Is anybody else frustrated with the lack of quantitative data on headsets? They all say they are the best, but the most costly will not publish their noise reduction values, eith combined, or with anr on/off.
I have flown with and enjoyed my flightcom classic ANR headsets since I was a student pilot, and AOPA gave them a good review. The ANR has truly been a great enhancement to the earmuff setup. When I recently took an accelerated IFR course, I found the clamping forces to be extremely painful by the end of the course. That was on day ten on the return leg of the final ride. I tried my instructor's bose headset and found it to be very comfortable, and my research said that the zulus were better and cheaper. I was recently prepared to buy the zulus and came across many recommendations from headset x owners to try the Clarity Aloft. These are a lightweight passive setup with not many extras, but there is no clamping force. Being a significantly lower cost that either of the leading ANRs, I bought the CA.
I have only had one ride with them so far, but I have to say I really like them. NO clamping force, excellent noise reduction, and extremely light weight. I also like that these are passive, and will never need batteries. I do wish that they were easier to put in the case, and that the microphone boom was slightly longer, but I think I will be very happy with them.
My wife does not like them however, but does not want the earmuff style headsets. I am thinking the Lightspeed Mach 1 for her. Does anybody have any experiece with these, and does anyone know if the custom ear mold is an upgrade that can be opted for later?
Earlier I used the Lightspeed 20 I think it was called. Big blue things that looked terrible but did not feel all that bad and were no where near as heavy as they looked. I upgraded to the zulu when they became available and paid a ton of money for them. WIsh I had the earlier model back. True the zulu is lighter, has a blue tooth interface and a great audio feature but I find them difficult to keep on and the ANR is so so. I spoke to Lightspeed and they gave me a mod to make them fit better but it was a slim improvement if any. On the positive side there is no clamping fatique and they are lightweight. I have never tried the Bose so I have nothing for comparison. The zulu is a good unit but I think a bit overpriced. They do by the way post specs for noise reduction on their web if I recall.
Additionally the headset had an interference problem when I use the zulu connected to my Icom Handheld aviation transciever.
For px use I bought an inexpensive headset from Marv Golden though it is actually a Lightspeed unit. I paid about $90 for them and no one complains.
This is a great thread idea. There are many people that are just beginning flight training and are tired of the typically cheap, old, beat-up and worn out units provided by flight schools (if any are offered for use at all). The pilots using these headsets, or maybe even borrowing some, will eventually get tired of wearing headsets covered in other's sweat and oils, (that’s just gross) and will want to get their own.
A good headset is a pilot’s tool, like a wrench is a mechanic’s tool. It should be looked at as a necessary investment, not a place to cut corners. Unfortunately, there are many students who base their purchase on price and after choosing the least expensive pair, they usually end up dissatisfied. Their "bargain" headset may not work well in the airplane, and/or might be difficult to use, and these distractions can make it more challenging to learn how to fly. After wasting their money on a cheap pair, they usually end up investing in another, higher quality pair anyhow, or they may just get frustrated and quit flying.
If we are going to have a discussion to evaluate headsets, we should probably have certain items mentioned for consistent comparison. These are my suggestions:
• Ear cup comfort - ear cups, headband, clamping effect, etc.
• Microphone boom
• Volume control on headset
• Durability – cables, plugs, ear cups, speakers, mic, etc. Also, if it is an ANR headset, discussing battery consumption would probably be useful
• Price
• Any other comments
I have the David Clark H10-13.4 with gel ear seals. It's not ANR, and doesn't have a blue tooth interface (not sure what that is or what it's for), but I don't really have any complaints with it.
It fits good, sounds good, and hasn't left me with sore ears or a headache. The ear cups also seem to stay in place. The headband is well padded and soft, I don't even notice it on top of my head, it. I have gone on flights of over eight hours with these headsets, only removing them to refuel, and haven't had any problems with comfort.
