David Clarke Reviews

"Steve DeMoss" wrote in message
. net...
I've owned my 15XLs for close to three years now, and haven't had a single
problem. I'll qualify that statement by saying that I *carefully* unplug
them and replace them in their carrying bag after each use, and I usually
don't leave them in the airplane in the winter, even though it is in a
hangar. Also have a pair of the QFR Solos for pax, and have no complaints
about them either.

Conversely, my DC's that I've had for six years have been dropped, banged
around, shoved in my flight bag, left in the car in 105F summers and -15F
winters. They've been bashed around on the floor of a banner plane for two
seasons, scuffed, scratched and all in all abused in just about every way.
They've been snowed on, rained on, had avgas spilled on, dropped in the mud
and on concrete.

I've wrapped the cord around the headset, and pulled out the plugs by the
cord. Not all the time, but more than once. They still work like the day I
got them. The only problem I've had was losing my mic muff two years ago.

--
Mike

Man, you find all kinds of people on this thread...

I've had a DC 13.4 for lessee, about nine years now. Still works, no
problems, comfortable for the most part, even on long five to six hour legs.
I don't smash it up as much as Mike does, but do stuff it in my flight bag,
wrap the cords around it, and- one of my ways of keeping entertained while
instructing- play "yoke toss" with it once in a while. While my student is
preflighting, they often leave the door open on the Pipers we fly. I'll
stroll over to the right side, and standing just behind the trailing edge,
toss my headset through the open door, with the intention of hooking it on
the right yoke. Most of the time it misses and either lands on the seat or
(more often) crashes to the floor. But you should see the reactions when I
do get it on the yoke. "Woah!" Just like at a carnival... g

I have seen plenty of students with DC H10-30s, which are a little cheaper.
Some have had problems with these. Minor annoyances are the screws on the
boom mike loosening, causing the mike to swing freely downward. Can be
easily tightened with a small screwdriver, but how often do you have one of
these at the start of a flight? Also, I've found I like the mike on the
H10-13.4's better, it provides noticibly clearer transmissions.

In regards to the ANR issue...Well, an ANR headset is on my list of "get
eventually" things, but not a big priority yet. I've had a chance to try a
number of ANR's out there, but I'll admit I haven't studied them that
closely. Main reason I've waited was that about two years ago I met a Peltor
headset technician in the exhibitor area at Oshkosh. I was in the market for
an ANR, and she actually discouraged me from getting one. Her explanation
was that ANR's work best for people with generally quiet aircraft that have
a dull low noise level that causes fatigue. She indicated that ANR headsets
attenuate low frequency noise well, which is what causes that fatigue over
time; but for the types of noisy general aviation aircraft that I teach in,
it would be a better value to have a good passive headset, which works
better on the high frequency noise that causes hearing damage. Just having
an ANR that "sounds really quiet" wasn't necessarily an indication of good
overall hearing protection.

Hey Mike, I don't suppose you dunked your headset in the inter-coastal
waterway too, huh?

-Eric



"Mike O'Malley" wrote in message
...

Conversely, my DC's that I've had for six years have been dropped, banged
around, shoved in my flight bag, left in the car in 105F summers and -15F
winters. They've been bashed around on the floor of a banner plane for
two
seasons, scuffed, scratched and all in all abused in just about every way.
They've been snowed on, rained on, had avgas spilled on, dropped in the
mud
and on concrete.

I've wrapped the cord around the headset, and pulled out the plugs by the
cord. Not all the time, but more than once. They still work like the day
I
got them. The only problem I've had was losing my mic muff two years ago.

"skyliner" wrote in
news:fKIgc.162440$w54.1106922@attbi_s01:

I've had a DC 13.4 for lessee, about nine years now. Still works,
no problems, comfortable for the most part, even on long five to
six hour legs. I don't smash it up as much as Mike does, but do
stuff it in my flight bag, wrap the cords around it, and- one of
my ways of keeping entertained while instructing- play "yoke toss"
with it once in a while.

I've had about the same experience with DC. I bought a set of H10-80
several years ago when I was looking for two things.
(1) A bulletproof headset that could take a lickin' and keep on
tickin'.
(2) The best passive noise reduction that was available at the time.

Since then, I've had an aftermarket ANR Kit installed and I haven't
found another headset with better noise reduction.





--
John Godwin
Silicon Rallye Inc.

(remove SPAMNOT from email address)

Minor annoyances are the screws on the
boom mike loosening, causing the mike to swing freely downward. Can be
easily tightened with a small screwdriver, but how often do you have one of
these at the start of a flight?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
ALWAYS - each and every flight.

In my flight bag I have a Leatherman gizmo and a 4 in 1 real screwdriver.

