Boogerface

I don't really want to drop over a grand for a headset like Bose, so I'm looking at DC or Telex. The question is, is it worth it to pay almost twice as much for noise cancelling? I know that the 73 can be a bit noisy, and of course crew outfitters is trying to sell me a more expensive headset. Just looking for some reccomendations. Thanks.

Name User

Howard Leight rubber ear plugs (available in most crew rooms or online for cheap) and a used Telex 750 off eBay for $60-$75.

Or you could spend a grand and get less noise attenuation.

nimslow

I use the David Clark PRO-X, very happy with it. I may look into a clarity aloft at some point.

David Clark gives us a pretty good deal, it’s on the Jetnet deals page.

Boogerface

Forgot about the deals page. Will check that out. Thanks

EMBFlyer

I just finished 737 training. I was going to use my trusty earpiece, but the vibe I got from the folks over in the Flight Academy is that not too many others use those anymore. They've fitted nearly all of the 737s with a latching I/C switch, so you have a hot mike anytime the switch is in I/C. I ended up going with the DC Pro-X. Great price with our deal from David Clark. They just arrived yesterday and I'll get to try them tomorrow for the first time.

First impressions, though, they're pretty compact. They fit into my flight bag (Contrails FL390) nicely. They seem really comfortable and don't seem to put a lot of pressure on my head or ears. I have a fairly long day tomorrow, so I'll report back with my findings.

The Bose just seem a little too bulky. The case is huge and wouldn't fit in my flight bag when the QRH is in there. Plus, with the 737 cockpit being less than spacious, the more compact the headset is, the better your life will be. Another thing to consider is if you have one of the few airplanes without the latching I/C switch or are flying with a guy that doesn't have an noise cancelling headset, you'll have to pull one cup off your ear. That doesn't seem very comfortable with the Bose. The DCs work great, if you have to do that.

I tried the Clarity Aloft years ago when I was in the RJ. I wasn't a huge fan.

Surprise

If you can find a Sennheiser HMEC-26 with a dual plug and battery pack cable on eBay, that’s the hot setup. Too bad they don’t make them anymore.

Surprise

Rubber bands or stir sticks. I’m a stick man, myself.

EMBFlyer

Oh, I know what you're talking about, but when you're going out with a check airman, that's frowned upon.

EMBFlyer

When they were still making them, I tried those out a few years ago. Did PHL-SFO in the Airbus and they started to give me a headache before Pittsburgh. They're not made for all head sizes!

Boogerface

Ok, found the deal for David Clark. I'd still like an answer to this question: is it worth the extra $300 for noise cancelling? The 737 isn't going to be as loud as my previous equipment (145), but the feedback I'm getting is that it's still louder than other types at AA. Basically at this point I'm trying to decide between the DC-Pro or the DC-Pro-X.