Headset discussion (moved from "daily pic" thread)

Cal Goat

Cal Goat

Prestige Worldwide™
Adler said:
75 Captain wearing David Clamps?!

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ZOMG!

I jumpseated out and back from SLC a few weeks ago and rode with a Compass crew and a Skywest crew who were all wearing DCs. So rare that you notice it when it happens. But hell, I still wear mine. 11 years. Just had 'em refurbed in 2012. ENC and they work just fine.

But I am giving serious consideration to the Bose A20s now. I just want to start piping in music, but the lighter weight would be nice too.
 
Cal Goat said:
ZOMG!

I jumpseated out and back from SLC a few weeks ago and rode with a Compass crew and a Skywest crew who were all wearing DCs. So rare that you notice it when it happens. But hell, I still wear mine. 11 years. Just had 'em refurbed in 2012. ENC and they work just fine.

But I am giving serious consideration to the Bose A20s now. I just want to start piping in music, but the lighter weight would be nice too.
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If all you are looking for is tunes, might I suggest the Pilot BlueLink? Less than 300 with shipping. I got that with my DC's for the tunes, and to make ground comms with our dispatch much easier, and it works really well.
 
gotWXdagain said:
If all you are looking for is tunes, might I suggest the Pilot BlueLink? Less than 300 with shipping. I got that with my DC's for the tunes, and to make ground comms with our dispatch much easier, and it works really well.
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I purchased something similar a couple of years ago and wasn't terribly impressed with it. In my freight and GA flying, I resorted to using earbuds under the headset. Much better sound quality, no interruptions with ATC calls and minimal discomfort.

I figure once I pay a couple of things off, I can justify financing the A20. I love my DCs and they have served me well for over a decade and thousands of hours of flying, but I know the A20s are a quality unit and they are objectively more comfortable.
 
Cal Goat said:
I purchased something similar a couple of years ago and wasn't terribly impressed with it. In my freight and GA flying, I resorted to using earbuds under the headset. Much better sound quality, no interruptions with ATC calls and minimal discomfort.
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Sound quality leaves alot to be desired I will admit, but there is a setting on the one I have where you can turn off the ATC mute. It still sounds like it lowers the input volume when ATC is talking, but it isn't annoying like a flat out mute is.
 
gotWXdagain said:
If all you are looking for is tunes, might I suggest the Pilot BlueLink? Less than 300 with shipping. I got that with my DC's for the tunes, and to make ground comms with our dispatch much easier, and it works really well.
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Dude, just join the 2000s and get a headset with Bluetooth.
 
The A20 cannot be beat in terms of quality, and the fact you can make no interest payments, that is awesome.

If you don't mind a tad bit more up front cost, but half the price of the A20, the Bose QC15/UFlyMike combo is amazing. My A20 collects dust now. You can make no interest payments on the QC15 if you want too.

Neither have bluetooth, but it doesn't bug me. Both are lighter, and lower profile than the Zulu 2 or PFX (which is a great headset btw).
 
Inverted said:
...the Bose QC15/UFlyMike combo is amazing....
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I recently mentioned this idea to a coworker. He went on a rant about how non-TSO'd headsets aren't approved by our company and the trouble I'd been in if a Fed on the JumpSeat saw it. He even offered to show me chapter and verse in the FOM. I then proceeded to admire the countryside out my window.

For now, I'll continue to remove my DC 13.4's the moment I enter the flight levels. As long as my DC's continue to work(likely forever), I'm not too motivated to replace them. My replacement would ideally have ANR and Bluetooth capability.
 
Ive flown a 150+ hours with the A-20s and I would never trade them in for my everyday Zulu's... The sound quality is comparable, but the comfort of the Zulus is much better, the clamping force is a bit lighter with Bose but the ear cups sit on TOP of your ear where the Zulus fit AROUND the ear, never understood why Bose does that. And the Zulus were cheaper (at least when I bought them) by a couple hundred. EIther way, someone mentioned putting earbuds under headphones so no ATC interruptions, with my Zulus you plug in the headset jack, and you can push a button that will cut music any ATC/Cockpit voice, any ATC voice only, or uninterrupted no matter what.. which is what I leave it on all the time.
 
The Zulu 2 is an amazing headset; it's comfortable, the batteries seem to last forever (6/7 days last week in the Brasilia, 32 hours block so the things were on something like 50 hours "on" and plugged in) and it's got the interrupter circuit that reduces the volume when ATC is a'calling.

I mean, not that I'd engage in such shenanigans up front, of course. I'm speaking strictly about my personal flying.
Sam_myspace.jpg


;)

I've put as much time on the Zulu as I have in the Brasilia and more from personal flying. Top shelf.
 
I've tried the Zulus a couple times and enjoyed them, but I still personally prefer the A20s for comfort and size. The Zulus just felt big.
 
Not sure if this has been asked in previous threads before but are David Clark's standard issue headsets in military aviation?
 
I bought the DC Pro X back in December and they are very comfortable, good noise cancelling (in the roaring forties of the 737 flight deck no less).

Bluetooth for your music, but with ATC auto-mute. The only other slight issue is the early ones came without a clip for hanging the electronics module somewhere but they are now remedying this. I actually find them more comfortable than the A20s.
 
KatanaHawk said:
I've tried the Zulus a couple times and enjoyed them, but I still personally prefer the A20s for comfort and size. The Zulus just felt big.
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Same for me. I tried a pair of Zulus and Zulu2s for a couple of days, I liked them both, but liked the slimmer profile and comfort of the space inside the earcups of the A20 more. Bought them and haven't regretted it one bit. Put about 1000 hours on them so far, still working like brand new. I get about 50hrs (block) in the 145 before I need a battery changeout.
 
I love the bose a20.. But I have this problem where in a C152 for some reason the sound only comes in the left ear. And it's not a mono/stereo problem, the headset doesn't even have a mono/stereo button. I think it just doesn't like old janky ass airplanes, so I have to use the David Clarke to get sound in both ears...
 
Yeah I love my Bose A20's but can't compare as it's the only headset i'I've ever worn. Having said that I REALLY like my headset. I'm hoping I can swap with someone at school soon to try out the David clamps or the Zulu's just for some comparison.
 
I'm thinking of selling my Bose A20s... Just over a year of use on them. Good shape. If anyone is interested pm me.
 
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