Headsets

[Seth]

I've decided to upgrade the headsets in my aircraft.

Usually when I fly with a passenger - they get my Zulus, and I use my 10 year old trusty David Clarks.  This was not a problem until recently when I flew about 10 hours over two days with a passenger and me in the DCs, and decided it was time to get a second ANR headset.

During the test flight in the Missile, besides being smoother and simply quieter than my F, the headset I wore was the Bose A20.  I have been very happy with my Zulus (version 1.0) but man on man were those Bose A20s far and away a better lighter, less clamping force, sweeter headset.  I have decided in time, I will figure out a way to get a pair.  How do they compare to the Zulu 2.0?  Does anyone have a Zulu 2.0?  Have you tried it against the A20?  I have tried the Bose X, and prefered the Zulu 1.0, which I have had for two years and about 350 hours - They have been great.  But the A20 blew them away.

My four current headsets:

1) Lighspeed Zulu

2) 10 year old David Clark

3) Old basic headset

4)  1970s varient David Clark

I have only had four people in the plane twice, but always feel bad when I have three people because both my #3 and #4 headset leave a lot to be desired and have quite a bit of clamping pressure.  Three people has happened more often. 

With the Zulu trade in program, I pulled the trigger last week to get the original Zulu 1.0, as they are great, and that assists my headest upgrade plan for now.  I turned in the David Clark headset from the 1970s (#4) that a business aquaintence gave me a few years ago.  The exchange program from LightSpeed allowed me to get another Zulu as a #2 headset.  I figured to get $200 aginst the $740 price and have an new ANR headset for a passenger for $550 was a deal.  Especially since the 1970s vintage DC would get NOTHING anywhere else.

Now, I ordered this on Tuesday, and the deal on the old Zulu's ended on Monday.  However, if you call in and specifically ask for it, you can still get the deal (if the person on the phone likes you) for the old Zulus.  I decided to save the $160 extra instead of getting a Zulu 2.0 and instead put that toward the Aera or the A20 I plan to get in the future.  Also, if someone writes back and lets me know that the Zulu 2.0 is really that much better, I have been told that I can send it the new Zulu within 30 days and upgrade to a Zulu 2.0 as part of the trade in (as in 30 day free trial like period).

My headsets will now be as follows:

#1 and #2 - Lightspeed Zulu (unless I return the new Zulu for the 2.0).

#3 - 10 year old good passive David Clarks

#4 - Passive POS hard clamping headset.

There really is no official Bose trade in, but in the next year or so, I plan to go for the A20 budget providing, and trade in the passive non DC headset on one of the websites that allows it.  I think I may be able to get $50 for it in some places.

That way I'd have an A20, 2 Zulus (version 1.0), and a passive DC as my four headsets.  I have not tried the Halo, but I really was impressed with the Bose A20.  I may go the ebay route.

[201er]

The Bose is by far the best headset I have ever come across. It's one of those things where everything about it is better and there are no tradeoffs. I'll admit I haven't tried that many different ones but it's mostly because the Bose suited me off the bat when I did try it. I wear glasses so I hated the lightspeed because it squeezed my glasses into my face and did not make a proper seal. After the Bose my second favorite is David Clark. These two definitely work well with glasses, are comfortable, and provide good audio. But the Bose is lighter, more comfortable, and the ANR is outstanding. At the click of a button, the noise just shuts off. I bought two at the same time as I got my plane and we can comfortably listen to music over the intercom with them. I've flown 50 hours since getting the plane so that's how long the Bose headset has been in use and still haven't had to change the battery.

They have a "financing" program where you can take a year to pay for the headset in monthly installments, interest free.

[Hank]

I have gone clamp-free! No more squeezed headaches. No more hat-button headaches. No more wishing to get on the ground so I can pull off the durn head-vise. No sweaty ears this summer. No more pushing and pulling when changing glasses. My sunglasses have thicker "arms" than my regular ones, and now it's not only easy to change between them, but the sound level doesn't vary depending on which set I wear. And there are no batteries to replace, or worse yet, no last set of batteries to die in mid-flight.

