Yeah...I guess that makes sense. Low freqs can't be stopped by simple ear plugs from entering your ear canal via the surrounding tissue.

 

If it has props, ANR is a good idea.

 

Just to add to the in ear debate, where do you store these things when not in use, or when jumping from aircraft to aircraft? The in ear thing is a waxy dirt magnet waiting to happen and it doesn't look too durable. I knock my DCs around pretty good and they've held up for 5 years. I don't think I'd stick those things in my ear.

 

I'd be glad to throw in my $0.02 here. I have owned/used many headseats, as I'm sure many of you have. Let me just state, for the record, that we are big fans of quality and will stretch our budget to accommodate that taste. We'll skimp and save to get 'the good stuff.' Musically, we run a full set of Cerwin Vegas at home and take great pleasure in our California made system.

I used a pair of FlightCom's for my entire PPL training. I don't recall the model, but I borrowed them a friend, new. They were midgrade, comfortable, heavy, had good quality and I know he didn't pay a lot for them. There was no ANR and they had no bells and whistles.

I frequently used my husband's (boyfriend then) LightSpeed 25xl set. The weight, feel, ANR and quality was phenomenal. I LOVED them. However, as a small woman, I found that they slipped forward when I looked down at charts or similar. My husband never had this problem and I've never heard of other folks with it. I'm just weird, I guess. When the earcup stirrup broke, out of warranty, LS sent out a replacement sooo fast, your head would spin....free of charge.

When I completed my instrument, I decided to get LightSpeed's brand-spankin' new QFR Cross Country set. They were in my budget and seemed promising. They are so unbelievably comfy, light and quiet, it doesn't seem possible for them to be that inexpensive. My QFR XCs are now nearly 7 years old and suffer no wear, no degraded performance or other complaints. They get used regularly, abused occasionally and just keep putting up with my crap.

Then, my husband used mine a few times. He found that the very thin skull-top strap was a killer feature for his tall stature and short cockpits. He stopped hitting his head constantly when he used my headset. Several years after he bought his 25xl, he sold it for a great price and went with another pair of QFR XCs for himself.

When he took his first corporate gig, we flew together in a Chieftain. In the cockpit we put yet two more QFR XCs. For the passengers' DVDs and music, they got QFR Solos (non-ANR). We got frequent compliments on the choice we made.

I have used Bose headsets on several occasions, including a few long trips. I am completely unimpressed. Sure, they sound good. Better enough to justify the difference in price? I just don't hear it. I, again as a woman with a 'small' head, don't find them to be comfortable either. The spring joint at the top pinches the crap out of my head. Not direcly pinching my skin, just a squeezing the life out of you after a while feeling. I despise the things, honestly. If you buy them and they make your day brighter, wonderful, really! But, I just wanted to add the other side of the opinion...I don't personally see any reason to get them.

Anyway, I've also used basic DCs and found them to be similar to the FlightCom's. I used a Denali once, thought it was great, considered buying it back before my QFRs.

For those of us who stay primarily in one or two aircraft, I'm curious about the new LightSpeed L1 and other in-ear devices. How good are they at keeping our hearing intact for old age?

 

I have a Sennheiser headset, it gets the job done.

 

Call me old fashioned but if DC's are good enough for the military to buy how many of them then they must be one of the better choices. What I dont like about mine is the ANR never lasts. I used to have lightspeeds and the ANR lasted forever. Plus they only used AA batteries instead of the 9v my DC's used.

 

My pair of pilot ANR's have a rechargeable battery that lasts 45hrs. Pretty good. Once the charge gets low, I charge them for a few hours just like a cell phone and they are fully charged. Plus the battery is contained within the headset which means you don't have the annoying battery pack swinging around like in the Bose.

Like I said earlier, ANR is the way to go.

 

Ryane,

I know what you mean about the swinging box. It's a little irritating. Doesn't that internal battery make the headset awfully heavy, though?

 

Mine is either 14, 15, or 16 ounces (not sure). The Bose weigh 12 ounces, and there is really no difference. The two headsets I have used the most are Bose and Pilot, and 3 ounces just does not make a difference. Sure it will make it slightly heavier, but not noticably.

It is worth the tradeoff to have:
1. a rechargeable battery
2. no annoying swinging battery pack
for the extra weight which is unnoticable.

 

B O S E. Its really the only way to go. Worth every dollar. Check out ebay and look at the helicopter headset. You can have it modified by bose for about 120 bucks for an airplane, and youll save tons of money