In The Ear Headset

[GaryP1007]

Considering a Clarity Aloft headset and wondered if I could get first hand opinions from Mooney folks.

Happy Holidays to all!

[Hank]

I wore a set in Sportys showroom, but never flew with them. A year later I bought myself a set of Halos from Quiet Technologies, and love them.

The difference is the speakers. Clarity's speakers go in your ear like ear buds, which are uncomfortable for me. The Halo speakers are on the metal band behind your head, the sound travels through a thin tube through the earplug. I use one of the silicone sets, others prefer the foamies. Stereo sound and everything, just no more calling for Departure clearance from the wife while taxiing out by shoving the cell phone under an ear cup; now it takes a hand to hold the phone up to my ear.

No more clamp-pressure headaches after a couple of hours. Be careful, though--you WILL try to get out of the plane with them still on your head. :-). No damage . . .

[David Mazer]

I'm sure you are going to hear this story repeatedly. I have been using Halo headsets for years and love them. There have been a few technical issues but Phil (a fellow Mooney owner on this site) has always been there to deal with them. Search the site for Halo and you'll see many glowing testimonials. I don't think you'll find the same for Clarity Aloft. People don't believe me when I tell them the passive noise suppression is better than the active noise suppression I've experienced with other headsets but it is true anyway.

[201er]

I second the Halo. I stopped using my Bose when I got the Halo. The Bose I admit provides a quieter ride and I keep it for passengers. However, the Halo provides better noise attenuation than any passive headset and better than any cheap active noise reduction one as well. Music sound quality seemed better on the Bose but voice quality coming over the intercom or radio is actually clearer on the Halo which is what it's meant for. Since I'm always playing music through my headset, I don't really notice the noise much. They are lighter and more comfortable than any headset. You can wear glasses, oxygen canula, and a hat without any conflict with the headset. I vote for the Halo as the best aviation headset I have encountered.

[Cruiser]

I concur with the audio clarity of the Halo. I found myself constantly asking ATC to repeat .......... now I can hear the words clearly and distinctly, seldom do I miss an instruction since wearing the Halo.

[201er]

Oh and I should add. With the same radio I used to keep it at 3/4 volume with David Clark headset, 1/2 with bose, and now down to only 1/4 with Halo. There's plenty more volume available so I never feeling like I'm using it to the max. It's lightweight and the only headset I could imagine wearing for my 8+ hour xcountries. Even the Bose get uncomfortable after about 4 hours.

[kgbpost]

Halo's. Had them for a year and love them. My wife loves the fact that she no longer gets a headache from the 'headclamps' as she calls them.

[lahso]

Love my Halo, too. Phil is great to work with, and makes a good product.

[omega708]

Can anyone tell me if the sample sound clips on their website are realistic. I've been considering the purchase of a Halo for about a month, but don't know anyone (personally) that owns a set.

If this headset is truly a quiet and clear as those sound files, I'll order a pair tonight.

[bnicolette]

I have also tried the Halo headset. They were outstanding in the Mooney. I was ultimately looking for a headset that I could use at work as well as in the Mooney but the Halo would not play well with the Telex Pro's for some reason and didn't pair well in the cockpit. However, in the Mooney (a noisy environment) they worked great with the Bose and Zulu's with no problems. I really liked them and they were extremely comfortable and quiet!! Definitely recommend them.

[carusoam]

I can't imagine testing a sound file using your computer system and saying it would be the same as a Halo system...

I like my Halo. It works well. It is true that you may forget they are in. You will laugh at yourself the first time you forget to take them out.

You won't be able to miss you tail number during an IFR flight. If you do, it's not a hearing problem... Attention challenges / distraction issues may be improved as well...

Best regards,

-a-

[Hank]

Can anyone tell me if the sample sound clips on their website are realistic. I've been considering the purchase of a Halo for about a month, but don't know anyone (personally) that owns a set.

If this headset is truly a quiet and clear as those sound files, I'll order a pair tonight.

Order them and find out! IIRC, QT offers a 30-day return if you aren't happy. I'm sure few ever go back.

[omega708]

Order them and find out! IIRC, QT offers a 30-day return if you aren't happy. I'm sure few ever go back.

That's what I've been contemplating...

[PilotDerek]

Sound like a broken record, but I also have the Halo and haven't thought of any other headset as I love it. I had a priblem with feedback a few months ago, called Phil who told me to send them in. Got them back quickly with a hand written note letting me know what he did. Haven't had a problem since. Great product all around.