Love my Quiet Technologies Halo's! The good doctor who makes them is a fellow Mooney driver, and board lurker, as I discovered recently. But his product is superior, with noise levels comparable to the Bose in a Bonanza, and much better than my old I-forget-whose black head-clamping unit. Thanks, Dr. Phil! [i'm not sure I like how that sounds . . . but it's his name, too.]

"Try it, you'll like it!" You can get three sets of Halos, or one Bose A20 . . . . . You may even get a trial period if you ask; I bought them at Christmas and haven't looked back. Maybe not the best for infrequent passengers, but that's what the cheap foam inserts are for--I use the silicone myself.

[Becca]

I tried both the Zulu II and Bose A20 at Osh side by side.  The A20 is definitely better than my husbands A10, doesn't feel as flimsy.  But the Zulu II was far and away a better unit.  The ear muff was way more comfortable and it had better passive noise reduction when turned off (which I think is important given the frequency of batteries we've had run out on the bose), and just sounded way better even when turned on.   I was sold on the unit immediately.  (Of course both the A20 and Zulu II have jacks for music inputs, which is nice too).  They were offering a $200 trade in on David Clark's, making a new pair $700.  I almost bought one, but I restrained myself and kept it for gas money.

[Seth]

That's a great review of the A20 and Zulu II.  Maybe I'll send the Zulu I just traded for ($540) back within the first 30 days, add an extra $160 and get the Zulu IIs - Then when i can, I'll do the bose 30 day test, see if i like them, and pay for them (or do the 12 month thing).

Regardless, I've been happy with my Zulu originals, but that A20 I tried on during the test flight of the new Missile was just that much better. 

That would give me:

A20, ZuluII, Original Zulu, and Trusty 10 year old passive DC as my four headsets.

In a few days it will be Zulu, Zulu, DC, and clamping non DC nasty headset.

Thanks for the feedback.

-Seth

[aviatoreb]

QT all the way for me.

-Most comfortable - not even close - no clamping headset is anything like these.

-Sound quality and noise abatement equal to the best of the headsets I have tried - Bose X and Lightspeed Zulu original (have not tried A20 or new zulu)

-1/3 the price of the headsets mentioned by brand L or brand B.

[Cris]

Has anyone tried the new Sennheiser ANR's that are intro priced at $995 & are aimed directly at the Bose A20 & Zulu 11 market? The fact that the sound is user adjustable at differant engine setting is really interesting.

[fantom]

What's really amazing is that many of us, myself included, shell out a grand for a headset!

[Cris]

Yeaaa And that 's just for ONE!!! Makes a case for Halo's. But I will admit that I miss communications quite a bit when I have given my Bose A20 to the passenger & used my old but comfortable passive headsets. Old ears I guess need more help & young ears need more protection so they don't get where I seem to be.  

[Piloto]

Quote: fantom

What's really amazing is that many of us, myself included, shell out a grand for a headset!

[MARZ]

I opt not to be on the bleeding edge -

I picked up two pair of lightly used BOSE aviation X headsets for less than the cost of a new (insert brand here)   Given the fact I don't fly 30 hours a week I can live with yesterday's tecnology and be happy

[Hank]

I love my Halos! Bet they cost less than your lightly used Bose X . . . and sound just as good, with greater comfort. Takes me four months on average to hit 30 hours at 8 hours a month for the last five years. Better performance through science, not magic and batteries.

[Cris]

If you elect to use ANR's it really is best to try them side by side or with a 30 day plan. In my case I tried the Zulu against the Bose A20 & found for me the A20 was the absolute best headset I had ever used! More to the point is that I think it was the best piece of aviation equipment I might have ever purchased.  I never could get comfortable with the David Clarks so I expected to be disappointed but I was'nt & will not give them up. So you will read elsewhere that someone like theirs better which is why headsets are really personal decisions & you need to try before you buy.

