PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Flight Equipment
View Single Post
Old 5th January 2011 | 16:32
  #27 (permalink)  
SNS3Guppy
 
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,218
Likes: 2
From: USA
Milton,

I own several flightcom 4DX headsets, and have had them for a number of years. They've been quite robust. I originally bought them for use with an intercom system for students.

I found that while they will work, they weren't as comfortable as I'd have preferred. Or as quiet. Headsets serve two purposes; protect your hearing, and improve communications. A good headset will also make it easier for you to hear important sounds in flight, such as the engine, the slipstream, and certain cockpit noises. Some do this well by filtering out higher frequency sounds, some by active noise attenuation, and some simply passively as a function of being on your head.

With earcup headsets such as the flightcom, I added the Oregon Aero hush kits to every one I own. These are kits of high density foam which augment the foam already in the earcup. They make the headset quieter, and improve the communications capability by making it easier to hear transmissions or intercom sounds.

I also added the oregon aero earseals and headband to each headset. The earseals are made of leather-covered "memory foam," and form to fit my head during use as they warm slightly against my skin. It makes for a much more comfortable fit. I use them inside my helmet, too. The headband is a wide one that distributes the weight of the headset, and pads it with wool. It makes for a much more comfortable wearing of the headset, especially for long periods.

Economically, another step up is the Lightspeed series of headsets, which have much less clamping force on the head, and good audio characteristics. I've owned several. They're not as durable as flightcom or david clark type headsets, but they work well, and they're comfortable.

One of the best headsets you can use is the Bose; the Bose X, or the new A20. I use a QC15 with a uflymic, and it works extremely well. It's comfortable, quiet, and not all that expensive.

If you're going to buy a headset, invest in a good one that will stay with you for a long time. It's worth paying a little extra for a quality headset.
SNS3Guppy is offline  
Reply