Most quiet headset?

[A10Warthog]

Hello.

After long days working on the turboprop, I convinsed the company to invest in new headsets.

I would really like to know what headset is the most quiet one?
I would like to save what hearing i got left.

Thank you:ok:

[Intruder]

From the ones I've tried, the Bose. It's also the most expensive...

The Sennheiser is very good, at about half the price of the Bose.

[A10Warthog]

I've been looking at the following; Sennheiser HMEC 460 and Lightspeed Thirty 3G.

Anyone have any opinions regarding these headsets. I've tried the BOSE aviation X, but seems kind of poor protection due to smal cups around the ears. Need protection from that PT6 engine. !

[werbil]

Telex Stratus D-50's do work extremely well in NOISY aircraft such as radial Beavers - in that environment the Bose and DC X-11's just don't cope.

In the Caravan I rarely turn on the ANR in the D-50's - the passive alone does a great job.

[A10Warthog]

Thanks for the advice. I will look into that Telex headset.
I've tried the bose several times, but I feel the passive noise reduction is pretty bad due to the small cups

[Catabolic IBS]

Shove an ear tampon in each ear then don a Telex 50 ANR switch it on you will hear absolutely F*** all other than the blood coarsing its way through your Carotid Arteries!!! Try it with your wife it works everytime! Quiet alright but not exactly comfortable. That is were the problem lies. It also depends on which cockpit you want to use it in. For Medium sized Jets Sennheiser HMEC 25s

[A10Warthog]

Flying the King Air 200, quite a lot..
Need something for that thing.
So Telex, more or less the best one regarding silence?

[nightmode]

Pretty subjective comments, but here goes.
Have both the Telex 50D (for about a year) and Lightspeed Zulu (about 2 months). Have regularly used both in a noisy turboprop. The 50D is definitely quieter the passive attenuation is excellent ANR on it is great. Lightspeed Zulu is quite noisy with ANR off, but ANR on is very good, not as quiet as the 50D, but very comfortable.
Comfort and weight wise, dont mind either of them, 50D's ear seals are nice and LS-Z's have lighter clamping force.

Gadgets wise, the Lightspeed is the best. Listening to music through the bluetooth interface while being able to get weather updates enroute. Phone works like it's a person on intercom next to you. People often ask where I am calling from as the background noise is very quiet.

Reliability wise, Telex's built very well. Very robust. Lightspeed, not as tough but seem strong enough. Had a broken cable on the LS making the ANR intermittent - it was quickly repaired under warranty. Telex's seem tougher overall.

These days I end up taking the LS's flying most of the time due to the features built in.

Pretty happy with both headsets overall. If only Telex had a bluetooth interface!.. :)

[TinDriver]

Another vote for the Telex D50's. Am on the B1900, and have used the D50's now for a year....Very comfortable and great performance.

Battery life isn't the best, but rechargeables sorted that out; otherwise, an excellent product:ok:

[rubik101]

Headsets again! There must be as many posts on headsets as there are on aircraft accidents. For heaven's sake, try doing a search before you post on headsets yet again.
All I know is that unless both pilots are using the same headset, noise reduction headsets are a pain in the ear. All I can hear from the supplied headset is the hiss of static and the heavy breathing of my colleague. If you want to use one, buy two and offer your fellow pilot the use of the other headset.
Waste of money and useless in most cases.

[A10Warthog]

Great! I will go for the telex! Thank you guys again, for great advice!!

[TinDriver]

Rubik101,

All of my f/o's have different brands/models of headsets; some of which are the plain jane variety and some are Bose and the like.

Never had an issue with non compatibility......ever.

[Comatose]

Hello A10Warthog I bought my Telex 50D ANR back in 2007 on the basis of Pprune recommendations!

They have served me well flying microlights from my Quicksilver to club Tecnam.....my problem is the poor quality of the material covering the ear cushions.

And now the Singapore based rep for Telex Asia/Pacific tells me that Telex no longer supply them!!!!

