Disinterested Third Party
A basic telex airman 750 works well. My hearing isn't so great, any more. I found that communications improved considerably for me when using a lightweight ANR headset. It really made a big gain in being able to hear and understand, and interact with a lot of different foreign accents.
I use a Bose QC15 with a u-fly-mic (yes, it's TSO'd now). On long oceanic trips, it's had the benefit of being able to pipe in MP3 music, which is a real plus for long legs. The headset folds up fairly flat in a relatively thin stiff headset case that goes easily into the flight bag. The battery lasts about fifty to seventy hours of use, and I always carry spares with me. The little green light begins flashing 10-20 hours early, and if the batter is changed then, there's no danger at all of losing the ANR.
It also has the benefit of being useful on deadhead legs. Don't want music? Just put on the headset and the world goes away. Or listen to the music or movie. Tired of someone sitting next to you trying to tell you the medical history of their dying dachshund? Put the Bose on and people leave you alone.
Why carry a headset instead of using the company ones? Because headsets are personal items that are a matter of preference, and in most cases you can do better than what the company issues. Just make sure it's approved and doesn't have impedence issues.