Lightspeed: Upgrade 25XL w/Cell Adaptor or Upgrade to 30 3G

I don't use the music input on the 30-3g since I have stereo inputs built
into the plane. It does sound great (satellite radio or DVD) through the
headsets, and with very little background noise.

Listening to unicom/approach/awos and the cell phone at the same time can be
a little confusing. I find myself pushing the mike button when answering
people on the cell phone over the headsets! The cell phone does not mute
with radio traffic, but as I recall, the stereo input does mute.

I can't quantify how much less the battery life is with the 30-3g's, but it
seems like the claim of 50 hours is a bit optimistic. It seemed noticeable,
although compared side by side the active sound attenuation in the 30-3g is
superior (also hard to quantify).

Put together, I would buy a new 30-3g over a refurbished 25XL, even with the
cellphone adapter. The improved sound attenuation alone was worth it, and
customer service has been great. True, they aren't built like tanks like a
Dave Clark, but they aren't as heavy and don't clamp your head either. I
compared them to Bose's latest, and I thought the ANR from the Lightspeeds
was superior. I simply couldn't justify the added cost (nearly double) for
the Bose.

Good luck.