Helicopter specific advice on ANR Headsets?
ANR
I fly the S61 and have a company supplied Peltor which is pretty good 'passively'. Recently I installed an ANR kit (manufactured by Headsets Inc and supplied by Adams Aviation at Biggin Hill) which has been brilliant. The ANR takes away, seemingly, most of the MRGB and associated rumble and provides a much more pleasant/relaxing noise environment to fly in. The real win is that once you are sitting in such a quiet noise environment you can turn down the intercom and radio volumes a lot....this has the benefit of turning down the external noise that is being picked up by the microphones of your other crew members - fantastic! I power the ANR on re-chargable batteries so it is pretty cheap to run. I paid about £120 to Adams for the kit (fits Peltor 7000 series not 8000 and they have other kits for David Clark, etc.) and I don't think you can get better ANR for the price. I have tried the Bose....pretty good if a bit flimsy....I just think £800 for a Bose is mad since my Peltor rig gives better ANR/passive protection.
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Sennheiser
Since almost a year, i'm using a sennheiser HMEC in the S76, i'm very pleased with it. The sound is briljant, the passive damping better then peltor, then you get the active reduction on top. The weight is comparable with the peltor. I've bought a pair of gel-seals, that finishes it. They (Sennheiser) had a trial made for a High-low impedance headset. I've asked for it, the send it over from the factory in Germany(through the dealer), it worked in the Dauphin (low), but it did not in the 76, The mike gain could not be opened far enough. So i bought one for the 76. Then, 1,5 month ago I also bought a HMDC (low impedance) for the EC155. It also works perfect!
http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheiser...ducts_aviation
http://www.sennheiser.co.uk/uk/icm.n...opter_headsets
http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheiser...ducts_aviation
http://www.sennheiser.co.uk/uk/icm.n...opter_headsets
Last edited by Spheriflex; 28th Dec 2006 at 10:23.
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Go with the Bose - you won't be disappointed !! Just my opinion but I have used one for 7 months in a very noisy 365 with a crap i/c system and the difference is amazing. Having said that you will have to look after it as the comments re ruggedness are valid.
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Davis Clarke H10-66XL ENC
Hi all does anyone out there have an opinion on these enc headsets? are they any good for flying diffrent machines?? and whats the general view about them? I want a headset i can use in a R22 upto a S-61N or do i need to get two diffrent headset?
Kick The Tyres Light The Fires.........
Kick The Tyres Light The Fires.........
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Turbines vs Pistons
Don't turbine helicopters make much more high-frequency noise in the cockpit than piston helicopters?
And so wouldn't any risk of hearing damage with ANR headsets be greater in turbines than piston heli's?
WHK4
And so wouldn't any risk of hearing damage with ANR headsets be greater in turbines than piston heli's?
WHK4
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Hii all,
I have to agree with Gomer Pylot on this one. The Clarity aloft headset is excellent. Whilst working in the the States instructing I used my old passive D.C.s which where fine but got tight and sweaty after hours of flying in the Florida sunshine. After that I tried the Telex Stratus 50d which were a lot quieter but they really clamped my head and I started to get headaches (maybe I just have a fat head). After that I bought the Clarity Aloft which, as Gomer mentioned only have fixed wing plugs (so I fitted a heli one) but they seemed as quiet as the Telex which claimed to have 50dB attenuation and were really comfortable. The Clarity Aloft claim to have a passive noise reduction rating of around 39-40dB whch as I remember is as much as a DC with ANR (27dB plus about 13dB ANR) and they really are comfortable and quiet. The only problem is that people see you walking on the ramp and think you've bought an airliner headset by mistake or that you've borrowed it from Britney Spears and that it must be crap because its so insignificant looking.
After getting back to the UK I started flying the AS332 offshore and was issued with a Peltor. After training and fliyng on line for three weeks I was beginning to get tinitus in the evenings after work. I tried using the Clarity aloft but the engineers moaned at me saying it wasn't certified for public transport. I used it secretly for about 10 flights and the tinitus disappeared. A colleague told me a about a kit made by CEP in the US which has the same earpieces as the Clarity aloft but is fitted to any headset and is worn underneath the earcups.
