Excellent review. Bought halos for my bride to replace her Bose x, I have the Zulu’s and really like them.

Appreciate the review!
 
Pretty much sums up my feelings on the exact same comparison. I hardly ever wear either of my in ear sets anymore unless I am going on a really long trip. If someone would come out with an in ear of the same quality of the Zulu's I would switch back. And Zulus are just a much better value than Bose. They are built much much better and you would have to use sensors to tell any difference in noise. I like the lower profile of the bose but that also makes the ear cups too shallow for my ears.
 
Grum.Man said:
Pretty much sums up my feelings on the exact same comparison. I hardly ever wear either of my in ear sets anymore unless I am going on a really long trip. If someone would come out with an in ear of the same quality of the Zulu's I would switch back. And Zulus are just a much better value than Bose. They are built much much better and you would have to use sensors to tell any difference in noise. I like the lower profile of the bose but that also makes the ear cups too shallow for my ears.
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Thanks for the comparison of ear cups. I, too, have big ears, and I was sort of on the fence between Bose and Lightspeed, and leaning toward Lightspeed, I'm completely on the Lightspeed side, now.
 
Now that I have about 10 flights on my Halos I've decided to keep them, but will probably limit their use to summer time. Adding a cord clip helped limit the problem of the Halo cord pulling its mic boom out of position. But it didn't eliminate the issue. And I find the time it takes to compress and insert the earplugs irritating. On the other hand, I look forward to getting rid of the sweaty ear cups of my Z3s in the summer.
 
muddy00 said:
The halos seem to be out of stock , anyone have a lead on where to get them ?

Just sent my Zulu 2 to get upgraded to Zulu 3 can’t wait to try them out.
Click to expand...

The only difference is the cable and no coating on the battery box. The anr will be the same, no change on that part. So quietness and sound quality there will be no change.
 
I've been wearing my Halos for over 8 years, including occasional mowing and runway work with them plugged into my handheld that was in my cargo pocket. The only problem I've had is some white paint on the black cord . . . They are light, but are certainly NOT fragile!

Then again, I've never had a problem twisting the microphone around, either. I just unzipped the nice leather case, added silicone tips from the little bag inside and stuck them on my head. Yes, I've replaced the little foam cover twice now, but foam has a limited life anyway.

The big thing is no more flying headaches!! That would be worth twice the price, but I probably wouldn't have spent that much on a headset.

Thank you, Quiet Technology!
 
I have used Halos for over 10 years. First with an M20K which spent a lot of time in the flight levels. Almost simultaneously I started flying a Citabria. Then I got into quiet airplanes ;) ... open cockpit Wacos. I have an A20 for passengers.

It’s a great review, but I think the best advice is try before you buy. BaskinRobbins makes all those flavors for a reason.

Ernie
 
Very good review. Should be pointed out that while the Bluetooth capability of the Zulus is definitely a big bonus when used in planes without BT-compatible audio panels, that advantage is lost (and arguably becomes a negative...extra expense for no benefit) in planes with BT capability already in the panel.
 
Jim_R said:
Very good review. Should be pointed out that while the Bluetooth capability of the Zulus is definitely a big bonus when used in planes without BT-compatible audio panels, that advantage is lost (and arguably becomes a negative...extra expense for no benefit) in planes with BT capability already in the panel.
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I don't have a fancy audio panel so I can't review or compare. However, is your statement only true for music but not for phone calls. I know I can make a phone call with the Zulu 3's but I never knew the modern audio panels also allowed the phone interface for calling?
 
DaleB said:
I love my Halos. I have been told these are even better, but I haven't tried them.

https://cqheadset.com/
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Thanks for bring these up. After reading about them they seem superior to the QT Halo's. However, I am guessing the overall review is still the same though since its an apple vs orange type comparison.

I think if the CQ or Halo's could offer full Bluetooth (audio and phone) and maybe only add $100 to the final street price they we be even more appealing. They would need a battery but that would be okay as its the size/weight of the headset which primarily drives the comparison. If the QT or CQ's controller was roughly equal to the Zulu's in size and quality it would be awesome.

But all that being said, unless you do lots of long flights (weight) or head clamping really bothers you (it does for me) it is hard to beat the simplicity, noise reduction, integration and ruggedness of the Zulu's.

Its interesting. Eventually our plane will have 4 headsets. The Halo's for me for long flights. The 1st pair of Zulu's for my wife or me solo flying around for fun. Eventually a second pair of Zulu's for my daughter. And some old DC's as the 4th headset / backup. Right there you can tell the Zulus are are the overall winner. Halo's are great. I love mine, but its still a niche/specialty/personal choice.
 
Very happy with my Halos, but the pax needs something nice in the Luscombe's 100 dB cockpit, so I may consider the Zulu 3s (when I can afford a set!) For now, they suffer with some old DC passives.
 
BrianNC said:
Well they seem to be a lot like Halos including that you can't buy them. I don't see an order button on the site.
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I just ordered a pair 2 mins ago. Click on the drop down and click on shop. Then click on the headsets, They have them in stock as I just talked with them prior to ordering.
 
And I just ordered a pair a few minutes ago as well.
 
I'll try to remember when I get some hours on them for sure!
 
pigpenracing said:
The only difference is the cable and no coating on the battery box. The anr will be the same, no change on that part. So quietness and sound quality there will be no change.
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That's a huge difference though. The Zulu 2 cable is junk.
 
mtuomi said:
That's a huge difference though. The Zulu 2 cable is junk.
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I like the new style cable because it is real flexible....
I have never had any issues with the Zulu 2 cable. Its just a standard headset cable like any other headset.
 
Sinistar said:
I don't have a fancy audio panel so I can't review or compare. However, is your statement only true for music but not for phone calls. I know I can make a phone call with the Zulu 3's but I never knew the modern audio panels also allowed the phone interface for calling?
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I have not heard of a BT audio panel that could only do music but not phone calls. I often use my Halos with my phone and BT audio panel to call Clearance Delivery when the radio's not an option.
 
alaskazimm said:
And I just ordered a pair a few minutes ago as well.
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I received the shipment notice this morning. That's some fast shipping - unfortunately it takes about 10 days for priority mail to get to me here in the bush of Alaska. I'll update with an initial review comparing my Halos and DC One-X when I get them.
 
pigpenracing said:
I was going to try the CQ1 and do some testing. No music input! That kills it for me. I have music playing on every flight.
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I have a music input on my panel. I love playing music while flying. Mine shipped out today as well and hope to have them monday.
 
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