Headsets for PPL

[WhiskeyDelta]

I know this has been covered before, but new models are available all the time and I have a specific question as well. For fixed wing PPL training (and beyond...?);

1. Electret vs. Dynamic mic. What are they, which is better and why?

2. Interested in peoples preferred brands/models. Particularly interested in negative comments ("Don't get a XXXX... they're absolutely bloody crap!") Especially particularly interested in brands/models that don't cost more than the aircraft they'll be used in!

All comments welcome.

Many thanks,

WhiskeyDelta

[Hour Builder]

I have a David Clark H10 13.4, cost around £200 ideal for PPL flying, can get a bargin on Ebay.

HB

[splatt]

Yes DC 13.4's are one option, I just bought a set. But if you can spend £30 more you can get a Pilot PA18-50 which, from the manufacturers specification, seems to pretty much be a DC13.4 but with ANR and some other nice features such as the ability to plug a telephone, tape recorder etc into it. It also won an award from one of the magazines for being best value. I'm planning to buy one of these and to compare the DC13.4 side by side returning the loser to the store :)

As for the other's on the market I tried on just about all the headsets in the price range £180-£240 and for me sets with gel filled ear seals are a great invention - much more comfortable. I didnt notice that much of a difference with heavier vs. lighter sets so not sure that it makes as big a difference as the manufacturers would have you believe.

[Lister Noble]

Great topic as I'm in the same position of being a PPL student just about to buy a headset.
I have tried Peltor which are very comfortable and seem to offer good sound quality and have a Pilot PA17-79 DNC on long tern loan from a pal.
I reckon the Peltor are excellent value but the sound cancelling from the Pilot makes them very good to use in noisier cockpits.
All our instructors use standard headsets,David Clarke,Sennheiser and Peltor.
Are David Clarke sets more expensive as we are paying for the name?
Lister

[Sans Anoraque]

Whenever you watch a Hollywood movie or US TV series, any scene set in helos or light planes nearly always has the actors wearing David Clark's.

If they're good enough for Jack Bauer, they're good enough for me.:cool:

[Dop]

I've got the David Clark 13.4s. Expensive, but good. Before I bought them I'd used various loaned sets from the flying school, and I liked the DCs better.
I'm toying with the idea of getting a second headset, maybe something cheaper, once I get my PPL, as a spare and also for if any of my friends want to go for a ride.

[soay]

Sennheiser HMEC400s are very effective, but squeeze so tight it hurts after a while.

Clarity Alofts are just as effective, and don't even mess up your hair!

[Rod1]

BOSE BOSE BOSE BOSE BOSE BOSE

Rod1

[soay]

Sennheiser Specs. (http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheiser/icm_eng.nsf/root/05305)
Clarity Aloft Specs. (http://www.clarityaloft.com/expertise.htm)
Bose Specs. (http://www.bose.com/controller?event=VIEW_PRODUCT_PAGE_EVENT&product=headsetx_headset_inthebox&linksource=productnav_txt_inthebox&ck=0)

Let the data talk!

[WhiskeyDelta]

Thank you all for your replies; plenty of food for thought.

Given the following list of 'candidates', what are your opinions:

David Clarke H10-30
Avcomm AC-90
Telex Echelon 100
Peltor 8006
Pooleys Hi-Fidelity Headset PY(E)PH2000

My first choice is probably the David Clarke, but I might be being led by the fact that EVERYONE knows David Clarke! The specs of the Peltor 8006 look good but I have extensively used Peltor ear defenders and have found that the adjusting mechanism (plastic tube sliding over the wire frame) becomes useless in very short order. The headsets appear to have the same gizmo... any thoughts on that?

Finally... anyone care to have a bash at answering my question on the electret versus dynamic mic conundrum? Does it really make any difference or is it just a manufacturers 'hook'?

Thanks again,

WhiskeyDelta

[DB6]

Dynamic mikes are supposed to be better for open cockpit and heli flying (i.e. noisy cockpits) but I flew an open cockpit Pitts with both and the electret was better. On DCs the dynamic option (H10-30) is cheaper but I would go for the H10-13.4 as it has a better boom and mike. DCs are very hard-wearing and probably the best you can get for GA, all things considered.
Don't bother with Bose unless you have money running out of your ar5e, they are not worth the money and are utterly sh1te with ANR off.

[IO540]

I've been flying for 5 yrs and have have worn a load of headsets during training, plus I went to a headset shop and tested a whole load of headsets against a background aircraft noise source.

The DC 13X (or similar, can't recall the exact name but it was about £500) was as quiet as the Bose, but with a much higher earcup pressure. It had better attenuation with power off, doubtless due to the higher earcup pressure and that's the tradeoff: if you want long-term comfort then you have to go for good ANR and the headset won't perform as well with no power.

