zulu.2 v bose A20
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zulu.2 v bose A20
Hey guys,
Yes it's another headset thread, I have read over most of the other posts in regards but still can't make my damn mind up, atm I'm flying noisy piston aircraft, I've had the chance to use the A20s for a number of hours, they make a huge difference, I did notice when I looked over my right shoulder the seal on the right cup would break and I would lose the anr, found them very comfortable overall and of great quality.
I can purchase the A20s for $1250 from aus, or the zulu.2s for 760 odd from the states plus postage.
From personal experience are the A20s worth the extra $450
Would love to hear some of your experiences if you have had the opportunity to use both.
Cheers.
Yes it's another headset thread, I have read over most of the other posts in regards but still can't make my damn mind up, atm I'm flying noisy piston aircraft, I've had the chance to use the A20s for a number of hours, they make a huge difference, I did notice when I looked over my right shoulder the seal on the right cup would break and I would lose the anr, found them very comfortable overall and of great quality.
I can purchase the A20s for $1250 from aus, or the zulu.2s for 760 odd from the states plus postage.
From personal experience are the A20s worth the extra $450
Would love to hear some of your experiences if you have had the opportunity to use both.
Cheers.
The guys who like Bose like Bose. The guys who like Zulu like Zulu.
I own Bose A20 & Bose X. I have only used Zulu once in a mate's TBM. Both he & I think the sound quality of Bose is slightly better, but both are good. One of his 6 sets of Zulu's was broken. I suspect that the Bose might be more durable and the Bose service & spares is excellent.
You'll like whatever you choose.
I own Bose A20 & Bose X. I have only used Zulu once in a mate's TBM. Both he & I think the sound quality of Bose is slightly better, but both are good. One of his 6 sets of Zulu's was broken. I suspect that the Bose might be more durable and the Bose service & spares is excellent.
You'll like whatever you choose.
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I'm currently using the Bose x and am also upgrading. I mostly fly an Islander so I need a bloody good headset. I've used both the Zulu 2s and the A20's a couple of times each and i'm sticking with Bose.
I have a big head and I find on the Zulus the mic boom doesn't come all the way in front of my mouth which is annoying. The Bose is much, much better with sunglasses on, very uncomfortable using them with Zulus.
Another small thing was I managed to drain the batteries on both a couple of times. I was carrying spares but the Bose where better when being used as a passive set. Which in the C208 I do as its so quiet I don't bother using up all the battery life.
I have a big head and I find on the Zulus the mic boom doesn't come all the way in front of my mouth which is annoying. The Bose is much, much better with sunglasses on, very uncomfortable using them with Zulus.
Another small thing was I managed to drain the batteries on both a couple of times. I was carrying spares but the Bose where better when being used as a passive set. Which in the C208 I do as its so quiet I don't bother using up all the battery life.
I own both types, both are aweful with flat batteries, carry spares or carry earplugs. I would tend towards saving the $450 ... BUT in my opion the Bose are slightly better but definitely not $450 better. $100 perhaps.
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The A20s with bt can be had for 1095usd online in the states but if they write that value on the box....
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I always like the Zulus. Seemed more robust than the Bose, and cheaper.
Some secondhand pairs if your interested:
LightSPEED Aviation ZULU ANR Pilot Headset « SecondHandPilot.com.au
Lightspeed Zulu 1 ANR headset « SecondHandPilot.com.au
Some secondhand pairs if your interested:
LightSPEED Aviation ZULU ANR Pilot Headset « SecondHandPilot.com.au
Lightspeed Zulu 1 ANR headset « SecondHandPilot.com.au
but if they write that value on the box
Done about 1200 hours on my current pair of A20's now and touch wood they are still holding up and working perfectly.
I don't try to be excessively rough with them but the nature of my flying I do a lot of turn arounds in very dusty environment so they definitely are not getting as good treatment as they could. Paint has started to wear off the power button and thats about it.
Conversely i've seen Zulus starting to lose paint and look worn and daggy after 50 hours of use. I know its only superficial but that kind of thing would **** me off after dropping close to a grand on them.
My money's on Bose.
I don't try to be excessively rough with them but the nature of my flying I do a lot of turn arounds in very dusty environment so they definitely are not getting as good treatment as they could. Paint has started to wear off the power button and thats about it.
Conversely i've seen Zulus starting to lose paint and look worn and daggy after 50 hours of use. I know its only superficial but that kind of thing would **** me off after dropping close to a grand on them.
