Lightspeed Headset Update

The 15s, 20s, 15XLs, 20XLs, and 25XLs are all their "old" models. They
had known durability "issues" with those models

I have a problem with a company that sells items with "known durability
issues".

They're not selling the crappy ones anymore.

Lightspeed learned about their QC problems over time, and addressed them
very aggressively. (They GAVE me a $450 headset to keep me as a customer.)

True, it would've been better for them to make the product right from the
get-go, but remember, Lightspeed was new to the aviation industry when they
busted the ANR market wide-open. They just made the first generation too
fragile to hold up to daily in-cockpit use.

It's hard to fault a company when they take the bull by horns and fix
things.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay,

They just made the first generation too
fragile to hold up to daily in-cockpit use.


Mine does (20K, still going strong since 1997). Sometimes I really
wonder what people do to 500-$-plus investments...

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

Thomas Borchert wrote:

Sometimes I really
wonder what people do to 500-$-plus investments...

Headsets are handled multiple times, often stored when not in use, and are
adjusted frequently. They should be designed to take normal wear without
failure. I can guarantee that my Lightspeed 25s and 3Gs were subjected to
normal, not excessive, wear and tear, yet they suffered various structural
failures very early in their lives. They also suffered from numerous ANR
service problems having nothing to do with the user.

Many of the later models of Lightspeed headsets have a negative history in
these groups, so it would seem that recurring Q/C issues are not a fault of
the consumer, but rather the company.

BTW, headsets are not an investment, they are an expense.

--
Peter
























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Jay Honeck wrote:

It's hard to fault a company when they take the bull by horns and fix
things.

.... and give you a free headset.

--
Peter
























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Peter R. wrote:
Jay Honeck wrote:


It's hard to fault a company when they take the bull by horns and fix
things.


... and give you a free headset.

I really admire the company for standing by their product and trying to
make things right with me. I'm a quality assurance manager for large
telecommunications company that is very much customer focused. In the
conversations I had with both of the executives I spoke with, they both echoed
their commitment quality and pleasing the customer. That is
why I'm willing to stick with them.

When I originally went to purchase the headsets, I had it narrowed down to 2
brands, Bose and Lightspeed. Comfort/fit, perceived value, features and cost
were my main criteria. The problem I had justifying the Bose were the cost vs
the features. I really liked them but found the fit, comfort and performance of
the Lightspeeds to be about the same as the Bose. However, Bose did not offer
the cellphone/MP3 interface like Lightspeed. The cell phone/MP3 interface wasn't
a high priority, originally for me, but as I have come to use it, I really like
the feature. As a member of a flying club (note: non owner), I fly several
different airplanes. I appreciate the easy solution of adding the interface to
the headset.

I also, was impressed with the staff that manned the Lightspeed booth. I found
them to be cordial, friendly and genuinely willing to listen to my every
question. While both were very professional, I felt that
the Lightspeed team was more open and accessible to me the potential customer.
So I went with the Lightspeeds. When they work, I really enjoy them and
can easily see why folks say ANR really does make a difference in terms
of pilot fatigue during longer trips.

My background is in electrical engineering & computer science. What bothers me
is the fact that I did not really abuse the headset, In fact, I treated them
very carefully. I always placed them in the nice padded bag the came in after
use. I do not wrap the cords, I fold them gently when placing the headset in
the bag. I also, treated the switch box carefully, ensuring not to bang it
around. So my main concern is are all ANR heads sets so temperamental, or is
Lightspeeds problem with the battery switch box, a problem of poor design, or
use of inferior components. I mentioned that concern to one of the executives.
They told me that they are in process of redesigning the battery switch box,
so with out saying anything more, I guess I can make my own judgment about that.

So that is why I'm posting this here, since it is my experience and I thought
it would add value to share with rest of the newsgroup.

I really hope my problems with the headset are behind me, so I can start
enjoying my flying and not have to carry a backup set of the old DC's that
saw me through my training hours.

Kevin Kubiak

My background is in electrical engineering & computer science. What
bothers me is the fact that I did not really abuse the headset, In fact, I
treated them very carefully.

Yep, that was my experience, too -- with the older models. They would just,
well, *break*, sitting in the plane. One minute they would work, the next
flight they wouldn't.

VERY frustrating.

All is well now, thankfully, with their later models. (For me, anyway.)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"