Headsets
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Headsets
Whats a good headset for use in Jets and pistons.......?
I like the Zulu and Bose X for pistons, but seem a bit of an overkill for a jet cockpit. Is there a headset for jets thats good in pistons, or is it better to have a headset for each ?
I like the Zulu and Bose X for pistons, but seem a bit of an overkill for a jet cockpit. Is there a headset for jets thats good in pistons, or is it better to have a headset for each ?
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Nobody seems to address the major problem with all ANC headsets. How robust are they and will they give a long life of trouble free service?
There seem to be no products available that are suitable for use by a full-time professional pilot. There are plenty of good ANC headsets out there that are comfortable to wear and perform well for a short time. They are great while they are actually working but all too often they break. Either there are electrical problems or the cheap and flimsy plastic parts break, particularly in very cold or hot conditions. They all seem to be fragile prima donna products that need endless pampering and are suitable only for very light use by weekend fliers.
Great after-sales support is not much help if it has to be used several times in five years with all the hassle of sending headsets back to a maker in another country, and if one has to invest in two or even three headsets to ensure that at least one headset is available for use while the others are being repaired. Also it should not be necessary to buy a new headset every three to five years or to incur major repairs after a year or two.
There are many reviews of headsets available in books, magazines and on-line. All are useless because they fail to address the long-term reliability and life span of a headset in normal professional use.
Where are the effective and comfortable ANC headsets that will stand up to being used by a professional pilot on ten or more legs per day and 1,000 hours per annum in temperatures ranging from -45C in winter to 40C in summer? Think of all the flexing and knocks a headset will take in such use as it is frequently donned or removed. There just does not seem to be any suitable product out there that will give ten years of trouble free use in such circumstances with only the routine replacement of the wearable ear muffs.
WAKE UP, MANUFACTURERS - you are falling far short of what is needed!
There seem to be no products available that are suitable for use by a full-time professional pilot. There are plenty of good ANC headsets out there that are comfortable to wear and perform well for a short time. They are great while they are actually working but all too often they break. Either there are electrical problems or the cheap and flimsy plastic parts break, particularly in very cold or hot conditions. They all seem to be fragile prima donna products that need endless pampering and are suitable only for very light use by weekend fliers.
Great after-sales support is not much help if it has to be used several times in five years with all the hassle of sending headsets back to a maker in another country, and if one has to invest in two or even three headsets to ensure that at least one headset is available for use while the others are being repaired. Also it should not be necessary to buy a new headset every three to five years or to incur major repairs after a year or two.
There are many reviews of headsets available in books, magazines and on-line. All are useless because they fail to address the long-term reliability and life span of a headset in normal professional use.
Where are the effective and comfortable ANC headsets that will stand up to being used by a professional pilot on ten or more legs per day and 1,000 hours per annum in temperatures ranging from -45C in winter to 40C in summer? Think of all the flexing and knocks a headset will take in such use as it is frequently donned or removed. There just does not seem to be any suitable product out there that will give ten years of trouble free use in such circumstances with only the routine replacement of the wearable ear muffs.
WAKE UP, MANUFACTURERS - you are falling far short of what is needed!
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Hello!
> Where are the effective and comfortable ANC headsets that will stand up to
> being used by a professional pilot on ten or more legs per day and 1,000
> hours per annum in temperatures ranging from -45C in winter to 40C in
> summer?
I don't know where it is, but my Sennheiser HMEC 25 something (ANR) must come very close to your description. It must be over 5 years old now and apart from recharging the batteries every now and then and replacing the foam thingy over the microphone, it still looks and works like new. It gives excellent protection in single- and multi-engine piston aircraft and is light and comfortable even on long days with and without (sun)glasses (my record is an 8:20 cargo flight in a Cessna 404). The only aircraft for which the noise reduction was not adequate has been the Metroliner, but this is a thing of the past for me by now. In the jet, I don't even bother to turn the ANR system on.
What I would consider as an alternative is the Telex Airman ANR 850 that is even lighter and needs no battery, but is really not quiet enough for propeller aircraft.
Greetings, Max
> Where are the effective and comfortable ANC headsets that will stand up to
> being used by a professional pilot on ten or more legs per day and 1,000
> hours per annum in temperatures ranging from -45C in winter to 40C in
> summer?
I don't know where it is, but my Sennheiser HMEC 25 something (ANR) must come very close to your description. It must be over 5 years old now and apart from recharging the batteries every now and then and replacing the foam thingy over the microphone, it still looks and works like new. It gives excellent protection in single- and multi-engine piston aircraft and is light and comfortable even on long days with and without (sun)glasses (my record is an 8:20 cargo flight in a Cessna 404). The only aircraft for which the noise reduction was not adequate has been the Metroliner, but this is a thing of the past for me by now. In the jet, I don't even bother to turn the ANR system on.
What I would consider as an alternative is the Telex Airman ANR 850 that is even lighter and needs no battery, but is really not quiet enough for propeller aircraft.
Greetings, Max
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I use a Sennheiser as well (but power comes from a/c plugs). Since 4 years no problem at all. Use the headset on 737 and 747. Others in my company uses Bose, never heard about any problems at all.