My money's on Bose.
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Definitely a gamble, have you got a particular seller you can recommend (pm if need be) I have heard of one website that apparently will sometimes undervalue an item to save us a few bucks, from memory we will end up paying 30% on an item over 1k so an extra 315 for the bose from the states which are 1050aus so 1365 plus postage around 1400? Or 1250 from Aus, definitely a saving to be made if the import swings my way, only marginal I guess, and probably not worth the risk, already spending top dollar what's an extra 200 even less if I skip bluetooth.
Last edited by Helitaz; 9th Apr 2013 at 02:15.
I forget the exact duty rates. But its notionally 10%. I think it might be 2% duty then 10% GST. Theoretically, I think its levied on the value including freight.
I find the big issue is postage. Fedex or UPS can be 10 x that of USPS and some sellers charge a consignment fee. So, understand the shipping component before you buy.
If you have the opportunity to buy the headset through a business, then you effectively get the 10% GST back, which often closes the gap significantly once you pay freight and credit card forex fees.
Marv Golden has a good reputation, but I have not used them. I use Aircraft Spruce a bit, but their shipping charges are not great. Over the years, I've bought a couple of pairs of DC's, and 3 sets of Bose and ended up getting them all from Skylines. In each case wanting then now has outweighed the couple of hundred dollars saving.
Ebay is worth a look. Freight from private sellers is often a lot cheaper. A set of headphones sent USPS should be under USD$50.
I've never been charged duty - including on the HP laptop I'm using now that I paid about $1400 for (vs HT's $3600 at the time). I'd be optimistic about escaping duty.
I find the big issue is postage. Fedex or UPS can be 10 x that of USPS and some sellers charge a consignment fee. So, understand the shipping component before you buy.
If you have the opportunity to buy the headset through a business, then you effectively get the 10% GST back, which often closes the gap significantly once you pay freight and credit card forex fees.
Marv Golden has a good reputation, but I have not used them. I use Aircraft Spruce a bit, but their shipping charges are not great. Over the years, I've bought a couple of pairs of DC's, and 3 sets of Bose and ended up getting them all from Skylines. In each case wanting then now has outweighed the couple of hundred dollars saving.
Ebay is worth a look. Freight from private sellers is often a lot cheaper. A set of headphones sent USPS should be under USD$50.
I've never been charged duty - including on the HP laptop I'm using now that I paid about $1400 for (vs HT's $3600 at the time). I'd be optimistic about escaping duty.
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I keep an ANR headset on board for each seat (4), and have a variety of models.
When I purchased my present aircraft in 2006 it came with a pair of Bose X (A10), In 2009 I got a Lightspeed Zulu ANR with Bluetooth and sold a then spare DC H10-13X ANR to another Ppruner from NZ. Last year at Oshkosh I got the Bose A20 with Bluetooth and am retiring my DC H10-13X ANR (now for sale @ $375 - PM me if interested).
WHile there's very little difference between them, my preference is the Lightspeed Zulu for performance and comfort, but the Bose X is also extremely good.
The Bose A20 gets marked down for no other reason than the cable is way to stiff, heavy and uncomfortable where it drapes over my arm, and I don't seem to be able to find a decent way of keeping it clear.
When it comes to the Bluetooth functionality however, the Bose is better than the Lightspeed, which for some odd reason won't connect seamlessly every time.
When I purchased my present aircraft in 2006 it came with a pair of Bose X (A10), In 2009 I got a Lightspeed Zulu ANR with Bluetooth and sold a then spare DC H10-13X ANR to another Ppruner from NZ. Last year at Oshkosh I got the Bose A20 with Bluetooth and am retiring my DC H10-13X ANR (now for sale @ $375 - PM me if interested).
WHile there's very little difference between them, my preference is the Lightspeed Zulu for performance and comfort, but the Bose X is also extremely good.
The Bose A20 gets marked down for no other reason than the cable is way to stiff, heavy and uncomfortable where it drapes over my arm, and I don't seem to be able to find a decent way of keeping it clear.
When it comes to the Bluetooth functionality however, the Bose is better than the Lightspeed, which for some odd reason won't connect seamlessly every time.
Last edited by Ovation; 9th Apr 2013 at 07:12.
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I got the zulus second hand from a friend when he went bose a year ago.
The control unit was replaced under warranty just before I purchased them, since then I have only had to replace the earseals after one split.
