Flying on the Cheap -- Headsets

That 1/4" phone plug will be around for a long time yet, until
cordless headsets become universal. Technological inertia is massive,
and things in wide use don't change quickly. It's the same reason we
still have analog TV and radio; the broadcasters would love to go to a
digital signal but they'd lose a huge chunk of the advertising market.
Most of us use older equipment that works well enough. We have other
things to spend money on. Even cellphone companies have to accommodate
the old analog phones still in use.
As a mechanic, I appreciate idiot-proof 1/4" and 7/32" plugs.
They're strong, easy to clean, and are about the last thing to fail on
a headset. The cord is the weak point on most headsets I fix. It'll
fail right at the plug where it gets bent hard and often by clumsy
pilots or their friends, and these people also insist on wrapping the
cord tightly around the headset when they put it away, bending the cord
at the earcup and failing it there, too. David Clark has a much better
cord than most, along with the rest of the headset. Using better
materials means fewer comebacks.
I can't imagine the smaller cord needed for the 1/8" plug
lasting anywhere near as long as the 1/4" plug's cord.
The internal-combustion engine (as we know it) was built in
1876 and we're still using it. It's lighter, more powerful and
reliable, but the basic engine is still there.
What we really need is an aircraft tire that is as round and
as well balanced as the average cheapo auto tire. Or panel-mounted
radios that cost little more than the handhelds. Or a Chinese aircraft
manufacturer that isn't concerned with huge profits or product
liability insurance add-ons but could still build a certifiable
airplane.

Dan