"skyliner" wrote in message
news:fKIgc.162440$w54.1106922@attbi_s01...


In regards to the ANR issue...Well, an ANR headset is on my list of "get
eventually" things, but not a big priority yet. I've had a chance to try a
number of ANR's out there, but I'll admit I haven't studied them that
closely. Main reason I've waited was that about two years ago I met a
Peltor
headset technician in the exhibitor area at Oshkosh. I was in the market
for
an ANR, and she actually discouraged me from getting one. Her explanation
was that ANR's work best for people with generally quiet aircraft that
have
a dull low noise level that causes fatigue. She indicated that ANR
headsets
attenuate low frequency noise well, which is what causes that fatigue over
time; but for the types of noisy general aviation aircraft that I teach
in,
it would be a better value to have a good passive headset, which works
better on the high frequency noise that causes hearing damage. Just having
an ANR that "sounds really quiet" wasn't necessarily an indication of good
overall hearing protection.

About what you'd expect from a salesman who's company who is getting their
ass kicked in the market. To put on an ANR headset in pretty much any spam
can and then to say, apparently with a straight face, that just because it
sounds quieter it really isn't is just assinine. I too have a pair of DC
13.4's. Absolutely no comparison. These pieces of crap will no doubt last
my lifetime, because they never get used. Saying not to get ANR is like
saying stick with Loran, GPS doesn't offer you much more.

In rec.aviation.misc Newps wrote:
: About what you'd expect from a salesman who's company who is getting their
: ass kicked in the market. To put on an ANR headset in pretty much any spam
: can and then to say, apparently with a straight face, that just because it
: sounds quieter it really isn't is just assinine. I too have a pair of DC
: 13.4's. Absolutely no comparison. These pieces of crap will no doubt last
: my lifetime, because they never get used. Saying not to get ANR is like
: saying stick with Loran, GPS doesn't offer you much more.


Not necessarily B.S... The frequencies that are hearing-damaging are not
necessarily the same as those that are annoying. The Lightspeed K/XL/G series all
*depend* on ANR to reduce the perceived noise level. That's primarily the engine and
it's harmonics (low frequency from 70-250 Hz or so). These frequencies aren't as
hearing-damaging as the mid-frequencies. These headsets have extremely poor passive
performance, and thus very poor performance at approx 1kHz. Not only that, but an
unavoidable side-effect of ANR is spillover, which for the Lightspeeds is in about the
same range. I've seen independent reviews of them showing the K/XL/G headsets
*amplifying* noise in the 1khz frequency band.

For many planes with modest noise damping material, it's not a problem. My
Cherokee has no interior, so it has *lots* of mid-frequency rattle. I cannot use the
K/XL/G headsets because the mid-frequencies are painfully loud. (I'm also more
sensitive to these frequencies than most people). I did, however, purchase a
Lightspeed QFR XC2, since it's got very good passive, and mild active. I'm very
satisfied with it... doesn't cut out as much of the engine drone as the K/XL/G
versions, but the clamping is very low, and mid-frequency attenuation is much better.

In short, for most planes with some modest noise-proofing where the engine
is extra-loud, the Lightspeed K/XL/G headsets are great. Very comfortable and light.
They're plastic, so a bit fragile... especially in the cold. They have a very good
"wow-factor" at making the engine noise go away... that's how they sell a lot. For my
situation, however, they don't work at the sensitive mid-frequencies.

YMMV
-Cory

--
************************************************** ***********************
* The prime directive of Linux: *
* - learn what you don't know, *
* - teach what you do. *
* (Just my 20 USm$) *
************************************************** ***********************

These headsets have extremely poor passive
performance, and thus very poor performance at approx 1kHz.


Says who? That's just not true. It's true for the Bose, though.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

In rec.aviation.misc Thomas Borchert wrote:
: These headsets have extremely poor passive
: performance, and thus very poor performance at approx 1kHz.
:

: Says who? That's just not true. It's true for the Bose, though.

Lightspeed themselves on their review, IIRC. I know I saw it on a frequency
response chart somewhere. My personal experience bears it out as well... REALLY crap at
1Khz-3kHz or so. They also boost those frequencies (not coincidentally the part of the
spectrum required for intelligible speech) coming from the radio so it's louder, "clearer"
and "more intelligible." I can't take the "louder" part in my rattly airplane and make it
a no-go.

As always, YMMV, but the numbers don't lie. Like I said, I've discovered that I'm overly
sensitive to that frequency range compared to most.
-Cory

--
************************************************** ***********************
* The prime directive of Linux: *
* - learn what you don't know, *
* - teach what you do. *
* (Just my 20 USm$) *
************************************************** ***********************