Headset Recommendations?

[Tailspin]

Perfect timing..
Not looking to get the headset until I get my license..
Probably within a month...


Mark

[SportPilot]

.......

[Tailspin]

Decided on the Sennheiser S1 Noisegard ANR.

Mark

[drseti]

I've never used the Sennheiser, but since the company is a corporate member of the Flying Musicians Association, I gotta say good things about them!

[3Dreaming]

I think it is supposed to be good at the frequencies that the Rotax operates.

[Tailspin]

Somebody said that they suck with 2 stroke...
But the Sportstar has a Rotax 912 which is a 4 stroke....

Mark

[3Dreaming]

I was speaking of the 912, sometimes I forget that Rotax builds anything else.

[HAPPYDAN]

I bought a Sennheiser PNR HME 110. About $300, works good, very well made. Pretty comfortable even with glasses. I had tried a couple of different ANR types, and found both had annoying clicks, hums and beeps that really bugged me. But those were owned by the flying school, so who knows what kind of abuse they've had!

[sandpiper]

I've had Telex Stratus 50's for 6-7 years and love them. A couple years ago I got a Lightspeed Zulu.2 and have been disappointed with it.

[Jack Tyler]

Tailspin, there's the 'personal' side to a headset purchase (fit, features, etc.) and the technology side (where the compromises lie, the different choices each mfgr. makes, etc.). While each anecdotal comment is interesting in its own right, I suggest you also consult some comparative evaluations. The best single evaluation I've seen on headsets (for LS, Senn & Bose ANR models) was done by Sporty's Webinar Series. Not only did it thoroughly discuss the technology & performance differences in depth but the speaker(s) had used all three headsets for many flights on piston and turbine aircraft. It was excellent, lacked even a hint of a sales pitch (except that they were only discussing high-end headsets), and the bottom line was that all three mfgrs. offered headsets with excellent performance but with only slight, possibly meaningful differences. The best second source of evaluations IMO are the headset assessments done by Aviation Consumer (aviationconsumer.com). If you are not a member, subscribing to AC may be your best single way to save your aviation fiscal resources after bumming flights in other people's aircraft. AC has an excellent longitudinal perspective on both the ANR & non-ANR headset choices, which 'improvements' are meaningful and which are less so, and they are known to be relatively impartial. Best of all: Subscribing means you have access on-line to their entire inventory of articles, going back many years.

FWIW I just finished two 1700 mile flights swapping back 'n forth between LS Zulus and my first-gen DC ANR. Frankly, I didn't find the Zulus to make my flying that much more pleasant. They also seem to eat batteries faster, which left me thinking about the Bose connector previously installed in my Grumman - no batteries to replace mid-flight! I returned an in-ear headset because I found it hard to consistently get a good seal and also found them fiddly - e.g. when inserting to taxi, then removing to pick up a clearance at my rural airport via cell phone, then reinserting and again hoping for that hard-to-get seal.

Contrary to the other posts, I'd urge you to spend as little as possible for a passive headset that does an excellent job of protecting your hearing and is comfortable on your head. AC's articles can help you identify those 'premium passives' ...OR you can shop for a used ANR unit owned by someone who simply MUST have the latest model. Flying is safest and most enjoyable when its done regularly, and that takes ongoing funding. Give yourself some time to learn just how important flying is to your future lifestyle, which kind of aircraft you are likely to end up flying, and then make the big headset purchase (if you must make one at all). You've discovered you don't need to be flying an expensive or brand new aircraft to learn how to fly and to enjoy yourself while doing it. I don't believe headsets are any different.

[FallenBrick]

If you are on a budget but want decent ANR try http://www.thesquawkshoppe.com

[howardnmn]

I've flown hundreds of hours using David Clark passive headsets. E.g., 13.4 and had no complaints. I now fly with light speed Zulu anr. Big price differential. But can't say more expensive headset made experience any better.

Also, changing batteries on Zulu is a pain.

Unless you expect to fly Very noisy aircraft buy the David clark passive headset. Your wallet will thank me for it.

[Tunny]

I, like many of you, think that you should try more than one headset to determine what works and feels good.

Aircraft Spruce provided that capability for us. As I was flying into KFFC every Friday, it was easy borrowing the airport vehicle to run over to Aircraft Spruce to return and purchase a different pair.

Within the last year, or so, purchased and returned the following:

David Clark - Pro X
Lightspeed - Zulu PFX
Clarity Aloft

Each were good, but had some little nag that kept me searching.

Even purchased the Bose - QC15 with UFlyMike (which I still have that the kids use without the mic.) The boom on the UFlyMike is a little short. Other than that it worked pretty well. Close, but no cigar.
Be aware that UflyMike has been working on their new unit for over a year, withdrawing their existing mic setup for many months, new unit now planned for a November release.

Eventually ended up with
Bose – A20's. The only drawback to the Bose is their tendency to finish the battery in the pattern. Big scramble to change batteries quickly.

All of the above headsets got a workout, both in an LSA and a Cessna 182.

[Scooper]

I have two David Clark H10-13.4 passive headsets which I modified to active noise cancelling with the Active Headsets Inc. ANR kits. The modification took me about an hour for each headset, and they are both comfortable and effective (-23 dBA noise reduction installed in the H10-13.4 headsets). I purchased two of their $39 PM-012 12 volt panel mounted power modules so I could use ship's power in my LSA and not fiddle with changing batteries. When I use them in others' airplanes, I use the 9v battery box supplied with the ANR kits.

I have used Bose, Lightspeed, David Clark, and Sennheiser ANR headsets in the past, and think these modified DC H10-13.4s are competitive in comfort, clarity, and noise reduction with any of the others at a fraction of the cost.