WTB: Clarity Aloft

One day late, I highly recommend the headset, they seem to be going used on eBay for $375-400. Nothing wrong at all with buying used as you will have new ear buds anyways. Good luck, and let me know if you have any questions on them.
 
Or you can get the halo new for way cheaper than a used clarity. Alot like the halo better.
 
pigpenracing said:
Or you can get the halo new for way cheaper than a used clarity. Alot like the halo better.
Click to expand...

That's what I'm gonna check out next set. My Clarity Aloft was excellent and I loved them, however tHey proved too fragile for my lifestyle and the soft case they provided and the boom broke. They promised me at OSH that they would give me a good trade in on a refurb pro, but that was still going to amount to more than a Halo, and they have a SS one IIRC that appears more substantial than the Clarity Aloft. I'm not positive that's a good thing, but I haven't heard any complaints so I think I'll try them sometime.
 
I've tried both the Clarity Aloft and the Halo. The Halo somehow wasn't compatible with the airplane's intercom or audio system because I couldn't make the volume loud enough. The owner of the company tried a couple adjustments but when it was apparent it wouldn't work and he couldn't figure out why he gave me a full refund. I've had no trouble with the Clarity Aloft headset either in that particular airplane or others I've flown subsequently. It looks more fragile than it is. Mine has been sat on and is always being stuffed in one of the drawers sans case.
 
The Clarity Aloft is bombproof, looks notwithstanding. Fit and finish is good and I like the frame to hold everything in place.

To me the Halo looks like it was assembled in a community college electronics class using parts sourced from Radio Shack. Not that there is anything wrong with that but I returned mine in favor of the CA.
 
It's actually a good discussion here because my main reason for looking at the Clarity is that I like in ear headsets in general.

I've been using a Mach1 (Lightspeed). They don't make it anymore and I am having it refurbished now for the last time while they still have the parts. The design is good but I do find that keeping the mike in place for me is still a challenge. I will sell it in basically new condition after they finish with it.

The halo from what I read has issues over time as well audio as well as build quality. Clarity Aloft seems sturdier and stays in place better.

Henning (and others): Where do you store it after you fly? In my plane I just toss the mach 1 into a pocket in the airplane. Are you saying the clarity needs to be put back into the case every time? Not that big a deal, but I know me and that might be an issue over time.
 
I've used the Halo as well, and had the same problem as discussed above about it not working in a few certain planes (wouldn't break squelch) never had that problem with my Clarity. I always threw it back in its case and put it in the back of the plane when I was done with it. As far as build quality the CA appears to be built with better materials.
 
alaskaflyer said:
The Clarity Aloft is bombproof, looks notwithstanding. Fit and finish is good and I like the frame to hold everything in place.

To me the Halo looks like it was assembled in a community college electronics class using parts sourced from Radio Shack. Not that there is anything wrong with that but I returned mine in favor of the CA.
Click to expand...

I've got a set with a broken boom says different...:(. I am extreme on my gear though. I wish it would come in a slim line hard case.
 
jdangel said:
It's actually a good discussion here because my main reason for looking at the Clarity is that I like in ear headsets in general.

I've been using a Mach1 (Lightspeed). They don't make it anymore and I am having it refurbished now for the last time while they still have the parts. The design is good but I do find that keeping the mike in place for me is still a challenge. I will sell it in basically new condition after they finish with it.

The halo from what I read has issues over time as well audio as well as build quality. Clarity Aloft seems sturdier and stays in place better.

Henning (and others): Where do you store it after you fly? In my plane I just toss the mach 1 into a pocket in the airplane. Are you saying the clarity needs to be put back into the case every time? Not that big a deal, but I know me and that might be an issue over time.
Click to expand...

That's just it, I do both, I have sets in my plane but I have sets I need to travel with. As long as they live in the plane they are safe, it's when they're in my backpack they need the protection.
 
Mine almost never sees its case. It gets hung on the hook when I'm not wearing it or shoved in one of the airplane drawers when others are flying.
 
jdangel said:
The halo from what I read has issues over time as well audio as well as build quality. Clarity Aloft seems sturdier and stays in place better.
Click to expand...
Curious where you read about "issues over time" with the Halo. I've read lots about them in the past and have never seen that (but haven't looked lately).

