I've been using the Lightspeed Mach 1 in different single/multi engine fixed wing and rotary (H300) for a few weeks, and my experience is like Gomer Pylot's: Excellent quality of audio
, even without the ANR very good noise reduction (I use the standard no roll plugs that came with the set), and apart from the feeling of the ear plugs you don't know you're wearing a headset, which is of course quite different from the head-in-a-vice feeling after a long flight with a dome type headset
. I won't ever go back, either!
The only thing you may need is an adaptor from the two plugs to one as some helis don't have the two plug system. I've had an issue in a brand new H300 that didn't have an intercom fitted yet, I assume it was the different impedance ratings of the microphones that made the David Clark's of the other pilot sound scratchy and cut out momentarily. Not a huge issue in my view as most machines will have intercoms of course.
Have a look here:
http://www.anrheadsets.com/PDF/Aviat..._Article_R.pdf
An interesting comparision of the Clarity Aloft, the Lightspeed Macht 1 and a bluetooth headset. I went for the Mach 1 because of the absence of a headband and the general build quality. I am sure the Clarity is just as good, so it's really a matter of taste..
I am just about to get myself some custom earpieces made (any audiologist will do it, I am in Australia and cannot use the Lightspeed US-based infrastructure for this), from what I could read in other threads this elevates the noise reduction to another level (apparently you can get up to 35-40db this way) and you can lose the "over the ear support" because the custom earpiece doesn't rotate in your ear like a simple plug and therefore the super lightweight boom will not slip down from the correct position next to your mouth..
In my view this type of headset is the proverbial bee's knees, and I would be very surprised if we don't see the majority of pilots switching over in the next decade or so. Why wouldn't you, given the advantages? I haven't yet heard about any drawbacks, and you cut out the battery consumption and with the ANR a costly piece of circuitry, thereby eliminating a source of failure from the cockpit (ever run out of batteries in a Bose X??
).