QT Halo vs. ....

[Huitt3106]

I know the QT halo headset has been discussed several times on this forum but I have one lingering question that I'm mulling over in my head before making a new headset purchase.  Does anybody have experience comparing the QT halos to the newest generation of Bose A20s or the Lightspeed Zulu 3?  The specific metrics I'm looking for is noise reduction and sound clarity.  I currently have a couple sets of DC H10-13.4 and they're good but don't work well with sunglasses, hats, or anything in between.  I was thinking of going the ANR route as mentioned above but have a feeling I'll run into a similar situation.  I know the QTs eliminate the head clamping issue and won't have any interference from sunglasses.  I know this is comparing apples to oranges a bit but I think we can compare fruit.  Also if anybody has experience with the bluetooth adapter that QT supports I'd like to hear about its functionality. 

 

Thanks!

Matt

Edited April 27, 2020 by Huitt3106

[gsxrpilot]

I've compared them to the Zulu 2's upgraded to 3's I have knocking around in the back seat. I think the QT's are quieter with better sound quality all around. I've also used Bose A20's when riding in someone else's airplane who already had them. I still like my QT's better.

I upgraded my QT's to custom ear molds two years ago. That just made them even more comfortable and quieter. And I'm still less than half the cost of either the Bose or the Zulu's. 

I've not tested the Bluetooth. I didn't buy that module because my audio panel has Bluetooth already. 

One last pitch for the QT's is that if you don't like them, the resale on them is really good. You can typically get within a few dollars of what you paid for them. The Bose and Zulu's take a pretty good hit on the used market. If you're spending over an AMU on a headset, you probably want that factory new smell to come with it.

[Hank]

I love my Halos! Been using them for almost a decade now.

My wife keeps having trouble with the gel pads on her David Clamps (they snag her earrings, tear, leak goo onto her head, etc.), and didn't want to try Halos. But I found a set here that someone didn't like (fortunately yellow, so they don't get mixed up with mine), and it only took one 30-minite flight to make her a fan.

Go ahead and order them. I think I bought my second set within an hour of the ad going up here. But I missed on several pair before getting the timing right. 

[Ross Taylor]

41 minutes ago, Huitt3106 said:

Also if anybody has experience with the bluetooth adapter that QT supports I'd like to hear about its functionality. 

I have QT Halos and I love them, but can't make the Bose comparison you asked about.  I do, however, use them with a Pilot USA BluLink Bluetooth/phone adapter and that works very well.  My audio panel is older and doesn't have BT.

[bradp]

I have both z3 for my family and I use halos now.  I love my Zulu’s, they are great.  However, most of my flights are cross country and the difference in fatigue wearing the zulus versus halos is noticeable.  Especially since I wear glasses.  The noise attenuation is similar.  Summer flying with the halos is much more pleasant.  Not nearly as sweaty.  Consumables are probably similar between ear insets for the halos and ear/head pads for the Zulu over a year or two of use / abuse. 
 

For me Bluetooth availability would be the tipping point toward Zulu’s. My audio panel has Bluetooth so making calls and pumping iPad / music works well with the halos.  The Bluetooth adapter may also be an option.  The downside of the halos are 1) if you can’t tolerate something jammed in your ear and 2) they are fragile.  I accidentally left the aircraft still wearing the halos.  The Zulu’s would have been noticeable.  The halos I forgot i was wearing (maybe a positive). Tore the main cable from the board.  The electronics and solders are not robust in the halos, but Phil was helpful,  answered the phone and told me it was a simple repair that didn’t necessarily require sending back to him, how to resolder  the cables to the board properly.  So they are fixable. I chatted with Phil at Oshkosh last year- he’s a nice guy and a mooney driver. 

[Andy95W]

It's almost impossible to give pure dB numbers because the QT goes into the ear canal.  But like Paul said above, the QT is noticeably quieter than any headset I've ever used.

My previous headset was an older Lightspeed product from around 2005 with noise cancelling.  It was one step below a Bose.  When I changed to the QT Halo I was astonished by how much quieter it was by comparison.

It was so quiet, in fact, that I heard noise in my intercom I'd never heard before.  I ended up having to install a new alternator noise filter, ran a new ground wire from my strobe system directly to the battery, and completely rewired the intercom audio and microphone wires.  Now it's approaching perfect, which wasn't easy because the intercom itself is a 25 year old Sigtronics.

