Which headset is the best?

Ralgha said:
Whatever you do, DO NOT get a David Clark! The only thing going for them is their durability. Their ANR is primitive at best, their comfort is atrocious, and their customer service is matched by pretty much every other brand.
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Much rather have a cheaper DC that will last me a career than something more expensive that I have to replace every few years.

When Bose and Lightspeed have been around as long as DC, maybe. Can't go wrong with a good David Clark headset.
 
ctab5060X said:
Much rather have a cheaper DC that will last me a career than something more expensive that I have to replace every few years.

When Bose and Lightspeed have been around as long as DC, maybe. Can't go wrong with a good David Clark headset.
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Yes, I would like to finish each day with a pounding headache and ringing ears because my headset feels like a vice and attenuates noise like a pile of crap. BUT DAMN IT IT WILL NEVER BREAK! What is it with pilots? Seriously? So anal about saving a few pennies that you'll sacrifice your ears and comfort for a cheap jumble of metal that will last forever?

I've had my Bose X for about four years, dropped it, tossed it, and generally not been very nice to it and guess what? It. Has. Never. Had. Any. Problems.
 
i love my Zulus. the battery life is amazing.That being said, i agree that headsets are a personal thing. i also liked the bose, but the zulus just fit me better and were more comfortable.
 
Ralgha said:
I've had my Bose X for about four years, dropped it, tossed it, and generally not been very nice to it and guess what? It. Has. Never. Had. Any. Problems.
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I can say the same about my DC's, and I find them extremely comfortable.
 
I dont have very much headset experience.

I have tried out an X and a Zulu, and they were really cool. Not being able to afford a $1000 headset, and I kept looking for the most comfortable one. (Comfort was what I was looking for)

The H20-10 I bought is BY FAR the most comfortable headset (for me) that I have ever tried on.
 
Ralgha said:
Yes, I would like to finish each day with a pounding headache and ringing ears because my headset feels like a vice and attenuates noise like a pile of crap. BUT DAMN IT IT WILL NEVER BREAK! What is it with pilots? Seriously? So anal about saving a few pennies that you'll sacrifice your ears and comfort for a cheap jumble of metal that will last forever?

I've had my Bose X for about four years, dropped it, tossed it, and generally not been very nice to it and guess what? It. Has. Never. Had. Any. Problems.
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Cheap? funny, I bought Telex 850s just for the jet...scrimped on the flight case.

Hate to know that one pilot paid 400 for one headset while another paid thousands for several headsets over a career. Doesn't sound like penny pinching to me.


For what it is worth, I LOVE my DCs. They are extremely comfortable and quiet for passive only. Never had a headache, never had my ears ring. Only had them now about 12 years, and they have been thrown around in everything from my Citabria to the Beech 18 (worked wonders there), to various ag planes to turboprops. They have been sat on, dropped of wings, thrown, put in places they shouldn't be. And guess what? They work as wonderfully today as they did the day I opened the box.
 
I tried the Bose for one flight, I hated how they fit on my head. I love David Clark I have the H10-13.4 and a pair of the ANR H10-13 that I use now. DC's are a working mans headseat :)
 
Ralgha said:
Whatever you do, DO NOT get a David Clark! The only thing going for them is their durability. Their ANR is primitive at best, their comfort is atrocious, and their customer service is matched by pretty much every other brand.
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Pffft. Their ANR is every bit as good as the Bose, and if you have the right size melon, DCs are plenty comfortable. The smaller your head though, the more uncomfortable they are. I've got almost 1000 hrs on my DC H10-13XLs, they've been rock solid.
 
I've had a pair of classic DCs (13.4s??) since I started flying. I've always found them pretty comfortable, although I don't have any experience with any other brand to compare with. I sent them in to have the mic replaced, but otherwise no problems.

Maybe it's because I have a huge melon.
 
Currently loving my Zulus.

My next headset, if I ever find myself in a jet, will be Bose QC2 + uflymike.
 
I have a DC, then again I'm only a student pilot right now.

I think it's a lot of personal preference. If he likes the Zulus, get him those. It might not be a bad idea to have him try on the Bose as well.
 
Over 35 years of flying I have owned Telex, David Clark, Lightspeed and Bose X.

These days, these are my favorite headphones:

http://www.quiettechnologies.com/


Just as quiet as the Bose, but less than half the price. They don't need batteries, and they don't mess up my hair!
 
But they say you have to change those ear plugs every 20 flights or something like that. Plus sticking those in your ear might not be comfortable.
 
From what I've seen, headsets in the 0-$300 range are not that great.
$300-500 gets exponential bang for your buck.
500-1000 you get diminishing returns on your investment.
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That said my DC 10-30 are amazing and have been with me six years and 1300 hours.
 
Hey eveyone. I just wanted to thank you all for your input. The UPS man just dropped off his new Lightspeed Zulu's and I can't wait to give them to him tonight. Thanks again for all your help!!!
 
Douglas said:
From what I've seen, headsets in the 0-$300 range are not that great.
$300-500 gets exponential bang for your buck.
500-1000 you get diminishing returns on your investment.
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That said my DC 10-30 are amazing and have been with me six years and 1300 hours.
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for 0-$300 range you can get a brand new set of ASA Air Classics for $99. It is made with the same components as DC and has a lifetime warranty. I put DC gel ear seals and a soft top on mine and all my passengers love to use it. There is no reason to spend $200 more for the green paint on the ear cups :)
 
In my own opinion, if it does not have ANR, it is worthless.
That is just me...
If some one likes a particular headset, that is the one they should get.
If I was going to buy a new headset right now, the new Sennheiser ANR's for 450$ look very nice.
Right now I am using a Bose QC2 with uflymike. Works for me.
 
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