Originally Posted by
kansas
It seems that among the pilot community, especially the turboprop (read: loud) guys that I fly with, the Bose X is regarded as the best there is. I'd say that 80% of our pilot group flies with it, and I've never heard a single complaint about it. I bought mine off of Ebay when I was instructing, and it was not fun to pay for, but the best thing about it is that if I really feel that it's not necessary, I could easily sell it back on Ebay for $800. If you buy yours new, their warranty and service matches, and maybe surpasses, that of David Clark. They pick it up at your door and do not charge you for shipping or repair within 5 years, and in some cases, even longer. It takes up very little room (unlike the lightspeeds), and is ultra-comfortable, even on 7-8 leg days. Noise reduction is incredible...it'l make whatever aircraft you're training in now sound like a mini weed-eater. Just my two cents. If you have a chance to try before you buy (or better yet, compare), I would suggest doing so. Good luck!
I have three complaints about my Bose. One, it squeezes my outer ears and really hurts after a couple of hours. Two, the material on the ear padding has flacked off and unless I use a fleece cover, I have black stuff all over the side of my face. Third, the ear pads have come unglued and seperated from the ear phone. They are about 2.5 years old. I keep them indoors, and never leave them in the plane (since they might get stolen and to avoid extreme hot or cold temps).