Originally Posted by
mikehallam
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...