Best headset available?
- Thread starter Spbeyond
- Start date
Im thinking bose. IF you guys had no price limit what headset would you get? Thanks
Cactus_Cutter
Well-Known Member
If you got money to throw around then the $1000.00 Bose headset is the answer. Nice slick modern design. In the past few years I haven't seen any detailed specs from Bose on how well their headsets work (i.e. DB reduction). But if you have the money for headsets with no performance data then I guess you have the money for hearing aids down the road.
Just my opinion...
Just my opinion...
JaceTheAce
Well-Known Member
Cactus_Cutter said:
Friends don't let friends buy Bose.
BPF
Well-Known Member
Bose, but expensive...
You can buy any DC headset (I like the 13.4), and there are noise cancelling kits you can buy to install in your headset. My friend did this and installed it himself. He let me try it out and its amazing. I've also worn the bose and its pretty much the same quality/ comfort, just more bulky.
Oh, and the bose is a grand while a DC with a kit installed is half the cost or less depending on the headset you buy.
You can buy any DC headset (I like the 13.4), and there are noise cancelling kits you can buy to install in your headset. My friend did this and installed it himself. He let me try it out and its amazing. I've also worn the bose and its pretty much the same quality/ comfort, just more bulky.
Oh, and the bose is a grand while a DC with a kit installed is half the cost or less depending on the headset you buy.
If you want a DC with noise cancelling, you can buy it straight from the manufacturer that way, you don't have to do the custom noise reduction yourself. Something to consider when doing that project is that it will void the warranty on your DC's. Usually, I don't care much about that kind of thing, but with my wife's noise cancelling DC's, she sent them back for an intermittent speaker and DC sent her back basically a brand new headset. I'd be surprised if they were willing to do that with a chopped up headset.
You can't beat the reliability of the DC's. Having said that, though, I'm considering getting a Bose myself.
You can't beat the reliability of the DC's. Having said that, though, I'm considering getting a Bose myself.
EDUC8-or
Well-Known Member
Bose is probably the best bet. I have a pair of Sennheiser ANR's and they are really comfortable and quiet, but they go through a set of batteries on a four day trip. If you look at sportscasters (Fox NFL, ESPN NCAA, CBS NFL) they're wearing Senns when they are broadcasting. I flew with a captain and he said his Bose set can last up to a month on two AAA batteries.
The Sennheisers cost about half as much (compared to Bose) and I'm very happy with them. I also own a pair of DC 13.4's and they are built like a tank and great for GA use.
The Sennheisers cost about half as much (compared to Bose) and I'm very happy with them. I also own a pair of DC 13.4's and they are built like a tank and great for GA use.
Tommay85
Well-Known Member
Im looking at the telex stratus 50D's right now. They look kinda big, so Im not sure yet. Im also looking at lightspeed 20XLCs and 30-3Gs. I have Pilot whatever's right now(the model number isnt specified on them). David Clarks have the same heavy head-vice like feel to them as the Pilots. So Im gona stay away from them.
For me, the weight and clamping force is what is most fatiquing. I cant justify spending 1000 dollars on a headset for another two ounces of weight over what Im looking at now. Plus, bose audio sucks. They suck so bad, that that I wouldnt doubt their headsets are just as bad. All hype, no performance.
For me, the weight and clamping force is what is most fatiquing. I cant justify spending 1000 dollars on a headset for another two ounces of weight over what Im looking at now. Plus, bose audio sucks. They suck so bad, that that I wouldnt doubt their headsets are just as bad. All hype, no performance.
stuckingfk
Well-Known Member
TXaviator said:
Have you ever used Bose in the cockpit?
If not, no need to comment since you don't have experience with them. I know you and Jace don't like Bose, but they happen to make a great headset for aviation purposes. Do I think it's overpriced? Yes, but it gets the job done.
Looking4Lower
New Member
UAL747400 said:
Let's say that I am a flight department manager for a corporate flight department and the CEO wants me to choose a new jet. I'm considering a Bombardier Challenger 604 or possibly even a Bombardier Global Express, and I'm trying to determine whether either of these planes would be suitable for my particular operation and if they are worth their cost. How can I make a purchase decision?
Well, I go onto an recreational boating message board and I read some negative opinions about a certain model of Evinrude outboard motor. Clearly, this means one thing: Challengers and Globals suck and I shouldn't buy either one! Bombardier is also the parent company of Evinrude, and if their outboard motors suck, so must their business jets.
You can use this method to choose a headset if you want. However, another method to choose a headset would be to evaluate its performance and features in direct comparison to other similar products, to try the product yourself (to evaluate the comfort, fit and feel) and get first-hand opinions from those who have tried the product - their likes and dislikes.