Pilotshop Napier are doing their best to find me some ear cushions of another make that may fit.

My question is....does anyone know where I might get a pair of ear cushions for my Telex 50D Digital Active Noise Reduction headset?
Thanks in anticipation.

[zac21]

Telex quality control stickers all over the headset and PTT, connected them and it did not work ?
Took the PTT back and when they opened it up the wires were crimped back with insulation and not even connected FFS,, never went to Telex again ever. True!

[Dan Dare]

Unqualified opinion here, but surely a pilot doesn’t want the quietest headset lest the aircraft tries to tell them something important that could be missed? Maybe headsets are not that quiet yet.

[Uplinker]

Depends. On big jets, or rear engined jets, the engines are so far back you might not hear mechanical noises. Modern jets have sophisticated warnings, ECAM or EICAS, for all systems.

I was wearing Sennheiser HMEC active noise cancelling headset and could hear banging on (medium size) A321, which sounded like an engine stalling, but was the #1 electrical generator loading and unloading owing to a dry joint. But the cockpit was lighting up like a Christmas tree with warnings, so we wouldn't have missed the problem had we not heard it.

Noise is very fatiguing, and will cause hearing loss, (which cannot be cured), so it is more important to protect hearing in my opinion and essential on long days. Small GA and piston aircraft without extensive system monitoring perhaps need the mark one ear listening out, but such aircraft don't tend to fly 8-10 hour sectors!

[411A NG]

Modern jets have sophisticated warnings, ECAM or EICAS, for all systems.

Too bad Boeing missed that memo when building the 737 after the 80s 🤔.

Just out of curiosity, what warnings were you seeing when that generator problem occurred on the A321?
Just the typical ECAM warning or was more behind it?

Thanks

[Uplinker]

Yes, shame about the 737 - it's not what I would call a 'modern jet' at all.

To answer about the A321 genny; the generator output went intermittent - on, off, on, off etc. with a period of less than a second. I could hear a loud "bang bang bang" - happening as quickly as it takes to say that - coming from the engine which sounded like engine stalling but I think was the genny loading and unloading the gearbox.

The ECAM, the single audio chime and the overhead panel were all warning then not warning, warning, then not warning - PF lost his instruments and the A/P and A/THR dropped out, it was chaotic. PF gave me the aircraft and then, as PM, he read the ECAM and started to move his hand towards the overhead panel but then the warning disappeared, only to come back. The ECAM SD screen flashed up with the electrical page for less than a second then off again - all going on, off, on off every second.

Out of the corner of my eye, (I was hand flying), I noticed an amber - something - in the vicinity of the Gen 1 box on the electrical page, so I realised it could be an intermittent electrical fault and suggested turning off Gen 1, since we could not do anything sensible with everything changing so rapidly. This we did after starting the APU, and everything calmed down. Then we could see that Gen 1 had failed, so we switched it off and after a discussion carried on home with the APU and Gen 2. We were later told it was a dry or loose joint on the electrical output - a fault that same genny had been previously investigated for on a different aircraft !

[fitliker]

Pay now or pay later .
A good headset is about the third of the price of hearing aids .
I like the music option as it keeps my mind active and awake on long night flights . I just turn it off when it gets busy .

[RVF750]

I wouldn't fly without my Bose A20. Best headset I've ever used. I have the twin jack for GA and swap to the XLR5 version for work. It's easy to get spares and to refurb them from the kit they sell. they last a long time.

[Comatose]

It seems Bose are the favoured brand....but I'm not done with my Telex ANRs yet....Uncle Google led me to Ebay for my replacement ear cushions after Telex themselves told me that Telex 50D earcushions were no longer available!!!!!!

And now I'm back flying with my favourite headset....I can thoroughly recommend the HeadandMindCompany in the UK....new good quality ear cushions, ear cloth and mic shroud dispatched on 19.12.20 and arrived here in NZ on 27.01.21....for a very reasonable price.
Apparently I'm not allowed to post URL address until I've made 10 posts.....so I guess google or email me if you want to know more.