Also like Paul, I had custom ear molds made.  Putting the foam tips in your ears in the winter in Michigan is less than ideal.  I've recently gone back to the foam ear inserts and I think they're actually quieter- but less comfortable.  Next winter I'll go back to the customs.

Last I checked, the QT is marked down $40 (probably excess inventory since Sun N Fun was canecelled).  So now would be a good time to buy.

 

[PTK]

I have never used the QT. I have used the Bose X for years and thought it was the best there is. Until I got the A20 BT! It is by far the best headset imo. The X is very good but the A20 has that impeccable and strong Bose sound quality. It is quiet and extremely comfortable. I forget I’m wearing it!

[Marauder]

57 minutes ago, Huitt3106 said:

I know the QT halo headset has been discussed several times on this forum but I have one lingering question that I'm mulling over in my head before making a new headset purchase.  Does anybody have experience comparing the QT halos to the newest generation of Bose A20s or the Lightspeed Zulu 3?  The specific metrics I'm looking for is noise reduction and sound clarity.  I currently have a couple sets of DC H10-13.4 and they're good but don't work well with sunglasses, hats, or anything in between.  I was thinking of going the ANR route as mentioned above but have a feeling I'll run into a similar situation.  I know the QTs eliminate the head clamping issue and won't have any interference from sunglasses.  I know this is comparing apples to oranges a bit but I think we can compare fruit.  Also if anybody has experience with the bluetooth adapter that QT supports I'd like to hear about its functionality. 

 

Thanks!

Matt

Matt - I own a Halo, a Zulu 3, a Clarity Aloft & have flown behind a Bose A20. Here are my observations:

Halo - Pros: affordable, lightweight, no sweaty head, great customer support. Cons: Never really liked the mic boom.

Clarity Aloft - Pros: Well made, wire frame to keep it on your head correctly. Cons: If I fly with it, I carry a pair of needle nose pliers with me to dig out the ear piece from my head. The design sucks, expensive for what you are buying.

Zulu 3 - Pros: Cheaper than the Bose with comparable performance, Kevlar cable on the 3 is a great improvement over my original Zulu's, great customer service (offer an upgrade program to modernize your current Zulu or do a trade-up. Cons: On takeoff, if the headset is not perfectly sealed on my noggin, it will cause the ANR to pulsate during the roll. It must be enough of an issue that they have a video on their site about it.

Bose A20 - Pros: Excellent head fit and slightly better sound quality than the Zulu 3, I suspect their customer service is good (never had any issues with my other Bose products getting post warranty support). Cons: Expensive.

I would see if you can get someone to loan you a Halo. I picked mine up from a guy who hated it and went back to an ANR unit. You will need to experiment with the various ear buds as they seem to work differently for people. I prefer the black ones. The passive experience is different than the ANR one.

I have the Bluetooth on my ANR sets and never use it since I have it on my PS Engineering 450. I did experiment with the built in Bluetooth features. They work fine. I suspect Phil's Halo units will work fine with his Bluetooth design. I'm sure someone has bought one.

[Huitt3106]

This has all been incredibly helpful!  I want something to improve over my DCs since I have constant issue with wearing sunglasses or hats and am tired of constantly adjusting for any slight interference.  I'm going to order a set of QTs and try them out.  It seems like the benefits of the A20s may be outweighed by the price though without experience in them I can't say that with confidence.  

 

Thank you!

[gsxrpilot]

Just be careful, as @bradp said, don't forget to take them off before exiting the airplane. It's easy to do as you'll forget you have a headset on.

One final note. QT's are made by Phil, an American small business owner, and a Mooney pilot. So you can feel good about your purchase as well. 

[Ross Taylor]

I'm also guilty of climbing out of the left seat while still wearing my QTs.  BTW, I wear reading glasses and was always poking the temples underneath my other headsets...that sucked, both for the hassle and the comfort.  I don't mind having the foam insert in my ear canal - in fact, with my day-to-day Bluetooth earbuds I prefer the kind that go in the ear canal over the Apple-style that hangs in the outer ear.  But my wife is the opposite, so she's using Zulus.