[flyboy0681]

Quote: fantom

What's really amazing is that many of us, myself included, shell out a grand for a headset!

[fantom]

Quote: flyboy0681

Gary, if I can remember, I'll bring my wife's Halo with me for you to try out when we go up to the luncheon next weekend. I'll even put on new foam tips for you!

[Becca]

Quote: Cris

Has anyone tried the new Sennheiser ANR's that are intro priced at $995 & are aimed directly at the Bose A20 & Zulu 11 market? The fact that the sound is user adjustable at differant engine setting is really interesting.

[Becca]

Quote: fantom

What's really amazing is that many of us, myself included, shell out a grand for a headset!

[fantom]

Truth be known I paid "only" about $700 for my Bose X headset, and I like the Peltor 7004 passives I've had for 17 years almost (just?) as much.

[PTK]

Quote: fantom

Truth be known I paid "only" about $700 for my Bose X headset, and I like the Peltor 7004 passives I've had for 17 years almost (just?) as much.

[flight2000]

I have two sets of the QT Halo's and will not use anything else.  I used a set of the Bose X in a buddies SR22 and hated the clamping.  The noise cancelling didn't impress me enough to get me to the point of shelling out that much money for them anyway.  I'll never go back to clamping headsets (especially in the summer!). 

Brian

[fantom]

Quote: allsmiles

So, in your opinion, you see no difference between the passive Pelton 7004 and the Bose X ??!!  No difference between a passive headset and the absolute top of the line ANR on the market?  

[jetdriven]

Cost after trade in for a Zulu II was 750$.   Didnt know but evidently people were getting the 250$ trade in on a Zulu I.   That conversion is awful compared to a real ANR headset.  Just in weight alone, its over 18 OZ.  Shake oyur head L-R rapidly and it falls off.

Quote: Becca

Nah, I am just a looky-loo.  I am still using the same pair of passive noise reduction DC headsets I got as a gift when I was 16 years old (so nearly two decades ago).  But the thing that keeps almost selling me is the music input.  Not enough for that much money though.  I know a lot of people who have had success with those kits that convert passive DC to active for about $150.   Byron keeps trying to convince me to upgrade, but $1000 buys a lot of avgas..

[jetdriven]

I have ~5,500 hours on my Bose X.   Yes, that many.  They have been overhauled once and repaired 3 times, due to broken wishbones and the bottom of the earcup.  IMO they are too fragile for GA flying, they can get dropped, jerked off the panel, stepped on, or sat on too easily and they break. The repair and re-TSO is 250$. 

The active + passive noise reduction is pretty good, perhaps around 35-40 dB.  I think the A20 and Zulu are a couple dB more.  The Zulu II sems much more solidly built than the Bose. In-ear headsets are too much work, and no profesional crews uaser them. The other brands just dont measure up to this level provided by the Zulu II and the A20.

Quote: flight2000

I have two sets of the QT Halo's and will not use anything else.  I used a set of the Bose X in a buddies SR22 and hated the clamping.  The noise cancelling didn't impress me enough to get me to the point of shelling out that much money for them anyway.  I'll never go back to clamping headsets (especially in the summer!). 

Brian

[flight2000]

It takes me 10 seconds to insert the QT's, so the end user is the one making it hard if it takes that amount of work to get them in.  Maybe it's my days on the weapons range that allows me to get them in and out quickly since the foam is the same hearing protection we use in the military. 

That's also a really big generalization unless you personally know every commercial pilot/crew out there, which I highly doubt.  I know three corporate pilots that use and love them.  Expensive does not always = the best.

I could take exception to the "professional" crew comment, but won't.  Not worth my time.

Quote: jetdriven

 

[bnicolette]

Quote: flight2000