Originally Posted by
timprice
I find different headsets work better in different helicopters, plus you need a multitude of adaptors.
Depends if your in a turbine or a piston too, generally piston the passive one's seem better especially if they were a good ear defender first,
Turbine the noise cancelling seem to work better, as there is more high speed whine, but sometimes they block out the low rrpm horn etc
Don't forget the mike's too some pick up alot more ambient noise than others!
Personally it all comes down to personal taste, but a good headset definitely makes all the difference.
Most people would see it the opposite way
. Because the passive attenuation of the ear muff doesn't work that well in the low-to-mid range, and because ANR works particularly well in the low-to-mid range, ANR headsets are deemed to be specifically useful in piston aircraft. Where they effectively block out the engine drone.
While an ANR headset would also work in a turbine, in some turbine aircraft least the high-pitched engine or gearbox noise is so loud and concentrated on a constant frequency, that turbine pilots are often advised to further passively block they ear with earplugs (or well sealing helmets, or with in-ear communication systems, which practically are earplugs, first and foremost) to protect their hearing in the long run.
Lastly, the view that ANR makes it more difficult to notice the low RPM warning horn I consider an urban myth. Paul Cantrell and other authorities have commented on these pages on this question.