Lightspeed Zulu.2 vs Bose A20 [Archive]

Cirrus22

3rd Sep 2011, 13:48

G'day all,

I've been contemplating buying a high end ANR headset for a while now, and hope to make the purchase in the next couple of weeks.

I've searched high and low for informative comparisions between the Zulu.2 and the A20, but haven't been able to find anything substantial.

There are several threads/articles comparing the A20 to the original Zulu, but not enough on the Zulu.2 to make a decision.

Zulu.2 = £678 Bose A20 = £945

Any thoughts? Thanks!

DB6

3rd Sep 2011, 15:00

Have a look at the Sennheiser S1. I have found Sennheiser to be better than Bose or Lightspeed as they have better passive noise reduction before you switch on ANR, so the overall result is better. In addition they enhance incoming signals in a way that the others don't so reception is clearer. Whatever advice you take, try before you buy or at least take advantage of the return period (usually 30 days) if you are not completely happy. It's a lot of dosh! Price around £846 for the S1.

silverknapper

3rd Sep 2011, 16:30

Used both. My preference is the Bose but it's not £280 better. If I was paying I'd go lightspeed.
I also notice a difference in different batteries. After a lot of experimenting I now buy duracell in bulk and they're pretty reasonably priced. Find they perform better than any rechargeables.

CJ Driver

3rd Sep 2011, 16:33

The three candidates - the Bose, Lightspeed and new Sennheiser - all set out to do the same job, but they feel different on your head. Earcup shape and size, headband shape and tension, and the way it sits, are noticeably different between the three.

They all work pretty well, so you should choose on fit and comfort. My own preference is the Lightspeed, but your head may vary....

orangeboy

9th Oct 2011, 08:11

Digging up an oldish thread, but i'm also looking at getting either the Bose or Zulus. I tried them both on at the local shop today, and was very impressed with them both. Both were very very comfortable, nothing between them. The quality of the Zulu's did look a bit better than the Bose, which i think is really due to the Bose being a bit more plastic looking.

I wear glasses, and the bose seemed to provide a better seal around the ears with my glasses on, glasses off, they were both about the same.

I kept switching back and forth, hoping they would feel totally different, but they are very similar and also very light.

I'm still undecided, I will probably go the Bose due to them seeming to fit better with my glasses, but for the extra dosh, not really sure - if i didn't wear glasses it would definitely be the Zulus because they are significantly cheaper.

I will definitely try them on one more time before buying though.

I also tried the Sennheiser S1's on aswell, and they didn't feel as comfortable as the Bose or Zulus - their cushioning wasn't as soft and as a result felt firm on the head.

IO540

9th Oct 2011, 08:31

On attenuation, the A20 beats the lot by a big margin.

Glasses are always a problem. The resulting gap lets a lot of noise in. I wear mine so the side frames are above the earcups - looks a bit weird but works.

Desert185

9th Oct 2011, 16:38

I've used both and for the price, the original Zulu (which I have) is hard to beat, even after a 9-10 hour day in the 185 or Twin Otter (both fairly noisey airplanes). Given the price delta between the original Zulu and the A20, price becomes a significant data point.

Daniel.c

16th Oct 2011, 11:23

I disagree firmly. The Sennheiser definitely does not out perform the lightspeed zulus regarding noise cancellation! I was up flying today and
my friend who was with me has the zulu 2 and me the Sennheiser S1 so we switched during flight. The zulus were so much quieter even upon using the smart update button on the Sennheiser. I will be returning mine tomorrow but I am going to go for the Bose A20 to trial for the 30 days. I hope they outperfom the lightspeed but if not, obviously the lightspeed zulus will be a clear winner!!

Moonwalker

30th Dec 2011, 19:56

Daniel, what aircraft did you fly? Would be great if people could post what aircraft they used. It's such a difference to compare noise canceling in a brand new C172, DA42 etc to an old noisy Turbo Prop like J32/J41/SF34/Dash8-1-300...

Rod1

30th Dec 2011, 20:03

I tried all three. Without glasses the Bose was the best, with, the Bose win by a mile. Had my Bose A20 ( without bluetooth ) for about a month now and very happy.

