Headset?
Check the intercom/plug setup in the Eurostar.
If it's two round plugs of slightly different sizes, you're fine as that's the universal General Aviation system and you can buy loads of choices.
If it's anything else, it may be a specific microlight system, of which there are several, and you need to make sure you're buying something compatible.
G
If it's two round plugs of slightly different sizes, you're fine as that's the universal General Aviation system and you can buy loads of choices.
If it's anything else, it may be a specific microlight system, of which there are several, and you need to make sure you're buying something compatible.
G
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Originally Posted by TheOddOne
One more thing about 2nd-hand headsets. The older ones usually had brass plugs, which tarnished really rapidly, causing intermittent comms. The newer ones have chrome or other more durable finishes.
TOO
TOO
Really interesting thread. I’m in the market for a headset too. Had a DC H20-10 years ago but sold it when I gave up the GA. Back flying a few years now and have been reviewing the various DC, Lightspeed and Bose headsets.
One question to those who’ve taken the plunge and gone for an ANR headset: how did you manage the change in noise levels? As in, do you not mind the lack of engine tone when adding or reducing power? Do you compensate by looking at the rpm gauge more? Personally, I even find myself using the increase in wind noise over the airframe on approach to judge the gusts/wind speed, etc. that a passive David Clark headset would allow. Do you lose that noise change with ANR’s?
One question to those who’ve taken the plunge and gone for an ANR headset: how did you manage the change in noise levels? As in, do you not mind the lack of engine tone when adding or reducing power? Do you compensate by looking at the rpm gauge more? Personally, I even find myself using the increase in wind noise over the airframe on approach to judge the gusts/wind speed, etc. that a passive David Clark headset would allow. Do you lose that noise change with ANR’s?
There is no doubt you'll notice the difference but you will quickly adapt. The biggest difference in my experience is in the low drumming frequencies. You'll still hear what you need to.
I might be wrong but I suspect the aviation ANR headsets have a different noise cancellation profile to an audio ANR.
I might be wrong but I suspect the aviation ANR headsets have a different noise cancellation profile to an audio ANR.
On the ANR headsets I've used, a distinct frequency band in the lower range is filtered out. This allows you to hear everything that's happening with your engine and airframe, including wind noise. The sound of the engine doesn't go away, but you will find that it just sounds different. I think you'll find that you'll still use all the audio cues that you're used to, there won't be any need to check the RPM more often.
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I’d recommend future proofing. If your funds permit go for a noise cancelling with bluetooth. The chances are if you are going to continue flying that you’ll end up with the likes SkyDemon on an iPad or similar device. You may then add the likes of Pilot aware or Skyecho into your bag of toys. In order to get the full functionality of these you’ll need a Bluetooth connection in order to hear airspace / traffic warnings etc.
To each their own... I recommend against anything "wireless" , for the sake of keeping the aether as clean as we can. Remember the time we didn't care about dumping waste in the wild? Nor can I see much added value in audio warnings from navaids, the system was made to work well without them.
That said, I recently had the pleasure to meet one German mr. Fuhrmeister, who offers an excellent noise cancelling headset at a very fair price - and some Weißbier on top of the deal, at the right occasion!
That said, I recently had the pleasure to meet one German mr. Fuhrmeister, who offers an excellent noise cancelling headset at a very fair price - and some Weißbier on top of the deal, at the right occasion!
Last edited by Jan Olieslagers; 24th Jun 2019 at 21:26.
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Bluetooth yes!
Went this route and just added SkyEcho2 and Skydemon so I can get verbal warnings. Works fine with my phone (Skydemon on that), but is a bit small screen. Tried to do same with Galaxy Note 14.1 2014, but Skydemon tells me no voice loaded, so can't give verbal alerts. Any experts out there know how to correct? Grateful for advice as always....
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Originally Posted by sprite1
Really interesting thread. I’m in the market for a headset too. Had a DC H20-10 years ago but sold it when I gave up the GA. Back flying a few years now and have been reviewing the various DC, Lightspeed and Bose headsets.
One question to those who’ve taken the plunge and gone for an ANR headset: how did you manage the change in noise levels? As in, do you not mind the lack of engine tone when adding or reducing power? Do you compensate by looking at the rpm gauge more? Personally, I even find myself using the increase in wind noise over the airframe on approach to judge the gusts/wind speed, etc. that a passive David Clark headset would allow. Do you lose that noise change with ANR’s?
One question to those who’ve taken the plunge and gone for an ANR headset: how did you manage the change in noise levels? As in, do you not mind the lack of engine tone when adding or reducing power? Do you compensate by looking at the rpm gauge more? Personally, I even find myself using the increase in wind noise over the airframe on approach to judge the gusts/wind speed, etc. that a passive David Clark headset would allow. Do you lose that noise change with ANR’s?
in fact I don't think I know anyone who ditched ANR for passive out of choice.