They are doing the trick well thus far.
Another one you may wish to consider is the clarity aloft link. It does look rather comfortable and one of my mates claims they are quieter than the A20's.
I'll be looking at those when the zulu's finally give out.
I haven't had any issues with the bluetooth on my zulu's with the iphone5. Connects everytime.
The control unit was replaced under warranty just before I purchased them, since then I have only had to replace the earseals after one split.
They are doing the trick well thus far.
Another one you may wish to consider is the clarity aloft link. It does look rather comfortable and one of my mates claims they are quieter than the A20's.
I'll be looking at those when the zulu's finally give out.
I haven't had any issues with the bluetooth on my zulu's with the iphone5. Connects everytime.
Last edited by NIK320; 9th Apr 2013 at 07:27.
I'm a Zulu2 user, had them for over 2 years, only problem I had was a small split in the cable which caused the ANR to cut in and out, this was my fault, a few too many times slamming the cable in a door!! I sent it back and all was fixed under warranty and I had it back within 2 weeks of sending it off (Not bad considering I had to send it overseas and back and it got held up by our stupid customs!!), absolutely nothing but praise for the Warranty Support, fast and easy online to log in, and have them respond within 24hrs with all the details you need to send it off, get it repaired and back to you ASAP.
I've always used Serengetti sunglasses with mine with the nice thin arms and never had a single problem with the seal breaking as I turn my head, I have tried Bose X before and found the earcups to be too small for me, but if you tried them you'll know if thats a problem for you or not!!
Not sure if the A20s come with it or not, but the Bose X Bluetooth could only be used for voice communication, couldn't be used to play music from a bluetooth device (ADSP I think its called?), the Zulu2s can and I've never had any problems connecting from my Desire HD Android Phone nor the Jabra I use to play music via Bluetooth (If you haven't heard of Jabra, go to that link and have a look, will save you HEAPS of battery life if you're playing music and also saves a lot of effort with the built in controls!), people have commented that me talking to them through my headset over the mobile is very clear and crisp which is great to know you have that backup, I've had to use it twice with radio failures to call the tower so its definitely peace of mind for me!!
Honestly, try and get a hold of someones Zulu2s, or go talk to a shop and see if you can borrow a set to test (Would be nice if you bought from that shop as well after testing it...) and try to decide if its worth the extra $450, I personally don't think the difference in them could be enough for me to warrant $450 more!!
I've always used Serengetti sunglasses with mine with the nice thin arms and never had a single problem with the seal breaking as I turn my head, I have tried Bose X before and found the earcups to be too small for me, but if you tried them you'll know if thats a problem for you or not!!
Not sure if the A20s come with it or not, but the Bose X Bluetooth could only be used for voice communication, couldn't be used to play music from a bluetooth device (ADSP I think its called?), the Zulu2s can and I've never had any problems connecting from my Desire HD Android Phone nor the Jabra I use to play music via Bluetooth (If you haven't heard of Jabra, go to that link and have a look, will save you HEAPS of battery life if you're playing music and also saves a lot of effort with the built in controls!), people have commented that me talking to them through my headset over the mobile is very clear and crisp which is great to know you have that backup, I've had to use it twice with radio failures to call the tower so its definitely peace of mind for me!!
Honestly, try and get a hold of someones Zulu2s, or go talk to a shop and see if you can borrow a set to test (Would be nice if you bought from that shop as well after testing it...) and try to decide if its worth the extra $450, I personally don't think the difference in them could be enough for me to warrant $450 more!!
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Yep - to add further comments re: the Zulu, all repairs have been on the cable. The cable has split, frayed, made bad connections inside the unit, and finally, one of the jacks split inside the plastic part of the plug.
The cable on the Bose has a bigger diameter and is stiffer and more difficult to control, but the two clips that come with the headset allow it to be clipped to your seat belt and eventually the cable loosens up a bit.
The sound quality through both was great, even for music too - but the Bose does have the edge, IMO.
Customer service from Lightspeed has always been fine, just frustrating having to send something back so often.
The cable on the Bose has a bigger diameter and is stiffer and more difficult to control, but the two clips that come with the headset allow it to be clipped to your seat belt and eventually the cable loosens up a bit.
The sound quality through both was great, even for music too - but the Bose does have the edge, IMO.
Customer service from Lightspeed has always been fine, just frustrating having to send something back so often.