Headset?
 

Hi All,

Im about 20 hours thorough my NPPL (M) up in Scotland and I noticed last lesson the poor quality of the headset im using - I mean it does the job but I find it quite noisy (more so the surrounding aircraft noise)

Anyway they are a club set, so I really should be looking into getting my own

What are peoples recommendations? Is it worthwhile investing in a really good set, or will middle of the road suffice?

Once passed I imagine I would want to be flying every couple of weeks

Thanks

A middle of the road set is fine. Fancy noise cancelling thngs cost an absolue fortune and really aren't necessary in most PPL flying.
Look for a set that is not heavy and has a good seal around the ear. Also does not clamp onto your head which becomes very panful after a short while. That rules out David Clarkes. They are, imo, one of the most uncomfortable headsets around.
My vote is for a standard Peltor which I wore for years in commercial helicopter work. If its good enough for helos its way good enough for spancans.

If you can try other club-members' headsets - the ony real way to see what suits is to use it, and it's too late for that if you've already bought one!

I suggest buying a set of used David Clarks. They are the most durable, and repairable headset out there. You don't need fancy noise cancelling at this point in your flying, they're nice, but that's several hours of flying you're spending for a little more comfort, leave that until later. I recommend the gel ear muffs for the DC headset, they are the most comfortable. The head clamping force can be adjusted by bending the head band, but some clamping force is better for a better noise seal around the ears. I still have and use the first DC 10-30 headset I bought new in 1983, they last forever. There are probably lots of choices on eBay or similar.

I too find DC's too clamping. I had a Peltor that lasted 25 years - the type that fold up really neatly like their ear defenders. Lately, I've invested in a Lightspeed Sierra which is noise cancelling. The batteries last well and the headset is nice to wear for an extended period and the ANR keeps out most of the noise, whilst allowing you still to hear the change of engine note and slipstream in the glide. Mine has done 1,000 hours and is starting to look a bit battered as I'm afraid I haven't looked after it very well and hop from aircraft to aircraft with it. However, it still works as advertised. I replaced the gel ear cups at 500 hours along with a new foam cover for the mic, not very expensive and gave new life to the headset.
A 'friend' lent me a Bose A20 and I really wish they hadn't as I now keep dreaming about having a set. However, at £1,000-ish I can't justify the expense, on an instructor's stipend!

As all things in life, you get what you pay for...

TOO

Totally agree with Pilot DAR...I still use my DC set, also circa 1984 or 5. The Gel cups are real comfy. Not a lot of use recently, but have around 8500 hrs on my ugly head.

When flying in a club environment, speak openly on your headset question to them. Try out all different once you can get your hand on. My best bet, you end up in the Bose A20 or Zulu Lightspeed question. A word of maybe wisdom, there is nothing more valuable than your hearing. Once damaged it cannot be restored. My advice, once you are for certain to stay in being an airman, get one of the best ones! The choice between Zulu and Bose is usually one of personal comfort, so try both for a longer time before taking a decision. Yes, you cab get along with less than the top notch headsets, but it is much more fun to take one big jump and forget all thinking on headsets thereafter, focus on flying ;-).

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

Getting a decent noise cancelling headset absolutely transformed my flying experience. I bought a Bose QC35 noise cancelling 'entertainment' headset with the Avee adapter ( www.getavee.com ) and absolutely love them. The package was half the price of a Bose A20 and, as far as I can tell, just as good from an audio point of view, although possibly not as robust. And I have a really good entertainment headset as part of the deal - I use it all the time when flying as a passenger in big aeroplanes.

Three professionals who have tried my system immediately went off and ordered one for themselves. If I was to do it again, I would probably consider the Sony WH-1000XM3 headset for which Avee also make an adapter and which is reputed to have better noise cancelling. Although how relevant an audiophile's review is to the din in a Cessna is probably debatable!

Hi - Its a Eurostar

Thanks for the responses so far - its interesting to hear the different opinions. I will check out whats been recommended so far

I bought a pair of DC 13.4S (stereo) with the undercut gel pads. They are really comfy (longest flight for me was about 3 hours, and I didn't notice they were on my head), but there seems to be a bunch of people who find DCs uncomfortable... not sure why, maybe they have bigger noggins? I would suggest if your club DCs are comfy but you want your own pair, get DCs, otherwise look at Lightspeed Zulus. I think they offer better value for money than the A20s. The only problem with non-DC headsets, is that walking through the terminal without those lime green DCs, nobody will realise you are a pilot ;-)

I've had a basic DC headset for nearly 20 years. No problems with it or my hearing. No problems hearing ATC.

callum,

Lots of good advice here. One of the key points is to make sure you try one out in the air for an hour or two, before buying. Ten minutes walking around a store looking like a wannabe is not enough! ;)

I'm one of those people who finds a DC excruciating to wear for more than a short while. I have a Lightspeed Zulu 2* that I have worn for flights of up to three hours with no problems. For non noise-cancelling headsets, I like the Peltor.

