Very happy with my Lightspeed Zulu 2s, despite a recent $100 repair.

They are much more relaxing than passives, particularly on longer flights (behind a 912S).

As above, the Bose is far and away the best performing and comfortable ANR headset. Expensive yes, but as they say, you get what you pay for. Helped if you got them in USA sometime ago good £/$, and brought them in operating as crew. I notice now standard fit in RAF Transports, and just as effective in a C182.
Definitely not as robust as a DC, but treated normally, long lasting. 5 years so far in my case, pun intended. so far I have only had a frayed cord, repaired under Warranty by Headset Supplies, and recently bought and fitted new ear cups.

My first headset was the DC H10-13.4 Stereo and I then later added an ANR kit into it. Works great.
DC is long lasting for live.

Alternatively like what I did for PAX, I bought the Pilot P51 and replaced the Ear Seals with DC Gel Ear seals and the DC Headband (They fit). A lot cheaper.

As far as comfortable is concerned, there are little nuts which take a #7 or #8 spanner which you then adjust to make it comfortable.

Another vote for A20's here. Worth the money in the long run!

I bought myself a very lightly used set of David Clark H10-60s, to replace my instructor's spare H10-30s during my PPL. Would've stuck with the -30s as I'm only doing fixed-wing but got a great deal on eBay. Having had first-hand experience of DCs, I was happy to continue knowing they would have good resale value or be a second headset when I upgrade to ANR in the future. But first I have to finish paying for a PPL and the cost for this set = 1 hour of training.

Not quite in answer to this thread but to save starting a new one. Ive been watching Ebay for a replacement David Clark. Would a BNIB (brand new in box) DC 40493G-01 military headset for use in a C17 or C130 likely to be legit, not that I want one.

Legit in which context? There is no law that prohibits you from using one, but the way I understand it, this headset will not work with other types than the C-17/C-130 it was built for. As for legalities, you can build your own headset and use that up until the point where you have an accident because you misunderstood a radio call. From that point on you can expect the authorities to have an opinion on this.

Put another way, would aircrew buy their own military headset to use in a C17 and therefore it's legally theirs to sell or has it been pinched.

When I googled the DC type you posted about I found several pilot shops selling them. Based on that I'd say that David Clark are selling it as a commercial product, so no restrictions there. You would have to check the DC website to see if it is restricted to sales within the US, I haven't done that.

That's a very good question. Pilots all have hearing problems aging because of the noise in cockpits... Today, everybody recommends ANR (Active Noise reduction system). We all think it is expensive, they usually are at 1000£ at least. But I found on, Brand : Pilot from Transair . co.uk website! It was 300£ and works great I am very pleased with it. I recommend ANR to protect your ears on long term use...

DC has been in the market longer than most other brands, but there is little difference over the years in design and comfort. It is sturdy, yet clumsy. I first went for DC but soon switched to Bose as it is much lighter and more comfortable. You don't feel squeezed on the head even after 3 hours of flight.

I recently purchased a set of Bose QC35 II (QuietComfort) headphones. Then I purchased a boom mike and connector set from uflymike in the US. Put the two together and you have a set of noise-cancelling headphones. Great for a quiet-ish cockpit such as a modern jet aircraft but not good enough for GA flying

I find my QC35 II work beautifully in a noisy c172.

Phonak Freecom 7100
 

... they are being discontinued, with Phonak pulling out of the aviation market.
If someone has been fancying them - last chance to get one set now. I'm not worrying about service issues as they were just a side show of their Serenity hearing protection aid.

Lightspeed 2. I have had this headset for several years and have been very happy with it. Very comfortable, even on a three hour flight. DCs have never fitted me well and were very uncomfortable.

Two years ago, the only problem I have ever had surfaced. The boom mic started to behave like a G meter! It gradually got worse to the point of having to do something about it. However, I didn't want the hassle and expense of shipping it from Canada to the US. A week ago my hand was forced when I left the headset out in the rain!

