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czechsix(at)juno.com
Guest

Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2006 8:14 pm Post subject: Helmet & Headset ponderings

Guys,



I've been enjoying my trusty helmet but as the wx turns warmer I'm

thinking I'll probably break down and get a good ANR headset.  The head

bucket is just too hot to wear when it gets into the upper 80's and

beyond.  The other thing I've noticed is that the Oregon Aero earseals in

my helmet get extremely soft with higher temps and don't seem to seal as

well as they do in wintertime....they're very comfortable (as advertised)

but the ANR has a hard time keeping up with the noise level and I find it

bothersome after several hours in the air.  FWIW I have the Headsets Inc

ANR in my helmet earcups and I imagine there are better systems available

from the likes of Bose and Lightspeed.



So...I've been looking at ANR headsets and figure if I'm gonna spend some

dough, might as well get a good one and only cry once.  I'm sure Bose is

the best but I can't quite believe the cost/benefit tradeoff is worth the

$1K price tag.  So I'm looking at Lightspeed's top-of-the-line Thirty 3G

instead.  It is cheap by comparison at about half the price of the Bose X

(iPilot.com has the Thirty 3G for $559 with free shipping).  



Couple questions:  does anybody know if Lightspeed might have a better

deal available at Oshkosh?  If they have really good show specials it

might be worth waiting...



Also, any pireps on the Thirty 3G series or similar high-end Lightspeed

model would be appreciated.  In general I've heard that Lightspeed

headsets are comfortable and work well, sometimes break but have good

factory support to replace parts.  One of my hangarmates has a pair of

well-used Lightspeeds that have the thin covering pealing away from the

foam earseals and head cushions.  Still works but looks like crap...



Thanks as always for the input,



--Mark Navratil

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

RV-8A N2D flying 25.0 hours now, first oil change just completed...

pbesing(at)yahoo.com
Guest

Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2006 9:04 pm Post subject: Helmet & Headset ponderings

Having worn helmets in hot helicopters in the Alabama

humidity in the summer time, I know what you mean.  At

least what I fly now is air conditioned, but wearning

helmets does get old.



I know you were not thinking of Bose because of price,

but in 4 years and 1000 hours of flying, no problems,

so I haven't needed the support.  I flight instructed

with them in the hot AZ heat in the summer time, they

took a beating and don't even show the slightest wear

in the ear seals or anything.  



I know lightspeed has great customer service, but

personally, I'd rather not have to use customer

service and never have a problem. I've seen threads

like this and I find it very humerous when people

write, "I've shipped them back 4 times and their

customer service is great..new ear seals and all!" 

Sorry, but I don't care if your customer service is

great if you make a product that breaks.  I don't get

the whole lightspeed craze.  Sure, they make a good

quality ANR, but I find them bulky, and the plastic

just seems chincy and delicate to me, which seems to

be substantiated with all the claims of their customer

service and repair history.



Plus, with the Bose, you can't beat the music or

comfort quality.  So much that when I bought my RV-4,

I splurged and bought a second pair.  No interest

payments from Bose...I know, payments on a headset? 

Worth every stinkin penny, IMHO.



Paul Besing



--- Mark E Navratil <czechsix(at)juno.com> wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		   

 <czechsix(at)juno.com>

 

 Guys,

 

 I've been enjoying my trusty helmet but as the wx

 turns warmer I'm

 thinking I'll probably break down and get a good ANR

 headset.  The head

 bucket is just too hot to wear when it gets into the

 upper 80's and

 beyond.  The other thing I've noticed is that the

 Oregon Aero earseals in

 my helmet get extremely soft with higher temps and

 don't seem to seal as

 well as they do in wintertime....they're very

 comfortable (as advertised)

 but the ANR has a hard time keeping up with the

 noise level and I find it

 bothersome after several hours in the air.  FWIW I

 have the Headsets Inc

 ANR in my helmet earcups and I imagine there are

 better systems available

 from the likes of Bose and Lightspeed.