The microphone boom is flexible, not jointed, which is a plus for me, and it can be worn on the right side or the left side. Also, it stays in place and doesn't drift away. Volume control is not left-right independent, but it does have a volume control knob mounted on the headset, which is nice. Not too sure how good or bad noise reduction is though because I wear those yellow cylindrical E-A-R earplugs in addition to the headset when I fly, but I've always done that. I haven’t ever had any hearing fatigue with that setup.
They seem pretty durable too. I still have the original ear seals and the cords have been plugged and unplugged over and over and over and still plug in like they were new.
This headset is pretty lightweight, comfortable, and clear. If this headset had a weak spot, I would say it is the foam cover on the microphone. It fits somewhat loosely and is prone to coming off fairly easily. Great headset and I am satisfied with it.
I also have the DC H10-13Y (Youth Headset) for my kids to wear and I got the adapter kit to make it fit adults in case I am flying with more adults and fewer kids. This setup gives me great flexibility to provide my passengers with the best comfort I can.
I bought these so long ago that I don't remember how much I paid. I just did a search on the internet and found that price varies from about $270 - $306 with most places selling it for $289.95. Not sure which websites have free shipping or how much shipping costs. Be sure to add that to get the total cost to get the best price if you are considering purchasing this online.
Bluetooth is a wireless way of connecting devices like headsets and cell phones. I really don't have a clue what it looks like - probably just some kind of circuitry. The Zulu headsets have Bluetooth capability to connect to cell phones. This becomes really handy if you are on the ground at a non-towered airport needing to pick up an IFR Clearance before you can launch. If you can't get the signal on the ground then you have to call to get a release time. If you've already started your engines (because you want a fairly quick release time) then it's really helpful to have the wireless connection. It's really hard to hear your cell phone in the running plane.
For me the bluetooth is great for the music, i can have my music hooked up without having more cords run everywhere. I must say for the money though the zulu's are not worth it. Both me and my buddy have already sent them back in for ANR repair, 900$ for a headset. it should work. My DC that I bought back in flight school still work great. Clark just makes a great headset that has the reliability of the best.
Thats my two cents
I have music piped through my audio panel with an input jack for my iPhone. If ATC calls, it automatically mutes the music. It sure makes long cross countries a whole lot nicer. I've gone through almost a whole sector with only one or two radio calls - either incoming or outgoing. I can easily monitor all my gauges while the music is playing in the background. I've done some long cross country runs without music and it gets really dry.
I've used the standard David Clark and really enjoyed it, until I upgraded to a Bose ANR headset. The different was shocking. I find now, though, that most SE aircraft just aren't noisy enough (nor do we spend enough time in them for noise fatigue to set in) to require the ANR headset. The DC headsets are highly customizable, so its easy to set them up to maximize your comfort, especially if you're flying the long haul and it really matters. That being said, the ANR function is hard to argue with.
for my personal airplane, I have plain ole telex. It does just fine for me. I have a softcom, and two david clarks also, but the david clarks seem to give me a bad headache if I wear them too long. For my working airplane, I wear a helmet. (flight suits brand helmet) And it has ANR and in a radial engine airplane for hours on end, the ANR is a must!
Personally, the Lightspeed Zulu is my favorite. It's light weight and soooo comfortable. I have not tried out the Zulu.2 yet, but hear it's great. To those that posted that it's hard to find more information about headsets... you can always contact the brands themselves. They should be able to give you more information than the websites (although sometimes they just quote their own websites). If you really want more in depth information, call you local pilot shop. I know that there aren't many actual brick and mortar shops left, but the staff there usually know more about the products they are selling than most and can give you a good idea of the reviews and "chatter" they have heard or experienced with certain brands or companies. Hopefully this helps!
Oh, and...
EAA and Wings of Hope is raffling off Roy Clark's airplane AND a private pilot scholarship AND a new Lightspeed Zulu headset... raffle tickets are only $50! Check it out here: http://www.wingsofhoperaffle.org/
