Yes, the headset question!

JDMcFly

JDMcFly

New Member
Hello Fellow JCers.

I know there have been 1.2 billion threads on headsets in my time on JetCareers, but I want to feel special so here is my own. :bandit:

More to the point, so I can ask and answer specific questions that may lead me down a good path. I know everybody has their own personal preference, but that's what's great. I will make it easier: My price range is around $300-400 dollars. I am not going to be buying a Bose. No need to turn this into a BoseisLove/BoseisOverratedCrap thread.

I know it may be dumb, but simply creating this may help me actually form my own opinions by laying it all out there. Bare with me. Also, keep in mind I have a rather big head so a headset that would interfere with that is a no-no.
The headsets I am leaning towards are:

"The Classic" David Clark H10-13.4
Great reputation, and well known for strong passive reduction. More affordable (under $300) Are the 'vice grips' bad for big heads? Is the passive reduction really good enough

Pilot USA PA-1779T
More Affordable ANR. I am looking at this headset only based on some of the reviews here on JetCareers. It looks like a solid piece of equipment, and I would love to have ANR if I could afford it. The price is a little high (~450-475) but if it is a headset I will have for a long time it may be worth it. I've heard they aren't great with glasses/sunglasses. True?

I'm up to any other suggestions/personal reviews what have you on these or any other headsets. Lightspeed? I trust you guys a lot more than some critic or anonymous store poster. Just remember that although I've been here for almost five years I'm a total noob :D
 
You can't go wrong with either headset you mentioned. Yes the PA1779's aren't the greatest with shades but most headclamp style headsets aren't. Don't let that deter you. Also they are worth the extra $200 over the passive headsets IMO.
 
Lightspeed 15XLc

My head is fairly large, albeit long. They fit great. The big cushsy foam earseals are fine with glasses. I've flown with them without ANR on and they are excellent passive headsets to begin with. I think the build quality could be better, but supposedly they have service that rivals DC, I don't know as I haven't had anything break, but if it does it would be major.
 
"I've flown with them without ANR on and they are excellent passive headsets to begin with." That's one thing that is important to me with an ANR headset, it has to have good Passive to back it up.
 
JDMcFly said:
"The Classic" David Clark H10-13.4
Great reputation, and well known for strong passive reduction. More affordable (under $300) Are the 'vice grips' bad for big heads? Is the passive reduction really good enough
Click to expand...

These actually fit big heads best. Something about the extra leverage of having the headband at its widest setting. And if the passive noise reduction isn't enough, you can retrofit them with the Headsets Inc. ANR kit.
 
If you have a local airport to got to - I bet you can find some people willing to let you try their's on. You're going to be dealing with pilots for the rest of your life. Talking to a few about headsets and getting them to let you try their's on is only one drop in the bucket!

I've got DC X11's and I wouldn't trade them for my life. My backups are DC 13.4's which are great. But ANR, ENC, whatever you call it; keep the batteries charged, and do it. You will save your ears, and you never get another chance to do that.

Noise cancellation does not work once you break the seal (glasses) but you'll find ways to tilt the temples up overtop of your earmuffs. I live in Arizona - we KNOW the sun!

Last thing again - save your ears. I know it is expensive, but invest in your headset the way you would in anything else. A great set will last you for years, and will save your ears for a lifetime. Don't mess around with that. Noise cancellation works.

And enjoy the flying! :D
 
I don't know how the new Telex headsets compare, but I have a Telex Echelon headset from 8 years ago. Don't get me wrong, it does a great job, and I've had no problems with it, but I would rate the comfortable factor low. It's well worth the money paid for it. I think I paid < $200 bucks for it.
 
I got the lightspeed 20XLC back when i started my flight training. They've held up well and im pleased with them. The ANR is fantastic and it has nice integration for audio devices.
 
Neat. I was just in the shop trying some headsets on yesterday after I took my PPL written. I have a large head as well - if you're familiar with motorcycle helmets, I've got an Arai-shaped long oval head as opposed to a Shoei-shaped short-oval or round head - to give you an idea on fit.

I did try on the Pilot with the ANR and was able to turn it on and get a feel for it. It's actually a really nice and really comfortable headset. It LOOKS a little weird - aesthetics were not high on their design list, and it's not nearly as slick-looking as the Lightspeed or Sennheiser stuff, but if that doesn't matter to you, it's definitely a good option. The fact that it's rechargeable without batteries is pretty cool, too.

