Noise Cancelling Headset for 737NG

[Callsign Kilo]

Can anyone recommend from what they use. Telex and Sennheiser seem to be the major players in this department. Is there much between them as they all seem to be around the same price. Many thanks

[Rainboe]

Telex 850ANR has a rotating hinge earpiece. VERY fragile! Broke mine and connot get it repaired in Europe by a Headset repair company. Go Sennheiser.

[IrishJetdriver]

Sennheiser v popular as don't need batteries. I use David Clarke headset which is very comfortable indeed as i wear glasses. Also sits over the ear and not on the ear. Buy in the states with dollar in our favour if you can. Hope you choose well as you have to wear it a lot !!

[FLX/MCT]

Hi,

i know I am slightly off-topic but i also think that it fits in this thread.
Do you have to press a PTT button on the 737 for an interphone transmission with your cockpitmember or is there also an "open I/C" mode (like on the Airbusses), which allows you to communicate like with a telephone?

regards
flxmct

[Denti]

Used Sennheisers and broke them at a rate of around 1.2 a year until i got my Telex 850ANR, have no problem there and works like a charm, havent broken it in now 2 years.

The 737 has no real usefull intercom system, with some of them you can have it open if your yoke switch still allows to lock intercom on, we had to remove that on request of the authority. Apart from that just talk to the other guy, its still possible .)

[Rainboe]

It's PTT on a 737, but you can easily communicate free voice which is what we do.
The Telex 850 does not use batteries either. But when I had the headset upside down and pushed gently on the earpieces to get it in my bag, it snapped the rotating hinge that the earpiece rotates on so easily I could not believe it. Check the Telex website for customer friendliness (not). I have no idea how the Sennheiser fares and whether it is stronger.
You certainly only want a lightweight headset- do not go for the heavy full cup type ones.

[FLX/MCT]

It's PTT on a 737

Thank you for the answer, Rainboe!

[RYR-738-JOCKEY]

In Ryanair we have the "open IC" solution which in my mind is the perfect solution. Combined with an ANR headset you feel less exhausted after work. The Sennheiser HMEC 45 KA (the one with flat earpieces) is a pretty good deal only problem is that after 5 days, 30-40 hours of wearing it, my ears feel sore. Also, changing batteries once a week is a drawback.
But the ANR function works perfectly, it's very lightweight, comfortable and also quite small.
I'd give it a 9 out of 10.
Anyone care to share their experience/compare Sennheiser v Telex...

[Rainboe]

FLX- you're welcome! Do you need it for school then, young man?

[FLX/MCT]

No, my school in Austria, doesn't teach me very much about aviation things i might need in my career... :{
In fact I bet with a friend of mine who flies the A320 and he could not imagine that you have to use PTT on the '37 :hmm:.

Thanks again :ok:

[Rainboe]

It would be a PITA having constant intercom hiss in your headphones! Sometimes when the intercom stays switched on, you have to ask the other person to turn it off, it is annoying. I do not like going 'on ears' intercom. It may be quieter, but it separates you from the aeroplane. Sometimes the cabin crew would be standing there and you would just not hear them. A tap on the shoulder and you jump out of your skin!

[zuz]

I have used the Sennheiser HMEC 45 KA for over a year now on the 737-800,I swapped in the cruise with my colleague who has the Telex 850 and we both agreed the Telex was appreciably quieter.What Rainboe says regarding durability is a concern,but I would recommend the Telex.

[twobitbob]

I used the HMEC 45's whilst my order for the 46's arrived, found the anti-noise was better on the older 45's than the current 46's! Now on my second pair of since my last set was stolen. Some goon is probably trying them on his Hi-Fi! It seems I can hear the anti-noise signal whilst sat on the B744 flight deck, lots of wind roar over that big nose! Solid build quality though.

[blueloo]

I am surprised you have to BYO headset at large operators.

We are not allowed are own (even if you had a/c approved ones) unless you have some valid medical reason. Having said that we have the sennheisers already on most of the fleets.

[Mr.Buzzy]

Does anybody know what Mr.Boeing has to say about using ANR headsets on 737NG flightdecks nowadays?
Some time ago he wasn't fond of the idea, particularly in terms of certified equipment and the possibility of adverse effect on auto-callouts.

[frontlefthamster]

I use a Bose X, and it works like a dream (although it uses batteries rather than aircraft power).

All the 737s I have operated have yoke-mounted rocker switches: upper half press and hold for RT transmit, centre off, lower half press to latch interphone on. Rainboe, are you flying some old aircraft?

[SHIFTY]

Had no problem with my BOSE X either. Great on the NG and the Classic.
Expensive, but reasonable when you divide the amount of hours they are to be worn by the initial outlay.

[SHIFTY]

Oops, meant to say reasonable when you divide the initial cost by the amount of hours they are worn.

Just off on a night Bodrum- brain still not in gear yet!!!!!!!

[Rainboe]

Been flying 747 and 737NG. It is PTT. If the other chap latches intercom on, you get an irritating hiss and have to tell him to latch it off again. We always communicate direct voice.

[frontlefthamster]

Aah, so your personal choice is PTT,I read your comment as suggesting that the aircraft switch didn't latch.

I used to fly in a 'chat with an ear uncovered' environment. I'm very glad that I don't any more, and the irritating hiss seems to disappear when you Bose it...

[Rainboe]

I hate to be cut off from life so completely with full ear ANR headsets. It is very important to hear what is going on. With one ear off, and turning around talking to a visitor to the F/D of a 747, I dimly heard a distant quiet 'boom'. It was so soft I carried on talking, but then the realisation hit me it was just like the sound of a surge. I spun around to see one of the EGTs rapidly increasing towards the limit without autorecovering. I would not have heard it with both ears covered by a Bose. I also used to get fed up jumping out of my skin when I didn't hear the cabin crew come onto the F/D and tap me on the shoulder because I was blithely unaware of their presence. I just don't like being so divorced from my surroundings

[Brainstorm]

Sometimes I spend up to 11 hours on the flight deck on an NG with no break, and I find that the continuous background noise gets very tiring. My ears even feel tired the next day.

I currently use the Sennheiser HMEC 45 KA which I think is a very good solid headset, but have been looking for something quieter for the longer flights.

I have tried a number of headsets now (after checking it is ok with the engineers of course) and have been rather disappointed with background hiss and generally poor acoustics. Therefore I am thinking of the Bose X as it seems to be the one to get.

Of those of you who use this headset, have you found any problems with regards to communicating over the intercom, such as hiss, speech sounding boomy/ muffled etc? Does it make a difference what headset the other flight crew are wearing?

Many thanks for you help!