Anybody have any ideas on this one?

I fought this battle, too. Started with a $7.00 (that's not a typo)
used headset that my CFI (also an A&P, also an avionics tech) had
repaired. They were better than nothing, which is what I was wearing
before.

After suffering with those for a year, I bought a pair of Flightcom
Eclipse. Reasonably priced, very comfortable, almost NO noise
attenuation at all.

After suffering with headaches for a year, I bought a pair of Flightcom
DX5s (or whatever they were called). Excellent noise attenuation, but
they clamped your head like Dave Clarks. (They were basically DC
knock-offs) Hurt like hell after an hour.

After suffering with those for a year, I finally broke down and bought
a pair of early LightSpeeds. Excellent comfort, excellent noise
attenuation, and ZERO durability. You could almost literally watch
them break while hanging on the yoke. They were back to LightSpeed
multiple times.

This has gone on for 11 years. I'm finally satisified with my
Lightspeed Twenty 3Gs. They are excellent, comfortable, and durable.
They have a cell phone attachment, auto-shut-off, bass and treble
controls. Battery life is good.

Bottom line: If I had bought the stupid Bose back at the start, I'd be
money ahead. But who knew?

Good luck with building your own -- but I think you'll find that you'll
eventually have to bite the bullet and buy "real" ones...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"