ANR Headsets

[Yogibaboo]

I plan to buy Active Noise Reduction headsets. Would you be so kind and recommend any? I fly Bell 427 :ok: .

Regards,

Yogi

[Dis-Mystery of Lift]

I would go with the Bose hard wired to the Aircraft....Fantastic!!!:O

[Ready2Fly]

Hard wired or not: Bose X is the one :ok:

Get hold of one and try it....15 minutes should be sufficient...maybe even only the moment when you switch it on still at ground idle....

[TwinHueyMan]

I have a David Clark set, think its garbage... the active part is pretty sketchy in how active it wants to be (it cuts in and out of activeness-ness), the volume with ANR on is lower than a non ANR headset (which I guess would work if the ANR actually was worth a ****), the battery box is in a pretty awkward position and is pretty big, battery didn't last super long, everyone I know with em has lost the battery box cover, etc. Works good as a backup and lend out set, but I don't even bother with the active switch... causes more of a headache than 5 radios at once gives you already. Without it switched on its a oversized set of normal DKs.

I hear the Sennheiser ones are pretty slick too, hell I have a pair of their studio monitor music headphones here and they are the cats ass, so I'd assume their aviation line is good.

Mike

[singlecut]

I'm looking for an ANR set as well. Just tried the Bose X, and while they are a great headset, if you are flying with the window down the wind noise is picked up by the circuitry and sets off an annoying vibe. Other than that they are excellent.

Has anyone tried the Pilot USA or Flightcom Denali headsets?

[500e]

I use Pilot and find them real comfortable,good sound and not prone to popping + fair passive protection, & with interchange cords, rechargeable batteries, cell\ music input real flexible if changing types of aircraft.
www.pilot-europe.com/products/aviationcat.php?prodtype=ANR_Headset (http://www.pilot-europe.com/products/aviationcat.php?prodtype=ANR_Headset)

I also have a set of Mach 3 with custom ear moulds which are ok to, no anr but the isolation is said to be the same or better, than anr as it should suppress all\most of the damaging audio spectrum.

The custom mould man said they will not sound as quiet as anr but will cut out the high freq 1000 \ 1800 kHz better than any anr, and with the same or better protection at lower frequency's

[manfromuncle]

I prefer the David Clark H10-56 over the Bose. Its is much more durable. Bose seem a bit flimsy to me. The ANR is better on the Bose, but when the Bose battery goes, its defeaning.

Bose is OK for occasional flyers but are too flimsy for regular use.

[T4 Risen]

Manfromuncle,
i have to disagree, i have used the BOSE on the north sea for 5 years without a problem, its been dropped, bashed around the cockpit soaked in rain and lent to several collegues. I agree that it does look flimsy but i am more than happy with mine. I also agree that when the battery does go, usually when you are just on short finals or just lifting from the deck, it is a bit noisey but well worth the money.

T4

[Perro Rojo]

I prefer the David Clark H10-76. I've had it for ten years and it still works well. The only problem I've had was I wore out the power switch, consequently I had to replace the battery box.

I tried a friend's Bose and the sound quality was better, as you'd expect from Bose, but the noise suppression was not as good. Also when the battery dies on the DC you still have the same old good non-ANR sound suppression.

[manfromuncle]

I thought the Nth Sea operators made you use company headsets only?

[Droopystop]

Be warned. It has been shown that whilst ANR might sound ok, they don't always protect against harmful noise levels. I am not trolling, just passing on what has been said on here before.

[NickLappos]

Droopy is right on. The ANR is nice for feeling good (and does cut the low frequency noise quite a bit) but it is the high frequencies, totally untouched by ANR, that do the ear damage. ANR is useless above about 1000 Hz.

Good sound padding to absorb noise at all the frequencies is absolutely required. ANR for comfort and less fatigue is nice and worthwhile.

[Lutefisk989]

totally agree with Nick and Droopy, plus another $0.02 (at no extra charge): I like flying ANR with fixed-wing, but not with helos. I've found that I really prefer hearing the XMSN/rotor speed...especially when practicing autos or Cat-A...the rotor speed can be a great cue, without keeping the nose inside too much.

[crispy69]

I plan on getting a new headset. I have used the bose before and found them great so they would be my first choice however i am able to get the D.C for less than half retail. I have not tried DC's but heard they ok exept they chew through batteries.
To the people that have tried both which do you think better?and when you take big price difference into account which one would you go for?
I would rather save money but if D.C's not that good I will pay more and get better protection.

