Very first headset to buy
 

Ho everyone, I’m Tom and I’m about to start my PPL next week. I’m looking around to get a headset and i was thinking to get something like a DC h10-40 that goes for around 200€ used on eBay.
Now, since my goal is to go further with the modular ATPL (probably by the end of 2026) I was wondering if going for something better like bose A serie would make sense right now or not.
I see every student pilot wearing a pair of Bose A20/30 but I can’t figure out if it’s worth the money or not during this initial phase.

thanks everyone

You will get a lot of different advice about this.
A good noise protecting headset is essential or you will be like me and very much regret exposure to loud noise in your youth.
DC H10-40 is a good and tough/well made headset that will be adequate and prob resell-able later.
An ANR headset is very desirable if you have the money, but not going to be of much if any extra help in protecting hearing.
one option is to buy a good second hand David Clark H10 series headset and install an ANR conversion kit.
Headsets INC do a good kit ( https://www.headsetsinc.com/product-category/anr-kits/ )

Previous threads:

https://www.pprune.org/pacific-gener...k-anr-add.html

and

https://www.pprune.org/pacific-gener...tml?styleid=17

At this stage Tom I should just use the headset provided by your flight school & save your money for the flying or getting that Class One Medical.

Personally I should go Bose my friend uses them in his aircraft, you can get bargains if you look around.

Occasionally you might find if both pilots are not wearing the same make/type of headset you might get interference or incompatiblity (used to happen sometimes with David Clark but that was 30 years ago).

Agreed, there are as many opinions about headsets as there are pilots. My DC H10 is still going strong after 20 years, although it's not had regular use for the last 10 years. The only reason I made the initial swap to a Bose A20 was because I broke the leads on my DC when moving my seat teaching in the sim and I had to fly the next day, so I had to make a beeline for the local aviation store to grab a replacement. The A20 was the only thing they had in stock. The swap from passive to active noise cancellation was a game changer...well, until the batteries die, which I find invariably happens on rotation or in the flare. Then one comes to find just how bad the passive noise cancellation is on the A20 compared to the DC H10.

I tried the A30 for a few flights when I started on the 737 and while I found the fit slightly better than the A20, I didn't find the sound quality was worth the full-time swap, so I returned it. There are other headsets such as the Clarity Aloft or Bose ProFlight that I've seen other pilots try out, with one guy I fly with swearing by the ProFlight in both the company 737 and his personal 172. I can't handle the in-ear component, but if you can, those might be an OK option.

Because you'll find pilots will swear by their headset, your best bet is to try a couple of different ones (if you can) before you hand over your money. This is something that may be with you for a decade or longer and as you want to make a career of this, it's worth spending a little bit of time and money to get what you want. Sometimes a flying school will have a number fleet headsets you could try, or if you're not queasy, you could ask another pilot to borrow theirs for a few flights. Feel the headset for fit, clamping force, and sound quality. Make sure you test the headset with and without your glasses on - sunglasses or otherwise. If you can, try the difference between foam and gel sides - where possible, although some headsets come with both options in the box. If you're looking at an ANR headset, make sure to test out what it sounds like with the ANR turned off, as you may be in a position one day where you can't change the batteries and you have to deal with it. Finally, don't discount how your neck and shoulders feel after wearing a headset. If you find they're even a little sore, try something else - that soreness only gets worse as the length of your flights increase.

Finally, when it comes to hearing protection, most of that protection comes from wearing the headset rather than not wearing the headset. A good ANR headset does no better than a passive headset if you have to turn the volume up to hear anything. That's just another reason why it's so important to find a headset that works for you.

When I acquired my PPL 20 years ago, I bought a Peltor headset, selected what I thought was descent enough and still cheap, still using it, works perfectly. Noise cancellation, nada !

The headset you buy depends very much on what you plan to fly during the expected life of the headset.

A passive sound attenuating headset may work fine in aircraft with quiet cockpits. In that case find one that is comfortable and in your price range. Consider good quality used.

A passive headset may be totally inadequate in a noisy cockpit. I was happy with my DC 10-13.4 until I used them when towing gliders (PA-18 and PA-25) and later flying a Husky. I converted both sets to ANR but the microphone was inadequate in the Husky. I had to make large power reductions to be understood by ATC.

My current Carbon Cub is the noisiest airplane I have flown. My Bose A20 copes with the noise without needing a power reduction to transmit. A new A20 costs about 5 times as much as a budget passive headset.

I recently sold a PA-28. In that aircraft the modified DC 10-13.4 worked very well. Several times I forgot to turn on the ANR and didn't realize until well into the flight. Any reasonable quality passive headset will work in a PA-28.

One size does not fit all. You should try it on your head before you buy.

I bought myself a second hand A20 set and then refreshed it with new muffs etc. Try and buy in winter if you can as the prices are a lot cheaper. I picked up my A20's for £450 last December. Now they are all £6-700!

Noise cancelling is a must imo.

I was once told if your ears ring after say a concert or flying you have permanently damaged your hearing. You will never get that bit of sensitivity back ever in your life. You will thank yourself when you are 60+ if you still don't need hearing aids. Like glasses, hearing aids - I am told - are a pain to wear, they don't replace your lost hearing fully and they cost £1,000 per year.

So if you can avoid that with a good headset then you can make your own decision. If you are flying 10 hours a year thats less of an issue than 1,000 hours per year (as an instructor). As TSRA and EXDAC say- make sure it fits and buy the best. Bose A20/30s are expensive but also ironically the cheapest way to protect your hearing. I've never regretted the DC10-13.4x and after that the Bose A20s. Also as well as protecting your hearing, ATC sounds much clearer, so you miss fewer calls.