Didn't like the David Clarks. Any of them. Just weren't all that comfy to me.

I also tried on a Lightspeed 30-3G. Jtrain and a few others here have that one and swore by it, so I wanted to check them out. For its bulk, it's incredibly light, and it's about $300 cheaper than a Zulu and $450 cheaper than a Bose. I was REALLY impressed with this headset, and if I'd had the money and wasn't saving for a GPS I'd have bought it right there. Was concerned about the plastic but it's quite well-made. And Lightspeed seems to back up their products, too.

You can find a bunch of these on Ebay in good shape for less money. Now that I've tried one on, I may look for one there.
 
X11's are too comfy, hence their DREADFUL noise reduction capabilities.

Go with a $50 headset on eBay- same performance as the 13.4. But thats just my experience.

Goooooo BOSE!
 
I fly with the Lightspeed 20 XLC as well. Its my first ANR and in my opinion, the best combination of price and audio performance out there. Nicely adjustable and like the previous poster said, nice for external devices.

My only complaint is that they're ugly as hell (ok, maybe not THAT bad) :) But functionally, they're great.
 
if you liked the 3-G that much i would really check out the 20XLC, as far as i know theres not that much different. Yes they look ugly but hey, you cant see yoruself when you fly anyway.
 
Craig_Davidson said:
if you liked the 3-G that much i would really check out the 20XLC, as far as i know theres not that much different. Yes they look ugly but hey, you cant see yoruself when you fly anyway.
Click to expand...

LOL, point...probably wouldn't want to see myself fly...that could be scary....lol
 
Craig_Davidson said:
if you liked the 3-G that much i would really check out the 20XLC, as far as i know theres not that much different. Yes they look ugly but hey, you cant see yoruself when you fly anyway.
Click to expand...

I think the ANR is supposed to be a little more powerful on the 3G.

And....and....I HAVE to look cool. You should see the plane I fly....gotta make up for that ugly crate....:)
 
killbilly said:
I think the ANR is supposed to be a little more powerful on the 3G.

And....and....I HAVE to look cool. You should see the plane I fly....gotta make up for that ugly crate....:)
Click to expand...

Get you some cool aviator sunglasses then....LOL And don't let the chicks see your headset...lol jk
 
I've had my DC 13.4's for 7 years. They've served me well in pistons, turboprops and now the CRJ. I've worn them for 8-hour-plus days, and my bottom got sore before my head. This headset has worked perfectly since day one. Although I did replace the gel ear seals a couple years ago. Strongly recommended.

One caveat on the passive protection. The noise from a certain high-performance piston (C206) can be a little much. I just use earplugs underneath and turn the radios up a little.
 
I had the LIghtspeed 20xl, i thought they were great. I also had a Flightcomm Denalis when i first started flying and i think they were awesome, very comfortable and the ANR worked great.
 
Okay, so far I am looking at, to put into price perspective:

DC 13.4s -$290
Lightspeed 20XL -$375
PA-1779T - $459
 
JDMcFly said:
Pilot USA PA-1779T
More Affordable ANR. I am looking at this headset only based on some of the reviews here on JetCareers. It looks like a solid piece of equipment, and I would love to have ANR if I could afford it. The price is a little high (~450-475) but if it is a headset I will have for a long time it may be worth it. I've heard they aren't great with glasses/sunglasses. True?
Click to expand...

My favorite headset!

I've had mine for about 400 hours now and I just had to buy my first pair of replacement ear seals because the gel eventually went bad. I replaced it with Oregon Aero Soft Seals and they work very well.

I fly with corrective glasses and some of my glasses I sometimes where are fairly thick framed and they still worked well with the ANR. Not sure where people would think they are bad with glasses.
 
I bought a pair of 15X in 1999 while at Sun & Fun. I went for the purpose of buying headsets, and my wife and I tried on everything in the $300 price range and finally settled on LS. From my experience, LightSpeed is the best customer service I have ever had with any company for any reason. Period.

After flying with my 15X for about 5 yrs, the ANR speaker stopped working in one ear. I called the company, and the rep told me, "Oh, we don't make that model anymore and it's long been out of it's one year warranty. Just mail them to us and we'll fix them for you." They didn't even charge me shipping & handling. They replaced the battery box, ANR speaker, and ear cups all for nothing. When I decided to upgrade to the 30-3Gs they gave me a $100 credit for my 15x.

Personally, I will never fly with anything but LS. They make great products and their customer service is the best in the business.
 
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