Disassembling was easy once I had found a YouTube video on how to remove the ear cups. After that I just needed a small Phillips-head jewelers screwdriver to remove the loudspeaker/electronic assembly. Having done that, I discovered that a small Vise-Grip (Mole Wrench) was all that was needed to tighten the boom mic nut. Pictures available if required.

Once I had dried everything off, the headset worked perfectly and now I use my "seat of the pants" G meter!

Working with old style DC's I am looking for a "splitter" or something else to connect my tablet to the headset, so I can hear my SkyDemon better. . In this thread the firm Avee is mentioned but their unit is NA at the moment, anybody another thingy that would work? Also need to buy an adapter as Samsung does not offer the round plug jacks anymore.

When I bought my plane, I ran out and bought two Bose A20 headsets. Now after flying with friends in their planes and using their head sets, I think I may have gone a bit overboard. There’s lots of less expensive options that will be just fine. But you’ll want to consider how noisy the plane is that you plan to fly and how comfortable the headset is on your head. By the way, we never used headsets when I was learning to fly - Grumman TR2, Cessna 150, 152, 172, Piper Arrow, just the overhead speakers In the military, it was earplugs and a helmet, no noise canceling. At the airline, I always used the cheap onboard headset. I’m sure a young guy who’s always used noise canceling will have a very different opinion.

Please excuse the late comment on this thread but does this mic add on come with a twin plug lead or does that need to be bought separately?
Also, how is the headset surviving another year or so on?

Thank you in advance for any advice.

Not sure who this is directed to, but the Avee system I use comes as a complete kit with adapter, mic on a boom and whatever aircraft connector you desire https://www.avee.no/product/avee-combination-kit/

After 2 years of very hard use it is still working beautifully. I have had to replace the Bose ear-cups using this kit https://wickedcushions.com/collectio...ear-pads-black and the headband is getting a bit tatty, but it has stood up to hard use better than I expected.

(and maybe to add, under COVID I spend my entire working day on zoom calls using the standard Bose headset (without the Avee adapter) connected to computer by bluetooth. It works really well for this purpose too.)

Hi guys, sorry to bring this back from the dead - I wondered what headsets jet operators would recommend? I used to use the company headsets prior to covid, but have decided to take the leap and buy my own. I have a pair of A20s for GA flying and have tried them on the flight deck, but they are too big and bulky for long sectors. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

The Bose Aviation headset seems to be very popular, personally I find it too bulky, I've always liked the Telex Airman 850

Thanks a lot for the reply Brian. How do you find the ANR on the 850? Do you have to have a battery pack to operate like on the Bose?

Your welcome John, the Telex does not use batteries, it takes power from the jack plugs, The ANR is not in the same league as the Bose, of course its less than half the price, but I find it works for me and I find it quite comfy after a full days work.

If you can, ask the guys you fly with what they use, don't feel you should rush into it, just because you are using your David Clarks, I am sure you will find one that works for you.

Thanks a lot for your advice Brian, it's really appreciated! Have a great day.

your very welcome John, Safe flying

Thank you for the info Double_barrel,
I have now bitten the bullet and bought this setup, hopefully when my renewed Licence appears on the mat I can try it out for real.

Thanks for the added link to the spare ear cups. I'm sure a set will be required at some point, as I also use them for hedge cutting and lawn mowing so they are sure to get some wear!

Aerotion Aviation Headsets
 

Hi everyone.
i’m just starting to embark on my PPL training at my local flight school & my instructor has recommended I get my own headset.
i’ve being looking online & came across Aerotion Aviation. There aren’t many reviews available for them, but what is there are good.
Does anyone have any experience with these headsets? What are they like?

The ANR model looks good, and very light weight.
https://www.aerotion.com/

I use the David Clark DC ONE-X ENC Headsets. For me they are the best (better than Bose A20).