* A minor problem I'm having that needs fixing is that the boom mike is loose - it acts like a G meter in steep turns!

I have a big head (so my wife tells me), I've been using my DC 13.4's for 15 years and they still look like new. I've never experienced any discomfort from wearing them. On a recent club trip I flew for a total of 6 hours over two days and I was fine. I don't fly often enough to warrant buying an ANR headset and so far DC have been the best all round PNR set I've used, which is why I bought one for myself.

This is interesting, as surely 'entertainment' headphones are probably lighter and less clunky that typical aviation sets

Means I could watch the football at home without the missus complaining about the volume too.... :-D

On the downside as mentioned, no one will know im a Pilot!

Im curious to the durability of these type of designs? I see theres a couple of different options - Avee, Uflymike and NFlightmic

Another vote here for David Clarks. I've had a set since the late 1980s, they've given excellent service, probably done about 7000 hours with them. I've replaced the Gel seals two or three times and mic muffs about a half a dozen times. I've never had a problem with their comfort. I've also flown another 6000 hours with company provided DC's.

I've also used various models of Telex, and Lightspeed.

If I were to buy today I'd buy the David Clark One X noise cancelling. They're quite expensive, the equal to the Bose A20 on noise reduction, but based on prior experience with CD headsets I'd expect them to be long lasting.

Indeed, they are very light and comfortable, much lighter and less clunky than the dreadful old DC's I started with. I wear them in headset-only mode as a passenger for many hours at a time without problems. The upside over the A20 in this role is that I don't look a prat with a microphone boom stuck up in the air beside my head! I do handle them carefully, I have not had problems but I assume that they cannot be as tough and durable as more traditional and clunky designs. I do not expect them to last a lifetime as some of the DC old-timers cheerfully claim for theirs, but I am currently very happy with them and will not begrudge it if (when) I have to replace them.

Before I went with Avee, I looked at uflymike but they could not supply the Bose microphone adapter, they were having manufacturing problems, that may have changed. Avee were a joy to deal with - instant response to email enquiries and incredibly rapid shipment, plus helpful and instant response when I found the standard microphone boom too short. They shipped to Edinburgh by DHL and I had it within less than 48 hours from my 1st contact with them.

Thanks - im definitely going to look into this option - and given your Avee success probably stick to that - im based just outside Edinburgh so nice to know the postage was prompt

I didn't like the velcro part of NFlightcam so that would rule that out

I imagine that the headphones are liable to be part of a decent sale over the next few months, so will keep my eye on that.

Also will try a few different sets if I can get my hands on some at the club

Cheers

Cal

There are actually two reasons to go for a headset with active noise canceling. The possibility of hearing issues has already been mentioned, I know that many pilots have flown without ANC for years and have not had any issues but then again, some have. As you only have one set of ears, it is worth looking after them, if you ask me. The second selling point, which isn't mentioned all that often, is that it can really reduce fatigue. Listening to a constant noise means that your brain is constantly processing, which uses energy. The less noise, the less energy spent and I have found that I have stepped out of aircraft with lower fatigue levels after using an ANC headset, when compared to flights where I didn't have this luxury (usually because I forgot my spare batteries). Because of this I have also taken to using a Bose QC35 whenever I'm sat in an airliner. For flying, I use a David Clark H10-13X.

Not a big fan of DCs. A bit too big and clunky for my liking. For the last 20 years, I've used Peltors, IMHO the best of the headsets. They're comfortable and the noise attenuation is second to none as they're based on the Peltor ear defenders, as used by the MoD. They are very light and sit tight, they don't fall off and you don't need a cloth helmet to keep them on if flying aerobatics. They also fold up to a very compact size when not in use. And another added advantage is that if you break the headband, you can just buy a cheap set of ear defenders and swap it.

My uflymike took about a week from order, three weeks ago, for a Bose QC35. I like it.

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

Get some green scouring pads - the type sold to do dishes - and twist the brass plugs around in it for 10 seconds, good as new.

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.

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.

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!

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....

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.

Been using Lightspeed Zulus for 10years now and no way would I now want to go back to a 'Passive' headset!

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.

... and your budget...

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....

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.

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