Headset Recommendations

Buy the Bose A20 90$ a month for 12 months they just deduct the payment from your credit/debit card and it is the best headset I have ever used...
 
hook_dupin said:
Knowing what you all know about flight training completion rates, why recommend anything north of $200?
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Not sure what you mean by that?

I started off with a sigtronics ANR headset that was great and only about 500. Later on moved up to the zulu2. Regardless I'd recommend ANR in anything you get. The only exception might be clarity aloft but I haven't tried those yet.

Another thing to remember is its not something you want to skimp on. Your hearing is priceless and once it's gone it's gone for the most part.
 
Yeah... so 80% (or more) of students starting flight training don't finish. Recommending that they all invest in ANR headsets means that the vast majority will end up buying a widget they don't need. At the early stages, I think 3-4 more flight lessons represent a better value than the purchase of a high-dollar headset.

When a pilot gets his PPL, is working on the instrument, or gets committed to a commercial, an expensive headset makes a good self-congratulation gift and investment. As a commercial pilot, it can be the first of many write-offs.I don't recommend them for most student pilots, however.
 
hook_dupin said:
Yeah... so 80% (or more) of students starting flight training don't finish. Recommending that they all invest in ANR headsets means that the vast majority will end up buying a widget they don't need. At the early stages, I think 3-4 more flight lessons represent a better value than the purchase of a high-dollar headset.

When a pilot gets his PPL, is working on the instrument, or gets committed to a commercial, an expensive headset makes a good self-congratulation gift and investment. As a commercial pilot, it can be the first of many write-offs.I don't recommend them for most student pilots, however.
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If you buy a used ANR headset you can resell it for what you paid for it. The loss is bigger if you buy it new.

If you are trying to protect your hearing then I would get the best my money can buy, if you are really short on money to the point that buying a nice headset will keep you on the ground and make you fly less hours then you shouldn't "invest" in aviation in the first place.

Are those numbers (80%) FAA statistics? Maybe it has something to do with foreign students..
 
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I used a David Clark H10-13.4 for the first 450ish hours. Once I was teaching 6-8hrs a day, I found the investment in a Bose A20 well worth it... plan on using it in the ERJ, as well.
 
I used DC 13.4 for the first 1500hrs and I just upgraded to Bose A20. Lightspeed Zulu2 is a great headset however some (if not all) airlines require TSO headset so if you plan is to go to the airlines do your research before you buy.

You could start with used DC 13.4 and then sell it for what you paid for it.
 
A pair of Clarks will do fine for private. Something people have failed to point out is that a lot of trainers with their lower speeds and smaller engines are quieter inside than the beat-ass pile of dog crap you'll probably fly at your first commercial gig, and therefore you can usually get away with just passive as long as you can find one that doesn't hurt your head. I rocked the 10-20s (I think?) for my first 1100 hours, including instructing, mostly in vintage 2006 Skyhawks, never really noticed a noise problem. Then I started flying 40 year old Cherokee 6s with leaky doors and realized I was going to face constant headaches and deafness if I didn't upgrade soon, so I bought a pair of used Zulu 1s off a guy I found on here. Other than a breakdown last summer that required them to be mailed in and repaired (I paid the shipping to go to Lightspeed and nothing else) I couldn't be happier with them. They even stand up the abuse of being put on and taken off every ~24 minutes (our average stage length).
 
adk said:
IMO there are really only 3 tiers of headset: Junk/ David Clamp, and Zulu/Bose.
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Fixed it again

The TSO thing is a big deal. The Zulus may be a couple hundred cheaper, but if you think you might do airlines/professional flying, the extra 200-300 now will save you 5-600 later when you have to buy a new headset...
 
I liked my David Clark H10-13.4 for piston flying. Still have them as a matter of fact. Looks like you can pick them up pretty reasonably on eBay.
 
Roger Roger said:
A pair of Clarks will do fine for private. Something people have failed to point out is that a lot of trainers with their lower speeds and smaller engines are quieter inside than the beat-ass pile of dog crap you'll probably fly at your first commercial gig, and therefore you can usually get away with just passive as long as you can find one that doesn't hurt your head. I rocked the 10-20s (I think?) for my first 1100 hours, including instructing, mostly in vintage 2006 Skyhawks, never really noticed a noise problem. Then I started flying 40 year old Cherokee 6s with leaky doors and realized I was going to face constant headaches and deafness if I didn't upgrade soon, so I bought a pair of used Zulu 1s off a guy I found on here. Other than a breakdown last summer that required them to be mailed in and repaired (I paid the shipping to go to Lightspeed and nothing else) I couldn't be happier with them. They even stand up the abuse of being put on and taken off every ~24 minutes (our average stage length).
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Lmfao "vintage 2006 sky hawks"

Most of what I instruct in is older than me!
 
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