Need a new headset

[Max Clark]

17 hours ago, cliffy said:

Just PM me and I'll send pics if you want.

Messaged you

[midlifeflyer]

3 hours ago, DXB said:

A few notes about foam plug passive headsets  (Halo, Clarity Aloft, whatever) that have garnered praise in this thread:

My choice of an in-ear was not due to relative noise attenuation. Something else entirely - teaching in the summer in a bubble canopy Diamond DA40. That cockpit is a sauna and any shade helps. Big floppy hats reduce perceived temperature by about 10°F but dome headsets don't fit underneath hats that produce 360° sun protection for the head. That my Axis are at least as quiet as my Lightspeeds (I still switch back and forth) in that extra-noisy environment was just a side benefit. 

[Pinecone]

I have used David Clarks since my first 10-30 back in the late 70s.  In the Mooney I fly with a DC ONE-X that I love.  I have flown 7 hour legs without any issues.

I HIGHLY agree that you should try them all on first.  And put them on and leave them on for a while.  What is fine for 5 minutes maybe painful at an hour.

[McMooney]

34 minutes ago, Pinecone said:

I have used David Clarks since my first 10-30 back in the late 70s.  In the Mooney I fly with a DC ONE-X that I love.  I have flown 7 hour legs without any issues.

I HIGHLY agree that you should try them all on first.  And put them on and leave them on for a while.  What is fine for 5 minutes maybe painful at an hour.

I have these also, really liked them. 

these are what i used before i upgraded to the zulus.  nothing really wrong with them, just started to be a bit worn

[Jackk]

One good point to add, with ANR headsets you should be replacing the ear seals (prob all soft parts) yearly for the ANR to work properly 

[Andy95W]

On 12/21/2025 at 4:47 PM, Hank said:

Can't say enough about Quiet Technologies Halos. My wife didn't want anything in her ear, preferred the big over-the-ear style, but I bought her a set and it only took a 20-minute local flight to change her mind.

 

I’ll add my vote for the QT Halos.  Most comfortable headsets I’ve ever worn, and I’ll also confirm the point that if the plugs aren’t comfortable, you just need to try all the different types until you find the ones that work for you.  If you’re still not happy, call Phil.  He’s very helpful and approachable and as mentioned above, an actual audiologist and fellow Mooney owner.  He’s on MooneySpace as @pmccand123.

A couple of points that haven’t been mentioned yet- the Halos are cheaper than the Clarity Aloft by a good amount, and MUCH better quality than the cheaper knock-offs hitting the market recently.  Even the newest versions of the Halo with Bluetooth and a Lemo plug are about half the price of the Clarity Aloft.  And you don’t have to replace batteries or risk losing your ANR.

If you’re at OSH, it’s definitely worth stopping by his booth to talk with him and getting a demonstration. 

[Will.iam]

I have bose A20 and A30.  The A30 with the lighter clamping force feels better to me on long flights.  I tried the Bose Proflight series 2 I tried but returned.  While ok in the jets was sub par for our mooneys with there prop noise and for $1000 I can't believe they put less noise cancellation capability than their A20 or A30 series.  The fact that bose made an in the ear music noise cancelling ear bud that is excellent shows there is no excuse for them not putting at least that capability into their Proflight series.  I have a Ufly noise cancelling ear buds that work satisfactory in the mooney but not as good as the bose but in the hot summer time I will take them over the bose to avoid the head sweat from the heat in the cabin. One headset I would like to try but have not gotten around to purchasing it is the CQheadset.com  They look like clarity alofts but refined in that their boom mic stays put and doesn't move around like other wired boom mics.  Lots of acrobatic pilots love them for both the passive noise reduction and that they stay where you put them.

[pmccand123]

On 12/22/2025 at 9:53 PM, Will.iam said:

 One headset I would like to try but have not gotten around to purchasing it is the CQheadset.com  They look like clarity alofts but refined in that their boom mic stays put and doesn't move around like other wired boom mics.  Lots of acrobatic pilots love them for both the passive noise reduction and that they stay where you put them.

Don't bother with the CQ.  They are a piece-for-piece direct COPY of the Quiet Technologies Halo.  The only difference is that they cost hundreds more, and don't extend to fit larger heads.  Why not go with the originals... support the guy who invented it in the first place and pay less?

 

[midlifeflyer]

2 hours ago, pmccand123 said:

Don't bother with the CQ.  They are a piece-for-piece direct COPY of the Quiet Technologies Halo.  The only difference is that they cost hundreds more, and don't extend to fit larger heads.  Why not go with the originals... support the guy who invented it in the first place and pay less?