[PTK]

43 minutes ago, Huitt3106 said:

It seems like the benefits of the A20s may be outweighed by the price though without experience in them I can't say that with confidence.  

Our ears are exposed to high dB’s in low frequencies for long periods. We risk hearing loss if we don’t have proper protection. The headset is the most important tool we have to mitigate this risk and protect our hearing. For my money I want the best I can get! Yes, the Bose may seem expensive but I view it as a necessity to protect my hearing! It’s very inexpensive insurance for my ears.

[Guest]

I too had a set of Halo’s but got rid of them because I could never get the ear seals to fit well, then Paul posted about custom ear plugs head had made.

I bought Zulu 3 headsets and really like them.

Clarence

[Unit74]

2 hours ago, Hank said:

 

My wife keeps having trouble with the gel pads on her David Clamps (they snag her earrings, tear, leak goo onto her head, etc.), and didn't want to try Halos. But I found a set here that someone didn't like (fortunately yellow, so they don't get mixed up with mine), and it only took one 30-minite flight to make her a fan.

 

Sorta same-same. Mine didn't want the hassle of putting on Halos but complained about her ears hurting after wearing DCs.  One flight begrudgingly on Halos and I now don't say a word and she grabs them. She will be the first one to tell you, the black ones are hers, not mine. I get the yellow ones because they are ugly.

[Unit74]

Also forgot to mention, Halos are on sale right now $40 off through the 3oth of April.

 

https://www.quiettechnologies.com/

[warren.huisman]

I have a pair of Halo's that I would sell if you are interested in a slight discount.  They are virtually brand new. 

I think I only tried them twice.  They work well, I just realized that I hate having something stuck into my ears.  It's a personal preference thing I guess.  I will have to say, it feels kind of weird wearing them for the first time when you are accustomed to wearing normal headsets.  I can clearly understand how someone would try to exit the airplane with them still on.

 

Edited April 27, 2020 by warren.huisman

[Danb]

I have Zulu, Bose A20 and Halos with custom ear plugs made at Oshkosh. Similar to Chris’s findings. Many flight 4-6 hours with oxygen usage.

Halos , light, comfortable, poor mic, cool in summer and  fair noise attenuation, don’t like using oxygen with them 

Bose, quality made, great mic and noise attenuation starts to hurt my ears after 2-3 hours great for first couple hours. Oxygen lines are better.

Zulu, similar to Bose, little heavier have batteries in this set pain to change in flight 

On long flights I’ll switch after three hours or so between halos and Bose for comfort, Bose sound quality is quite evident when changing.

Sunglasses are better with halos.

If I chose one it would be Bose, then Zulu then Halo, although all three are acceptable. When getting flight training I use Bose.

My wife won’t wear anything but halos since we got those she hates the Bose, total matter of preference 

 

[Unit74]

9 minutes ago, warren.huisman said:

I have a pair of Halo's that I would sell if you are interested in a slight discount.  They are virtually brand new. 

I think I only tried them twice.  They work well, I just realized that I hate having something stuck into my ears.  It's a personal preference thing I guess.  I will have to say, it feels kind of weird wearing them for the first time when you are accustomed to wearing normal headsets.  I can clearly understand how someone would try to exit the airplane with them still on.

I have a pair of Halo's that I would sell if you are interested in a slight discount.  They are virtually brand new. 

I think I only tried them twice.  They work well, I just realized that I hate having something stuck into my ears.  It's a personal preference thing I guess.  I will have to say, it feels kind of weird wearing them for the first time when you are accustomed to wearing normal headsets.  I can clearly understand how someone would try to exit the airplane with them still on.

You can say that again!

[Hank]

14 minutes ago, Unit74 said:

You can say that again!

I've tried to get out of my Mooney many times with my Halos still on. So far, no damage to anything but my pride.

I've also worn them plugged into my handheld radio while mowing beside the runway. They hold up pretty well.

As far as the foam earplugs go, I gave mine away. The silicone tips work great, easy to put in (coldest takeoff with them so far was 8°F). I really don't like foam earplugs, we have them at work and I wear the hard silicone Christmas-tree plugs when needed instead. My wife uses the little foam ones.

