On Tuesday, February 5, 2019 at 7:11:51 AM UTC-8, wrote:
What is the best value noise canceling headset for a motor glider.

Since the back seat persons head in only inches from the motor - I want to protect their hearing.

WH

I'd suggest trying the Bose QC20. You can try them for 30 days and bring them back to Bose for a full refund. I've tried several other in-ear solutions, including the very high end Etymotic version. The very good ones do give good noise isolation, but they are fiddly to install in the ear and for me uncomfortable after several hours. The ones with very high quality foam or a custom molded insert work much better than the cheaper versions. The Bose have been independently tested by several labs, and have noise cancellation rivaling or in many cases exceeding over-the-ear versions, and in most cases exceeding in-ear noise isolation plugs. It is frequency dependent (better at lower frequencies, near 40 db) but that is the noise from an engine. They are not really an in-ear device, rather there is a silicone seal that seals the ear channel without protruding inside, which for me makes them comfortable to use for many hours, and very easy to put on or take off (no squishing or rolling of foam). There is no microphone, I use a Plantronics MS50T30 lip mike which others tell me works very well, engine on or off.