ANR or Non-ANR

N

N99999

New Member
There are private label versions of the Lightspeed SOLOc and XCc newly available for $125 and $239, respectfully, with the latter having ANR. I was considering getting a David Clark H10-13S, but am considering one of those headsets instead. Am I making a mistake and should I stick with the David Clark, or should I get the lightspeed -- and the question is ANR or non-ANR?
 
I use my bosses lightspeed zulu everyday because it kick's my david clark's ass.
239 you say... I'll have to look into that myself.

Only problem with the zulu is there is some sort of feedback through the alternator that give a slight high pitch whine when the ANR is on that is not very noticeable.
 
It really depends on what stage of your career you are at and what your financial situation is like. If you are still in training and working on your private/commercial/or even CFI then I would suggest getting a non-ANR David Clark model like the 10-13 series. You won't be going on long enough flights for the comfort factor to be a real issue and you don't want to go out and spend $850 on a headset if you end up not completing training for some reason.

Once you get a stable flying job then you can always sell your less expensive headset and upgrade to a top tier model like the Bose X or Lightspeed Zulu. I had a DC 10-13.4 through training and then sold it for $150 on eBay and bought a Zulu when I got my first CFI job. The DCs worked great during training but when you start flying 7 or 8 hrs of dual a day you will want something more comfortable.

Between the Bose X and the Zulu I would say that the Bose is more comfortable but the Zulu has more features (like bluetooth and easy MP3 input). Both are great headsets.
 
I would say CFI's and up should get a good quality ANR headset. The Bose are overkill IMO. I used a David Clark 13.4 modded to ANR through all my training and into 135 flying. I then went to a more comfortable model from Pilot Communication.

When you switch to a jet check out the QC2 and Ufly mike. That is my current setup in the 727 and I love it.
 
If you fly for a living, and work long days on a regular basis, high end headsets like the Zulu and the X are worth every penny. I have a Zulu, and love it.
 
I scooped up a pair of 10.13's. I am really only flying local flights and buzzing around the traffic pattern, but they are comfy and provide good noise insulation. (Cruisin in a Ercoupe with the top down!) Have yet to try them in the glider, but I might want to, as some of our ships can get noisy. A pillow usually solves the problem but I want to look like a real skygod and be the only glider pilot wearing a headset and a pair of super cool Rayban aviator shades.;)
 
I started my flight training with a piece of crap Softcomm headset and would get headaches after about 40 minutes of flying because of their weight and clamping strength. They were miserable. After realizing that I was going to be in airplanes for quite a lot of time, I invested in the Bose and have never regretted it for one second. I truly believe they make you a better pilot. Less noise and more comfort equals a pilot that is less stressed and fatigued and the great sound quality allows you to hear transmissions you would not normally be able to make out with a lower quality headset. I always advise friends getting into aviation to "bite the bullet" and make an investment in a good headset. ANR will save your hearing as well if you fly something loud. I have only personally tried the Bose X, but the Zulus have way better bells and whistles and I have heard that they are very comparable as far as comfort, quietness, and sound quality.
 
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