I can think of one reason to avoid the Halo. The floppy microphone. I tried a Halo and got rid of it because every time I made a transmission, I had to push the mic back to my lips.  Thinking maybe something was wrong with the specific unitI went back and looked at YouTube videos of pilots using them and saw the same thing.

I see from @Will.I.Am's post that CQ says they overcame that problem. If so, it more like my Axis (I don't have to adjust the mic any more than with a full dome headset) than the Halo.  Will.Iam, the Clarity doesn't move around either. 

[Andy95W]

55 minutes ago, midlifeflyer said:

I can think of one reason to avoid the Halo. The floppy microphone. I tried a Halo and got rid of it because every time I made a transmission, I had to push the mic back to my lips. 

In 8 years and hundreds of times wearing my Halo headset I’ve never had this issue. I adjust the microphone once when I put it on and I don’t have to touch it again. I’ll bet the vast majority of users have experiences like mine. @Hank?

[midlifeflyer]

57 minutes ago, Andy95W said:

In 8 years and hundreds of times wearing my Halo headset I’ve never had this issue. I adjust the microphone once when I put it on and I don’t have to touch it again. I’ll bet the vast majority of users have experiences like mine. @Hank?

Perhaps. I'm just relating what I (and others) have seen and experienced. I'm not the only pilot who switched for that reason.  Three's a reason it's a talking point for competitors. 

One of the more famous switchers before the switch.

[Rick Junkin]

As of a couple of years ago I need hearing aids for moderate/severe high frequency loss.  All those years of jet noise and Dash 60 power carts had a price. The in-ear offerings could be problematic for me.

Bose A20s work great with my hearing aids, so I don't need to worry about taking them out and putting them back in again. Not a huge deal, but I get to avoid the opportunity to damage or loose them. Just one less thing to mess with.

Head size plays a major role in comfort - I wear a size 7 3/8 hat. I have no problem with the A20 clamping force, and I've worn them for 4+ hours at a time. As was mentioned by someone else, the passive attenuation is not excellent but the ANR is. And the ear cups are lower profile than the Lightspeeds. I use oxygen on almost every flight and have a Precise Flight boom cannula that mounts to the ear cup, which I like because it lets me easily keep the O2 lines routed out of the way behind me.

Having said that, if I needed a new headset I would definitely look at the Lightspeed offerings along with the A30s. I like the cabling on the Lightspeeds better so it would come down to relative comfort and sound quality. The Lightspeeds also boast an equalizer function that could possibly compensate for some of my hearing loss, but I'd have to try them out.

If you can't get to a shop that has demo headsets, Sporty's is a good option. They will let you try out a new headset for 30 days. If you don't like it for any reason you can exchange it for a different headset or get a refund.

 

[Jackk]

 Another options, if your plane is quiet, lots of 121 guys use these. They also have BT

https://www.uflymike.com/shop/harmony-pro-aviation-kit-77?category=4#attr=143,51,43,158
 

It uses the Bose QC 45s ($199)

https://www.amazon.com/Bose-QuietComfort-Bluetooth-Cancelling-Headphones/dp/B098FH5P3C
 

 I will say if they run out of juice they straight turn off, so carry extra batteries and have good SA

 

 It’s very light and also great as a pax headset, if given to small child you can simply remove the mic to remove unwanted noise 

 

Also you can pull the mic off and just use it to listen to music etc when not flying 

All in it’s like $550

Edited December 24, 2025 by Jackk

[Buckster]

I own 4 Bose A20's.  I tried the A30 on at sun-n-fun and really didn't think they were worth extra price.  Unfortunately I haven't had the chance to try the Halo but when I decide that it's time for a new headset then I'm always open to the views of the members.

[pmccand123]

6 hours ago, midlifeflyer said:

I can think of one reason to avoid the Halo. The floppy microphone. I tried a Halo and got rid of it because every time I made a transmission, I had to push the mic back to my lips.  Thinking maybe something was wrong with the specific unitI went back and looked at YouTube videos of pilots using them and saw the same thing.

I see from @Will.I.Am's post that CQ says they overcame that problem. If so, it more like my Axis (I don't have to adjust the mic any more than with a full dome headset) than the Halo.  Will.Iam, the Clarity doesn't move around either. 

Completely incorrect.  Your information is dated.  Quiet has new materials for the past 10 years.  No more floppy anything.   Got folks pulling 9 G's in airshows all the time.

 

Edited December 24, 2025 by pmccand123

[PT20J]

8 minutes ago, pmccand123 said:

Completely incorrect.  Your information is dated.  Quiet has new materials for the past 10 years.  No more floppy anything.   Got folks pulling 9 G's in airshows all the time.

 

I bought one for my wife 5 years ago. The mic was always out of position every time she would try to talk to me on the intercom forcing her to reposition it and repeat herself. She finally took it off and threw it in the back seat.

