Active Noise Cancelling Headset - Worth the $???

dctthefield · Post by **dctthefield** » Fri Mar 26, 2004 9:14 pm

I've just begun flying fairly loud turboprop and am wondering if I should 'invest' in a good ANR headset. Prices range from $800 to $1400! Yes, my hearing is important to me... but is it worth it?

wallypilot · Post by **wallypilot** » Fri Mar 26, 2004 9:16 pm

YES!

Bose X is awesome, DC ANR is great too, and a little cheaper.

ahramin · Post by **ahramin** » Fri Mar 26, 2004 9:42 pm

Absolutely worth it. When you are fifty you will still be able to hear the radio. And you will hear the radio better now anyway. How often do you buy a headset? Spend the money.

Ralliart · Post by **Ralliart** » Fri Mar 26, 2004 9:59 pm

Yes, I'd recommend it. After I started flying 4-7 hrs a day at my first job using my old cheap headset, I was continuously getting headaches and feeling tired at the end of the day......i purchased the Flightcom Denali ANR and almost right away started feeling a lot better after work. I bought mine online from aviationworld.net , I think the prices have gone down recently so might not be a bad idea to check one out.

ASRS · Post by **ASRS** » Fri Mar 26, 2004 10:42 pm

Without a doubt, worth it

Requesting FL270 · Post by **Requesting FL270** » Sat Mar 27, 2004 5:23 am

I recommend the Bose noise cancelling. They're awesome and I think worth the money as well.

CF-RYE · Post by **CF-RYE** » Sat Mar 27, 2004 9:51 am

Has anyone used a David Clark anc headset? How do they compare?

thnx

Cat Driver · Post by **Cat Driver** » Sat Mar 27, 2004 10:12 am

If you want something that really protects you from noise and fatigue get a Gentex crash helmet, wore one waterbombing and at the end of the day I was not half as tired from noise and viabration...........so get a crash helmet to go with your four gold bars and life will be easy.

Cat

dctthefield · Post by **dctthefield** » Sat Mar 27, 2004 10:44 am

Thanks everyone...

Any comments regarding those add-on noise cancelling units vs buying an entirely new set?

phillyfan · Post by **phillyfan** » Sat Mar 27, 2004 10:48 am

I've got a set of H10-20's. They don't do a damn with my hat on and the wires for my CD player breaking the seal. If I didn’t have to talk to the boss I'd just wear earplugs. We've got a couple of wingnuts up in our part that never shut up and hence have made the radio unbearable. Hey I enjoy a good BS session on the radio as much as the next guy but between the goddamn position reports, people wishing some dude named "Corky" good morning, someone telling me "it's just another day in paradise” Sometimes I look longingly at the passengers, traveling in total bliss, with nothing to pass the time but the roar of the engine and the howl of the wind. Those who want to get a hold of me can usually find me on our company frequency tooling along oblivious to my surroundings. Anyways the real question I had was does anybody know how to tighten those flexible mikes. Mine is very loose and after only a few moments it simply dangles off the side of the headset.

co-joe · Post by **co-joe** » Sat Mar 27, 2004 10:55 am

Anyone ever use the Lightspeed ANR headsets with the input for the MP3 player? I am soooooo sick of AM radio. Apparently it has a cell phone plug in too. cj

http://www.avionicswest.com/headsets/co ... Comparison

http://www.avionicswest.com/headsets/ma ... tspeed.htm

Rudy · Post by **Rudy** » Sat Mar 27, 2004 11:26 am

phillyfan wrote:...people wishing some dude named "Corky" good morning

Hahaha
Do you spend your summers in Northern Ontario?

jimmyjazz · Post by **jimmyjazz** » Sat Mar 27, 2004 11:49 am

hey corn does one of those wingnuts start with C
she never shuts up

oldtimer · Post by **oldtimer** » Sat Mar 27, 2004 1:07 pm

Hey, I was tougher than boiled owl shit when I was young and I didn't need a headset. ANC had not been invented yet. The CP always wore a hear defender. No headset, didn't need radios then, Strictley VFR out of Flin Flon. The CP had a significant hearing loss, but I was tough. Now I have a bit of hearing loss. Not significant, but a loss no less. Started using a good headset a few years ago and won't be without one now. Tried a Telex, was a good headset but frail. Headband broke. Now have a DC 10-30. Other pilots have either various ANC sets or have ANC installed. Pain in the ass cause they are always out of batteries but they are great. In the Kingair, not that much of a deal cause it's a quiet airplane but in the turbo dildo, you need an ANC. Metro 111 is not bad but the 11 is a real killer. We even give ear plugs to passengers. Protect your hearing early when you are still young. I flew a Kingair 350 with ANC installed in the back. It only works in the back. I rode in the back once during training and when that system turned on, you would swear that both engines quit. It was so quiet that it was erie.

phillyfan · Post by **phillyfan** » Sat Mar 27, 2004 1:18 pm

You know what I’m talking about Rudy!
Are you the mythical "Corky"? Seems that I may be the only one who doesn’t know him. Judging by the way guys stroke him he must be a person of influence.