At the moment I use the Peltor with the CEP kit underneath and I have no tinitus and the engineers are happy.
I agree with some other posters that although some ANR headsets feel nice and seem to be quiet, they may be letting in damaging freqeuncies that we don't hear. I think the answer is some form of really good passive reduction which physically doesn't allow frequencies to enter your ear canal.
Will be interested to see the results from the H & S people offshore...
BTW for those that are intersted the site for CEP is www.cep-usa.com
Happy New Year,
Fay
I have to agree with Gomer Pylot on this one. The Clarity aloft headset is excellent. Whilst working in the the States instructing I used my old passive D.C.s which where fine but got tight and sweaty after hours of flying in the Florida sunshine. After that I tried the Telex Stratus 50d which were a lot quieter but they really clamped my head and I started to get headaches (maybe I just have a fat head). After that I bought the Clarity Aloft which, as Gomer mentioned only have fixed wing plugs (so I fitted a heli one) but they seemed as quiet as the Telex which claimed to have 50dB attenuation and were really comfortable. The Clarity Aloft claim to have a passive noise reduction rating of around 39-40dB whch as I remember is as much as a DC with ANR (27dB plus about 13dB ANR) and they really are comfortable and quiet. The only problem is that people see you walking on the ramp and think you've bought an airliner headset by mistake or that you've borrowed it from Britney Spears and that it must be crap because its so insignificant looking.
After getting back to the UK I started flying the AS332 offshore and was issued with a Peltor. After training and fliyng on line for three weeks I was beginning to get tinitus in the evenings after work. I tried using the Clarity aloft but the engineers moaned at me saying it wasn't certified for public transport. I used it secretly for about 10 flights and the tinitus disappeared. A colleague told me a about a kit made by CEP in the US which has the same earpieces as the Clarity aloft but is fitted to any headset and is worn underneath the earcups.
At the moment I use the Peltor with the CEP kit underneath and I have no tinitus and the engineers are happy.
I agree with some other posters that although some ANR headsets feel nice and seem to be quiet, they may be letting in damaging freqeuncies that we don't hear. I think the answer is some form of really good passive reduction which physically doesn't allow frequencies to enter your ear canal.
Will be interested to see the results from the H & S people offshore...
BTW for those that are intersted the site for CEP is www.cep-usa.com
Happy New Year,
Fay
That's going way, way too far. Makes me glad to be a poor colonial boy. 
I've had the bose for a while now and its great.
Some people say they are fragile and flimsy, but like all electronic equipment if you just take care of it and don't go dropping it or anything like that it'll work fine
Some people say they are fragile and flimsy, but like all electronic equipment if you just take care of it and don't go dropping it or anything like that it'll work fine
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Gomer,
Well actually i'm not sure if they do have to be approved or its a company thing, but most likely its just the engineer who didn't like the look of the headset because its different to what everyone else wears.
BTW CEP do the Comply ear tips cheaper than most other places i've seen at around $16 a pack.
Fay
Well actually i'm not sure if they do have to be approved or its a company thing, but most likely its just the engineer who didn't like the look of the headset because its different to what everyone else wears.
BTW CEP do the Comply ear tips cheaper than most other places i've seen at around $16 a pack.
Fay
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$16/pack is still pretty expensive. I just peel the foam off a used set, and put the hard part into foam plugs. Better noise reduction, and free. I still have almost the entire pack that came with my headset sitting on the shelf. IIRC I've only used one set, recycling the inner part many times.
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Howzit everyone,
I was wondering if anyone has any advice on ANR headsets, which ones are any good - with coiled cables/NATO single plugs?
Seems to me Bose X and David Clark X11 might be a good bet, but (wow) bose seem expensive, and i'm not sure the new DC's come with helicopter plugs etc?
Any Thoughts? Cant find any really good reviews out there....
I was wondering if anyone has any advice on ANR headsets, which ones are any good - with coiled cables/NATO single plugs?
Seems to me Bose X and David Clark X11 might be a good bet, but (wow) bose seem expensive, and i'm not sure the new DC's come with helicopter plugs etc?
Any Thoughts? Cant find any really good reviews out there....
What is important is what aircraft your flying. Bose dose not provide an attenuation switch like DC this will cost you an additional 185 US dollars if you fly two different type aircraft one high and one low impedance. Now, if your flying an older Bell ie, 412 or 212 or 205 series forget about it! No ANR is going to work well and you will eat up batteries. The reason is the constant pressure change when you fly with the window open. A 212 is worse than the 412 but any helicopter that you fly with the window open the ANR is almost worthless and actually causes noise because it is fighting the pressure changing very time one of those blades passes by. So, if you flying with a window open save your money.
Now, if you flying an SK76 or AW139 or a jet or anything with the windows closed then go for the Bose, it is so comfortable and so light it is so worth the 1,000 bucks you have to spend. The Bose will make the voices so much more clear so if you were a bad boy and didn't ware plugs when you had the chance and now have hearing loss the Bose is your best chance.
I hope this info helps. It's all about the aircraft your flying.
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I found the Bose very good when I flew. I used a set of custom made earplugs from a UK company inside so that if the battery ever went flat I'd still have the passive protection. There's an article recently been posted on a CHC site which you may find interesting:
The Right Headset in Your Fixed-Wing Aircraft
CW4 Paul Miller, CW4 David Littner, CW4 David Keshel, CW4 Elza Brokaw, and CW3 John J. Lill WOSC 05-03
Editor’s note: The active noise cancellation and active noise reduction (ANC/ANR) headsets are only appropriate for “fixed-wing” aircraft. This technology cannot be used in rotary-wing aircraft because the equipment defeats the lateral impact protection of the helmet.
As a crewmember, precise communication is imperative for crew resource management and mission success. According to studies done by Frederick V. Malmstrom, Ph.D., active noise reduction headsets significantly reduce pilot’s physical and mental fatigue, as well as loss of proficiency during flight.
In years past, there could have been a misconception that David Clark headsets were the only ones the Army allowed. This was because units were making unauthorized modifications to aircraft electrical systems to power other headset systems. The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM) fixed-wing program management office (PMO) determined that battery-powered aviation ANR headsets are authorized as long as no modifications are made to the aircraft. Many units have locally procured such headsets and have had great success with off-the-shelf ANR products.
The principle of the ANR headset is to cancel unwanted low-frequency noise. Unwanted noises are those sounds that interfere with the pilot’s reception and understanding of crewmember and air traffic control communications. Passive attenuation of high-frequency noise is accomplished mainly through the ear cup, noise-absorbing padding, and secure fitting ear seal design. By placing a miniature microphone inside the ear cup, noise entering from the flight deck through the ear cup is sensed and analyzed by an electronic circuit. The electronic signal is inverted, amplified, and transmitted through the earphone canceling out the noise, whether you are actively talking or just listening to the radio or another crewmember. Most of the electronic noise-canceling technology headsets are failsafe in that they provide individual circuits for both the ANR portion and the radio/intercom portion of the headset. If the headset power source (battery pack) or ANR electronics fail, the headset will continue to function for communications.
In accordance with testing performed at the U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory, Fort Rucker, AL, by Dr. A.J. M. Houtsma, Ph.D., both the Bose AHX 32-01 and David Clark (DC) P/N 40862-01 perform very well at reducing exposure to hazardous noise levels. Testing was performed at a flat 108 dB(A) for frequencies starting at 63 Hz extending to 4,000 Hz.
The two headsets tested took very different approaches to reducing noise attenuation with both passive and active technologies. The DC P/N 40862-01 performed very well with passive attenuation at all frequency levels, mostly attributed to the heavy construction of the plastic shell, noise-reducing materials within that shell, and the gel-type ear cups that conform very well to the contours of the skull around the ears. With the ANR off, the DC headset reduced the sound level below the Army’s 85-decibel threshold for hazardous noise, and above 300 Hz, reducing it below the OSHA standard of 80 decibels. After turning the ANR on, this headset performed very well at reducing the low frequencies well below the 80-decibel level and maintained the higher frequencies well below 80 decibels. The effect of ANR is very noticeable.
The Bose model AHX-32-01 did not provide low frequency passive noise attenuation below 200 Hz, and reduced the noise level below the Army 85-decibel threshold at approximately 300 Hz. In the higher frequencies, the Bose provided very effective passive noise attenuation. After turning the ANR on, the Bose reduced noise attenuation below the 80-decibel OSHA standard across the frequency spectrum tested.
Marketing by both companies highlights findings in this unsolicited study of two commonly used ANR headsets. The DC headset is very good at passive noise attenuation in low frequencies, such as for propeller-driven airplanes, and does a good job in the high frequencies. The DC headset provides noticeable ANR especially good in the above applications. The Bose headset is more lightweight and may be more appropriate for long mission profiles based on interviews with pilots who have used both products. The ANR headset is better suited for use in jet aircraft where there is considerable noise energy above 1,000 Hz in comparison with propeller aircraft. Pilots have commented that the Bose audio clarity is excellent. No matter the make or model of headset, many studies have discovered significant reduction in performance when an eyewear frame breaks the seal of the ear cup. Caution must be taken to minimize the eyewear structure penetrating the seal. Using wire-style frames may help preclude this problem.
Individual units will have to decide which headset is appropriate to meet their needs. Many products are available through FEDLOG and commercial venders with government sales representatives are ready to assist your needs. The David Clark model is approximately $300 less than the Bose, both having a 5-year warranty. For more information, log on to their Web sites: http://www.bose.com/ and http://www.davidclark.com/.
--This article was written by CW4 Miller, CW4 Littner, CW4 Keshel (team leader), CW4 Brokaw, and CW3 Lill as a class project while attending the Warrant Officer Staff Course 05-03 at Fort Rucker, AL.
CW4 Paul Miller, CW4 David Littner, CW4 David Keshel, CW4 Elza Brokaw, and CW3 John J. Lill WOSC 05-03
Editor’s note: The active noise cancellation and active noise reduction (ANC/ANR) headsets are only appropriate for “fixed-wing” aircraft. This technology cannot be used in rotary-wing aircraft because the equipment defeats the lateral impact protection of the helmet.
As a crewmember, precise communication is imperative for crew resource management and mission success. According to studies done by Frederick V. Malmstrom, Ph.D., active noise reduction headsets significantly reduce pilot’s physical and mental fatigue, as well as loss of proficiency during flight.
In years past, there could have been a misconception that David Clark headsets were the only ones the Army allowed. This was because units were making unauthorized modifications to aircraft electrical systems to power other headset systems. The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM) fixed-wing program management office (PMO) determined that battery-powered aviation ANR headsets are authorized as long as no modifications are made to the aircraft. Many units have locally procured such headsets and have had great success with off-the-shelf ANR products.
The principle of the ANR headset is to cancel unwanted low-frequency noise. Unwanted noises are those sounds that interfere with the pilot’s reception and understanding of crewmember and air traffic control communications. Passive attenuation of high-frequency noise is accomplished mainly through the ear cup, noise-absorbing padding, and secure fitting ear seal design. By placing a miniature microphone inside the ear cup, noise entering from the flight deck through the ear cup is sensed and analyzed by an electronic circuit. The electronic signal is inverted, amplified, and transmitted through the earphone canceling out the noise, whether you are actively talking or just listening to the radio or another crewmember. Most of the electronic noise-canceling technology headsets are failsafe in that they provide individual circuits for both the ANR portion and the radio/intercom portion of the headset. If the headset power source (battery pack) or ANR electronics fail, the headset will continue to function for communications.
In accordance with testing performed at the U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory, Fort Rucker, AL, by Dr. A.J. M. Houtsma, Ph.D., both the Bose AHX 32-01 and David Clark (DC) P/N 40862-01 perform very well at reducing exposure to hazardous noise levels. Testing was performed at a flat 108 dB(A) for frequencies starting at 63 Hz extending to 4,000 Hz.
The two headsets tested took very different approaches to reducing noise attenuation with both passive and active technologies. The DC P/N 40862-01 performed very well with passive attenuation at all frequency levels, mostly attributed to the heavy construction of the plastic shell, noise-reducing materials within that shell, and the gel-type ear cups that conform very well to the contours of the skull around the ears. With the ANR off, the DC headset reduced the sound level below the Army’s 85-decibel threshold for hazardous noise, and above 300 Hz, reducing it below the OSHA standard of 80 decibels. After turning the ANR on, this headset performed very well at reducing the low frequencies well below the 80-decibel level and maintained the higher frequencies well below 80 decibels. The effect of ANR is very noticeable.
The Bose model AHX-32-01 did not provide low frequency passive noise attenuation below 200 Hz, and reduced the noise level below the Army 85-decibel threshold at approximately 300 Hz. In the higher frequencies, the Bose provided very effective passive noise attenuation. After turning the ANR on, the Bose reduced noise attenuation below the 80-decibel OSHA standard across the frequency spectrum tested.
Marketing by both companies highlights findings in this unsolicited study of two commonly used ANR headsets. The DC headset is very good at passive noise attenuation in low frequencies, such as for propeller-driven airplanes, and does a good job in the high frequencies. The DC headset provides noticeable ANR especially good in the above applications. The Bose headset is more lightweight and may be more appropriate for long mission profiles based on interviews with pilots who have used both products. The ANR headset is better suited for use in jet aircraft where there is considerable noise energy above 1,000 Hz in comparison with propeller aircraft. Pilots have commented that the Bose audio clarity is excellent. No matter the make or model of headset, many studies have discovered significant reduction in performance when an eyewear frame breaks the seal of the ear cup. Caution must be taken to minimize the eyewear structure penetrating the seal. Using wire-style frames may help preclude this problem.
Individual units will have to decide which headset is appropriate to meet their needs. Many products are available through FEDLOG and commercial venders with government sales representatives are ready to assist your needs. The David Clark model is approximately $300 less than the Bose, both having a 5-year warranty. For more information, log on to their Web sites: http://www.bose.com/ and http://www.davidclark.com/.
--This article was written by CW4 Miller, CW4 Littner, CW4 Keshel (team leader), CW4 Brokaw, and CW3 Lill as a class project while attending the Warrant Officer Staff Course 05-03 at Fort Rucker, AL.
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The lack of a coiled cable isn't really a problem for me. You do need to use some care in where you put it so it doesn't get tangled, but I haven't had a real problem. I'm in and out of an S76 all the time, and I have added a clip to the cable to clip it to my survival vest while walking around outside, so it doesn't dangle and drag the ground and my hands are free for loading baggage, etc. It's easy enough to do, and may not be necessary for everyone. You need an adapter, which is sold lots of places - Sporty's, Marv Golden, etc, for connecting the two GA plugs to a helicopter plug.
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Hi,
With the question about the Clarity Aloft headset.... I found the lead quite long but you can coil it up quite easily or get it shortened by someone like Headset services and also have a heli plug fitted to save the bulk of an adaptor. It comes with a couple of plastic crocodile clips for your shirt to stop the cable tugging the back of the headset down or you can use them to tidy the cable where necessary. I really can recommend these headsets so if you get one let us know how you found it in the R22 (it'll definately be quiet enough in that machine).
Fay
With the question about the Clarity Aloft headset.... I found the lead quite long but you can coil it up quite easily or get it shortened by someone like Headset services and also have a heli plug fitted to save the bulk of an adaptor. It comes with a couple of plastic crocodile clips for your shirt to stop the cable tugging the back of the headset down or you can use them to tidy the cable where necessary. I really can recommend these headsets so if you get one let us know how you found it in the R22 (it'll definately be quiet enough in that machine).
Fay