[Nomodakine]

Hi all,

I've been flying helos with bose ANR headsets for 11 years now and am pretty satisfied with them overall.

I used the older version first for 9 years, very efficient although a bit bulky and heavy. The cords and the battery pack were not perfect but still, it was still very enjoyable. Regarding the Bose headset X, I've been using it for 2 years now: it's great!

All those bad points I just described above have been corrected in the latest version (out for quite a few year already). They are very light, yet durable, the battery pack and the cords system are smaller and use now only 2 AA's, averaging 40 hrs of usage.

Regarding the fact that this is no fun when the batteries go dead (true), because of poor passive noise reduction, is not an issue to me. Who can't afford to have 2 spare batteries with him? There is a battery power indicator telling you the power remaining (amber 8 hrs, red 2 hrs). That can be part of your preflight if you fly by yourself with no autopilot, as you can't change batteries with your left hand only.

The only thing I am not so happy with is the fact that Bose hasen't designed a headset with dual impedance. Flying low and high impedance aircraft, I had to buy an extra microphone set (plug-cord-battery pack-microphone) at a cost of 275$ not including tax!!! (what a ripp off) You then have to unsrew the whole set and install the new one in making sure you don't damage the pins during the process.

From what I have heard from collegues, Bose doesn't perform that well though on certain aircraft (412s with windows open)

I can't compare Bose with other ANR headset but one thing is for sure: never again without ANR!

Maintenance wise, never had any problem, just need to change the ear cushions and mike foam from time to time like with any other headset.

Cheers,

Nomodakine

[malabo]

We're in the 21st century. Any quality operator should be ordering their helicopters with powered ANR headset jacks, and retrofitting their fleet with ANR. Pilots having to pack around their own ANR running off battery packs is OK for a General Aviation Piper Cub rental, but does not make the grade for a commercial/corporate operations. It just isn't that expensive to have those extra jacks to power ANR headsets in the cockpit.

malabo

[hornylittlepuma]

Any one used the Flightcom Denali? it seems to have very good passive and active reduction numbers on their website.
It looks like it's abit beefer and has more passive protection than the bose.
And has anyone used the clarity aloft earplug headset? It also has some good reduction numbers.

Anyone....

:ok:

[Dupsspud]

Anybody tried the DC x11 as a helicopter headset?, looks and sounds good.
Granted there is not a stand-alone helicopter one yet, but has anyone converted one with the correct leads?

Regards

[Yogibaboo]

Finally I decided for Bose X hardwired to aircraft. I am just amazed :D During first start-up I thought something was wrong with engines :) When cruising ANR is just brilliant.

Thanx for all advices!!!

Yogi

[Harry76]

Dupsspud, Watch this space. I have recently purchased a DC x11. I'm just waiting on the arrival of my 'Y' 2 into 1 conversion lead and I'll be able to use it. If that all goes well then I'll have the leads modified.

I was tempted by the Bose product but was put off by comments from Bose users over the last year or two whereby they thought that the Bose headsets were not robust enough. Time will tell if the new DC product is any better.

[crop duster]

I've been using ANR in my helmet for 5-6 years from Headsets, Inc in Amarillo, Tx. Don't know if there regular headset is any good but the helmet unit is nice, especially with the Oregon Aero ear seals. Every now and then I un-plug just to remind myself that ANR is needed.
What ever you use, make sure they work well in the passive mode because if they don't your ears are being damaged without you knowing it. I'm only 46 and can't hear my wife fart. A buddy of mine works at the local funeral home and he's been trying to get me a good pair of used hearing aides. So far all he's come up with is teeth.:hmm: Protect them ears.
barryb

[Brilliant Stuff]

Apparently what would be the cats whiskers is having those earplugs which get molded into your ear and therefore take up most of your shell like which then also covers the just outside of your ear canal where you pick up the high pitch noises. Racing drivers and ground crew wear them and we in aviation should have them now really. But they cost £200 a pop apparently which is of course cheaper then loosing your hearing. But convincing the pay master might be tricky.:uhoh:

[Gomer Pylot]

For a headset I prefer the in-the-ear type, using standard foam earplugs. The NRR numbers are better across the board than any ANR headset, and especially in the higher frequencies. They're also far more comfortable in every way.