 

 So...I've been looking at ANR headsets and figure if

 I'm gonna spend some

 dough, might as well get a good one and only cry

 once.  I'm sure Bose is

 the best but I can't quite believe the cost/benefit

 tradeoff is worth the

 $1K price tag.  So I'm looking at Lightspeed's

 top-of-the-line Thirty 3G

 instead.  It is cheap by comparison at about half

 the price of the Bose X

 (iPilot.com has the Thirty 3G for $559 with free

 shipping).  

 

 Couple questions:  does anybody know if Lightspeed

 might have a better

 deal available at Oshkosh?  If they have really good

 show specials it

 might be worth waiting...

 

 Also, any pireps on the Thirty 3G series or similar

 high-end Lightspeed

 model would be appreciated.  In general I've heard

 that Lightspeed

 headsets are comfortable and work well, sometimes

 break but have good

 factory support to replace parts.  One of my

 hangarmates has a pair of

 well-used Lightspeeds that have the thin covering

 pealing away from the

 foam earseals and head cushions.  Still works but

 looks like crap...

 

 Thanks as always for the input,

 

 --Mark Navratil

 Cedar Rapids, Iowa

 RV-8A N2D flying 25.0 hours now, first oil change

 just completed...

 

 

 



 browse

 Subscriptions page,

 FAQ,

 Admin.

Vanremog(at)aol.com
Guest

Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2006 9:37 pm Post subject: Helmet & Headset ponderings

In a message dated 4/18/2006 9:17:16 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,  

czechsix(at)juno.com writes:



I've  been looking at ANR headsets and figure if I'm gonna spend some

dough,  might as well get a good one and only cry once.  I'm sure Bose is

the  best but I can't quite believe the cost/benefit tradeoff is worth the

$1K  price tag.  So I'm looking at Lightspeed's top-of-the-line Thirty  3G

instead.  It is cheap by comparison at about half the price of the  Bose X

(iPilot.com has the Thirty 3G for $559 with free shipping).   

=============================================

 

I have two Thirty 3Gs and they are okay although I hate the  plastic and 

would encourage you to evaluate the ear seals (I didn't get good  results from the 

new style ear seals, so I swapped them  out for the older style).  I would 

agree with others that the Bose X  headsets are probably a superior product 

overall and if my stocks returned  better numbers I would have splurged (invested) 

in Bose Xs as well, and  with gas prices as high as they are we're not flying 

quite as much as  we used to.

 

 

 

GV (RV-6A  N1GV O-360-A1A, C/S, Flying 780hrs, Silicon Valley, CA)

rv8ch

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 250
Location: Switzerland

Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2006 10:56 pm Post subject: Helmet & Headset ponderings

 	  Quote: 	
		   So...I've been looking at ANR headsets and figure if I'm gonna spend some

 dough, might as well get a good one and only cry once.  I'm sure Bose is

 the best but I can't quite believe the cost/benefit tradeoff is worth the

 $1K price tag.  ...


	


It is a lot of money, that's for sure.  Before I had bought my Bose X

headsets a few years ago, I had only used David Clark.  I didn't have

the chance to try many other headsets, since there are no pilot shops

around here.  All the various ones I had tried seemed fine, but I

decided to order the Bose anyway, even though I had never tried a

set.  They claim you can send them back.  I'm happy with them, and

if I had invested the extra $500 in the stock market, it would be

worth about $300!  

-- 

Mickey Coggins

http://www.rv8.ch/

#82007 finishing

do not archive

_________________
Mickey Coggins
http://www.rv8.ch/

Tim(at)MyRV10.com
Guest

Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2006 3:44 am Post subject: Helmet & Headset ponderings

For the past few years I had the opportunity to use 3 types of

ANR headsets.  For my family, I bought the ANR upgrade kits and

put them into both some nice Flightcoms and into some kids

headsets so everyone had ANR.  They worked really well.  But,

just like David Clarks, they clamped a bit hard and after a

few hours you notice and have to start shifting them around to

keep comfortable.

I also got to use some lightspeeds of 3 various models.  The

ANR and music quality of the ANR upgrade kits was every bit as

good as the lightspeeds.  The lightspeeds seemed fairly

comfortable, but they're wide as heck, and actually in some

planes will be banging into the sides of the plane.  And, IMHO,

they look goofy sticking way out the side of your head like that.

Also, with 3 pair, we did end up sending one pair back for

repair, which seems strange for a headset...they should be

bullet proof.

