Buying a headset?

[Baron15]

I'm going to be flying this summer and was wondering what a good headset might be? 
I leanning towards a David Clark set but I don't know which one. Anybody know whats a good model? I'm thinking in the 300 dollar range the 600 dollar is a a bit pricey for me.  These prices are off of Sporty's, so if anyone has any thoughts I'd be glad to hear them 

Thanks Matt. 

Oh and I believe I'm starting in a  C152 that or a 172 if I'm lucky.

[Mike]

Did you see the "headset" thread by plthijnx in our "general discussion" forum?
Looks like a pretty good one to me. Maybe you can ask him.

I love the David Clarks personally. I don't know much about the noise canceling systems to be honest. Call me an "old fasioned guy". Like with a gun, I look at a headset as a "life-long" investment. I wouldn't go cheap and take the chance of it breaking in the air and/or having to buy a new one after only a few times of use.

[Baron15]

Yeah I saw the his headset thread alittle too late sorry about that.  The headset he suggest looks pritty good to me.  I wasn't thinking of getting a cheap headset I really want something that will last.  And the reason I was lookin at David Clarks was I've seen most pilots where I work with them.  I haven't asked them about them but I will next time i go in. 

Heres a story though, one of the pilots had a headset that was sound canceling.   But in order for it to work the cigarette lighter sockets need to work. Well alot of the planes in the fleet either don't have working cigarette lighters or don't have them at all becuase well you arn't suppost to smoke, and no ones need them to work until he started wearing hes new headset.  So he went without the cancelation part of the headset for awhile. 

[Sleek-Jet]

I've always lusted after a pair of David Clarks... but my budget only allowed me to buy a pair of AvComm's... that was over a decade ago.  I haven't had any problems with them.  I bought the top of the line AC-900's (the stereo/mono with a PTT built into one of the ear cups).  I think they are still priced under two hundred.  They are a little heavier than DC's, but with the air cusion head band and liquid filled ear seals, I never noticed any fatigue after wearing them for several hours on end.

The Telex Echelon passive headsets are pretty nice and seem to hold up well.  I had a couple in my airplane for passangers. 

[Gulfstream Driver]

I had a pair of Av-Comms all through school.  They work very well, especially for short hops (i.e. training).  They did get fatiguing after a couple of hours of continuous wear.  But, it was nice having the extra PTT if I ever needed it.

If you're looking for noise cancelling, Lightspeed has an affordable model, but they tend to be kind of fragile.  Lightspeed will fix any problems you have, but you have to send them in and be without your headseat for a few weeks.  Bose, obviously, are top of the line, but are probably out of your price range ($1000). 

I have the DC H20-10XL.  They were about $650 through Tropic Aero out of Florida and well worth the money.  They use a 9V battery.  Don't get the panel powered model unless you have your own airplane and never fly anything else.  Don't get the cigarette adapters either.  They'd be more hassel than anything.

Mike is right about getting what you pay for.  If you're just a weekend pilot that doesn't stray far from home, get a cheaper model.  If flying is going to be a career, pony up the bucks.  Above all, do some research.  Look all over.  Check out e-bay.  I found a Bose set for $600 on e-bay (didn't stay that cheap very long), so you never know.

[Ted_Stryker]

Well, I have to agree with Mike.  David Clark's are really nice.  You can often find them on eBay (yes... I know... but I'm not talking about buying a plane there.... heheheh) for very reasonable prices.  I have 3 David Clark's that have served me very, very well.  The only thing that went wrong with them was one that I had to get a new mic and wire for when it fell out of the plane onto the ramp and the wire got slammed in the door on one of my H10-30's (a passenger of mine was exiting and took a spill, with foot catching the wire, on the way out of the C-172 I was flying once).

I've had really good luck with even the out-of-warranty repairs (something very important with such expensive equipment).  David Clark is very responsive to any repair requests, and they are very reasonable on pricing.  I own two H10-30's, and one H10-40, all of which I found on eBay at various times.  Been using them now for about four years with great performance.

One thing you can also do, if you don't like the headpad or ear cushions that come with various headsets, is to get some from Oregon Aero.  I outfitted my H10-40 with their earcups and headband, along with the speaker suspension kit... all for about $99 at the time.  I bought that headset for $130 on eBay, so all combined it ran me about $229 + SH, and got a headset that performs at or above an ANR Bose Headset which could easily run over $1000.

Oh, the wire and mic repair on the H10-30 that got dinged was out-of-warranty, and David Clark completely re-speced the headset to bring it up to new condition, (new mic and plugs and wires along with a general checkup and cleaning), and that repair ran me about $100.  I had bought the two H10-30's as a pair, along with a headset bag, for about $150 on eBay... so again, you can really come out way ahead shopping there for things and get good quality stuff.  Just make sure you use the usual caution with eBay by researching your seller, and viewing the product photos carefully.

Hope this helps out... and welcome to aviation!!

[Plthijnx]

I have to say that I really like my headsetsinc em-1 i flew 8.9 hours yesterday with it. it runs off of a 9V battery but when the battery dies it is pretty noisy so an additiional battery in the bag is wise. for my back up I have a set of david clark H20-10's that I like. but, hey, if you've got the grand to spend on bose, go for it!!

I need to start another thread about yesterday's flight. the last 3 hours were pretty hair raising due to WX......

