ADVICE NEEDED-ANR HEADSET

[RYR-738-JOCKEY]

Hello folks. I fly the 737-800, which is quite noisy. We don't have hot mic (but we use rubberbands to keep the intercom active.) I need to buy an ANR headset, and have narrowed it down to two different brands,
Sennheiser and Telex.
Would anyone care to give me some advice? Sennheiser have the HMEC 45-KAS ANR, with noise reduction of some 10db, and the HMEC 25 KAS ANR, with 15db active and 16db passive. Telex have 850 ANR with 12db attenuation. I am really lost. Anyone out there with some personal experience? Comfort, weight, where to buy a cheap one etc.
Thanx in advance :ok:

[787FOCAL]

Our 737s are not provisioned for Noise Reduction headsets (2 wire instead of 5 wire plugs). Is there a way to get the 2 wire to work with ANR headsets by holding the mic button down?

Thanks

[Denti]

Regarding the Sennheiser HME 45, we get them company provided (without ANR except a few fortunate ones) and i dont think its a very reliable headset, im on my 4th in 6 years now so i wouldnt even think about spending cash on it. Another thing is that i get a headache after a few hours since the ear-parts are pretty hard and the pressure on your ear especially if wearing glasses is pretty high and tends to be uncomfortable after a while.

Used the HME 25 during my training and it was a very comfortable headset with great noise reduction (used it on Senecas and Cheyenne), however it is a closed cup so it is a bit harder to hear or talk with someone outside of the intercom circuit (for example the girls serving the coffee).
Btw, both models are available for the normal 2 pin connectors still with ANR circuitry but need a small battery box in the line then and you have to keep the batteries loaded on your own.

Was not fortunate enough to test the Telex 850ANR yet (hopefully someone at the ILA has one for test) but it does intrigue me with soft earpads, open cup and ANR circuit without the need for a battery box on a 2 pin assembly.

[787FOCAL]

Does the telex 850 work on all two wire plugs without batteries? :confused:

[Jetavia]

Anyone use the Telex 850 on 737-3/4/500, does it work ok?

[Agaricus bisporus]

HMEC 25 is the one almost everyone uses in my company (B73-3 & 7). Excelllent performance, light and comfortable. Never had a problem with hearing the girls, just push one side off when they come in. If you use the highest capacity batteries you can get 3-4 12hr days out of one set, so with a spare set it is hardly a problem.

The difference in fatigue when you start using them is startling, they make a HUGE difference. However, the advantage is less if the other guy is not using ANR but still well worth it.

Highly recommended.

[787FOCAL]

Why would anyone use battery power when wired sets are available? :confused:

[Cap Loko]

I'm using the Telex 850 in the B737-400/800 and very satisfied with it.

However, I cannot always use it to its full potential since we keep one ear uncovered for cockpit conversation. When using both sides, very quiet indeed and it doesn't require batteries.

Also very light to wear, you will hardly notice even after a day's work.

Bought mine in de USA, a bit cheaper than in EU even though it had to be shipped.

cheers

[Jumbo Jockey]

For what it's worth I bought the Telex 850 after reading this review:
http://www.avweb.com/news/reviews/186646-1.html
It's by a very long way the most comfortable headset I've ever worn, and it does seem to be "tuned" to the sort of wind noise you get in a jet cockpit.
The Airman 850 is fitted as standard with twin jack plugs, but the 747-400's I use it in have been retrofitted by my company with a 5-pin single jack socket. This requires the use of something I bought from Transair which they market as an "Airbus jack" at a whisker under fifty quid. There's no separate power/battery box for the 850 since the ANR takes its juice from the microphone bias power.
Hope that is of some use.

[PPRuNe Towers]

Another thumbs up for the 850.

Right weight, sound quality, mic and, at last, the cheeky use of some electricity that was always there to power the active bits.

Rob

[goddamit]

For cap loko & others, I operate B737 7/800s & we do not use the intercom for flightdeck converstations, in this case will the ANR be active(we use 2 pin jacks).
Cheers Goddamit

[Jumbo Jockey]

Just found this:
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/rmnelson2/ANR_850.html
Don't know if that'll help with your 737 query: The comments there seem to suggest the NG 737 is fine with the Telex 850, but I don't know if maybe they have a different jack set up?

[Oh that's super!]

I have a Sennheiser HMEC 25 and it's really great. I recommend it.

[Telstar]

Goddamit, The ANR is always active once you have switched the headset on. The problem is that to hear the other guy you need to lift one earcup off if you dont have an intercom, therefore one ear is ANR free. Defeating the purpose of having an ANR headset.

Now if you operate the B737 like me and you are cunning, you bring to work with you some elastic bands and loop it over the intercom/ Radio (I/C/RT) toggle switch on the pedestal around the back of the ADF dial, push the FLT button on the intercom panel and Bingo! You got yourself a hot mike intercom.

[RYR-738-JOCKEY]

Thanx for all the replies. I finally settled on Sennheiser HMEC 45 KA. My working day has changed alot...nomore performance drop on 3rd and 4th sector and missed calls...almost down to zero.

[goddamit]

Ended up getting the Telex ANR 850. Works perfectly with our B737 NGs. No rubber bands needed. With both cups on I can easily hear the FO & have noise reduction 100% of the time. I've tested the Bose x also. It has more noise reduction than the telex, but its as bulky as a David Clark, & batteries would be a pain. The telex was definitely a better choice by a long shot.

[Olof]

Does anybody know if the Telex 850 ANR works in Ryanair's aircraft?

[787FOCAL]

The Telex 850 is said to be usable on 737-300 through -900. Don't know about the -200.

[zero-lash valve lifter]

In the market for an anr myself, does the Telex 850 ANR work perfectly well on airbus?

[Rainboe]

Telex 850ANR works a treat on the 737-700. As a result of this thread, I bought one, cost about £350, and very pleased. Audio quality vastly improved due to the noise reduction, and very comfortable. As always, it's astonishing (and frightening) how much you turn the volume down when the ANR is switched on. It has 2 jackplugs, one thicker than the other. I don't know what the Airbus uses, but various adaptors are available as extras.