This year, with the newly minted RV-10 to fly, I decided that

spending that much on a long-term airplane, I should really

consider flying like I was going to be doing it long term.  I

got 2 Bose sets.  After using them, they were so much more

incredibly comfortable, and have such good music quality,

that I can say that of course they're not worth $1000....unless

you really want some good comfort.  My 7 year old started

outgrowing her kids set, and said they were squeezing her head.

I made the mistake of having her try the Bose.  She immeditely,

with no prompting, said they felt much better on her head.

So, it was off to market to buy a 3rd pair.  At this point I

have given in and resigned myself that I still have one more

kid to equip with Bose within a year or two...but considering

the comfort, I think it'll even be worth it for a 4/5 year old.

They really are nice.  The Bass in the musing is very good

to, which shocked me, as there were a couple of songs I played

that actually had me take pause to see if that low rumble

was in the engine or the song. 

FWIW, I really like the permanent installed jacks...very handy

and compact, and no batteries to worry about. I plan to just

buy 1 extra cord so if I go in someone elses plane I can just

swap cords and use batteries.

Tim Olson - RV-10 N104CD - Flying

do not archive

Mickey Coggins wrote:

 	  Quote: 	

> So...I've been looking at ANR headsets and figure if I'm gonna spend some

> dough, might as well get a good one and only cry once.  I'm sure Bose is

> the best but I can't quite believe the cost/benefit tradeoff is worth the

> $1K price tag.  ...

 It is a lot of money, that's for sure.  Before I had bought my Bose X

 headsets a few years ago, I had only used David Clark.  I didn't have

 the chance to try many other headsets, since there are no pilot shops

 around here.  All the various ones I had tried seemed fine, but I

 decided to order the Bose anyway, even though I had never tried a

 set.  They claim you can send them back.  I'm happy with them, and

 if I had invested the extra $500 in the stock market, it would be

 worth about $300!

Larry Bowen

Joined: 09 Jan 2006
Posts: 802
Location: NC, USA

Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2006 3:44 am Post subject: Helmet & Headset ponderings

Another option priced in between the two you are considering:



http://www.telex.com/aircraft/products.nsf/pages/Stratus50Digital



-- 

Larry Bowen

Larry(at)BowenAero.com

http://BowenAero.com

Vanremog(at)aol.com said:

 	  Quote: 	
		   

 In a message dated 4/18/2006 9:17:16 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,

 czechsix(at)juno.com writes:



 I've  been looking at ANR headsets and figure if I'm gonna spend some

 dough,  might as well get a good one and only cry once.  I'm sure Bose is

 the  best but I can't quite believe the cost/benefit tradeoff is worth the

 $1K  price tag.  So I'm looking at Lightspeed's top-of-the-line Thirty  3G

 instead.  It is cheap by comparison at about half the price of the  Bose X

 (iPilot.com has the Thirty 3G for $559 with free shipping).

 =============================================



 I have two Thirty 3Gs and they are okay although I hate the  plastic and

 would encourage you to evaluate the ear seals (I didn't get good  results

 from the

 new style ear seals, so I swapped them  out for the older style).  I would

 agree with others that the Bose X  headsets are probably a superior

 product

 overall and if my stocks returned  better numbers I would have splurged

 (invested)

 in Bose Xs as well, and  with gas prices as high as they are we're not

 flying

 quite as much as  we used to.



 GV (RV-6A  N1GV O-360-A1A, C/S, Flying 780hrs, Silicon Valley, CA)

_________________
Larry Bowen
RV-8 SOLD,
RV-7QB in progress...

rv8ch

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 250
Location: Switzerland

Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2006 6:45 am Post subject: Helmet & Headset ponderings

Brian Lloyd wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		   

 ...

 

 And there is one other thing that I have never seen anyone talk about 

 with headsets -- the quality of the microphone. ...


	


I've often thought about this, but have not found an easy way

to test it.  The normal "radio check" request from a tower

or ATC usually doesn't get too deep into the quality of the

sound.  Any suggestions?