Red1 · Post by **Red1** » Sat Mar 27, 2004 2:27 pm

I've tried both the David Clark and Bose X noise cancelling and come to several conclusions.
- Both plow thru about the same amount of batteries
- Bose definitely is a higher quality noise cancelling ex: if you move your head around or are chewing gum Bose has absolutely no feedback, where the DC makes odd noises.
- DC is definitely more robust, built to last. Where the Bose is extremely light it is somewhat fragile.
- DC is still a wonderful headset if your batteries die, where the Bose sucks, if my batteries die I've got to turn the comm up full blast to be able to hear ( although I do fly an incredibly loud aircraft)
-Money DC around 800$, Bose 1400$ - hindsight I would have chosen the DC

SplitS · Post by **SplitS** » Sat Mar 27, 2004 4:11 pm

Ive had mine for going on 2000hrs and I wont ever get in an a/c without 'em. Standard DC ANC XL model. Brought them everywhere. And I mean everywhere. Still working, with no problems.

Drink homebrew instead of the beer store stuff for a while to save your money and buy a pair.

MDA · Post by **MDA** » Sat Mar 27, 2004 4:56 pm

dctthefield wrote:Thanks everyone...

Any comments regarding those add-on noise cancelling units vs buying an entirely new set?

Yeah, I have, got a kit from Headsets Inc in Amarillo, they're great, cost a little under USD200 right now and take an hour or two to put in.

Mine have 3000hrs on them and no problems yet, goes through a rechargeable 9v in about 10 +/- hours, duracells'll last 25 or so.

Comparing with regular ANR's the difference isn't noticeable, but the cost sure is.

I'd buy a kit again any day before getting a brand new ANR, (well, as long as I already have a headset, if not, by the time you combine the cost of a new headset with the cost of the kit, you're not too far off a new ANR)

Try it, you'll like it!

Rudy · Post by **Rudy** » Sat Mar 27, 2004 7:07 pm

phillyfan wrote:You know what I’m talking about Rudy!
Are you the mythical "Corky"? Seems that I may be the only one who doesn’t know him. Judging by the way guys stroke him he must be a person of influence.

Sorry, I'm not Corky. The one I know of flys a 180 off of Cordingley Lake. Same one?

CarbIce · Post by **CarbIce** » Sat Mar 27, 2004 8:05 pm

I also picked up one of the Headsets Inc. kits at Oshkosh a couple years ago. Had an older AvComm that was not on their list of approved headsets, but made it work. Took the better part of an evening but the instruction wiring diagrams are real easy to follow. Got rid of the foam added a set of new DC gel ear seals. Think it was $175US, plus $25 for the seals at the time. They have a few options that you might find useful as well.

I wouldn't buy another headset without ANR, its definitely money well spent.....

Check at: http://www.headsetsinc.com

Boobie Toucher · Post by **Boobie Toucher** » Sat Mar 27, 2004 8:09 pm

Stay away from the hack-job home build kits, buy a DC you'll be happy for years

ahramin · Post by **ahramin** » Sun Mar 28, 2004 2:30 am

If you care about battery time the lighspeed series uses 2 AA batteries which last at least fifty hours. Sometimes i get as much as sixty hours out of a set of batteries. They are very comfortable but the 2G ones had a bit of a problem with the odd noise from electrical interference. I do not know if this had been rectified in the 3G models.

DC6driver · Post by **DC6driver** » Sun Mar 28, 2004 7:28 am

I put the atermarket kit from Headsetsinc in my DC 13.4, and have since put 2500 hrs on it, works like a charm. Headache and fatigue come back when I dont use it. Never had any problems at all. $330 CDN. You can order online, otherwise some avionics shops carry them.

There is a shop at the Edmonton city centre airport that I bought mine from. I forget what its called.

Hey Rudy, nice twotter pic. I am near that aircraft every day, its operated by Winair out of St.Maarten. Its crazy when that plane is in a bank over the water, all you see is blue through it!

CF-RYE · Post by **CF-RYE** » Sun Mar 28, 2004 12:18 pm

[Sorry, I'm not Corky. The one I know of flys a 180 off of Cordingley Lake. Same one?[/quote]

Good ole EKH flew that for a year then it was sold and I found out how much it took to get it airworthy, scared the sh*t out of me!

flaps10 · Post by **flaps10** » Sun Mar 28, 2004 12:22 pm

Hey DHC Driver...who are ya? I used to work for WIA a couple years ago.

Anyone know where these aftermarket kits are available in Toronto?

Thanks

Active Noise Cancelling Headset - Worth the $???

Active Noise Cancelling Headset - Worth the $???

Worth the $$$