Rod1

achimha

31st Dec 2011, 09:56

I've owned a Zulu 1 for some years and recently performed a rather extensive test with loaned headsets: A20, Zulu 2, Sennheiser S1. Here's my view:

Zulu:
+ good active attenuation
+ good bluetooth support for music and telephony
+ good sound quality for stereo music
+ great support with excellent turnaround time for repairs (Germany rep)
- terrible passive attenuation (drained battery)
- poor reliability and quality, PCB was replaced twice and several plastic parts broke, the original volume controls are subject to wear out and corrosion. A lot of cheap China made stuff but apparently that is better with the Zulu 2.
- uncomfortable with certain type of glasses

Sennheiser:
+ good active attenuation
+ good passive attenuation
+ great bluetooth
+ great comfort level with glasses
- huge and heavy

Bose:
+ great active attenuation (the best I found)
+ good comfort level, also with glasses
+ very compact and lightweight
- bad passive attenuation
- ugly "pubic hair" pad
- completely stupid bluetooth support, only does phones which is almost useless unless on the ground, no support for pairing music players

After a lot of tinkering, I went for the A20 without bluetooth. It was a tough call but eventually the Sennheiser's weight made me go for the Bose.

Something interesting that the Bose reps told me: their attenuation circuit is analog whereas the Sennheiser use a digital circuit, i.e. they digitize the voice signals, process them and convert them to analog again and according to Bose this induces a delay which makes the processing less effective than their analog circuit. I am not expert enough to judge this argument.

AdamFrisch

31st Dec 2011, 14:59

I have the Sennheiser S1 and I'm very happy with them. Sennheiser's pedigree in the audio world is second to none.

rats404

31st Dec 2011, 15:26

I use the A20 (sans Bluetooth) and although I agree they are pricey, I'm absolutely delighted with them. Flying a 172SP with glasses, I find the noise reduction and comfort excellent.

Can't directly compare them against the Zulu's or Sennheisers, but I do agree that Sennheiser generally make excellent audio kit. I have a pair of their ANR headphones I use on long flights as self-loading freight.

Rats404

M1900

31st Dec 2011, 17:16

A lot of thumbs-up for the Bose A20s here, even though they are the most expensive.
How much of an improvement are the A20s over the Bose X? On EBay here in the UK, Bose X's seems to go for around the £400 mark, whilst a new set of A20's are £885 (without bluetooth).

Is the difference worth over twice as much?

sicamore

31st Dec 2011, 17:25

Zulus on the j32. Awesome headsets that have lasted the time. The passive is not so good however. Their service is personal and out standing.

For me best bang for the Buck.

peterh337

31st Dec 2011, 17:31

Is the difference worth over twice as much?That Q cannot be answered as it is an individual thing, but I now have 2 x A20 and 2 x X, have been flying with the Xs for 10 years and with the A20s for 6-12 months, and the A20s are very noticeably better than the Xs.

When I first flew with the A20 I was a bit worried that the engine did not sound like it was making much power :) So I checked the gauges etc... all was fine.

The A20 really is the best headset out there.

The price is just silly. Bose are minting it of course. You can buy them in the USA for less but not by the time you pay VAT and shipping etc.

achimha

31st Dec 2011, 18:50

Small anecdote from my PPL training. I started with a Zulu, it was my first headset. During my first cross country solo, the batteries ran empty. Being very much under stress, I did not notice the warning signal so suddenly the electronics went off and everything sounded much louder and very different. In that moment, I was fully convinced that the engine is broken and I am going to crash. I had never before experienced the sound of the airplane without my ANC headset.

With the poor passive audio of the Zulu, I had a very hard time communicating with ATC (home base EDDS is very busy with a control zone). Of course I was prepared and had fresh batteries but changing them during my first real solo flight in a Cessna 150 without autopilot was beyond my abilities.

Luckily I knew about the aviate-navigate-fiddle-with-headset rule. Would have been interesting to know if the authorities would have determined the reason in their crash investigation :)

Rod1

31st Dec 2011, 18:58

“How much of an improvement are the A20s over the Bose X? On EBay here in the UK, Bose X's seems to go for around the £400 mark”

My Bose X are up for sale - £400 with case box etc. Not as good as the 20 but still a good set.

Rod1

trex450

31st Dec 2011, 20:00

I know there is a lot on here about headsets and which is the best but having flown a few GA types people seem to be getting a bit carried away over the requirement for buying the most expensive headset out there. If you are flying a standard light single (cessna or piper) for up to say 50 hours a year, then why spend £600+ on a headset? If you are a commercial pilot flying something noisy then fair enough but how is it that Bose get away with charging so much and not actually advertising their headsets NRR? If you are choosing a headset that has little passive attenuation with the electrics turned off then you are asking for trouble IMHO. The sennheiser is fine when the batteries go. I use a sennheiser in a 300 hp cessna with no problems when the batteries go flat, I know the bose has a long life (assuming the aircraft is not too noisy) but they always go flat at the most inconvenient time.
For what it is worth I know someone with over 8000 hours on piston Islanders who until not long ago had peltor 8006's at best and still passes his audiogram without problem.

peterh337

31st Dec 2011, 20:21

For what it is worth I know someone with over 8000 hours on piston Islanders who until not long ago had peltor 8006's at best and still passes his audiogram without problem.

