ANR Headsets

[elcap]

Looking at purchasing one of these fancy ANR headset thingys. Firstly are they worth it? Secondly anyone have any favourites I am either looking at the Lightspeed Zulu, Bose X or a David Clark one?

The Lightspeed Zulu one is taking my fancy at the moment. How does the whole bluetooth part of it work?

Regards,

Elcap

[ab33t]

I have used Bose , DC and Seinheiser ANR each one has something that I like. They all do the job just depends what you want out of them. If I had to buy a pair now I would most probably go for the Zulu.

[tcross]

not sure how you mean about the bluetooth, but i do know once paired you just hit the bluetooth button to answer the call, and press it to hang up. and if your not in a call just press it to get voice dial, except i havnt yet added the names to my phone. I use the bluetooth function for music etc if i have no ipod on me. Works well except the other end can hear the radio calls that you make, but no the return ones.

[Capt Wally]

My work now supplies the David Clarke ANR, in a word......CRAP!

......next question!:bored:


CW

[Bendo]

Was using a DC X-11, DC-13.4 and DC-13XL in rotation about 12 months ago.

Not impressed with the X-11, sold them to a student who liked them about 3 months after I bought them.

They were too light, not enough passive noise reduction and not enough clamping pressure - no good for Aeros! I did like the phone interface and they were very light and comfortable. I can't say you would forget you're wearing them - if they are allowing noise in and/or falling off during a slow roll, you know you are (or were) wearing them.

The 13XLs are heavier but a much better noise reduction, espec when the batts go flat (which my camera operator says they do, very quickly, on the BOSE). You have the best of both worlds: excellent passive headsets in the 13.4's PLUS an ANR function. Plenty of life in the 9v battery too.

My mate took the -13XL's back so they could go to Antarctica and meet Peter Garrett, so now I'm back to my 13.4's. 30 hours /week in a C206 has me certain I'm going deaf :ugh: so... anybody want to sell their DC-13XL's?

[FRQ Charlie Bravo]

I swear that I don't work for Soft comm but:

I highly recommend SoftComm's C300 (http://www.softcommheadsets.com/aviation-products/html/headsets.html)! I've been using one for about 600 hours now and I love it. ANR without Batteries!!! I had another brand of ANR once and the friggin' batteries went flat in the middle of a busy day more times than I care to recall. Granted the batteries in my boss' Bose seem to last longer but he still has to carry spares.

No they are not super light like the [plastic] Bose or X11's (I've borrowed both for comparrison) but if you want to keep it simple and pay half the price go for these.

The power to run them comes from the Mic plug of the aeroplane's intercom so if you don't have an intercom then it may not work. This was the case in an ex-employee's C206 (funny though as it got quiet every time I transmitted and the Mic was energized as was the ANR circuitry) but even then I found the passive reduction on par with the non-ANR DCs I used a few times.

Oh, and they also have a 2.5mm jack to plug in your mobile phone (Nokia or other analog output) or MP3player and a spare PTT mounted on the other side. I tend to keep it unplugged when I'm not listening to music as there is a faint hiss when there's no sound pumping through.

Value for money (USD$450, 3 year warranty), well built (my boss recently snapped the PLASTIC on his X11s, mine get knocked around almost like aircraft chocks and are still mint), effective (the ringing in my ears has gone away), reliable (no carrying spare batteries or having to recharge any more) and cool if you like gadgets (like the spiral 3.5/2.5mm cord hanging from my left ear for the mobile/mp3 player).:8

I wish I'd had them during training (when I would pretend to hear what my instructor had told me).


Proudly endorsed by FRQ CB:ok:

[elcap]

Pretty sold on the Zulu. Anyone ordered them from the states? Seems like I could save a couple of hundred ordering from overseas.

[FOD_Hazard]

I ordered my Lightspeeds from the states. Delivered within 2 weeks and $300 less than i could have got them for here.

[solowflyer]

Have a set of the older gen lightspeed ANR think they are called a cross country or something. They where a quick replacment for my Pilot avionics ANR set that was stollen out of my car by some scum bag. The lightspeed are fairly crappy looking but are comfortable and do the job however if the earseals are not on properly and outside noise leaks in from the broken seal it can be very uncomfortable as the tricky bits inside get confused and make alsorts of weird noises. would probably look at a bose myself or the pilotavionics offerings next time as loved my old ones.

[weloveseaplanes]

The Lightspeed I've got, a 3G I think, is pretty good, especially when plugged into the iPod. I'd certainly recommend it. Infact the better the tune on the iPod the more I'd recommend the headset :O

That said though I find it works out better if I give the lightspeed and the iPod to the pax and let them enjoy Sachimo's wonderful world on endless replay;) The Campbell bonedome I use allows me to safely bang my head on the walls in time with the throb of the engine :ugh: