ANR Headsets
 

Which product achieves good balance between passive and active noise reduction in speech frequencies.
Many manufacturers confuse issue by quoting attenuation figures in a range of inappropriate? frequencies.
Hoping to hear from all those single and twin piston pilots with 'ears on' experience who can recommend the best.
(If that's allowed on Pprune)

I had a DC 13.4 standard passive headset and recently bought the add-on ANR kit from Adams Aviation. It cost around £140 and required some nifty work with a soldering iron. The ANR is absolutely brilliant, but I think that when the ANR is off the passive attenuation is less good than it was before. It might be to do with having to remove some of the insulation material to fit the slightly bulkier ANR electronics into the ear cup.

Much recommend the ANR bit, though!

Was there much difference in the sound quality with the new speakers etc?

I think the sound quality is better now, but that may be because the extraneous noise has been filtered out.

The only point I would mention is that if you shake your head you get a strange resonance, maybe caused by the microphones sensing noise and trying to cancel it out. It's not annoying, and doesn't occur with normal head movement for lookout etc.

I use the DC H10-13-XL ANR headset. It's a pleasure to flick the ANR switch on just after engine startup. So quiet!
I strongly recommend it.

Cheers

POL