Good luck, and have fun choosing a good headset that you like!
Let's talk about the concept of noise cancelling.
Sound is conducted through the atmosphere as a wave. When the wave strikes your ear, the mechanism of the ear translates the vibrations into an electrical signal that is perceived in the brain as sound.
Now, the "noise cancelling" process proposes to create an identical wave of the opposite phase, so that what reaches the ear is no wave at all, which is processed as no sound.
Most noise cancelling headsets begin this process by sampling the sound waves at the mouthpiece, or microphone installed on the boom of the headset. As an average, this point is adequate, and will result in the production in both headsets of a "cancelling" sound wave that will approximate the identical but opposite sound wave to achieve something approximating no sound.
Unfortunately, sound in a cockpit is not uniform, and while the average is close, it's not as good as it could be. Usually, there will be more sound on one side of the head than the other, or different sounds on each side. Typically, the sounds to the outboard side will be louder than the sounds inboard.
What if, though, the sound could be sampled at each ear, and an individualized "identical but opposite" sound wave could be produced for each ear that would more perfectly match the sound that actually reaches that ear, which would in turn produce the appearance of no sound in the ear?
Well, that's exactly what Bose does. There's not one single cancelling wave produced based on what is perceived at the boom microphone. On the contrary, there is a microphone on the dome of each earpiece, and two separate cancelling waves are custom produced for each ear. The result: the very best noise cancelling that one can experience.
Other headsets may have better passive protection, others might hold up to more abuse due to a more rugged construction. Consequently, one might choose those others over Bose. However, none can beat Bose for Noise cancelling, and none can top their customer service.
.
Sound is conducted through the atmosphere as a wave. When the wave strikes your ear, the mechanism of the ear translates the vibrations into an electrical signal that is perceived in the brain as sound.
Now, the "noise cancelling" process proposes to create an identical wave of the opposite phase, so that what reaches the ear is no wave at all, which is processed as no sound.
Most noise cancelling headsets begin this process by sampling the sound waves at the mouthpiece, or microphone installed on the boom of the headset. As an average, this point is adequate, and will result in the production in both headsets of a "cancelling" sound wave that will approximate the identical but opposite sound wave to achieve something approximating no sound.
Unfortunately, sound in a cockpit is not uniform, and while the average is close, it's not as good as it could be. Usually, there will be more sound on one side of the head than the other, or different sounds on each side. Typically, the sounds to the outboard side will be louder than the sounds inboard.
What if, though, the sound could be sampled at each ear, and an individualized "identical but opposite" sound wave could be produced for each ear that would more perfectly match the sound that actually reaches that ear, which would in turn produce the appearance of no sound in the ear?
Well, that's exactly what Bose does. There's not one single cancelling wave produced based on what is perceived at the boom microphone. On the contrary, there is a microphone on the dome of each earpiece, and two separate cancelling waves are custom produced for each ear. The result: the very best noise cancelling that one can experience.
Other headsets may have better passive protection, others might hold up to more abuse due to a more rugged construction. Consequently, one might choose those others over Bose. However, none can beat Bose for Noise cancelling, and none can top their customer service.
.
Ralgha
Well-Known Member
UAL747400 said:
You ever used a Bose aviation headset? Yeah, didn't think so. Their home audio does suck, but their headset is a completely different animal. Most people who have actually USED it (what a concept, having experience with something before deciding whether it's good or not!) think it's great.
My synopsis pretty much agrees with yours. I ended up chosing the D-C's for piston flying, though, for four reasons:TonyC said:
The first you already mentioned - the Clarks are built like a tank and can take a beating. The Bose didn't inspire as much confidence in that area.
The second has to do with overall noise levels. It may be just my perception, but I think that the Clarks do a much better job of passive noise protection, and, when combined with pretty darn good active cancellation (maybe not as good as the Bose, but still not bad) gives an overall quieter experience. At least this was true in piston aircraft in my experience.
The third reason was price. No explanation necessary.
The fourth reason was service. Maybe D-C doesn't top Bose, but I bet they are at least their equal. And I believe that D-C was the first headset manufacturer to set the service bar at the height that it is today. They set the standard that everyone else (at least the quality manufacturers) are now striving to meet or exceed.
I find it interesting that now that I'm starting to do some jet flying I am beginning to rethink my choice in headsets. Mostly because the noise level in general is lower than the pistons, and comfort and convenience factors may start to outweigh the pure noise factor. I did a trip yesterday with my D-C's, and I actually turned the ANR off because it was too quiet. I couldn't get any auditory hints from engine or air noise at all, and it was a bit eerie. I'm going to be looking around at what the other guys are using, and may end up switching brands in the future. We shall see.