[fireflyrrforgottosignon]

HEADSETS------Buy the best ones you can afford, noise canceling prefered!!!!!!!!!!!

When I started flying there were few if any decent ones available and I flew my first 20 years without them so as a result I have tinnitus and a hearing loss due to auditory trauma.    Due to the severity of the tinnitus I cannot wear hearing aids because sound amplification will aggrevate the ringing in my ears and does not clarify the muffled sounds I hear----dontcha know I go through the wringer every year when I renew my physical!!!
About 1975 I bought a set of David Clarks which I used until 4 years ago and which I still carry as a backup.  At that time I bought a Bose which really works well to sort out the sounds for me.   I will stop short of reccomending the Bose though because if the battery dies they are less than useless, with a dead battery, the cabin noise level actually seems to INCREASE!!!  In addition, Bose is way overpriced and they are arrogant bastards if you try to have any after-purchase problems resolved.
David Clark, Lightspeed, and other manufacturers all have headsets that cancel noise passively even if the power to the ENC function is interrupted and I would stongly urge you to buy these brands after trying them out in the cockpit.
 I broke the earcup stirrup on my Dave Clarks 5 years ago and they furnished the part and repaired them at NO CHARGE, even after being told the headset was 25 years old!!!!   
I cannot emphasize strongly enough the need to protect your hearing, take it from an old pilot who learned the hard way---it is not fun to be hard-of-hearing even though most insenitive (and stupid) jerks say "HUH?" when you tell them you are.   GEE, this brings up another subject--why do morons think it's funny if you're hard of hearing but if you said you were going blind, they would feel bad for you?   I've gotta sign off now but if anyone makes a funny crack about being deaf, I'll personaly come over and show you a way to wear a headset that nature made no accomodations for!

[SkyKing]

HEADSETS------Buy the best ones you can afford, noise canceling prefered!!!!!!!!!!!

When I started flying there were few if any decent ones available and I flew my first 20 years without them so as a result I have tinnitus and a hearing loss due to auditory trauma.   

You and me both, though mine doesn't seem to be as bad as yours.  Remember all those war-surplus headbphones, with the leather donuts for seals?

I LOVE active noise reduction.  I wish I could put it in the flight helmet that I wear in the open cockpit, but the air blast would defeat the electronics. 

Hey, you YOUNG GUYS!

TAKE CARE OF YOUR EARS.  Hearing damage is PERMANENT and CUMULATIVE.  We didn't know this when I was a kid, but we know it now.  The Dead Heads of yesterday are DEAF Heads today!


. . .and you really don't think it's serious, until you realize how much you miss hearing some of the things which you can only remember . . .

[fireflyr]

Hey, Skyking,
You have some interesting posts, howcomewhyisit you don't join the family of users so we can know ya better---sounds like you're "experienced" (alluded to as elderly by some--in good humor) we'd like to get to know you.

[Frank N. O.]

Thanks for the advice on the ears, I love all kinds of music even several rock and roll tunes but I can't stand loud nosies, basically all my senses are oversensitive compared to normal people so I get earpains and cringe with volumes that even adults with normal good hearing are accepting, and I'm not even going to start on bass-boost and people with more watts in the sound-system of their car than in the engine, I'm happy with a normal std. original car-radio like Ford's digital units for instance and a performance-exhuast for me is something that helps the engine efficiency but doesn't make more noise out the back, for my use all engine-sound should be from the engine and intake, not the exhuast, that can't be used by the driver to drive the car anyway, and I'm sure that can be transferred to airplanes with the engine in front of the cabin as well.

How loud is a normal GA single like a Skyhawk and co on the inside? I've seen some pictures and videoclips with a pilot without a headset on, and older versions of GA planes didn't have headsets but a handheld microphone like a CB Radio which leaves me to wonder where the speakers were. I didn't really think the Cardinal I flew in was that loud and I think the DC headsets were PNC (passive noise cancelation correct?) I think they were 10-30s, the classic wire-boom model.

Frank

[Mike]

Hey, you YOUNG GUYS!

TAKE CARE OF YOUR EARS.  Hearing damage is PERMANENT and CUMULATIVE.  We didn't know this when I was a kid, but we know it now.  The Dead Heads of yesterday are DEAF Heads today!

I just bought a SPH-5 helmet with noise reduction!!
What a difference!! I love it!!
Wasn't cheap, but I look at it as a "life time investment"

[Mike]

Hey, Skyking,
You have some interesting posts, howcomewhyisit you don't join the family of users so we can know ya better---sounds like you're "experienced" (alluded to as elderly by some--in good humor) we'd like to get to know you.

I just asked the same question in a different post before I read this one.
I am with flireflyer there, come join us!!

[Gulfstream Driver]

Coffee-can exhaust on a car is for other people to hear, not the driver.  I guess it's supposed to be impressive.   

Our 172 can get quite loud.  Not sure what decibel level it's at, but without headsets, it can get uncomfortable.  Our plane also has a handheld mike (original equipment, even).  The speaker's in the headliner.

[fireflyr]

Coffee-can exhaust on a car is for other people to hear, not the driver. I guess it's supposed to be impressive.

Our 172 can get quite loud. Not sure what decibel level it's at, but without headsets, it can get uncomfortable. Our plane also has a handheld mike (original equipment, even). The speaker's in the headliner.

I didn't buy my first headset until after my hearing was damaged by using cabin speakers for a bunch of years, can't even imagine doing that again!