-- 

Mickey Coggins

http://www.rv8.ch/

#82007 finishing

do not archive

_________________
Mickey Coggins
http://www.rv8.ch/

lsbrv7a(at)yahoo.com
Guest

Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2006 6:57 am Post subject: Helmet & Headset ponderings

Headset pirep

   

  I started with a Sigtronics standard headset, and would miss calls.  I bought a Light speed 20X and was really impressed with the difference, and eventually bought a 25X.  Both headsets plastic parts broke on occasion, and when both were broken at the same time I decided to buy the new earpiece Lightspeeds.  The delivery date was pushed back a couple of times so I canceled the order.  I bought the Boise.  The size difference is similar to the difference between a volleyball and a softball.  They are the best. My radio problems essentially disappeared.  Good communication with the tower.  I feel much safer using the Boise headset, and highly recommend them.

   

   

   

Sherman Butler

RV-7a Empennage

Idaho Falls

		

---------------------------------

3edcft6(at)cox.net
Guest

Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2006 8:18 am Post subject: Helmet & Headset ponderings

Mickey Coggins wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		  I've often thought about this, but have not found an easy way

to test it.  The normal "radio check" request from a tower

or ATC usually doesn't get too deep into the quality of the

sound.  Any suggestions?

  




	


If you know any amateur radio operators, you can have one of them fly 

with you and plug the headset into a handheld transceiver, with the 

right adapters.  Other amateur radio guys will give you reports on the 

quality of the audio all day long.



do not archive



-- 

Chris W

KE5GIX



Gift Giving Made Easy

Get the gifts you want & 

give the gifts they want

One stop wish list for any gift, 

from anywhere, for any occasion!

http://thewishzone.com

chasb(at)satx.rr.com
Guest

Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2006 2:11 pm Post subject: Helmet & Headset ponderings

I have a pair of Lightspeed 20XLs that I have had about four years. The

noise abatement capabilities are great and the headsets are super

comfortable, if a bit bulky. After about three years I had to replace

the ear pads because the thin leather deteriorated. Lightspeed sent me

two new sets of ear pads at no cost, including shipping. 



I had the opportunity to compare my 20XLs with a Bose set. Up against my

very noisy air compressor, one was slightly quieter with ANR turned off,

and the other was slightly better using ANR. Unfortunately, I can't

remember which did what. In both cases, the difference was minimal. The

upshot is, the Lightspeeds were at least the equal of the much more

expensive Bose. I will admit to never using a Bose set in the aircraft.



Charlie Brame

RV-6A  N11CB

San Antonio



---------------------------------



 	  Quote: 	
		   Time: 09:14:37 PM PST US

 Subject: Helmet & Headset ponderings

 From: Mark E Navratil <czechsix(at)juno.com>

 

 

 

 Guys,

 

 I've been enjoying my trusty helmet but as the wx turns warmer I'm

 thinking I'll probably break down and get a good ANR headset.  The head

 bucket is just too hot to wear when it gets into the upper 80's and

 beyond.  The other thing I've noticed is that the Oregon Aero earseals in

 my helmet get extremely soft with higher temps and don't seem to seal as

 well as they do in wintertime....they're very comfortable (as advertised)

 but the ANR has a hard time keeping up with the noise level and I find it

 bothersome after several hours in the air.  FWIW I have the Headsets Inc

 ANR in my helmet earcups and I imagine there are better systems available

 from the likes of Bose and Lightspeed.

 

 So...I've been looking at ANR headsets and figure if I'm gonna spend some

 dough, might as well get a good one and only cry once.  I'm sure Bose is

 the best but I can't quite believe the cost/benefit tradeoff is worth the

 $1K price tag.  So I'm looking at Lightspeed's top-of-the-line Thirty 3G

 instead.  It is cheap by comparison at about half the price of the Bose X

 (iPilot.com has the Thirty 3G for $559 with free shipping).  

 

 Couple questions:  does anybody know if Lightspeed might have a better

 deal available at Oshkosh?  If they have really good show specials it

 might be worth waiting...

 

 Also, any pireps on the Thirty 3G series or similar high-end Lightspeed

 model would be appreciated.  In general I've heard that Lightspeed

 headsets are comfortable and work well, sometimes break but have good

 factory support to replace parts.  One of my hangarmates has a pair of

 well-used Lightspeeds that have the thin covering pealing away from the

 foam earseals and head cushions.  Still works but looks like crap...

