David Clark DC PRO-X, New Noise-Cancelling Aviation Headset
- Thread starter NoJoy
- Start date
cmill
Cold Ass Honky
I don't see how anyone can really defend wearing david clamps. Quite frankly, they suck. I'm not saying you have to go bose, but wear literally any ANR headset for a week and you'll never go back to DC again.
The only reason DC is still around is because most pilots are basically luddites and terrified of anything new or different.
The only reason DC is still around is because most pilots are basically luddites and terrified of anything new or different.
Inverted
mmmmmm wine
Why do you prefer DCs in the jet? If ANR headsets cancel more noise in noisier environments, they do even better when there isn't as much noise. I love my A20s in the jet.
Inverted
mmmmmm wine
Actually no.
wheelsup
Well-Known Member
ANR is great at low frequency noise but not higher frequency like air. As far as comfort goes the DC's really are pretty comfortable to me.
Cal Goat
Prestige Worldwide™
I agree. My noise cancelling DCs have been effective and durable for 10 years. Also, I have giant head and my DCs with an Oregon Aero headpad are perfectly comfortable for me. I've tried Boses and Lightspeeds, and they're great headsets. But my DCs are comfortable and they work, so why should I replace them?
And on a related note, the outright contempt some people have for DCs is actually pretty suspicious. I never thought the Bose Xs were all that great but I never told anyone they HAD to buy DCs, I just related my personal experiences with both brands.
cmill
Cold Ass Honky
It's not really contempt for DCs, its contempt for anything that makes my jaw pop and leaves a red ring around my ears.
z987k
Well-Known Member
I had to throw on a pair of DC's the other day because I left my zulu's at home. The airplane(BE20) was only slightly quieter with them on than with them off. It was a long flight so I ended up just flying most of the flight with them off and using the hand mic. More comfortable and hardly any louder.
That is why DC's suck. If I wore those things every day I'm sure I'd eventually need hearing aid's by 40. It's just not worth the long term hearing damage.
Ralgha
Well-Known Member
Crazy is doing the same thing over again and expecting different results.
DC needs to be put out of its misery, you should get a headset from a manufacturer that actually knows how to use current technology. Lightspeed and Bose come to mind first, but there are other technologically good manufacturers too, DC is not one of them.
Sent from LV-426.
Cal Goat
Prestige Worldwide™
Well that is strange since I have flown a wide variety of propeller driven aircraft with my DCs and have found the noise protection (both active and passive) to be quite adequate. My experience includes a BE20, PA31s at Amflight and the EMB-120. When I toggle the power switch on the battery pack, the low frequency noise pretty much goes away all together. And like I said, for whatever reason, they don't hurt my gigantic head. It just seems like having a larger-than-average skull would put be at greater risk for the pain of the clamp, but it doesn't.
I don't doubt your claims, but all I can say is that my experience with DCs is nothing like what you're describing. I mean it really sounds like hyperbole because I have actually flown a King Air B200 with both the Bose Xs and my ENC DCs. The only real difference was that the Xs were tad a lighter, yes, but they also touched some part of my ear cartilage and it became excruciatingly painful after an hour or so.
If my DCs ever crap the bed completely and the boys in Worcester won't fix them for a reasonable price, then I suppose I would have an incentive to throw down a grand on Lightspeed or Bose. But until then, I'll just use what works and has pretty much always worked for me.
And Dc's dont cost a grand.
Ralgha
Well-Known Member
Which is why most people buy them. Because they can afford them. I have two sets of Bose X's. Started of with Clark's. I gave my Clark's away. They cancel noise by clamping your head. Flying for more than 6 hours a day as a CFI will give you a headache.
z987k
Well-Known Member
I'm talking about the purely passive one's. I'm not joking though. There was little difference between having them on and not in terms of noise and a lot in terms of comfort.
upup89
Well-Known Member
The Dash isn't loud up front by any means so for noise cancelling I can't speak too much since its been 3 years since I've flown anything piston but I can fly an 8 hour day with my DC 20-10's with the gel ear seals and I hardly know they are there. Perhaps my only complaint is that they are a tad too heavy. That's what has me interested in this headset for the Dash perhaps it would solve the issue of the weight. I also wonder if I am ever fortunate enough to move on to bigger and better things if this headset would have a practical use.
Tommay85
Well-Known Member
It's not just the noise, it's the constant frequencies that ruin our hearing. The POS 99 I fly is about 82 decibels inside. According to my phone at least, but bear with me anyways. That level doesn't cause hearing loss, but the brain will eventually ignore the frequency the droning props produce. ANR is a MUST to anyone that flies regularly. The better the ANR, the better the headset from a functionality standpoint, therefore, DCs are crap. 
My beef with the first gen Zulus(don't know if the zulu 2s do this) is that when the batteries die, it's difficult to understand anything. Bose is better in this regard if you forgot to bring spare batteries.
My beef with the first gen Zulus(don't know if the zulu 2s do this) is that when the batteries die, it's difficult to understand anything. Bose is better in this regard if you forgot to bring spare batteries.
Pilotforhire587
Lycra Man
Tommay85
Well-Known Member
Oh YEAH? Missed it I guess, or it was tl:dr.