Hello Tom,

I know price is somewhat of a concern to you. I agree with other
people saying that you should try the headsets. I was in OSH last
year and they've got these booths where they simulate the sound of your
plane and you can try on a dozen different headsets. I didn't do any
research when i go there and have been flying with ****ty old Dave
Clarks (something I imagine cost $99 at one time).

Anyhow... i closed my eyes and had my girlfriend hand me headset after
headset. This way I wouldn't be swayed by name brand. At the end of
the day it came down to Bose for me. They were light, comfortable and
super quiet. They were also 400$ more than my second choice.

I hummed and hawwed a while and walked around. The thought of
spending that much money wasn't great. But i couldn't do the 9 hour
flight back home with the headsets I had. I talked to one of the main
techy guys at the Bose booth and he really reassured me of their
product. If there were problems he said that theyd' take care of me.
Very trusting guy. I didn't as warm a feeling and welcome from the
other manufacturers. Keep in mind, I was dressed like I drove to OSH
in a 87 Pinto and couldn't afford a $5 hamburger no less a $100 one.
So for them to put the time in with me where other hadn't meant a great
deal.

In the end I bought the Bose. I've got, hopefully, lots of years left
in aviation and if your prorate it over a number of years, the
difference of $400 between headsets doesn't add up to too much over say
5 or 10 years.

This is by far the best investment in aviation I've made.

So bottom line... try a bunch... don't be swayed by the brand.... and
buy the ones you like best. If you can't afford them now, I'd wait and
save some more $ and then buy them. Otherwise you'll always be saying,
"these are good... but not as good as the ones I should have bought".

Just my 2 cents.

Let us know what you decide.

-dr

wrote:
Hi folks - I'm new to the group - I have my ppl checkride in a couple
of weeks, and when I have it done I'll probably do mostly short
sightseeing and medium cross-country flights.

I'd love some advice on what headset to buy. Everybody always says
"it's a personal thing" but that obviously doesn't really give me much
indication of what I should consider.

I'm not looking to pay top dollar but I'm willing to spend the money to
get something good and comfortable - I don't just want an entry-level
headset that I'll want to replace before long.

What do you recommend? What are the main features I should be looking
for? Which manufacturers have the best reputations? Any specific model
recommendations?

Thanks, I appreciate it,

Tom