Now that I have to wear a helmet, which I detest, I'm using CEPs, Communications Ear Plugs, which are essentially the same thing as the in-the-ear headset, but made to go under the helmet earseals, and plug into a jack installed in the shell. The noise level with these is actually higher with the helmet on, for some reason, probably because the shell concentrates and ducts the noise into the ears. I've checked it by removing the helmet, leaving the earplugs in, and the noise level actually decreases when the helmet is removed. I F&*(*^G HATE HELMETS!!!!!

[pitot212]

Harry76
Any comments on your DC x11 headsets yet? Never was a fan DCs but these seem to have a better fit than Bose. And don't suffer the low/high impedance problem or do they?

[B47]

pitot212

I use a pair of DC x11's in my Astro. They are superb and £200 less than the Bose. Unlike all previous DC ANR sets, they are incredibly light and comfortable. I use the two into one cable converter (from Transair or others) and the battery life is very good. Part of the pre-flight is to check you've a green light on each unit then you're good for two or three hours. If flashing red, change the batteries (2xAA) before you fly. I've never been let down by the batteries in flight, but am sure that the passive performance of the x11s is better than the Bose if you lose power to them anyway.

Standard ipod and phone connections also work great and all the cables you need for this come with the x11s.

I was concerned about intercom compatibility with still using a pair of cheap Peltors in the back, but the four sets are perfectly fine with each other.

Couldn't recommend them highly enough.

[pitot212]

Thanks B47.

I'm on my way to get a set.

[Harry76]

Pilot 212,
Unfortunately due to a comedy of errors I'm still waiting on the arrival of the 'Y' plug so I haven't as yet used them in anger. I hope you have more luck than I have so far. I will of course still post my impressions here when (and if) the lead arrives. Ahh.... the joys of touring in a foreign country.:{ Off topic but at least something else is arriving shortly to keep me interested. It's big and it's got an 'S' and a '92' in it's name.

Harry

[pitot212]

Harry,

I've got a set and y leads but not used in anger yet, perhaps I can let you know?? off thread...Sounds like Christmas is coming early for you!

Enjoy yourself.
Bill:)

[3top]

Watch it ANR is addictive!! Just like helicopters! :)

I ALWAYS use common cotton ear plugs. Actual reason is to prevent ear infection problems form moisture. If you are flynig in very humid areas you might have your own experience with ear pain...
A good side effect is that they also cut down on noise quite a bit.

Depending what you want/can spend on your headsets I would go for Headset Inc.
Absolutely second an earlier post ontheir performance. My helmet is awaiting resurrection with a headset kit.

Their headset is probably the best bang for the buck and work very well.
You also can have them custom made at no extra cost:
long or short cable, coiled or straight, 1 or 2 volume controls, 1K,2K,5K volume controls (I would take te 5K...), different batterybox options, frame mounted power supplies,..... just check them out...

I believe some of the other suppliers actually use their modules....

3top:cool:

[loggerman]

has anyone used these headsets in a helicopter if so how do they perform? if not can anyone recomend a good noise cancelling set (not bose)to be used in a h300 thanks.

[blade root]

just a little off the thread, yesterday whilst flying a 76 I heard a loud med. frequency noise ( it turned out to be a short in the PA system ). I asked the captain if he could hear the noise, he couldn't and thought I was on drugs.

It wasn't until we shut down and he took his ANR head set off that he could hear it. This proves that they work but raises the question what other noises do they cut out.

[PlankBlender]

I've been using the Lightspeed Mach 1, I see no need to ever use dome type headsets again. See the discussion here:
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=310838

Also, here's a good article about hearing and damage to the ear:
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=310838

[loggerman]

anyone got any comments on the david clark x11 for a h300

[pitot212]

I had a pair of DCx11, thinking they were the best headsets for the job!! I took them back after 10 hours persevering with them. Just not man enough for the 300. I think the 300 is the noisiest environment to work in and it was important to me to sort this issue out, I tried several Headsets and eventually settled with Sennheiser HMECC 250. Not only excellent noise reduction but comfortable and they fold flat and fit your flight bag. The batteries seem to last forever too.

[loggerman]

thanks for the reply what did you find the problem was with the dc x11 ? do you think the senheiser 250 are as good as the bose?

[vaqueroaero]

Lightspeed have produced a new series of ANR called Zulu. I tried a pair and thought they were great. They are similar size and weight to Bose, but are cheaper in price. For the tech heads they are also Bluetooth compatable.

The helicopter version is being released in March - I'm on hold for a pair.