What will actually happen is you wont believe us, you will buy a 10-13.4 (excellent passive headset) then someone will show off and let you try their A20s and you will then relegate the 13.4 to your passenger /standby headset.

As an instructor you avoid paying for everything.. currency.. revalidations..checkouts.. upgrades.. new charts. But the one thing I regret not buying for myself sooner was my Bose A20s

that’s what’s keeping me from buying a used pair of A20, right now here in Italy they aro sold for around 800€ which looks too much to me for a discontinued product. I’ll keep searching, if you have suggestions on other 2nd hand marketplaces around Europe that’d be appreciated!

Thanks everybody for the replies! I think I’ll go for a pair of used A20, trying not to get scammed with the ridiculous amount of fake sellers especially on Facebook marketplace.
I guess since my goal is to keep flying it makes more sense to buy something better from the start without ending paying more by buying two different headsets.

I’d say a David Clark is sufficient at this stage.
When you start flying multiple hours a day then it’s worth investing that kind of money.
Bose electronics don’t stand up very well against getting dropped off a wing or out of a bag.
A DC is pretty much bullet proof.

Not only that but DC customer support is outstanding. I have had normal wear items replaced at no charge 20 years after purchase.

Despite the illusion expensive sunglasses, big multifunction watch , shirt and tie or a “professional” headset don’t make you a better student pilot.
Get a DC, look around while you’re training, talk to people.
If you continue flight training some Multi engine are ridiculously noisy such as an Aztec or some are relatively quiet such as a DA42.
Please don’t show up looking like you’ve emptied out the Pilot Shop.
Its really not necessary.
Upgrade as required.
Learn to walk before you run.

I’d say get a decent headset early on, it makes training so much smoother. I’ve been using the Kore Aviation KA-1 and it’s been super comfortable with clear audio. Right now they even have a bundle deal so it’s a pretty good time to grab one.

But if you’re going to fly commercially then just buy the Bose on day 1. You’re going to buy it anyway, so why waste €3/400 extra on a lesser headset during training. Makes no sense at all.

Keep looking on Afors etc. for Bose A20. They come up fairly regularly for £650, sometimes as low as £475 (I think there is a pair on there now for around that...not me selling them!). Just do it, they are worth it in my opnion.

Bose is great UNTIL you need a simple repair, then its a nightmare!! Depending where in EU you are, some countries don’t even have an authorized repair in that country. You have to pack it up and send it to another country where you get charged a flat fee of 350 Euros if you don’t have a warranty. Also, you are looking into a month of waiting.

I’ve never had an issue with my Bose 5 years and still going strong minus a couple ear pad changes. They’re a good investment at the end of the day but a big outlay initially for sure.

Advice on best headset?

Honestly, for the initial phase, you don’t need to go straight to a Bose A20 or A30 unless you really want to invest long-term right away. Most student pilots start with something midrange that still offers great clarity and comfort. I’ve been using a Kore Aviation headset for a while now and it has surprised me in a good way — super clear audio, solid build, and comfortable even on longer lessons. It’s been perfect for my training without breaking the bank.

Once you log more hours and know your preferences, you can always upgrade to premium ANR models later, but for a PPL start, something like Kore gives you all you need and saves you some money for flight time. Good luck with your training!

On the topic of hearing protection, maybe consider wearing ear plugs underneath your chosen headset. Over the years I’ve found that despite having to have the intercom level set a higher level it blocks out a lot more of the aircraft / engine noise. In my mid-40’s now still with pretty much perfect hearing ….. not that my wife agrees.

For what it's worth, I gave away my ancient David Clark 10-20s a couple of years ago to a friend working on her PPL. I got them in the '80s, still going strong in the 2020s. They are very reliable and repairable. I have used "cheap" Telex ANR over the ear headsets. They were worse than useless. I ended up using my DCs with earplugs. Sound was better and the noise cancellation was effective. (Flying an Islander).
I have used Bose A20s and the Proflight too. I finished the career with the Proflights. They worked very well and the noise cancellation/sound quality was excellent.

While a decent headset is worth it, look after your hearing outside the aeroplane too. Airfields are noisy and as you progress they get noiser (brake fans, APUs, turbine engines etc). Motorbikes and music can also contribute to hearing loss, once it's gone, it's gone. :)

I would get a cheap cable headset first. Robust and affordable over fancy and ANC. Consider this to become your secondary "guest" headset later on. It should fit to the connectors system in your main training aircraft. Later on you can decide about your own preferences and get something perfect for you. Treat all cables well and pack it in a separate box or bag.

If you’re sticking with flying I’d buy the A20 rather sooner than later. Best investment in your flying career. Plus they don’t really lose that much value. You could buy a used pair for 700 euros and sell it for 700euros a couple of years later.

You can use them during your whole career: from a C172 to a B737. They’re well built, have good ANC and you can listen to music. What else do you need. We beat them up at my airline and I’ve almost never encountered a faulty pair.

I refuse to fly GA aircraft without them. A pair of DC make my ears bleed, it just takes so much more energy&attention to actively listen trough the noise.

At the start, there’s no real need to jump straight into the most expensive options since a lot of training comes down to comfort, clarity, and just getting used to flying. There are plenty of midrange headsets that do that well without overcomplicating things. One that tends to be overlooked is the Kore Aviation KA-1. It delivers clear audio, a comfortable fit for longer lessons, and a simple, reliable setup that works well during training. It’s a practical choice early on and lets you focus on flying, with the option to upgrade later once you have more hours and know exactly what you want.