I also second the effectiveness and value for money of the ANR headset kit (Google it as there are a couple of suppliers) upgrade of a passive headset.
I have a Zulu 2 and a David Clark passive headset upgraded with an ANR kit. Both are equally effective at noise reduction to my ears, but Zulu much more expensive.
DC very robust, and a bit heavier. Zulu sufficiently robust but did I mention expensive?
You can by a second hand David Clark, and get the kit and fit it yourself, and be an excellent system for not too much outlay. ANR kits suggest you also have a gel ear seal on the headset.
Or buy a passive DC new or secondhand, till you see how it is, and fit an ANR kit later if all goes well with training.
As said above, do please protect your hearing from the start. Once it goes, it is gone. I know now and wish I had this advice when I was young and bulletproof.
John

My H10-40s were purchased in 1990 and still in use having been through the mill of private and turboprop flying for nearly 25 years.

Sennheisers were standard issue in the jets and fine for a relatively quiet flightdeck environment.

I'm not sure how these lightweight headsets would stand up to years of private flying and instructing?

also when you are trying it on / testing it make sure that you are wearing whatever sunglasses or eyewear that you sport in the cockpit.

Some seal better around glasses arms than others

I use Clarity Aloft but before that I used David Clark

Whatever you choose, look on eBay as the second hand prices are less than half the new prices.

Cheap vs good. Look up NIHL , noise induced hearing loss.

I have a cheap headset I bought when I needed one at short notice abroad. It looks exactly like a DC10-13 but a different colour. At the time for $80 I thought it was a bargain compared to my £500 10-13x. It's worked as my second headset in my bag for 10 years and is the one I give to student, passengers etc.. when they don't have their own. I thought I was doing them a favour,how wrong I was.

A couple of weeks ago I took someone up with a small head. The copies wouldn't fit her head. I suggested we swapped, she took my Dc10-13xANRs, It was then I realised how well spent my £500 was. Using the cheap headset I had to turn the radio up 5 clicks so I could hear it, the engine noise was huge and at the end of the flight my ears were ringing. The comms were much less clear and in short I did not enjoy the trip anywhere near as much.

Any time your ears ring as a result of noise you have permanently damaged your hearing. Any money you spend now on an excellent headset will be more than paid back against hearing aids in the future. I know 40 year olds who can't hear conversations in busy rooms - a result of noise induced hearing loss. (The ipod generation will find this out to their cost soon too)

The extra money isn't just for badges and kudos. Good headsets save your hearing and make flying a lot more fun.

Ensuring you protect your hearing has to be top of the list... you only get one set of ears.. once they're damaged... they're damaged..

It really does depend on your budget... but I also agree with the "buy cheap, buy twice" comment.

I also wholeheartedly agree with the "try them on for as long as possible" comment. Ask around your club and see if anyone is prepared to lend you their sets to try and try a few different ones.

Personally I can't get on with DCs due to the headclamping but others don't have a problem and they are certainly well built, sturdy and will give years of use.

When I looked around for a set last year I ended up going for Lightspeed Sierras and I am really pleased with them having done 50hrs with them so far... They are cheaper than the Zulu2s or Bose but still good very good ANR. I don't get "clamped" and I don't get "hot spots".

Think about your hearing, try a few for comfort, set your budget and then make your decision.

My DCs are thirty years old, converted to ANR two years ago. I am too poor to buy cheap headsets. Pay attention when buying glasses or sunglasses to get thin arms. The gel seals work nicely, but need replacing from time to time.