[pitot212]

The DC x11 were just not giving any noise reduction at all. I would take the headsets off and the noise level was almost the same, press the ear cups to your head and they worked a little better, but the ANR was virtually non-existent especially for the price. The Bose are obviously the best but they have mic problems for different aircraft and are pricey. The Sennheiser are not cheap but certainly cheaper than most quality headsets but nevertheless work extremely well in all the types I fly from piston to turbine. Also comfort was a big issue although DC x11 were by far the most comfortable headsets out of all the one’s I tried, the Senn’s are very snug and I think better than Bose in that respect and work just as well.

[ManOnTheSticks]

Does anyone have any experience of using a bose in the S61? I have an electret mic and it doesn't seem to work (I can hear everything else fine, ANR works etc). Do I need a dynamic mic or is there something else I haven't thought of? Help would be much appreciated!

[TheGuru]

I have brought a LightSpeed Zulu headset, i have not tried a Bose or a X11, so i cant really compare, but i believe my Zulu is worth its weight in gold! as it was my first headset that i brought, naturally i did a lot of research (between the Bose, LightSpeed and DC X11) and i ended up settling on the Zulu because:
The bose is very expenive and hardly any passive noise cancelling if your batts go dead.
the X11, havent really heard anything good about it other than the price, but i didnt really care about that.
the lightspeed has many awesome features, is moderate in price, very comfortable, not too bad if batts fail, all though sound quality becomes very crap. but the sound quality is absolutely excellent when the batts are running, great for listening to music and flying (i have only done that while sitting in the back so far, but the comm-mute works very well indeed.
PS. I wouldnt go without ANR again

My 2 Cents. :cool:

[Heli-Jock]

Bose, Bose, Bose, every time for me!:ok:
They go thru a lot of AA barttery's tho!
Always have a new set of AA battery's on you, just in case.
If the battery's fail in flight, you still hear all transmissions but the noise will be deafening.:{

[RavenII]

Bose is the way to go!

I had an DC and a Lightspeed, both ANR, until my Boss gave me a brandnew Bose.......

I don't wanna go back! It's not just about the noise, it's just so freakin' comfortable on the head.......

It's a little bit more expensive than the other headsets, but u can't beat it!!! Worth every penny!

Even if the batteries die, u can still hear fine. (But i have to admit it gets quite loud)

[Bladestrike]

The 61 is probally a low-impedance mic (ours were, and our Pumas are), and Bose offers a conversion, but it replaces the cord, mic and the volume control thingy. Super easy to swap but pricey. I used my BOSE for 2 years then went back to a helmet and those cep-usa ear thingys, far quieter IMO, and I'll put a set in an older regular DC for the summer. I never liked the wind noise in either the 61 or the Puma with the Bose ANR, especially with a window open.

[Stoey]

I tried the Bose before buying my lightspeed ZULU, I wouldn’t pay a lot of money, for a little sign saying BOSE, I would rather by the ZULU that has better noise reduction when the battery dies, and also fits better to my head :8
I also like the Bluetooth feature so my phone are coupled to the headset, and listening to music over the Bluetooth is also nice. The headset has an inbuilt priority that levels down the music whenever there is someone speaking on the radio.

But that's just me, everyone has different taste, some like men, other like women. :E

[JUL]

Does anyone know where to buy the Zulu headset in UK? Have been trying different places but they all seem to be out of stock. :ugh:

[Stoey]

Here is a couple of dealers.

U.K.
Commander School - Europe
Hermes House, Saumarez St.
St. Peter Port, Guernsey GY1 2PU
Phone: +44 (0)1 481 725 914
Fax: +44 (0)1 481 728807
Email: [email protected] ([email protected])

Harry Mendelssohn
Harry Mendelssohn Sales, (GPS Europe Ltd.)
49-51 Colinton Road, EDINBURGH, EH10 5DH.
Phone: (0131) 447 7777
Fax: (0131) 452 9004
Website: www.harrymendelssohn.com (http://www.harrymendelssohn.com/)
Email: [email protected] ([email protected])

But if you want it to be with a helicopter plug, wait a month or so, then they come out with spiral cord and helicopter plug. Or buy it now and get it changed in a month or to for 25$ (it was what the dealer said where i bough mine)

Støy.

[JUL]

Mendelssohn is out os stock. I will try calling Commander school on monday.

Where did you get yours from?

[Stoey]

Some pilot store in aurora in Oregon, can't remember the name. But they had a testing "divice" where you could turn on some speakers to represent background noise så you could try different headsets under the same circumstanses.

