Headsets

S

syxfo

New Member
It's once again time to invest in a pair of headsets again. I'm wondering if anyone has any opinion on the best noise reduction bang for a buck???
 
I tried on and tested about every one in the book last week (R2F can back me up on this, too). Flightcom's was a good one, but it's a tad on the $$$ side, as is the DC headset. For a good, low priced headset I'd say go with the Telex Echelon or the Lightspeeds. I've heard that the Lightspeed's headpad cracks in cold weather, but an advantage it has is an auto-off for the headset. This will keep you from accidentally blowing through batteries. The Telex is around $280 at Marv Golden and the Lightspeeds run about $30 more.
 
Something to consider: (presuming they weren't stolen or anything) if you'd spent the extra $$ on the DCs in the first place, you wouldn't be needing another headset now. Value means not only price, but quality.
 
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Something to consider: (presuming they weren't stolen or anything) if you'd spent the extra $$ on the DCs in the first place, you wouldn't be needing another headset now. Value means not only price, but quality.

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You know, that's very true.

I went cheap and got a set of lousy headsets. Between re-cabling, speaker replacements, warranty work and problems with the volume rheostat, I finally broke down and bought a set of DC 13.4's.

Not a single problem ever since!
 
Doug, you wear that 13.4 during work?

How can you stand to keep it on for a long trip?
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The DC 13.4 is a great passive headset.
The secret is to NEVER use an ANR headset - that way, you'll never know what you're missing.
Besides, do you really want to be putting batteries in to your headset?
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the BOSE headset is definately the finest headset out there. I use one, and i would never trade it for anything. Sometimes i let my students wear it and i wear their headset and by the end of the flight i remember how glad i am to have my BOSE.
 
Nah, I wear a Telex 5x5 with a custom mold earpiece (with strapless adapter) for work in the jet.
 
In the airlines do they provide you with headsets or is it up to you to buying it?
 
I purchased a used set of DC 10-30's back in 2001. I have no idea how old they really are. About 1 year ago I converted the headest from passive to active N.R. with Headsets Inc. conversion.

Overall, I am pleased with the performance of the headset. I have however, never compared it to other OEM stock ANR headsets. I can tell you that the difference is enormous from passive to active.

My 2 cents.
 
Trust me, if I could afford the DCs, I'd get them. At this point in time, I value food over headsets. If we're drinking Publix cola and eating store brand mac and cheese 'cause it's cheaper than Kraft, and I come home with that headset. My wife would kill me, then divorce me. In that order. Once I get her priorities straight, then I might get the headset. I just haven't figured out how to convince her that airfoils are both nutrious AND delicious.
 
Actually I have been using the telex echelon which has worked really well for my g.a. flying. I have had them for seven years and they still work great. The problem I am having is they're just not very comfortable now that I am having to wear them for 6 hours 5 times a week in a noisy turboprop, so I have decided to spend some extra money on something that will keep me happy until I can get into a nice quiet jet
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I've been looking at DC's but with so many models to choose from, I'm wondering what other people find work for them.
 
Do you guys/gals figure the ANR headsets are worth the extra cost/battery tedium? I'm willing to put down as much money as I can afford to protect my hearing, but twenty years down the road will my hearing be any different if I've used active instead of passive headsets? (And I'm talking quality, DC passive headsets.)
 
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Do you guys/gals figure the ANR headsets are worth the extra cost/battery tedium?

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absolutly, they are worth the money, cause your flight is oh so quiet.

I recommend peltor which I have, it is a very good headset. You can try it out if you come to PDX sometime.

I've tried lightspeeds QFR ANR model and was happy, also liked the bose however they dont provide much passive protection at all if the battery cuts out.
 
Re: attenuation, the most surprising thing to me was how less fatigued I was after flights with ANR (particularly cross-country flights), and let's just say I'm glad I won't have to find out if that extra fatigue would've contributed to an accident somewhere down the line.

The jury's still out on whether my hearing will be any better in 20 years than it would've been otherwise, but being part of the first Walkman generation I'm already fighting a battle there thanks to too many years of earphones cranked up during my youth--so ANR is an effort in doing what I can to save what's left of my hearing.
 
I figured as much Doug. Most who I know flying the larger stuff are hanging either Telex or Plantronics on their ears. And now that my contact at Plantronics is gone, and I failed to get a set via that route...
 
If you're happy with Telex, I say stay with them. Sounds like you had the lowest end of the offerings they had, and you saw how it holds up. So upgrade to an ANR model. The Echelon ANR will fit the same as what you have, so not much more in comfort. But, the 4105 ANR is certainly as good or better than anything else out there. And if you got the coins, the Telex Stratus 50-D will blow them all away on comfort and noise reduction combined. CFIs who are NAFI members can get a significant rebate from Telex.
 
I got a nice inexpensive Sigtronics headset about 4 yeaers ago and it has never left me regreting that purchase! It cost around $200 if I remember correctly and I don't even notice its on my head it's so comfortable...

On a ANR note, just prior to getting my Sigtronics, I tried an ANR model (brand which escapes my mind at the moment) and liked the noise reduction, BUT I always kept having these HUGE headaches after the flights... so I asked around and someone suggested it might be the ANR. So I flew without it once... and no headache, then tried it again... and a Headache (did this a few more times to be sure) and then sold my ANR...

Has anyone else ever gotten a headache from an ANR? or am I just the odd ball? (
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Maybe the darn thing was just too tight? The only other thing I can think of is you have a weird sensitivity to sound wavelengths. The way ANR works (in my oh-so-basic physics understanding) is it analyzes repetitive sounds such as engine droning, wind, prop noise and "cancels" it. If two sound wavelengths are opposite (one peaks while the other valleys), it's called destructive interference. They cancel each other out, and it can't be heard. This is what the ANR in the headset does. That's why you can still hear music clearly or a loud bang from your engine (they're not repetitive). If your ears are sensetive to the change in wavelengths, frequencies, or whatever, I could certainly see you getting headaches from that.
 
That's what I figured it was from... so I just stay with passive now... still works good for me.

Maybe one day when I'm rich... I'll get a Bose ANR, but until then...
 
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