Best headset?
 

What are the best headsets for each price range, not looking to spend more than 800$, which one is gonna be the best sound quality, durably and last the longest?

Wait til UFlyMike starts selling their new adapter for the Bose QC25. They have been selling one for the QC 15 for years, and for around 500 you can have an amazing noise cancelling headset that is super light.

Bose: QuietComfort® 25 Acoustic Noise Cancelling® headphones - Apple®, Samsung and Android? devices | Bose

UFlyMike:Home :: UFlyMike

Is that the one you have?

I use the Bose A20 and I love it. Bose also offers 12 month no interest financing if the $1100 price tag is too steep. Makes it a bit easier to digest. No need for a credit check or anything, just an in house financing sort of thing with no fees of any sort.

David Clark H10-13.4

I used mine for several years when I was in school/instructed. Never had issues with it and it was a hand me down from my cousin. Can't beat the quality.

Love my UFlyMike and QC15 combo. Great customer service. I had a boom mic go bad halfway through a rotation and they had a loaner sent to the FBO in time for my next morning flight, then fixed the mic for free under warrantee. And the QC's are great for cancelling out the screaming kid in the next seat on the commute into work.

Yep. Been using the QC15 setup for about 5 years, looking to get the new one when it starts selling.

Whatever you get, get ANR. I can't believe I trained for my PPL without a head set (no intercom in the 152s)! That probably cost me 4-5 hours extra, trying to fly and listen to the CFI.

I've used Telex for 20+ years. Their durability has suffered recently. The set I bought 15+ years ago is still rock solid (ANR 4000), the newer model (Stratus 30?) had some of the thin plastic fabric flaking off most likely due to heat from being left in a car. Note that both headsets were in the bag, and only the Stratus flaked.

I've also had issues with the Stratus in certain aircraft. It would squeal while transmitting.

I purchased a second ANR 4000 from Ebay - $150. Buyer beware, here as the set does not fully "clamp"

I use the 4000, 1st pax use the new 4000, the rare 2nd pax uses the Ebay 4000

If you're looking for the best over-the-ears headset, it's bose, no question.

The best dedicated headset out there is the Bose A20. I still have a Bose X that's been through the wringer and back, and it works fine. It's been through several sets of earpads, but works great.

My choice in the cockpit is usually a Bose QC15 with the uflymic. I like the ability to fold it up so that it takes less space, and that it is great for listening to music when deadheading or traveling. Even if not listening to music, put on the headset and nobody tries to talk to you for the rest of the flight. It's great. It's also nice on long trips to have some music in the headset.

if anyone is curious about the new uflymike release i emailed them the other day and got this as a reply

"Thank you for your interest in UFlyMike. We hope to have "Harmony" ready for production by July. We were hoping for an earlier availability but we want to make sure it all works perfectly before we start production. Last thing we need is to have a recall or a flood of warranty repairs.

For pilots requiring the TSO Certified version, we hope to have the certification completed in 3 - 4 months (only the QC25 version will be TSO Certified)."

The QC15 version is TSO'd. Because many operators require a TSO'd headset, Uflymic offered the TSO as an option. When I purchased mine, it wasn't available, but I sent it back for an inspection, paid the fee, and it was returned with a letter referencing the technical order, and stickers affixed to the mic and lead advising of the TSO reference. Nobody ever questioned my use of the headset, but I ensured it was compliant anyway.

Awesome thanks for the update. I emailed them back a bit ago with some quality concerns for the new model. The pictures they posted didn't look as good as I was hoping, here was their reply:

Thank you for your email and expressing your concern.

1. The pictures you see are mockups, they are not finished products. All the parts will be made from high quality plastics which will be highly durable and long lasting.

2. The microphone attachment uses an MCX connector which is highly durable with a strong connection. The o-ring around the microphone swivel provides a friction fit which also holds the microphone in place. Both of these have been wear tested and you should have no issue with the microphone disconnecting accidentally.

3. The connection between the headphone cable and application cable uses a LEMO connector. These are extremely high quality medical grade connectors with a locking mechanism, it won’t come apart unless you take it apart.

The new product has several components because our customers always asked if they could do more with the system. Several components make the system easier to repair and replace broken parts as well as upgradability and expandability without having to re-buy parts you already have.