Støy

[krobar]

The less parts, the better.
I've got a DC 13HXL. Really nice, but flying for flying 8 hours a day, ANR using batteries is not practical. It is however a excellent passive headset.
I found them to be better value for fixed-wing.
Bose X is the best noise cancelling.

[albatross]

I am having a problem with my Bose.
I get "popping" and then lose the audio - I can still transmit however.
It usualy comes back after 10 or 15 secs or if you turn off the ANR.
Changed batteries a couple of times - no joy there.
Poked and prodded to make sure the little holes ( TriPort openings) in the earcups are clear ect. Checked the Optional Operation Switches. Tried varying the volumn both on the headset and the audio panel. All looks OK but the problem persists.:{
Someone told me to send it back to Bose as they have a "fix".
The headset was built in Oct 2004.
Does anyone else have the same problem? (S-76 and S-92)
Before I open fire in Bose's direction does anyone have some good advice?
Thanks for any help or suggestions.

[tu154]

I'm in the market for an ANR headset. Spending most of my time in R22s so need one that will work with the other headset in the 22 (seems to be a bit of an issue with mismatched headsets in the 22 in particular, my passive DCs will work with some but only some). Any recommendations? I like the DCs. Not a huge fan of the comfort of the Bose Xs. Hate passive Peltors.

[rick1128]

tu154,

I tried the Bose when they first came out. While they were nice, I really don't like the price. I went with the Telex ANR4000 \. I was flying Metroliners and B100 King Airs. I was quite pleased with them. The difference between them and the Bose was almost indistinguishable and the price was about 1/3 the price of the Bose. Last year, I upgraded to the Telex Heli-XT headset. I have been quite happy with it. Telex's support is as good as David Clark's support. Telex uses AA batteries which makes it a better choice than units that use special rechargeable batteries. The only units better in these regard are the ones that get their power directly from the radios. Due to a couple of features of the Telex, it appears that this was not possible.

[Pandalet]

I've used my Lightspeed Zulu in a number of different Robinsons, and am very happy with it. It's comfortable and clear. I have run into a particular R22 which didn't work with one ANR and one basic, training school standard non-ANR (same behavior with a Bose or LS ANR), but was fine with 2 ANRs. I've also seen an R22 which refused to work with any ANRs at all, in any combination. I suspect this is more an audio system thing than an R22 thing.

[tu154]

Hmmm, managed to try both the new bose and the lightspeed today. Both excellent headsets, which you would expect for the cost. Chap with the lightspeed reports no issues with it in any of the 22s he's tried it in...

[rjtjrt]

I have been watching this thread and not keen to get involved as I find the R-22 headset problem depressing. But I guess I should as in my experience I haven't had an R-22 that haven't had issues with Lightspeed.
I am a great advocate of Lightspeed and their headsets, but not in my R-22.
I have had a Zulu in my R-22 and have had enough problems with it to make me not be willing to fly with the Zulu.
I have had 3 Lightspeed ANR headsets, since the original 20XL, and cosider Lightspeed to be a great company with great products.
The Zulu in my 22 had an intermittent loud sound (not at all like the transient sound if an ear cup shifts on the ear as you turn head - I have seen this occassionally and it is a non issue for me). The loud sound prevents hearing ATC comms and lasts a couple of seconds.
I sent my first Zulu back to factory and it was returned with no improvement (and no communucation from factory as to if the found anything wrong so I assume they tested it and found no fault with headset).
As prob continued I complained to the factory and they arranghed for me to swap my Zulu over at local dealer for a slightly used later serial number set. This was much better but did not eliminate the problem.
So from my view Zulu is a GREAT headset but as is well known the R-22 can be a cantankerous beast when it comes to headsets.

Just out of interest my original Lightspeed 20XL mic would not work at all with the first R-22 I flew. Lightspeed suggested it was that some R-22's are wired so the Lightspeed mic does not get power and I should make up my own short adaptor (NATO plug to the Lightspeed 2 jacks) but reverse the mic wires. Immediately this fixed the problem and mic worked perfectly. I have never seen an authoratative explaination as to why some R-22's have so much prob with headsets but anecdotal info is ?some R-22's have a wiring prob as per above.

Of interest I have never had a problem with DC headset in R-22. Seem to work every time.