[carusoam]

If the return policy is still in place, order first, then ask questions...

Your current head set can go to the back seat.

My DCs went to the back seat so fast they almost caused an injury on the resident back there!

Best regards,

-a-

[DonMuncy]

Just to make sure the bandwagon doesn't get overloaded. I use a set of David Clarks with Headset Inc. ANR units installed. I got the memory foam ear pads for Oregon Aero and adjusted the headset band to take some of the clamp pressure off.

I have a friend who loaned me his Halo, which I used for a couple of flights. Frankly, the audio from the Halo is very good, but I still prefer my DCs for the noise attenuation.

[Lood]

Also on the DC's with ANR mod from Headsets Inc. They are absolutely amazing and although I haven't flown with any other brand of ANR's, I just can't see any good reason to spend a small fortune on any of these. I doubt whether the top brand names can be that much better to justify the ridiculous asking prices.

As for the clamping problem, just bend the headband open until it is comfortable on your head. I've fine tuned my DC's and can wear it all day long without getting tired.

[David Mazer]

Actually, the Halos cost less than half what the ANR headsets cost.

[Hank]

Halos are price-competitive with DC 13.4 passive headsets, which get noisier when wearing sunglasses, restrict what hats you can wear, and will push the button on top of your favorite ball cap deeply into your skull. These issues disappear with the Halo.

[aviatoreb]

Considering a Clarity Aloft headset and wondered if I could get first hand opinions from Mooney folks.

Happy Holidays to all!

Just one tempering note.

I find the QT at least difficult to use if it is very cold, like below 32F and progressively harder to use as it gets frigid. The reason is that the foam becomes as hard as a rock when it is very cold so you cannot squeeze it down to put into your ear. The only way to warm it seems to be to put it in your ear for a while - cold - and let it warm up and then you can work it.

Better not to leave the headset in the airplane in the cold months and instead bring it to the airport with you from home. And I keep it inside the coat to keep warm.

Actually, I have taken to using my Bose X in the cold months and the QT in the warm months. Likewise the extra coverage of the bose x does not feel too hot in the winter like it does in the summer.

[flyboy0681]

Ditto, great unit.

I'm thinking about buying a BluLink adapter (see link below) so that my wife could listen to her iPod and use her phone via Bluetooth in her Halo's. Do any of you have this unit, and if so, how well does it work?

http://www.sportys.com/PilotShop/product/15836?gclid=CJuulaz3urQCFUqoPAod8AYAXw

[flyboy0681]

I find the QT at least difficult to use if it is very cold, like below 32F and progressively harder to use as it gets frigid. The reason is that the foam becomes as hard as a rock when it is very cold so you cannot squeeze it down to put into your ear.

This is a very true statement which I discovered just last week. Unusually cold temps down here made my foam tips quite hard to the point where I had trouble getting them small enough to insert into my ear. I'm not quite sure how to solve it when it happens again.

[201er]

Yeah, the winter issue for sure. Do the rubber ear pieces hold up better in winter than the foam? Never bothered trying them as the foam was so good. Phil, any suggestions for us?

[aviatoreb]

This is a very true statement which I discovered just last week. Unusually cold temps down here made my foam tips quite hard to the point where I had trouble getting them small enough to insert into my ear. I'm not quite sure how to solve it when it happens again.

...and if it is 0F or worse - there is no hope of using the foam in the ear pieces. It hurts to try to put them in your ear and they will not get soft unless you put them in your ear.

The only way I can think to warm them is either bring them into the FBO for like 30 min before you fly, or brave it and stick them in your ear solid as a rock and let your ear defrost them which your poor ear will do in a few minutes...but the work poorly for noise canceling until them.

From experience, do not try to squeeze them small when they are even sort of hard from even moderate cold since this seems to ruin the foam and it looses its bounce-back much much more quickly if you force it. Once the foam looses its bounce back, it no longer fills the spaces in your ear and then makes a poor sound barrier - of course replacement foam tips are only $1.50 - still why ruin them instantly.

As I said, the only way I find reasonable to deal with frigid cold is to anticipate it by brnging your headset home and then bring it back to the airport when you fly safely tucked inside your jacket. The headset is so small, and inside its mini carry case, this is not a tremendous problem. Still I use my Bose X in the winter and the QT in the summer.

[Skywarrior]

Bought Halo.

Love it.