Feel free to have a look at the Headset topic that is shown as a sticky topic at the top of this list (or click here). Headsets are very personal and if you have just set off on your PPL adventure, you probably won't have a very definitive preference yet. My advice: go for the best one that you can afford and buy one with ANR. It will easily last more than 10 years and even though you won't notice it now, in the long run a better headset with ANR will keep your hearing in better shape.

A good quality headset such as a David Clarke are a must. when learning to fly. But, it is my view is to steer clear of ANR headsets whilst an ab-initio pilot. It is not a good idea to suppress all ambient sound, particularly the engine notes, because these are an important tool when learning to control.the aeroplane. The various noises around the aeroplane from starting through to flight are part of the environment that you are new to and these should not be wholly suppressed, they are part of your learning.

Better yet - if you buy an ANR headset and are disciplined enough to keep the ANR switched off until at least you have got your PPL you will have bought one headset for both periods of your flying career.

While I agree with Fl1ingfrog that the aural environment is also part of your learning, I am not in favour of switching off ANR or avoiding it for this purpose. ANR only reduces the aural impact of the low frequency noises and there are also many users who will tell you that you can hear more of what your engine is doing thanks to ANR. The cumulative effect of noise on your hearing is a long-term effect and by the time you notice it, you will be too late to do anything about it. Short-term, you will feel less fatigued thanks to ANR and this will be a positive effect, especially during training. Opinions vary on this subject of course.

Comment minefield !
 

Headsets are a far too personal item for there to be a correct answer, the only answer is does it work for you.

The only comments I would wish to make are on reliability and the ANR performance.

For reliability my DC’s are hard to beat, they have worked faultlessly since 1993 needing only the ear cushions replaced.

Having moved in to the world of ANR with the Bose x a few years back these have been faultless for 2500 hours of flying with only the ear cushions being replaced. I think the battery life is not great but as I don’t often fly aircraft without a power supply for the Bose I can’t put an accurate number on battery life.

The bottom line is you get what you pay for and before I got the DC’s back in 1993 I had a string of bargain basement headsets that gave indifferent sound quality and poor reliability. I guess if when I started flying back in 1979 I had got A pair of DC’s I would probably still have them and saved my self a lot of money.

UK PPL student first headset
 

Hey there:)

New here, so I’m sorry if I got the wrong forum - I tried my best! I want to invest in my own headset but obviously want advice on which to choose. I’d like a decently cheap one but I’m willing to splash out a little bit for a high ish quality one that will last for a while.

I’ve heard good things about the David Clark H10-13.4 so I might get that but I’d love to know if you have any cheaper favourites!

Thanks!

Welcome MrSandyWilly,

I will move this thread to the "headsets" sticky in this forum shortly, though am leaving it here just now, so you'll not think it's been deleted!

As for headsets, I bought my first David Clark in 1983, and used it through to it's sad loss in a fire a year ago. I have always recommended by the simple version of the best quality you can find, and the lower cost David Clarks are that. You don't need the cost of full noise cancelling, and don't want the cost of repairing or replacing a lower quality headset either. David Clarks are not the only good headset out there, but, there are no surprises with them either!

Thanks, I’ll keep an eye there ;)

And that’s super helpful! Glad to know that if I do go for a DC my money won’t be wasted. Sorry about your headset… still… 39 years is pretty good😅

Thanks, it was a sad loss, as well as the very nice Cessna 150 it was in, which was in my hangar when a tractor also there immolated itself. I haven't replaced the C150, but I did buy another David Clark!

Sandy,

Make sure you read this whole thread - there is a lot of good advice based on practical experience.

I strongly recommend that whatever headset you choose, try it before you buy. Ten minutes wandering around a pilot store doesn't do it - you need to go for a flight of more than one hour.

DCs are very good headsets but I can't wear one for a long time - my head is too broad! I have been using a Lightspeed 2 noise-cancelling headset for the last five years. Expensive but well worth it in my opinion.

Thanks, that’s really helpful. I’ll have a search through this thread when I have a spare few minutes. And yes! I’ll definitely see if there are any ones I can borrow at my flight school (or any recommendations there)