Noise Cancelling Headset - David Clark X11 or Bose?

[cessnaman172]

:confused:
I'm interested in buying a noise cancelling headset, and would appreciate comments from guys and gals out there that have used either 1 of these headsets.

Please list the good and the bad points of these headsets.

Thanx!

[disco_air]

recently invested in a Bose and it is awesome. I forget I'm wearing it, and now rather than the first thing to do after landing being take the headset off, its the last! :ok: highly recommended!

I thought battery life would be short, however with just normal non-rechargeables it lasted 18 sectors and 10 hours flying without going close to running out. I had some rechargeables spare AA's for the GPS, torch and camera anyway so no big issue even if it was.

I heard a rumour before I bought the headset that it was difficult to sync props with the ANR on, but its total bulls:mad:t :ok:

...disco

[VH-XXX]

Sorry but this thread has been done to death many times before and we probably don't need another one.

Do a search and you will be surprised what you will find.

[disco_air]

Sorry but this thread has been done to death many times before and we probably don't need another one

Well perhaps we'll just have to delete every other topic that has been done to death :E

[FlyingChipmunk]

I've had the Bose for >1 year now and trialing the X11 here in Florida....

Bose has nil competitors at the moment. You've got to try it to know what everyone is raving bout.

[DB6]

VH-XXX, except that the X11 is quite new so you won't find much about it. I had both, got rid of both, neither up to the job if you have much in the way of high frequency noise i.e. wind etc as they only actively suppress lower frequencies (I know they claim full-spectrum attenuation but look at the graphs). Better are the ANR sets with decent passive attenuation e.g. Sennheiser HMEC 450 (which I bought in the end) or DC10-13X. Of the two mentioned the Bose is probably better unless you want cellphone/MP3 player capability which works well on the X11.

[jethrolx]

I had been fortunate in that my instructor was loaning me a bose x headset to use while learning, and while awesome, i thought id try the dc x11 when i was getting ready to purchase my own. Was lucky enough to do a couple of to and fro between the bose and dc mid flight to compare. While the dc is a great headset, the difference in performance is far greater than the difference in price would suggest. Its a good thing the dc comes with 30 day moneyback policy which i took full adavntage of. I now have the bose, which for mine is unrivalled. If you really need an mp3/mobile there is an adapter for the bose. Spend the extra $150 and be completely satisfied.

[Orographic]

not yet flying, but came from the pilots expo yesterday, where i was looking at exactly this :)

basic rundown from how things sounded to my less than trained ears

David Clark : there were a couple of modals on display, and the X11 was among them. in terms of passive , meh, i think they have gone backwards slightly, i liked the 13.4 better. In terms of active, well, this would what you buy them for. it was ok, it didn't shine out like some of the others, but it was ok. the question becomes though, why would you pay that much for a medicore headset.

( I will acknolage at this point that, as one vender noted, everyone is diffrent, everyone ears pick things up slightly diffrently, people stress slightly diffrent qualities in their headsets )

Bose, ooh the Bose X, now that felt like a headset, again ok passive, but the active realy shone. the very first thing that i did notice, is the diffrence in the activations. the DC's jsut cut in and it sounded like you had just put your head in water, ( or had walked into a null noise room, which is I guess the point) .
The Bose set though faded in the ANR, and as there was a helo and a few fixed wing planes bussing around, I was after about 10 seconds able to sense a greater reduction in the perceved noise from them.


Avcomm : well, what i can i say, after the previous two, I wasn't impressed.
almost ok passive, but i am not sure how much that was fit, I had a hard time trying to adjust it to seal properly.
The ANR set they were showing, the AC-950, ... well, it strikes me as almost a budget set. the active was not as good ( imo) as the X11.

From the impressions formed though, the stand out model was from Lightspeed
the Lightspeed 20XLc. This I felt compared favorably to the Bose X set. in terms of active, they felt about the same, the passive on the lightspeed was slightly better, and I found the fit more comfortable, despite the slightly greater heft in the hand. I found the way that the XLc sealed around the ear entirely, and infact stood proud of the cartage of the ear ( as opposed to pinning it back against the skull) significatly more comfortable. Add the fact that my wallet is also significatly more comfortable with it ( approx $800 vrs $1500 for the bose set) .


as with most things, your milage may vary, but I for one am very glad i went to that expo.

[BrazDriver]

Had a Bose since they 1st came out. Greatest headset since sliced bread. I have only replaced the earseals and thats it. I find using alkaline batteries you get about 40-50 flight hours out of them, prehaps more - I cant remember the last time I put batteries in them!! I think it was last year!

Highly reccomended! :ok:

[Howard Hughes]

Bose X, no question...:ok:

[fu 24 950]

Bose X, spent the money

[transonic dragon]

Tried both, Bose X wins out without a doubt. X11's mp3/cellphone adapter is good, but keeping your hearing longer is better.

As far as that goes, I see there's a new adapter on the market which is a fair bit cheaper than its competitors. http://www.sportys.com/acb/showdetl.cfm?&did=19&product_id=9505

Anyone tried anything like this? I actually do need to speak on the phone from time to time with flying, and I'm thinking of getting one.

[transonic dragon]

Quote:
Sorry but this thread has been done to death many times before and we probably don't need another one

Well perhaps we'll just have to delete every other topic that has been done to death

Touche Disco!!

[Reverseflowkeroburna]

Done to death it may have been.................but I didn't have these X-11's then!

I've had the DC's for a month now. The first set of alkaline batteries lasted for about 35 flt. hrs. with a red warning indicator giving about 10 hrs. Now either the rechargeables that replaced them did not retain their charge or they were not fully charged, but their performance (the batteries) was very mediocre. This set of rechargeables has been much better, including surviving a 6.5 hr day yesterday, no probs!