I've done 6hr flights and have felt no discomfort. One could not do that with any other headset. Certainly not with anything from DC.

It's ridiculous to say

"Don't bother with Bose unless you have money running out of your ar5e, they are not worth the money and are utterly sh1te with ANR off."

when the cost of a Bose X is about 5 hours' UK self fly hire of a piece of old junk. If you have just got your PPL then there is about 90% chance you will drop out of flying within a year, so buying a Bose X (or anything else that's highly desirable to have e.g. a decent moving map GPS) probably IS a waste of money.

But for long term usage a Bose X cannot be beaten.

The other headsets, of which there are as many as there are Brietling watches and leather jackets, don't get anywhere near the Bose.

The drawback of a Bose is that you can't freely lend it to other people; it will soon come back wrecked. Or it will get nicked.

More generally, most non-aviation people think headsets cost £20 and it pays to brief passengers that actually they cost £700!

I've got four Bose X headsets, 3 of them have been modded for aircraft power, and I would never go back to anything else. An additional drawback of the aircraft powered version is the plastic Lemo connector which is relatively easy to break, and Lemo don't do a metal version.

[Genghis the Engineer]

I confess to being another HM40 fan - cheap, rugged, and for my money more comfortable and clearer than DC's 2-3 times the price.


Just for a bit of interest, let's turn this around. There are lots of headsets around, and most are pretty good - the posts above clearly show that the main issues are cost and personal preference, not whether a headset is actually suitable or not.

So, what headsets would anybody specifically NOT recommend for PPL type flying?


For example, I happen to own a Telex 750, which is an ultra-lightweight headset aimed at airline cockpits. I wear it occasionally in a light aircraft - generally where the cockpit is reasonably quiet and I want to be able to hear and chat to my passengers without them having to wear electric hats themselves. BUT, for long trips the cockpit noise becomes quite annoying (the T750 has no significant noise attenuation); for similar reasons I wouldn't wear it if I really need to concentrate on a particular flight (doing test flying of a homebuilt for example). For those reasons I'd specifically not recommend the T750 for the majority of PPLs or students.

G

[Pronto]

Just returning to WhiskeyDelta's question about the adjustment system on the Peltor. I bought a 7003 model headset just after converting my SLMG PPL to full Group A (as was) in 1989. I've now done about 400 hours wearing them and the adjustment is still as good as it was when they were new out of the box.

I can only speak for the 7003 models, which I find lighter than the DCs, but the Peltor "grips" tighter. I've done three hour flights wearing them though (over spectacles) without major discomfort.

[Leezyjet]

I have the Telex Echelon and it's just fine for a cheap starter headset.

I also got a spare headset off ebay brand new for £50. It's a Pregizer. I've tried it myself and it works a treat - dual volume controls and gold plates plugs - better spec than my Telex actually !!. - Just search for Aviation Headsets.

At my flying club, there were career instructors still using their first Telex Echelon from when they were a PPL, albeit held together with gaffer tape !!.

Save your money for the flying is my best advice. You can always upgrade at a later date and use your current h/seat as a spare then.


:)

[DB6]

Sorry IO540, subjective opinion on the Bose X as I've recently bought a set and am not impressed. After reading all the hype I was expecting more, like maybe a bit of high frequency attenuation. I remain to be convinced but I find it hard to see how the price can be justified - £400 maybe but £750 is just taking the piss. If they don't start impressing soon they will be on ebay in a couple of weeks.
My DC10-30s on the other hand have never failed to satisfy (once I'd found out how to turn the mic gain down) although on reflection I would prefer an electret mic as my major irritation is hiss rather than boom, as it were.
Telex Echelons are too flimsy for club use, epecially the thin plastic on the foam ear seals which tears very quickly. Also the rotating plastic blocks on the earpieces used to vary the clamping force can dig into your head......VERY VERY VERY annoying.

[soay]

After reading all the hype [on Bose X] I was expecting more, like maybe a bit of high frequency attenuation.
Perhaps that's why Bose don't publish any performance figures.

[stue]

I havent done that much flying, but the BOSE is the best one that i tested. so i got one. more for comfort than anything else, you forget that its there. is a hell of a price though, but not getting a banging head half way threw the flight because you headset feels like a vice? worth it to me.

at the end of the day its just personal choice. i like it:D

looks better that all the others too:}

[Rod1]

I was firmly in the anti BOSE camp. How could any headset be worth that much, and there are no specifications, so it must be a rip off. I had had this debate several times with a friend of mine who had a set. He knew I was looking for a new headset with a max cost of 500ish and that I had tried quite a number of different makes. He loaned me his headset and I have been eating humble pie ever since. My Bose is one of the best investments I have ever made, even if it did cost more than the budget!

Rod1