You need quite a lot of hearing damage to fail the audiogram due to long term hearing damage. You will have problems with conversation in normal social settings before then.

But an equally important thing is to be able to hear ATC and passengers clearly, and the best headsets do that best.

If you fly 50hrs a year then you spend at least £5000 a year on flying. Let's say you plan to fly for 20 years. The cost of a decent headset is insignificant.

Rod1

31st Dec 2011, 21:30

“If you fly 50hrs a year then you spend at least £5000 a year on flying.”

Peter really – you have to be joking:E

Rod1

peterh337

31st Dec 2011, 21:46

Probably a lot more than that, then ;)

Happy new year!

fwjc

2nd Jan 2012, 10:57

peterh337, 50h does not = £5k for everyone. It's clear from what you post here and elsewhere that you have a large expendable income.
For me, 30h = ~£1500 including club fees and maintenance etc. It depends how you choose to spend your money, which when you don't have much, has to be very carefully.

I use a variety of headsets including Peltor, DC, DC + aftermarket ANR and Lynx. They each have their benefits depending on the application. That said, I prefer ANR where possible, because I've met too many old deaf pilots.

The aftermarket kit from Headsets Inc works really well, (use in a sport biplane so it's definitely being tested). This works out a good deal cheaper than the shiny new headsets people are discussing here. No phone / music, but cheaper protection for your ears while you're waiting for that big pay bonus...

Worm Burner

6th Oct 2012, 08:39

Currently looking to upgrade.
Would anybody have any idea on the Bose or Lightspeed product cycle?

With the A20 being over a couple of years old now I'm guessing Moore's law should be coming into effect at some point soon.
Thanks.
WB.

Steve6443

6th Oct 2012, 15:53

Before you base your decision solely on cost, I cannot stress how much that you trial the headsets on first. I was going to buy the Sennheiser S1 but it sat so uncomfortably on my head - almost perched - that I tried the Bose and the Zulu - after all, the headset will be on your head long after the additional cost / saving has been forgotten.

Based on that, I bought myself a pair of Zulus and am very happy with them. If they all fit, then it's a question of whether you value the Bluetooth streaming function of the Zulus (I love it, it really aids break the monotony of longer flights alone) or not or whether you want to pay more for, in my mind, equal noise reduction......

toptobottom

6th Oct 2012, 18:34

If you fly 50hrs a year then you spend at least £5000 a year on flying

Depends what you fly - I do appx. 200 hours/year, but TCO for 50 hours would be c. £30k :}

Re headsets, you pays your money, you takes your choice. I like the best I can afford and for me Bose has always offered the most effective solution, if not necessarily the best value. I use A20s with Bluetooth and I'm extremely satisfied with them.

madflyer26

7th Oct 2012, 10:41

I use the Zulu Lightspeed Mk1 for flying the R44 and Jetranger and have found it to be great in most areas. Tried using a Bose headset flying a R44 and found it to be similar for noise reduction but the clamp force appeared to be a little greater with smaller cups than the Zulus. Both headsets are light and comfortable however I had to purchase a cotton cup cover for the Zulus as they promote a fair bit of sweating from the ear area especially out here in Africa. I feel that you get plenty warning of impending battery failure with a flashing LED light on the volume control box however with the ANR switched off the noise becomes horrible and for long legs it would be torture. Your choice of glasses/sunglasses also makes a big difference to effectiveness. I use the serengeti brand with very narrow arms which afford the best seal between ear and cup. All in all I rate the Zulus highly however the Bose are also not bad just for the extra money it didn't appear worth it to me.

Regards
MF26

sahanM

7th Dec 2012, 21:35

I purchased a Lightspeed Zulu 2 recently, but i found that the left ear had a buzz in it whenever the ANR was turned on. I contacted lightspeed about the problem and they were extremely friendly. I received a pre-paid shipping label via email and only had to pay 3 bucks for the packaging. Lightspeed offered to replace my headset with a new unit or repair the existing one. I opted to go with a new one and i received the new headset within a day of it being shipped out of their warehouse via "UPS next day air" . I tested the new unit and found it to be fault free (no buzz) and very comfortable. yet to use it in the airplane. I highly commend lightspeed for their friendly,speedy and committed customer care. Would recommend the headset to anyone interested in it.