Whilst I felt the Bose set were both more comfortable and had better active attenuation, I went with the DC's for following reasons:
- Trust in the brand. My last set have survived ten years and barely missed a beat.
- Apparent durability of the design. The DC's seemed to be stronger.
- A design philosophy that anticipated pilots wanting to hear noises from 'under the bonnet.'
- I couldn't see the leather seals on the Bose being much fun in the heat where I fly.
- I felt the Bose ear seals were somewhat more compromised by the arms on my sunnies and were also not suited to cloth covers (see above).

Now, I can hear some of you saying that I could turn the ANR off for T.O. in the single-engined beasts and enjoy the Bose peace & quiet later on at will, I do this anyway. What I can say is that my head is just as comfortable inside these cans after 7 hrs of flying as when I first put them on!

As was said on one of those earlier done-to-death threads; whichever ANR set you choose, just go ANR! For the sake of your poor ole ears....just do it!

[Haj]

Hi,

I have for three years used the Bose head set. They beat D.C. in every way as long as you make sure they are powered up all the time. :ok: If they run out of power they are use less.

[cessnaman172]

Thanks every one.

I'm presently flying a Saab 340. Has anyone used these headsets in a Saab or similar aircraft?

To those of you who complained that this thread has been done to death - why did you bother coming into this thread in the first place?

[cessnaman172]

Let us know how you found the X-11 compared with the Bose. Thanks

[muddergoose]

Does anyone have experience with the Telex brand of headset?

[Howard Hughes]

Hi Cessnaman,
I have tried the Bose X in both garrett and PW powered turboprops and they have worked extremely well in both! Think they should be fine in the SAAB!:ok:

[NoseGear]

Cessnaman, I flew for Air Nelson in NZ when they had SAAB 340s and I used David Clarks, which were great but did seem to get a little uncomfortable on longer days. Then company fitted the Bose noise cancelling headsets into all the SAABs, and I can say they worked outstandingly well and it was always a nice surprise to get into one and see the Bose installed. They seemed lighter and in my opinion were much more comfortable than the DC's during the course of a duty day.
Nosey

[Flying Bear]

You really shouldn't even mention the two headsets in the same sentence - the Bose is far superior in terms of weight, comfort and noise cancellation.

I have a pair of each headset, I was "conned" into the David Clarks on the lure of the ability to plug in the iPod, phone, etc - but they don't fit well over sunglasses, the ear seals need to be swapped for gel-seals (the ones provided are awful) and even then they don't do as good a job as the Bose. Notwithstanding, I find that the "mechanical bits" inside the earpiece are too close to the ear - they tend to irritate me. I have gone back to my Bose and the DC headset lives in the boot of my car as a spare...

Get a Bose if you are thinking about this class of headset!

[cessnaman172]

Thanks to everyone that has replied to my post :ok:

Now, the choice is clear......

A Bose it is!!!! :D

[Apophis]

don,t buy the bose from there online site there service is hopeless but the headset is good.

[Capt Claret]

cessnaman172

I purchased my Bose over the phone via Robert Elber of Bose - Sydney, 2 1/2 years ago. I couldn't fault the service, they even delivered to a hotel I was expecting to check into, at the start of a month long charter.

I've had one warranty repair, the brackets that hod the ear muffs, and Bose turned the headset around in one 8 hour work day. I used either alkaline (Duracell) batteries, or rechargable batteries and regularly got 100 hours flight time out of a pair of batteries.

Bose Sydney - 1800 023 367 or 1800 061 046.

[TimmyB]

Can anyone confirm whether or not Bose have a 21 day trial where you can return the headset and get a full refund if your not happy? I saw an ad in Aus Aviation Mag but it was through the national Bose phone number.

Cheers

[Capt Claret]

A-firm to the trial. It was available when I purchased in late '04.

[Up For Water]

Just wondering if anyone has used ether the Bose X or DC X11 in radial engined A/C (Beaver Etc) if so which works the best

[Dream Land]

I recommend a new headset called Clarity Aloft, high quality mic and audio, excellent noise canceling performance without ANR, you forget that it's on too. :ok:

[muddergoose]

This appears to be a new headset with a claimed 50db noise reduction, the highest available. Reading the blurb, it say's it reduces noise in the 50-90hzt (KHzt?) or engine and prop noise area. It offers both mobile and Ipod inputs is ANR and was on offer for $750.00 US at the airshow. It looks good, very well padded but weighs 510 grams, if that is an issue? It is distributed by AVIALL.

http://www.telex.com/Aircraft/Category.aspx?MarketID=2&CategoryID=14

Does anyone have or know of someone who has a pair and are you able to post an opinion.

[Dream Land]

Maybe good if you fly an open cockpit biplane on one hour sectors, having my head in a vice only works 'til 10,000 feet maximum for me. :}

[TinDriver]

Hey Muddergoose,

Check ur PM's.

[Yon Garde]

Anyone have experience with the lightspeed Mach 1's?

http://www.anrheadsets.com/products-Mach1.asp

[Dream Land]

No, but I can recommend this, high quality microphone and crystal clear audio, noise cancellation without the ANR, you forget your wearing it, fits around the back of your head :eek: : http://www.clarityaloft.com/ :)

[DB6]

Cessnaman172, if you haven't bought anything yet I would recommend trying first. I fly the Saab 340 for Loganair in Scotland, and bought both Bose X and DC X11. Ditched both as there is too much wind/aircon noise in the Saab and neither headset has enough passive attenuation. I bought Sennheiser HMEC-450 after extensive research. DC10-13X also worked well.