Help with ANR Headphones

Hello everyone.

I have been flying with a regular headphone (passive noise reduction)
and have been considering buying an ANR headphone as soon as I get my
private license.

I would like to ask what types of tips people who have used them have
and also whether I will really have to spend $500+ for a headset. I
know the Bose costs $995 and that is out of my range. I saw a GCA (Gulf
Coast Avionics) ANR for about $250. Has anyone tried these? Are they
good or will I be better off with some other one?

Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Thanks,
Alex Vasconcelos

Hi Alex,

I was in the same boat as you about a year ago.

I would suggest, if possible, flying with a couple of different models
before buying one. I borrowed a friend's Bose headset and tested a pair
of David Clark's. While the Bose were a bit more comfortable, they
weren't $500 more comfortable. If I flew 8 hours a day, however, I
would have bought them...

A friend who borrowed my headset, however, HATED it.

In .com a.vasconcelos@
att.net wrote:
Hello everyone.

I have been flying with a regular headphone (passive noise reduction)
and have been considering buying an ANR headphone as soon as I get my
private license.

I would like to ask what types of tips people who have used them have
and also whether I will really have to spend $500+ for a headset. I
know the Bose costs $995 and that is out of my range. I saw a GCA (
Gulf Coast Avionics) ANR for about $250. Has anyone tried these? Are
they good or will I be better off with some other one?

Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Thanks,
Alex Vasconcelos

wrote in message
oups.com

Any suggestions will be appreciated.

I haven't tried the Bose, but I did get a chance to try a David Clark model.
I ended up buying the Pilot 17-76:
http://www.pilot-avionics.com/html/h...freedomanr.htm

I also own a SoftComm C-90 set (now "C-300"):
http://www.softcommheadsets.com/avia.../headsets.html

Both are good, but I prefer the Pilot set for my regular flying. As far as
performance is concerned, both the SoftComm and Pilot set seem comparable to
the David Clark model I tried for significantly less money.

--
John T
http://tknowlogy.com/TknoFlyer
http://www.pocketgear.com/products_s...veloperid=4415
____________________

I would like to ask what types of tips people who have used them have

I use the Lightspeed 20XLc. Here's what I don't like about them:

1. The standard foam earcups make crispy noises, and they're hard as a rock
on cold days.

2. The optional gel earcups are not crispy, but they're thinner and make the
headset too loose on my head. There's no adjustment for tightness of fit. I
had to go back to the crispy ones.

3. The volume control dongle

a. The volume control sliders slide too easily. One bump against your
leg and everything's quiet all of a sudden. I put a piece of electrical tape
on it to hold the sliders in place... looks great.

b. The ANR on-off button turns off too easily. One bump against your leg
and everything's loud all of a sudden. Not much to do about it.

c. The dongle is never where you want it. I tried holding it in my lap,
but a) and b) kept happening, so I kludged up a metal clip on the back so I
could clip it onto the map pocket... looks great.

The ANR works fine. I realize this is probably more than you wanted to know,
but the moral of the story for me anyway is to spend the money on a set that
fits well and has the controls in a sensible location before worrying about
ANR.

-Tom

--
Tom Young
t e y o u n g 1 @ c o m c a s t . n e t
(remove _this_ to reply)

Try a few different models but go for ATC intelligibility and comfort, in
that order If your hearing is crisp (you're young and haven't blasted your
ears with rock n' roll), many headsets will do, and comfort will reign
supreme. If your hearing is not good, the higher-end headsets need a listen
because (ostensibly) they have higher quality drivers in the cups and ATC
will be clearer. Shop for headsets like you would shop for a pair of
quality hi-fi speakers. Go for the sound, not the shill, no matter what
color.

BTW, I had a pair of inexpensive sets converted to ANR. Bad move; they
sounded like crap. They sounded better before and after, when I had them
"un-converted".




wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello everyone.

I have been flying with a regular headphone (passive noise reduction)
and have been considering buying an ANR headphone as soon as I get my
private license.

I would like to ask what types of tips people who have used them have
and also whether I will really have to spend $500+ for a headset. I
know the Bose costs $995 and that is out of my range. I saw a GCA (Gulf
Coast Avionics) ANR for about $250. Has anyone tried these? Are they
good or will I be better off with some other one?

Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Thanks,
Alex Vasconcelos

In a previous article, "R.L." said:
BTW, I had a pair of inexpensive sets converted to ANR. Bad move; they
sounded like crap. They sounded better before and after, when I had them
"un-converted".

I had my Dave Clarks converted, and they're great.


--
Paul Tomblin http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/
Why is there only one Monopolies and Mergers Commission?
-- JNP

I would like to ask what types of tips people who have used them have
and also whether I will really have to spend $500+ for a headset.

No. Have a look at LightSPEED's range at www.anrheadsets.com.

I
know the Bose costs $995 and that is out of my range. I saw a GCA (Gulf
Coast Avionics) ANR for about $250. Has anyone tried these? Are they
good or will I be better off with some other one?

Have a close look at the Lightspeed QFR XCc. Then look again at the
GCA...

Besides ANR, comfort is the key thing about a headset. This is
individual, but I would say you'd be hard pressed to find a better
combination of ANR, comfort and value than the Lightspeed 20XLc. I think
DC and its clone designs are WAY overpriced - and very uncomfortable,
too. But that's something to be tried. You can do that in a pilot shop -
or make use of money-back-guarantees.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

I use the Lightspeed 20XLc. Here's what I don't like about them:

Lightspeed's newer Twenty 3G series of ANR headphones address nearly every
problem you mention (and a few you don't mention, like their poor
workmanship and durability) with the 20XLs.

I've owned Lightspeeds from their first 15s. The old ones worked great,
when they worked. The new ones are close to perfect.

I'd buy another pair of Twenty (or Thirty) 3Gs in a heartbeat.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Lightspeed's newer Twenty 3G series of ANR headphones address nearly every
problem you mention (and a few you don't mention, like their poor
workmanship and durability) with the 20XLs.

So, I get to look forward to them falling apart also? I just keep getting
happier with these things.

--
Tom Young
t e y o u n g 1 @ c o m c a s t . n e t
(remove _this_ to reply)

I have a pair of the FlightCom Denali headsets. Love them. All
leather pads that seal with very low clamping pressure, within 1 oz of
the Bose and sound great.

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