Hope this helps

Sahan M :)

blue up

17th Apr 2013, 16:19

Score one for Bose. I've had mine for 2 years of short and longhaul flying and it developed a warbling noise as you started to descend. Very annoying. Posted it back to HSL in Shoreham and it came back within a week. All new hygeine stuff, 2 new earphone modules (corrosion!?) and some minor monkeying around with the mic. Total cost? £11 to post it and absolutely nothing else. Happy customer.

tecman

17th Apr 2013, 23:19

I'd support Steve's comments about trying before you buy, if you possibly can. In my case, though, the decision was the opposite to his: I found the Sennheiser S1 superior to bothe the Bose and Zulu. The high passive attenuation, plus the ability to re-calculate the ANR profile is a real benefit in my aircraft.

riverrock83

18th Apr 2013, 13:53

Agree with the trying yourself thing.
I tried S1, Bose A20 and Zulu 2 in the shop. The A20 ear cushion sat on my ear in a way I suspect would have been uncomfortable after a long time. S1 ear cup was too long - seemed to sit on my jaw almost leaving a gap so Zulu 2 it is. Very happy with them!
My instructor was there too but for him the A20 was more comfy.
As for passive - they aren't too bad. I've turned active reduction off in the air and they were still usable.

Can't really comment on Zulu2 battery life. To get used to them (and before the no quibble return time finished!) I spent a fair number of hours wandering around the house at Christmas time listening to music through bluetooth. I then had around 3 hours of lessons in the air before the batteries came to an end - but since the Transair shop at Shoreham gave me the batteries for free so that I could try the Zulu 2 out (and I don't know what state the batteries were in to start with) I can't complain!

Lightspeed promotional gifts take their time though. "Ship within 12 weeks" but I sent them details on 4th December. I haven't thought about it since (other than to confirm that they got my email) but its been a bit more than that now. Time for some chasing I think...

Steevo25

18th Apr 2013, 16:22

I own both headsets and have done for nearly a year now. I did review my experiences of both side-by-side but cannot remember where I put the review.

For me, they both have their pluses and minuses and it was pretty hard for me to say one was better than the other. I had the Bose bought for me as a present from my wife and the Zulu 2 I was given when a family member had to give up flying due to ill health.

If I was buying just one headset now then for me, it would have to be the Zulu 2. Since I did that review I have had issues with the Bose where it kept switching off during flight for no explainable reason. This was sent back under warranty and since it was returned have not had a further problem.

But I would still go for the Zulu 2 on cost alone. Not because I want to buy cheap but because for the price difference between the 2 there is absolutely no way I can justify the difference in quality with the price difference. The Zulu 2 for me is in every way as good as the Bose in both what it does and the build quality but for a much cheaper price.

Other smaller things that matter to me as well are simple things like the quality of the case supplied. The Zulu 2 comes in a hard case that is very protective if something is stood or dropped on it whereas the Bose is a soft case that would not protect the headset in anyway should the same happen.

Over all, with price taken into the equation, I think the Zulu 2 is a much better deal. With regards to battery life, I would say that the Zulu 2 has slightly better battery life but there really is not much in it.

The only way to really know is to try both as different people have different preferences.

zoneout

24th Apr 2013, 23:00

I own both the Bose X and the Zulu (1), and have about 50 hours with the Bose A20. 95% of the time with the X and the Zulu is in King Air 200. I find both the X and the A20 to be less comfortable than the Zulu: I get a hotspot on the top of my head with both. Nothing at all like that with the Zulu, they are fantastic. My Zulu is four (maybe five?) years old, probably 1000 hours, and no problems other than an earseal coming apart. The Bose has had an electronics repair (cant remember what the problem was), as well as a cracked earcup stirrup (the forked part which connects the cup to the headband). In my opinion, the Bose's look as if they are better quality, but they are not.

Personally, I cannot tell the difference in noise reduction between the three. Maybe the A20 is better than the X. I find the Lightspeed much more comfortable, and the music streaming is a must-have for me. I havent checked the passive reduction, but the Lightspeed is pretty terrible with no battery power. I always cary spares and batteries are easy to change in flight. I have also never had any functional problems with the ANR, so the passive has never been an issue. Apparently the passive is better with the Zulu.2, and I have just bought one (currently on an $800 special), and am selling my Bose.

India Four Two

25th Apr 2013, 06:23

I've never tried the Bose, but I had an early Zulu and I traded it in for the Zulu 2. I'm very happy with it. Very comfortable and the noise-reduction is very good. The first time I wore my first Zulu, I had to turn off the noise reduction briefly on climb out to make sure the engine sounded OK!

An important point, that has been made on this and other headset threads, is try before you buy. I cannot wear DC headsets for any length of time because I have a wide head and the head band presses uncomfortably on the top of my head.