 

[Will.iam]

4 hours ago, Rick Junkin said:

As of a couple of years ago I need hearing aids for moderate/severe high frequency loss.  All those years of jet noise and Dash 60 power carts had a price. The in-ear offerings could be problematic for me.

Bose A20s work great with my hearing aids, so I don't need to worry about taking them out and putting them back in again. Not a huge deal, but I get to avoid the opportunity to damage or loose them. Just one less thing to mess with.

Head size plays a major role in comfort - I wear a size 7 3/8 hat. I have no problem with the A20 clamping force, and I've worn them for 4+ hours at a time. As was mentioned by someone else, the passive attenuation is not excellent but the ANR is. And the ear cups are lower profile than the Lightspeeds. I use oxygen on almost every flight and have a Precise Flight boom cannula that mounts to the ear cup, which I like because it lets me easily keep the O2 lines routed out of the way behind me.

Having said that, if I needed a new headset I would definitely look at the Lightspeed offerings along with the A30s. I like the cabling on the Lightspeeds better so it would come down to relative comfort and sound quality. The Lightspeeds also boast an equalizer function that could possibly compensate for some of my hearing loss, but I'd have to try them out.

If you can't get to a shop that has demo headsets, Sporty's is a good option. They will let you try out a new headset for 30 days. If you don't like it for any reason you can exchange it for a different headset or get a refund.

 

I failed to mention the A30 has a smaller less stiff cord compared to the A20 headset. The clamp force is less which is good for less head squeeze but bad in that if you jerk your head around or bend over to get a dropped pen etc the headset could slide off. 

[Will.iam]

I see there is some testy views about QC. From their website it seems they were frustrated with the halo’s and clarity alofts short comings as well. I find it ironic that someone says their boom is too short as they specifically state theirs is longer than the competition to address that very issue as well as having a better band around the neck that doesn’t dig into your ears to hold in place which i have problems with my ufly head band now.  Guess i will have to try a pair to see how they fit for me personally. 

[midlifeflyer]

12 hours ago, PT20J said:

I bought one for my wife 5 years ago. The mic was always out of position every time she would try to talk to me on the intercom forcing her to reposition it and repeat herself. She finally took it off and threw it in the back seat.

 

…and the one I tried was about 3 years ago.

I know the Halo is popular enough that many  are simply not having the issue. Others may be so used to the brief touch when communicating. And it’s noise attenuation is excellent which is why the tube-and-multiple tip concept is being used by several other manufacturers. I have no horse in the race, so I don’t discount others’ experiences just because they are different than mine. 

[skykrawler]

Of course anything that can be done to make your Mooney quieter helps.  Whether it's a new gasket for the storm window, a new door seal, or closed cell insulation.

Just flew in a friends Bravo and his door is leaking noise relentlessly.

What you don't realize is how loud the audio is set when flying the airplane - even with ANR.  The noise rejection of the microphone makes a difference on the background noise when talking, especially during climb and cruise.

I use earplugs on the motorcycle.  I've tried using earplugs with a headset but it doesn't help with the lower frequencies.   They also irritate my ear canal. 

Headsets owned:  FlightCom, LightSpeed 20XL, DC non-anr, DC-anr, Bose-X, Bose 20, LightSpeed Sierra/BT.   I use the Sierra and soon a Zulu2 upgraded to Zulu3.

[midlifeflyer]

57 minutes ago, skykrawler said:

.  I've tried using earplugs with a headset but it doesn't help with the lower frequencies.   They also irritate my ear canal. 

You are likely not a candidate for an in-ear headset.

On a related tangent, there was a thread in another forum that asked whether anyone has tried to wear two headsets - a domed ANR over an in-ear. So, of course :D, I couldn't resist trying it. Not my Lightspeed (where I would have two mics in the way of each other), but a headset I use to listen to music at the gym or while on an airline flight. It was comfortable but I  found the combination to be too quiet. 

[SilentT]

So where would someone try out headsets in the indiana area of the country. 

[LANCECASPER]

19 minutes ago, SilentT said:

So where would someone try out headsets in the indiana area of the country. 

You'd use this as an excuse to make a short 265nm flight from Pekin over to I69.

https://www.sportys.com/visit-sportys

[SilentT]

16 hours ago, LANCECASPER said:

You'd use this as an excuse to make a short 265nm flight from Pekin over to I69.

https://www.sportys.com/visit-sportys

Well shit... 

I actually. Live in Indiana just get work done 2hr west in Pekin. I didn't realize sportys had a store let alone weekend hotdogs... That's definitely a trip once hot dogs start. 

[cliffy]

 Halos are sold  Sorry