Last edited by 18greens; 26th Jun 2019 at 21:44.
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If you value your hearing, I'd recommend an in ear headset like the QT Halo.
I've tried the Bose X and more recently the DC OneX, but get better noise reduction from the QT and no batteries required, audio quality is also very good. The Clarity Aloft performs similarly.
My QT now needs some repairs after about 800 hours of use, but should be good for plenty more flying.
It also weighs nothing, doesn't consume head room and stays on during aerobatics.
I've tried the Bose X and more recently the DC OneX, but get better noise reduction from the QT and no batteries required, audio quality is also very good. The Clarity Aloft performs similarly.
My QT now needs some repairs after about 800 hours of use, but should be good for plenty more flying.
It also weighs nothing, doesn't consume head room and stays on during aerobatics.
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Having tried multitude of headsets, here are my two cents:
- Bose A20 is a good headset, but price/performance ratio is IMO poor. It is just too expensive. Though you may use it as hi-fi headset for listening to music at home :-)
- With passive headset you don’t have to take care of carrying spare batteries for ANR function. Bose A20 is bearable but no good in passive mode.
- My first ever headset Sennheiser HME 100 provides absolutely great price/performance ratio. Those massive domes really give very good hearing protection and audio quality is high. I still occasionally prefer HME 100 over Bose A20 to be honest. I tried quite a few other passive headsets, old and new, but nothing topped Sennheiser HME for me yet.
- Bose A20 is a good headset, but price/performance ratio is IMO poor. It is just too expensive. Though you may use it as hi-fi headset for listening to music at home :-)
- With passive headset you don’t have to take care of carrying spare batteries for ANR function. Bose A20 is bearable but no good in passive mode.
- My first ever headset Sennheiser HME 100 provides absolutely great price/performance ratio. Those massive domes really give very good hearing protection and audio quality is high. I still occasionally prefer HME 100 over Bose A20 to be honest. I tried quite a few other passive headsets, old and new, but nothing topped Sennheiser HME for me yet.
Interesting point CFO, if you want to look at the price vs performance then the passive headsets will win, as they offer a lot of noise reduction at a low price point. As these have been steadily developed to the point where we are now, you can get a good passive headset at a very reasonable price and fly for ages using them. The thing to realise here is that these headsets won't develop much beyond where they were 20 or 30 years ago. The only way forward from there was to add active noise reduction, but unfortunately it comes at a price. Bose first introduced it in the 90s, and fortunately prices have dropped since then, but they will never get as low as for a passive headset.
ANR has now matured to a point where we can use it to reduce the noise in an otherwise not-so-good passive headset, such as the Bose A20. As this headset was never designed to be used without ANR, you will notice it when the batteries go dead. Same thing goes for some of the in-ear options with ANR, although those have their own pros and cons. 20 years ago the only good in-ear headsets (as far as I can tell, but I never looked into this much so I might be wrong) were based on moulded inserts, but another development has provided us with loads of different in-ear tips in different materials that provide noise attenuation on a par with passive headsets, or better. So we can now develop headsets that don't need to rely on passive noise attenuation first, providing more or different levels of wearing comfort, and use the ANR to sort out the major part of the noise issue. If you don't want to rely on the batteries alone (it will become second nature to carry spares after a while and lithium ion rechargables last a long time), look for an ANR headset that's based on a good passive one, such as the DC H10-13X. Going down the ANR route will incur a cost, but the way I look at it I will recoup that at the end of the line by being able to avoid hearing aids for a little while longer.
Headsets are very personal, for example some people can't stand wearing in-ears very long, or can't find the ideal in-ear tip to fit their ear canal anatomy. Others can't stand the pressure that an over-ear headset exerts on their heads or the weight of a particular model, or the interference between the headset and their (sun)glasses. Also, each and everyone's perception of sound is different, so while I can easily tell the difference between my first, cheaper and earlier generation, ANR headset and my current one, there will certainly be pilots who won't mind the difference between a non-ANR headset and a top-of-the-line Bose A20. In a video from one of the US pilot shops several headsets were reviewed (See below) and they didn't just comment on the difference in noise coming in, but also on the clarity of the radio and intercom, and one I hadn't considered: the quality of the microphone. It's not something you'll notice much yourself, but there are some significant differences in microphones and it does help sometimes to be more easily understood by others. It also made me think of another pro-ANR aspect: you'll be better equipped to deal with other crewmembers' not-so-good microphones!
Right, that's my two cents, all boiling down to: try as many of them as you can and go for the one that suits you.