Pogie

9th May 2013, 09:21

I'm toying with buying two Bose A20's for my little piston airplane, and I've got a couple of questions that the kid in the Pilot Shop didn't seem to have any clue about.

Both headsets would be powered by the airplane, which is already wired for the Bose headsets. The questions are regarding the BlueTooth option. The way I understand it, the BlueTooth only allows you to wirelessly use your phone, but you can't play music from your iPhone, or iPad via BlueTooth. Is this correct?

Is there any reason to get a BlueTooth version for the passenger? I don't care if my passenger can make/take calls using their phone.

When using your phone, can the passenger hear and participate in the call?

If playing music through the auxillary audio input (or BlueTooth if possible), can the passenger hear this through the intercom?

Thanks for any responses.

Steevo25

9th May 2013, 09:43

You can only hear through the headset that the phone or music is connected to either by bluetooth or cable. If you have your headset bluetoothed to your phone and get a call then the passenger will be able to hear what you are saying but will not be able to hear what is coming through your phone. Similarly, if you have an iPod connected to your headset via the cable, then only you will be able to hear the music. The passenger could have their own iPod connected to their one and only hear their music.

The phone part of the bluetooth is a bit useless except for using it on the ground. I never get a signal anyway once I am above about 1000feet.

toptobottom

10th May 2013, 19:20

If you have your headset bluetoothed to your phone and get a call then the passenger will be able to hear what you are saying but will not be able to hear what is coming through your phone.

I don't think that's correct. I use the A20's BlueTooth feature to talk via the Mobile network and my iPhone, but my passengers can hear neither side of my conversation; they can however, continue to hear music played via the audio output from the iPhone.

Steevo25

11th May 2013, 15:23

Whether there is a setting somewhere I don't know, but my passenger can definitely hear me talking during a Bluetooth phone call. I don't use this feature as a rule, but when I tried it out my wife heard every word that I said in the conversation but she could not hear the person I was talking to.

nickbrettfly

12th May 2013, 14:53

The Zulu 2 is the better deal. The Bose price is hiked whereas the Zulu definately represents more value for money. You're paying extra for the Bose name. It's an idea thrown around a lot but it seems true.
I'd be behind Lightspeed as they show a lot of passion for the product and ongoing development.

mikehallam

12th May 2013, 17:06

riverrock83

12th May 2013, 23:27

FWIW,

Flying a very rattly and noisy Rans in England good passive protection is a boon. Obviously what one flies and how much one values hearing versus comfort (but surely not 'looks') is dominant.
The above mentioned rivals do appear to need anr functioning all the time which means still a % risk of ear damage from ambient noise leaking in.

I'm not sure what you mean by a % risk of ear damage. Are you saying that if the batteries run out, you might get ear damage from lack of ANR?

The Zulu 2s aren't actually that bad passively - certainly for short periods of time there would be no problems. The difference between the lower end Sierra and the Zulu 2 is really the passive noise reduction (which contributes to the overall noise reduction) which is improved with the use of Magnesium in the Zulu 2. I haven't compared a passive headset side by side with the Z2 with ANR turned off (I'd expect DCs to be better) but you can still hear ATC without problems (which I have tested) if the batteries run out so I'd assume you also shouldn't get hearing damage. They are (of course) much better when ANR is turned on...

Oh - and to keep thread on track, there is a panel powered (LEMO) version of the Zulu 2 available as well...

Can't comment on phone calls within the plane on the Z2 - I haven't used bluetooth when in the aircraft yet...

nickbrettfly

13th May 2013, 07:54

I also used a close-to-top end Sennheiser (HMC250) for some years and found it almost as good as a Zulu 2.
a lot of this comes down to the individual- but if you spend the money it's not something you're actually going to regret.
As mentioned the Sierra is very good too- very similar to the Zulu but a lot less money.

Steevo25

13th May 2013, 10:45

The passive reduction in both the Zulu 2 and Bose is not very good at all. But having said that, in the Cessna and Pipers and my own Jabiru that I fly, I feel that it does bring it down to safe levels. It's certainly still quieter than walking down the street in London.

One of the things that I don't like about the Bose is that it does not automatically switch on when the master switch is turned on whereas the Zulu 2 automatically switches itself on. There have been a couple of times when I have been flying and think to myself that this doesn't sound right. Then when I look down I see that the Bose is off. That's when you really notice how good the ANR is. But even so, if my battery failed in flight I would quite happily complete by journey on passive only. I don't feel I am beyond safe limits for hearing, certainly not in those aircrafts anyway. I do feel I am more at risk from hearing damage just by walking down the streets where I work with lots of road drilling, cars and other loud noises.