I understand the quality expectations created by our last product, I am doing my best to maintain those with the new product. That is why the new version has not been released yet, I want to make sure it works as good as I want it to. Please let me know if you have any other questions.


Kind Regards,
Brandon Lackey

Owner ✪ UFlyMike LLC
719-531-7226 ✪ [email protected]

Any idea if the new UFlyMike will work with the QC15 I already have?


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I believe it will

The old UFlyMike will work. The company has already come out and said that the new mike and old headset are not compatible and the old mike and QC25 are not compatible. There is a specific microphone for he QC15 and a different mike for the QC25. There is a new QC15 mike.

I have used the DC, Bose, and many others. My favorite continues to be the Clarity Aloft headset. It does not have noise cancelling because it doesn't have the hollow chamber the others have where noise needs to be cancelled. It never lets the noise in. It weighs much less than the Bose, you can wear it for hours on end with no sweat or red marks around your ears. It doesn't clamp your head. Sunglasses don't affect the sound. You can slip a ball cap on and off (when the sun gets in your face) without taking it off, and the microphone sounds great. You can buy it for $525 and IMHO it out-performs all the other headsets. I started using mine while instructing in Phoenix for 8 hours a day with up to 120 degrees on the ramp. No sweaty ears, no aching head. downside - You have to be OK with the seals sticking in your ear. Some people can't stand that. Sunglasses do fight with it some times but if you put them outside the headset arms it works fine. I have used them in single pistons, multi pistons turboprops and jets. again IMHO, they can't be beat.

+1 for the Clarities.

+1 but for Halo (almost analog, but cheaper)

I tried the latest and great DC anr headsets and really liked them a lot. Unfortunately the environment I fly in is probably louder then any of you encounter. It overloaded the ANR on both the new DC and older Lightspeed headsets I tried.

I broke down and tried the new Bose A20's and they could handle the ridiculous noise inside my cargo Beech 99 with the jump door open and the cockpit windows open. They were my last choice because of cost. (They were just out of my price range, and I'm super cheap.)

So I took advantage of their payment plan. I thoroughly love them and people don't even know I'm in a plane during Bluetooth phone calls. Only thing I'm not a super huge fan of is that have to plug in to the controller to play music. It does not do it via Bluetooth like the DC's and Lightspeeds.

I still recommend trying on the new DC's. The price is right and they sound great. Very happy with my A20's though.


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Other things to factor in.... Is space to store and carry the headset a factor? What's the environment you'll be flying in? Are there other features you want to have?

At my previous company, DC H-10-13.4s were standard issue flight deck equipment. They worked well and I liked them (and their price) so much initially that I bought myself a set. But they were less than comfortable when wearing sunglasses, especially for longer flights. They were also relatively bulky and finding good way to carry them was always a challenge. I tried a friend's Bose headset and liked it a lot but was less happy with noise intrusion from the ear seal gap while wearing Oakleys. Telex headsets didn't work - cockpit was too noisy for those. I found the best combination of size, portability, noise reduction, and features in the DC Pro-X. Headset was easily stored and carried and provided excellent ANR and clarity, durability, and nice other features (bluetooth came in handy making quick calls to dispatch or maintenance if something came up when approaching the hold short line). They are worn over the ear but the soft seals are still over the ear, not around them, so wearing sunglasses with them is not an issue. I really liked them.

These days, I'm back to a Telex headset, the -850. I fly a quieter aircraft and don't need quite as much noise reduction, though the -850 provides decent ANR. Also, most crewmembers don't use ICS but simply talk to each other over the center console and leave the inside earpiece either slightly or fully off their ear - and that's true in just about every fleet here.

All the choices listed previously are good ones. But what works and is best for you will largely depend on what features, capabilities, and such are most important to you ... And what detractors you're willing to live with. Good luck!

Your Beech 99 is louder than four large radials with short stacks? Who'da thunk?

Radials SUCK!!!!:mad::mad::mad:

My 99 is stupid loud on climb out and coming back down at 5000fpm with the door bs windows open.

None of the round engines I've flown have ever overloaded the ANR on my headphones.

There's no flying like radial flying.


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