Bose Headset X vs. GA

[GearOff]

G'day guys,

Having just popped a pain killer to ease the throbbing pain caused by a day's flying with the vice-like grip of my current headclamp, I've decided maybe the asking price for the Bose Headset X isn't so bad afterall.

My one concern is whether it's up to the fairly harsh conditions of GA. I'm an instructor so that means regularly moving between aeroplanes and sometimes leaving the headset in ridiculously hot places.

Are they as robust as the DCs?

[Capt Claret]

GearOff

I've had a set for 14 months. Where I go it goes, so it's always in and out of aircraft. I don't leave it in hot places, don't put it in the baggage compt of the crew bus, etc.

Thus far I've replaced the ear mufs once, and had one warranty claim, to replace the cradle that one earpiece sits in. Bose SYD turned the headset around in 8 hours.

Excellent headset but at $1499 I look after it.

[jandakotpilot]

Greatest thing since sliced bread!

Tried the DC's and they just didnt cut the mustard, the mic on them isnt the greatest and they chew up batteries like its going out of fashion!!

The Bose is brilliant! I have had mine for 1 and a half years now, never had any problems.

I get at least 40hrs battery time from 2 NImiH AA rechargeables.

The noise attenuation is fantastic, very comfortable and light to wear. It also turns itself off automatically when it hasnt been worn for 5 mins.

As stated before keep it out of the sun and in a headset bag and it will become your best friend!

Well worth it!!!

Hope this helps, if you need more info PM me

Safe Flying!

[planemad_bk]

don't mean to hijack the thread but I have a q...

just wondering what the difference is between the Sennheisers and the Bose is? I mean the Senn's ear muffs look very small, but the Bose's ones look as if they DO cover the whole ear.
I've also been thinking of purchasing either Bose or Sennheiser but i'm not sure which one.

[Zhaadum]

Dude, you missed the thread entirely. You created a new thread instead of replying to the one on Bose X etc.....

Try clicking the "reply" button bottom left.....

:ok:

[Capt Claret]

planemad_bk

Colleagues have Sennheiser HMEC-25. They're very happy with them. I've tried the Sennheiser a couple of times. Its noise cancelling properties are excellent and it is light weight. I don't like the small ear cup on the HMEC-25 which sits on one's ear. I found the HMEC-300 & 400 too heavy.

The Bose Aviation X which I purchased has excellent noise cancelling, gives about 100 hrs on AA alkaline batteries, and almost as long on rechargable batteries. The ear cup covers the whole ear, and whilst not as light as the HMEC-25 they're lighter than the DC H10-80 that the Bose replaced.

I'm very happy with my purchase.

[early2]

I have used the bose X for 18months now in tropical/Hot conditions and they are great.

The only downside was the individual volume controls for L/R do not have a ratchet ie. you adjust them to your desired level, and a few moments latter you have to readjust - I fixed this with a Rubber band, maybe latter production bose x's have had this design issue resolved?

Also they are small enough to fit in my Flight bag.

I get about 60hrs to a set of batteries - using the auto off feature.

[mattyj]

don't buy noise cancelling headsets if you're going to fly multi..its too hard to balance the props..


:* :*

Your pax will go nuts

[CaptainToBe]

Having owned both, I can say that they're both pretty much to the same standard, with the exception that the Sennheiser headset is a bit heavier.

[...still single]

...Can't sync the props?!?

Maybe my Bose X isn't working.
Bugger the props and the pax, I can't live without ANR. Am reminded of this every time the batteries go flat.

[early2]

can't sync props, with anr headest - simply not true, from my own experience. Urban Myth at best.

[jandakotpilot]

I have no dramas putting the props into sync with my bose!

[planemad_bk]

Do you aviators with ANR doing several flights or a long flights during the 'working' week find that fatigue is reduced as a result of ANR?

[Capt Claret]

planemad_bk

I've not noticed a reduction in fatigue as I'd been wearing a noise attenuating headset for 10+ years and the noise cancelling one for 1.5 years. My reasoning is to better protect my failing sense of hearing and better understand ATC & F/As on the interphone.

A colleague who flies a fair bit of night freight and uses a Lightspeed ANC headset says he noticed a signifficant reduction in fatigue when wearing the ANC over a lightweight Telex (850 I think).

[GearOff]

I've heard of the problem with the volume controls being too easily bumped on the Bose X from a couple of people now. Does anyone know if the current release of this headset has fixed that issue?

[GW_04]

If the $1500 price tag is a little painfull, consider e-bay in the US.
If you know how to be safe when buying on e-bay (if you dont I suggest asking someone who does to school you up), you can get a new to near new pair for around half that. Might make owning a pair more realistic for some.

:ok:

[A31J]

Whilst I understand the basic principle of ANR and have read bits and pieces about it on the web, one question has always remained with me..

Does the introduction of the noise-cancelling sound wave, whilst cancelling out what you hear, actually increase the force of sound (energy), albeit inaudible, hitting your eardrums?

"Active cancellation involves the "addition" of sound waves...one wave mixing with another.."

"While it might seem odd to add large amounts of "new" sound energy into the dome cavity and ear canal, that's exactly how these active systems work. A microphone picks up the frequency and amplitude profile at an instant in time inside the dome cavity, the signal is processed and amplified by the electronics.."

After recently purchasing an ANR set, I was intrigued to find that whilst it was obviously noticeably quieter during flight with the unit switched on, after a decent-length duty airborne I felt like my eyeballs were being forced out of their sockets!

Inaudible sound energy??

[Lasiorhinus]

Not at all...
The increase of energy is (supposed to be) exactly the same amplitude and shape as the sound going into your ear, but with opposite polarity.

Sound is basically the air rushing forward and backward very often - what ANR does, is when the air molecules are rushing one direction, it adds energy in the OPPOSITE direction. If it gets it perfect, the air has the same amount of force pushing it forward as backward, so it doesnt move either direction.
Then you hear silence.

The technology isnt perfect, which is why you can still hear engine noise etc, and it works better with low frequency ranges than high, but thats the basic idea.

[Jamair]

Any ANR is better than any passive system (IMHO); don't give up on the DCs just yet dude......I've used both the Bose and the DCs and I was convinced enough that I bought the DCs (when they were also $1400-odd). For your type of work, the DCs have a rugged advantage, as well as the latest model being driven by a single 9-volt instead of the 6 x AAs that my set uses.....

I get about 60-70 hours from a set of batteries, or can plug into the aircraft power with an adapter that is cheap & readily available.

Another advantage with the DCs is they look exactly the same as every other set of DCs and are a little less likely to be flogged, whereas the Bose looks just like....a Bose. (Ask Gaunty how it feels to loose a set of Bose X's):*