Lightspeed Tango Headset PIREP Request

[mooneyflyer]

Anyone have LIghtspeed Tangos?  We currently have Zulus, but are drawn to the wireless Tangos.  I've been told they are'nt quite as quiet.

Any PIREPS on them?

[Seth]

I have a friend who owns a 231 that uses or used the Tango for a while. PM me your contact and info and I'll put you two in touch.

 

-Seth

[Bolter]

@mooneygirl flew with me for an OSH trip one year, and had brand new Tango's.  Certainly a quality product, like the Zulus.  That was 4 years ago, so she can testify to long term usage and durability.  

[AH-1 Cobra Pilot]

Stick with the Zulu.

We have one of each.  The Tango batteries are not that great; they do not last as long as I think they should, the volume is not so easy to adjust, and the part you plug in is not as inconspicuous as one would hope.  The advantage is the cords do not intrude as much, so you will not trip over them trying to get out of the right seat.

[eman1200]

I have flown with the tangos since they came out.  I need to get mine refurbished a bit but I like them.  I really, REALLY like the wirelessness of them.  however, I have recently been using bose a20 and man, those things are sweet.  great sound, mic is solid.  but I can't STAND the cables, especially on the a20, I think it's shorter than most and it annoys me.  once u go cableless u never want to go back.  I don't think you'll be disappointed, they're a good headset.

[skydvrboy]

I use the Tangos and have been quite pleased with the sound quality and noise reduction.  As others have said, the base unit that plugs into the plane is too big, but the wireless is awesome.  One nice benefit is the range. A passenger can get out and walk back to the hangar and still communicate with those inside the plane.  

My biggest issue with them though is the crappy design for charging the headset. You have to peel back a small rubber flap that never closes properly.  The constant pressure on the cord when charging has damaged the ports, so the headsets don’t always charge.  Fortunately, the battery is interchangeable with the base unit and those charge just fine due to a much better design, so I can use the bases like a battery charger for the headsets.

[ZuluZulu]

I’ve owned a Lightspeed Zulu PFX, Zulu 3, Zulu 2, Sierra, and Tango.  I liked the Tango but ended up selling them.  The volume was definitely quieter than the other sets.  May not be a problem in all cases but it did make it difficult for me to hear sometimes.  (But that also might have been my friend’s Diamond...)  I didn’t have as much trouble with charging as @skydvrboy but I was also using them infrequently, so maybe that’s why.  If they were my daily pair, maybe I would noticed more issues.  My set was purchased used and the seller included a standalone wall charger that could accept the battery once removed from the headset, which seemed to work pretty well.  Buying that charger from Lightspeed might mitigate charging issues.

I also don’t recommend it as a passenger headset, if you regularly fly with different groups of people or with non-pilots.  It takes some explaining of how it works, to the point where I just started letting other people use my PFX and wore the Tango myself.  If you have a passenger who regularly flies with you, one or two briefings should cover it, but it is kind of annoying to have to explain it every single time to different passengers.  It’s definitely not as easy to “get” as a standard pair.

With that said, the wireless connection was always rock-solid.  Never once lost the signal.  I liked them overall, but for what I wanted to use them for (passenger headsets), a Sierra or Zulu was a better fit.

[spistora]

If you decide to try them, someone on pilots of america forum almost always has slightly used demo units for sale for $575 (and other Lightspeed headsets).  I picked up a set to try a couple of months ago and they are like new (ear pads and mic cover are new). Like everything, they have their trade-offs. The wireless feature is really nice but having to charge them can be annoying compared to just leaving them in the plane. I also have the Zulu 3 that seems slightly more comfortable.