 

 Thanks as always for the input,

 

 --Mark Navratil

 Cedar Rapids, Iowa

 RV-8A N2D flying 25.0 hours now, first oil change just completed...

luckymacy(at)comcast.net
Guest

Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2006 2:30 pm Post subject: Helmet & Headset ponderings

Well, I can say I have compared both in the back of an RV8, in flight, side by side and my ears couldn't tell the difference as far as noise attenuation goes.  However, the Bose was a much better fit for the back of an RV8.  The canopy tapers and since they don't stick out in any direction much I never hit the canopy with them.  Can't say that for the Lightspeeds.  The Bose are also noticeably lighter and fold up and out of the way easier when not in use.  I didn't fly long enough to appreciate that but I'm sure on a long CC the Bose would be easier on the ears and jaw.



Was I impressed enough to buy the Bose for myself?  Nope but they did make me appreciate a design that differs physically than the Lightspeeds.  I instead bought the ANR version QFRXCc.  Really good all around product and has the basic same slim profile of the Bose as compared to the Lightspeeds for the back seat.  Plus they stay on your head better for aerobatics.  They have a full range of features regardless of price.



http://www.anrheadsets.com/productsqfrx2.asp



Nothing drives an engineer up the wall like having options and making choices  

-------------- Original message -------------- 

From: Charlie Brame <chasb(at)satx.rr.com> 



 	  Quote: 	
		   

 

 I have a pair of Lightspeed 20XLs that I have had about four years. The 

 noise abatement capabilities are great and the headsets are super 

 comfortable, if a bit bulky. After about three years I had to replace 

 the ear pads because the thin leather deteriorated. Lightspeed sent me 

 two new sets of ear pads at no cost, including shipping. 

 

 I had the opportunity to compare my 20XLs with a Bose set. Up against my 

 very noisy air compressor, one was slightly quieter with ANR turned off, 

 and the other was slightly better using ANR. Unfortunately, I can't 

 remember which did what. In both cases, the difference was minimal. The 

 upshot is, the Lightspeeds were at least the equal of the much more 

 expensive Bose. I will admit to never using a Bose set in the aircraft. 

 

 Charlie Brame 

 RV-6A N11CB 

 San Antonio 

 

 --------------------------------- 

 

 > Time: 09:14:37 PM PST US 

 > Subject: Helmet & Headset ponderings 

 > From: Mark E Navratil 

 > 

 > 

 > 

 > Guys, 

 > 

 > I've been enjoying my trusty helmet but as the wx turns warmer I'm 

 > thinking I'll probably break down and get a good ANR headset. The head 

 > bucket is just too hot to wear when it gets into the upper 80's and 

 > beyond. The other thing I've noticed is that the Oregon Aero earseals in 

 > my helmet get extremely soft with higher temps and don't seem to seal as 

 > well as they do in wintertime....they're very comfortable (as advertised) 

 > but the ANR has a hard time keeping up with the noise level and I find it 

 > bothersome after several hours in the air. FWIW I have the Headsets Inc 

 > ANR in my helmet earcups and I imagine there are better systems available 

 > from the likes of Bose and Lightspeed. 

 > 

 > So...I've been looking at ANR headsets and figure if I'm gonna spend some 

 > dough, might as well get a good one and only cry once. I'm sure Bose is 

 > the best but I can't quite believe the cost/benefit tradeoff is worth the 

 > $1K price tag. So I'm looking at Lightspeed's top-of-the-line Thirty 3G 

 > instead. It is cheap by comparison at about half the price of the Bose X 

 > (iPilot.com has the Thirty 3G for $559 with free shipping). 

 > 

 > Couple questions: does anybody know if Lightspeed might have a better 

 > deal available at Oshkosh? If they have really good show specials it 

 > might be worth waiting... 

 > 

 > Also, any pireps on the Thirty 3G series or similar high-end Lightspeed 

 > model would be appreciated. In general I've heard that Lightspeed 

 > headsets are comfortable and work well, sometimes break but have good 

 > factory support to replace parts. One of my hangarmates has a pair of 

 > well-used Lightspeeds that have the thin covering pealing away from the 

 > foam earseals and head cushions. Still works but looks like crap... 