[PT20J]

8 hours ago, Danb said:

I have Zulu, Bose A20 and Halos with custom ear plugs made at Oshkosh. Similar to Chris’s findings. Many flight 4-6 hours with oxygen usage.

Halos , light, comfortable, poor mic, cool in summer and  fair noise attenuation, don’t like using oxygen with them 

Bose, quality made, great mic and noise attenuation starts to hurt my ears after 2-3 hours great for first couple hours. Oxygen lines are better.

Zulu, similar to Bose, little heavier have batteries in this set pain to change in flight 

On long flights I’ll switch after three hours or so between halos and Bose for comfort, Bose sound quality is quite evident when changing.

Sunglasses are better with halos.

If I chose one it would be Bose, then Zulu then Halo, although all three are acceptable. When getting flight training I use Bose.

My wife won’t wear anything but halos since we got those she hates the Bose, total matter of preference 

 

This mirrors my experience. I flew Beaver seaplanes commercially for several years averaging 6 hours a day behind a very noisy R-985 with no muffler. The Bose A20 is slightly quieter than the Zulu 3 but the Zulu 3 is more comfortable. The difference in noise attenuation is not very noticeable in a Mooney. You do have to fiddle with the headband in the Zulu 3 to get the tension right. If you don't have a good seal around the ears you will get the motorboating effect. Lightspeed made a big deal about improving the headband design to make the Zulu 3 quieter than the Zulu 2. What they really did was change the angle of the parts that attach the earcups to the headband to increase the clamping force and this makes them less comfortable. You can bend them back to make them fit like the Zulu 2s (Lightspeed explained this to me and told me how to do it when I threatened to send my Zulu 3s back and stick with my Zulu 2s). In the Beaver, I use the A20, but in the Mooney I prefer the Zulu 3.

I haven't tried the QT. My wife uses it since she hates anything clamping her head. She's used to foam earplugs, so that doesn't bother her. Mic quality seems OK on the intercom, but it doesn't want to stay in place and she is constantly having to adjust it. The QTs are hand made and look it -- they lack a certain refinement in construction quality you would expect from a more expensive headset.

I use the Bluetooth in my Zulus and Bose with the phone often for calling for clearances from airports without ATC.

Skip

[Denver98]

I wore my Halo headset today.  I love them!  There is another added benefit that hasn’t been mentioned yet but here in Colorado “smooth” is light turbulence, it a factor.  When you get a strong jolt of turbulence had your head hits the ceiling there’s nothing to jam into your head or the ceiling.   I discovered this today, BTW.    

 

The tall mountain that’s less white is Long’s Peak.  

[Hank]

29 minutes ago, Denver98 said:

I wore my Halo headset today.  I love them!  There is another added benefit that hasn’t been mentioned yet but here in Colorado “smooth” is light turbulence, it a factor.  When you get a strong jolt of turbulence had your head hits the ceiling there’s nothing to jam into your head or the ceiling.   I discovered this today, BTW.    

 

The tall mountain that’s less white is Long’s Peak.  

And you can wear any hat!  

[carusoam]

Hank has some really upright cool hats... 

+1 on the halos...

As goofy comfortable as they are to wear.... marked by exiting the plane still connected...

They are so comfortable and you hear the radios extremely well...

 

And there will be a day....

You are sitting comfortably and they just don’t work....
 

until your remember to put the Little plug into your ear.... 

Do I really need a checklist item for that?

It’s fun being me... did I mention that before?

Best regards,

-a-

 

[Huitt3106]

18 hours ago, warren.huisman said:

I have a pair of Halo's that I would sell if you are interested in a slight discount.  They are virtually brand new. 

I think I only tried them twice.  They work well, I just realized that I hate having something stuck into my ears.  It's a personal preference thing I guess.  I will have to say, it feels kind of weird wearing them for the first time when you are accustomed to wearing normal headsets.  I can clearly understand how someone would try to exit the airplane with them still on.

 

I appreciate that but I had ordered a pair before you posted this.  I'm sure they'd sell fast if you posted them.

[Brian E.]

I'm late to all of the good threads...I've owned Halos for a couple of years now and they vastly improved when I had the custom ear molds made based on Paul's recommendation.  And, because I saw this thread--just bought my wife a set.  Good luck and keep flying!