John

[perfrej]

I got myself a Lightspeed Zulu (Lightspeed Aviation - ANR, Passive and In-the-ear pilot headsets - Home (http://lightspeedaviation.com)) with Bluetooth connectivity and it really works well. Price was OK, delivery also, and the best part is that people can't hear the wine and the thump of the Bell 206 as I speak on the phone!

ANR is good too.

I am very impressed with this product!

/per

[VFRIFR]

Love the headset but just hate those flimsy earcups. A bit too small for us guys with big ears:sad: and they usually only last for 6 months or so in hot and humid conditions.:confused:

Recently I decided to fit a pair of David Clarks gel-filled ear cups onto my Bose and it was just great. They fit my ears much better as they are much bigger and the passive noise reduction was even better.:D

[Foggy Bottom]

I am not an audiologist, but as I understand ANR all they do is "mask" the sounds so that you no longer hear them. I would suggest that if you are looking to protect your hearing, ANR alone will not do that. You might want to look at adding the Oregon Aero hush kit to your headset. You need passive noise reduction as well as active noise reduction. I have been flying with an older DC set modified by that outfit in Amarillo for ANR and then added the "Hush Kit" from Oregon Aero and if my batt's fail, I hardly notice. Oregon Aero's passive is awesome!

[otter712]

I have flown a lot with Bose. Don't care for them too much. Nice but not very strong for hard use. Also they press on my ears after a while. The earcups are too shallow (I like to think my ears are normal size, lol)

I bought a Zulu. Same quality of sound reduction as Bose but nicer additional features such as : audio in, bluetooth and deeper, nicer fitting earcups. Either way, still not impressed.

Nothing, nothing nothing IMHU comes even close to a HGU-56 with ANR kit. If you want a headset and a helmet is not an option, go Zulu. I will never use anything different then my Gentex ever again.

In fact, I have a HGU-56 (size large) dual visor (without ANR), nice paint job and civilian mic and speakers. Used it for a while and bought another (size medium) to fit a little better.

[perfrej]

Foggy,

I am not an audiologist either, but if we just concentrate on what's entering the ear itself, ANR really does cancel the air movements by applying counter waves with the speaker. Given that the audio "signal" (noise) is fairly complex in waveform, this is probably not an easy thing to do. It appears that today, however, many companies have the technology and the knowledge to do this very efficiently.

The rest of the noise that ruins your hearing and gives you a nice headache reaches the ear drums via other routes, like the cranium and on via the soft tissue inside of it. That's where the helmet comes into play.

In response to your "masking" statement, which is true in a sense, I would say that if the airwaves are gone, then the noise is gone and the result is harmless since it produces no movement of the ear drum.

Anyway, a helmet with ANR-cups in it must be the optimal solution.

[That lights normal!]

Anyway, a helmet with ANR-cups in it must be the optimal solution.
Yesterday 10:11

Any comments on ANR and CEPs?

I’ve just added CEPs to my ANR (aftermarket) equipped Gentex.

I’m not sure if I wired it correctly, or more precisely the ramifications of wiring the CEPs in parallel with ANR speakers. I assume the noise reduction is inbuilt (self contained in the speakers) and the conventional connections would be “non ANR”.

It seems to work, but I’ve only used it once in an unfamiliar AC. I have a work supplied Alpha (No ANR, or CEPs) for most flights.

I found the CEPs uncomfortable (But foam earplugs are fine, except for ICS/Radio, of course)

[Senior Pilot]

There is plenty on CEP's in CEP-Communication Ear Protection (http://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/364122-cep-communication-ear-protection.html) :cool:

[jemax]

I have used most types, currently own DC ANR's and have used Bose Noise Cancelling, both hard wired and battery.

I now fly the 92 which has a real issue with noise, and have settled with CEP's as by far the best solution. I have two sets, Peltor and DC passive, both with CEP's fitted. It's important to find the size of foam fit for the CEP that is right for you, there are three options, it took me about a week to get used to the feeling of the CEP, but now I don't notice it, even after regularl 7-8 hour days.

My preference is the Peltor's with the CEP, just because they are lighter and fit me better, but I use DC's because the Peltor's won't work in the 92. I recently switched to the mini CEP's, which are much more comfortable, they seem to just sit better in your earlobe.

So for about $100 with a couple of spare packs of ear foams or £100 delivered (including customs tax) in the UK I think they are by far the best solution. I was also advised that they don't provide any addition benefit when used with ANR as the foam earpiece provides such good protection. Also useful that you can take off the headset and the CEP's will still provide ear protection.