The Halos are built to be lightweight. Lightweight and bulletproof are generally enemies. The Halos probably won't do well if you wad them up and throw them in a backpack...the wires are small gage and I don't think the boom is intended to accommodate large scale deflections day in and day out. The headband is nothing more than a stainless steel wire in a flexible plastic sleeve, and it's designed to be bent to fit your head. It's simple yet sturdy.

Mine are two years old. I have probably flown ~100 trips with them. I generally toss them on the dashboard or hang them from the yoke after flight. they definitely haven't been babied, but probably have only been exposed to "light" abuse. They have occasionally been sat on or yanked good when the wire got looped around a foot. But if you were to look at them or compare sound quality, I doubt you could tell a difference from a new pair.

I did have a problem once with my Halos not working with the intercom. I was using a 3-way splitter to extend the copilot side jacks to the back seats. The one time I was sharing that party line with another headset, my Halo mic wouldn't work. Talked to the Halo guy about it, and he said, "Don't ever do that!!" At next annual, I wired up the unused two jacks from my Sigtronics SP400 to the back seats, and my Halos work anywhere in the plane now.

Generally, the gain in my Halos is higher than my David Clarks (for pax). My passengers used to say they didn't understand how I could hear the radio calls...even after they maxed the volume on the earcups, it was still soft. I eventually realized I needed to turn down the gain on my Halos and turn up the volume on the radio to balance it out for the pax.

I've been very happy with mine and have no problem recommending them.
 
Last edited:
Henning said:
I wish it would come in a slim line hard case.
Click to expand...

Has anyone seen any cases from other suppliers (not just aviation headset manufacturers) that would fit the bill? sorta like re-purposing glass jelly jars as juice glasses?
 
Jim_R said:
Curious where you read about "issues over time" with the Halo. I've read lots about them in the past and have never seen that (but haven't looked lately).
Click to expand...

I have seen some reports of sweat building up in the tubes and also the need to send them back for an occasional rebuild due to the volume control not holding up. I am sure they are great for what they are though.
 
AggieMike88 said:
Has anyone seen any cases from other suppliers (not just aviation headset manufacturers) that would fit the bill? sorta like re-purposing glass jelly jars as juice glasses?
Click to expand...

I haven't. The problem is the mike boom. Angled as it is for proper use the headset won't lay perfectly flat and I think that would be the failure point for something to break, at least over time. So while the CA is very light and comfortable to wear it ends up not much smaller than a traditional headset to carry and store because of the case. I know a lot of people carry theirs around without a case but I know how rough I am on equipment and I don't dare, not even with my DC's that I wear when my wife reclaims her Alofts ;)
 
jdangel said:
I have seen some reports of sweat building up in the tubes and also the need to send them back for an occasional rebuild due to the volume control not holding up. I am sure they are great for what they are though.
Click to expand...
The manual does suggest using the included desiccant packet to dry out the tubes if moisture is noticed. I've never seen that issue with mine, though.
 
There's a Clarity Aloft set for sale on eBay each week.

I traded my Lightspeed Zulus for the Halo's and I love them. The sound is no different than the Zulus and they're much more comfortable. I take very good care of them. If not in use, they are in the case.
 
My wife has a Clarity Aloft. I keep my own set of ear pieces for it and I use it from time to time, but I like my Zulu.2's better.

Amusingly one time I was wearing the CA while taxiing across IAD. I'm about halfway there and the tower says "27K That Microphone...." and I'm starting to think, great what's wrong with the radios now, "...is the clearest thing I've ever heard. It puts the big guys to shame."
 
Tony_Fletcher said:
There's a Clarity Aloft set for sale on eBay each week.

I traded my Lightspeed Zulus for the Halo's and I love them. The sound is no different than the Zulus and they're much more comfortable. I take very good care of them. If not in use, they are in the case.
Click to expand...

Regular Zulu or Z2?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top