ANR has now matured to a point where we can use it to reduce the noise in an otherwise not-so-good passive headset, such as the Bose A20. As this headset was never designed to be used without ANR, you will notice it when the batteries go dead. Same thing goes for some of the in-ear options with ANR, although those have their own pros and cons. 20 years ago the only good in-ear headsets (as far as I can tell, but I never looked into this much so I might be wrong) were based on moulded inserts, but another development has provided us with loads of different in-ear tips in different materials that provide noise attenuation on a par with passive headsets, or better. So we can now develop headsets that don't need to rely on passive noise attenuation first, providing more or different levels of wearing comfort, and use the ANR to sort out the major part of the noise issue. If you don't want to rely on the batteries alone (it will become second nature to carry spares after a while and lithium ion rechargables last a long time), look for an ANR headset that's based on a good passive one, such as the DC H10-13X. Going down the ANR route will incur a cost, but the way I look at it I will recoup that at the end of the line by being able to avoid hearing aids for a little while longer.
Headsets are very personal, for example some people can't stand wearing in-ears very long, or can't find the ideal in-ear tip to fit their ear canal anatomy. Others can't stand the pressure that an over-ear headset exerts on their heads or the weight of a particular model, or the interference between the headset and their (sun)glasses. Also, each and everyone's perception of sound is different, so while I can easily tell the difference between my first, cheaper and earlier generation, ANR headset and my current one, there will certainly be pilots who won't mind the difference between a non-ANR headset and a top-of-the-line Bose A20. In a video from one of the US pilot shops several headsets were reviewed (See below) and they didn't just comment on the difference in noise coming in, but also on the clarity of the radio and intercom, and one I hadn't considered: the quality of the microphone. It's not something you'll notice much yourself, but there are some significant differences in microphones and it does help sometimes to be more easily understood by others. It also made me think of another pro-ANR aspect: you'll be better equipped to deal with other crewmembers' not-so-good microphones!
Right, that's my two cents, all boiling down to: try as many of them as you can and go for the one that suits you.
Last edited by Jhieminga; 27th Aug 2019 at 10:53. Reason: Added link to video
Moderator
Hello all, "headsets" is a recurring topic of sufficient interest that we'll keep it as a sticky for a while. Hopefully it will become a repository for people's opinions and preferences, and a good resource for new pilots considering a purchase.
Let's avoid starting other headset threads, and no advertising please....
Let's avoid starting other headset threads, and no advertising please....
I had an opportunity to fly with a Bose A20 headset yesterday and thought I'd share a bit about that experience. First of all, the active noise cancellation is good, very, very good. It takes a whole chunk of noise away, all in the lower frequencies. There is an interesting caveat though: as the passive noise attenuation of the headset isn't as good as my regular headset (DC H10-13X) you appear to have more higher frequency noise left. In comparison, the DC quiets all frequencies before taking out a chunk of the low frequency rumble with the ANR. I was flying a Rotax-powered AT-3 that has quite some interesting high frequency rattles and noises throughout the airframe and these appeared to be more pronounced with the Bose, while the DC did a better job of quieting the whole noise experience. This may of course depend on the type you're flying.
If you're used to passive headsets, a Bose will provide you with a noise profile that is quite a bit different from what you're used to while a DC or similar will most likely appear somewhat similar. I was still very much impressed by the Bose's performance, don't get me wrong, but it would take me a while to get used to the noise profile as I've flown for so long using DCs or similar types.
If you're used to passive headsets, a Bose will provide you with a noise profile that is quite a bit different from what you're used to while a DC or similar will most likely appear somewhat similar. I was still very much impressed by the Bose's performance, don't get me wrong, but it would take me a while to get used to the noise profile as I've flown for so long using DCs or similar types.
I usually use a passive, but when I did my EASA CPL, borrowed a Bose-X from work. In my opinion, whilst a bit odd at first, the much reduced background noise I was trying to "think through" significantly improved the my learning ability, and saved a significant number of hours of training as I was learning and improving faster.
I then, mostly and happily went back to my passive (which I more recently used happily for my FAA CPL), but I confess I'm thinking at the moment of getting a pair of these, about which I'm hearing good things...
https://www.seht.co.uk/anr
That said, as I'm broadly happy with my passives at the moment (a set of budget Mendelsson HM40s) I'm in no hurry
G
I then, mostly and happily went back to my passive (which I more recently used happily for my FAA CPL), but I confess I'm thinking at the moment of getting a pair of these, about which I'm hearing good things...
https://www.seht.co.uk/anr
That said, as I'm broadly happy with my passives at the moment (a set of budget Mendelsson HM40s) I'm in no hurry
G