This is all personal experience, I can't vouch for the science, but after long days they work for me and make the radio transmissions much easier to hear.

Customer service great too, one set became faulty after 8 months and a new set was despatched immediately, no quibbles.

[Gomer Pylot]

I also prefer CEPs. ANR does well enough with lower frequencies, but can't react quickly enough to reduce high frequencies as well as I want. You can check the graphs of the noise reduction at various frequencies, and ANR just doesn't cut it at high frequencies. CEPs work better at all frequencies, and provide clearer audio for me. Plus I don't have to worry about batteries.

[Errwolf]

I had one of our avionics guys at the company base wire a mini stereo jack into both of my DC passive headsets. When you plug into the jack, the audio goes into the jack, when you don't, it functions as a normal headset.

This allows you to use ANY set of mini-stereo earbuds as CEPs. The hardware is extremely cheap, the labor is whatever you can negotiate, and the sound quality is much improved. I would not consider this to be the equivalent of professional CEP installation or equipment, but it is awfully cost effective and gets you most of the CEP bennies.

The downside of using regular earbuds is that the stems of the cords were never designed to go under earcups, therefore you might have to experiment quite a bit with how you align the earbud cords, or you WILL experience some new and troubling ear pain in a relatively short amount of time.

But the benefits of CEPs are still there, as it was explained to me a long time ago, they enable you to back the volume WAY down and audio clarity still goes WAY up.

Whether you can stand another set of wires running down your neck in a hot and sweaty cockpit is for you to decide...

[meloni]

I have to agree, CEP's are the way to go, but I don't like the idea to have additional wires around my neck'.
Also, being a copilot in EMS ops sometime I have to jump off the cabin quite fast, and I'm sure sooner or later I will forgot to disconnect the CEP jack and screw up something when I pull off the headsets from my head.. LOL

Anyway, I'm waiting to receive a ANR conversion kit to upgrade my trusty and old D.C. headset (actually they are older than me! ) .

If you want I can take some photos during the installation and share with you my impression about this kind of conversion.

[Paul Fraser]

"Customer service great too, one set became faulty after 8 months and a new set was despatched immediately, no quibbles."

Where did you get yours from? I've seen them on Communication Earplug Kit (http://www.anr-headsets.com/Html_folder/CEP.html) for $139. I also looked on the CEP website briefly but couldn't see an ordering page.
Also, what kit did you order for the Peltor (I have a spare Peltor headset I'm going to modify for use on the EC225)?
Thanks.

[Outwest]

Just received my shiny new Bose A20's. Flew with the Bose X for the last 5 years in the 61 and other than a few snags I was generally happy with them.

The one thing that took a bit getting used to was that the side tone was low, so I always found myself talking louder than necessary.

I can confirm that the new A20 is an improvement to the X. The ANR is noticeably better, the side tone is what I would call normal now and the comfort/fit is better as well. The annoying easily moved volume wheels on the X have been addressed as well. One interesting thing is with the X when you stored it the ear cups were spring loaded together, which in the tropics meant that the sweat was trapped. The A20 design prevents the ear cups contacting each other when its in the storage bag, so I think that will help.

[meloni]

I got the kit from this site:
ANR Headsets (http://www.anr-headsets.com/Main.html)
Nice guy to deal with.

I did the installation in a pair of DC 10.00 ( headphones only ) I have fitted a mic boom from from another pair of DC I had before and the game was done!
I got also the super comfort head cushion and undercutted ear seal from D.C.

Tested in a 109 doing EMS and I love them! the difference is like night and day, the comunications are much better now, and most of the noise is gone. Even if the battery goes down you still have a pair of "passive" David Clark so the quality is not bad at all!

[S.M.S]

Ciao,

Can i use the Zulu or Sierra headset for my AW139 ?

and what is the best Zulu or Sierra ?

Regards,

[Gomer Pylot]

CEP-USA isn't really set up as a retailer, but you can buy directly from them, and unlike most manufacturers/wholesalers, cheaper than from a reseller. The list of products with part numbers is here (http://www.cep-usa.com/id38.htm), and you have to email or telephone them for prices and for ordering. The email address is on the home page, as well as on the contact page. I've found them excellent to deal with.

[davidclarke]

Has anyone got any info on this new DC ANR headset???


DC PRO-X: DC PRO-X | David Clark Company | Worcester, MA (http://www.go-dcpro.com/home)