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Sennheiser headsets
I bought a Sennheiser HME 95 headset to use in a light aircraft, and found them to be a complete pile of rubbish. The sound quality was awful and they hardly seemed to block out external noise at all. Perhaps trying to rest on their laurels. I ended up temporarily using a set of Harry Mendleson's finest, which were bettre in both of those respects. I finally settles on some Pilot USA headsets which work fine.
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Youīre asking as lot. Frequencies and thus noise cancelling materials and methods couldnīt vary much more between jets and pistons.
A fully closed one is the choice for the pistons. I havenīt flown a jet, where a Sennheiser HMEC 25 KA isnīt good.
We had 14 HMEC 45īs for 14 pilots, each flew around 450/hrs per year non broke or had bad quality. Left the company after about 1,5 years, but they still use the sennheisers.
We use HMECs 25 in our Sovereign and dont use the ANR part anymore - it was to quiet....for piston flying I still use a DC, fully closed. Not the best in comfort for long hours in jet though.
I have an "in - ear" Lightspeed mach on with specially molded earmolds, they are good for an our or two, but after that I find them uncomfortable. "Foreign object in ear feeling"
A fully closed one is the choice for the pistons. I havenīt flown a jet, where a Sennheiser HMEC 25 KA isnīt good.
We had 14 HMEC 45īs for 14 pilots, each flew around 450/hrs per year non broke or had bad quality. Left the company after about 1,5 years, but they still use the sennheisers.
We use HMECs 25 in our Sovereign and dont use the ANR part anymore - it was to quiet....for piston flying I still use a DC, fully closed. Not the best in comfort for long hours in jet though.
I have an "in - ear" Lightspeed mach on with specially molded earmolds, they are good for an our or two, but after that I find them uncomfortable. "Foreign object in ear feeling"
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Anyone here experienced both the HMEC-25 and the Telex 850 in a Citation?
Wondering how hey compare for comfort and noise reduction. And if either have compatibility issues when the other guy is wearing the standard issue Telex 750.
Wondering how hey compare for comfort and noise reduction. And if either have compatibility issues when the other guy is wearing the standard issue Telex 750.
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First headset - for GA in Cessna 152/172, DA-20
Hi,
I am contemplating the purchase of my first headset, having always borrowed or hired a headset to date, given my limited flying hours of around 2-3 hours per month as a PPL pilot.
Can the experts amongst you please suggest what will make a good purchase with a maximum budget of Ģ250. All I want is a headset which is comfortable, reliable and will be compatible with a range of other headsets and radios.
From a specification point of view, is there anything I should avoid? Based on the popularity, I'm guessing the first place to look is the David Clark H10 13.4?
Many thanks
Stewart.
I am contemplating the purchase of my first headset, having always borrowed or hired a headset to date, given my limited flying hours of around 2-3 hours per month as a PPL pilot.
Can the experts amongst you please suggest what will make a good purchase with a maximum budget of Ģ250. All I want is a headset which is comfortable, reliable and will be compatible with a range of other headsets and radios.
From a specification point of view, is there anything I should avoid? Based on the popularity, I'm guessing the first place to look is the David Clark H10 13.4?
Many thanks
Stewart.
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If I was in your shoes I would go first for the Lightspeed Zulu and failing that I would buy
a Peltor 8006 and then add the Oregon Aero ear cups.
In fact if you are not flying very much the Peltor is the better choice.
a Peltor 8006 and then add the Oregon Aero ear cups.
In fact if you are not flying very much the Peltor is the better choice.
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Dc H10-13x
I purchased my David Clarks H10-13X in 2001 in Florida when I was doing hour building. Since then they have been in perfect working order and I have never had a moments trouble with them. They are showing their age a bit now though but they have seen me through 3500 hours of daily professional flying from instructing on singles through Trislanders(arguabley the noisiest aircraft ever built), the Jetstream 32 and now on the Citation XL. With the ANR on in the Jet it is vertually silent which makes understanding spanish ATCOs soooo much easier.
But,
They are not the lightest or most comfortable headsets around nowdays and I would probably go for a Bose next time when I have a spare 800 quid.
Say again, over???
But,
They are not the lightest or most comfortable headsets around nowdays and I would probably go for a Bose next time when I have a spare 800 quid.
Say again, over???
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Headsets
I have tired of using the standard headets in the Citation and now gravitate to using my DC 13.4 ANR's. They were a birthday gift. Very comfortable and have owned them for about eight years with no probs. The only issue I have is a very uncomfortable feeling when the ANR is switched on causing a condition I heard has been labelled as 'Bubble Ear'. It leads to chronic nausea within seconds and left unchecked almost caused me to vomit. I kid you not. Any medical personnel out there who can explain this bizzare phenomenon? Apparently due to some of the freqs used in ANR mode. Since I also suffer from Tinitus I wonder if there is a connection?
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The big question...are you a pro, or just a weekend flyer...Since I went to the Bose headset years ago(15?) I haven't looked back. Certainly I wanted something a little smaller for the long trips, but I haven't found it..for me It can't get quiet enough...Bose X. That's the ticket.