 > 

 > Thanks as always for the input, 

 > 

 > --Mark Navratil 

 > Cedar Rapids, Iowa 

 > RV-8A N2D flying 25.0 hours now, first oil change just completed... 

 > 

 > 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	


Well, I can say I have compared both in the back of an RV8, in flight, side by side and my ears couldn't tell the difference as far as noise attenuation goes. However, the Bose was a much better fit for the back of an RV8. The canopy tapers and since they don't stick out in any direction much I never hit the canopy with them. Can't say that for the Lightspeeds. The Bose are also noticeably lighter and fold up and out of the way easier when not in use. I didn't fly long enough to appreciate that but I'm sure on a long CC the Bose would be easier on the ears and jaw.



Was I impressed enough to buy the Bose for myself? Nope but they did make me appreciate a design that differs physically than the Lightspeeds. I instead boughtthe ANR version QFRXCc. Really good all around product and has the basic same slim profile of the Bose as compared to the Lightspeeds for the back seat. Plus they stay on your head better for aerobatics. They have a full range of features regardless of price.



http://www.anrheadsets.com/productsqfrx2.asp



Nothing drives an engineer up the wall like having options and making choices 

-------------- Original message -------------- 

From: Charlie Brame chasb(at)satx.rr.com 



 -- RV-List message posted by: Charlie Brame <CHASB(at)SATX.RR.COM>

 

 I have a pair of Lightspeed 20XLs that I have had about four years. The 

 noise abatement capabilities are great and the headsets are super 

 comfortable, if a bit bulky. After about three years I had to replace 

 the ear pads because the thin leather deteriorated. Lightspeed sent me 

 two new sets of ear pads at no cost, including shipping. 

 

 I had the opportunity to compare my 20XLs with a Bose set. Up against my 

 very noisy air compressor, one was slightly quieter with ANR turned off, 

 and the other was slightly better using ANR. Unfortunately, I can't 

 remember which did what. In both cases, the difference was minimal. The 



  u

pshot is, the Lightspeeds were at least the equal of the much more 

 expensive Bose. I will admit to never using a Bose set in the aircraft. 

 

 Charlie Brame 

 RV-6A N11CB 

 San Antonio 

 

 --------------------------------- 

 

  Time: 09:14:37 PM PST US 

  Subject: Helmet  Headset ponderings 

  From: Mark E Navratil <CZECHSIX(at)JUNO.COM>

  

  -- RV-List message posted by: Mark E Navratil <CZECHSIX(at)JUNO.COM>

  

  Guys, 

  

  I've been enjoying my trusty helmet but as the wx turns warmer I'm 

  thinking I'll probably break down and get a good ANR headset. The head 

  bucket is just too hot to wear when it gets into the upper 80's and 

  beyond. The other thing I've noticed is that the Oregon Aero earseals in 

  my helmet get extremely soft with higher temps and don'

 t seem

 to seal as 

  well as they do in wintertime....they're very comfortable (as advertised) 

  but the ANR has a hard time keeping up with the noise level and I find it 

  bothersome after several hours in the air. FWIW I have the Headsets Inc 

  ANR in my helmet earcups and I imagine there are better systems available 

  from the likes of Bose and Lightspeed. 

  

  So...I've been looking at ANR headsets and figure if I'm gonna spend some 

  dough, might as well get a good one and only cry once. I'm sure Bose is 

  the best but I can't quite believe the cost/benefit tradeoff is worth the 

  $1K price tag. So I'm looking at Lightspeed's top-of-the-line Thirty 3G 

  instead. It is cheap by comparison at about half the price of the Bose X 

  (iPilot.com has the Thirty 3G for $559 with free shipping). 

  

  Couple questions: does a

 nybody

 know if Lightspeed might have a better 

  deal available at Oshkosh? If they have really good show specials it 

  might be worth waiting... 

  

  Also, any pireps on the Thirty 3G series or similar high-end Lightspeed 

  model would be appreciated. In general I've heard that Lightspeed 

  headsets are comfortable and work well, sometimes break but have good 

  factory support to replace parts. One of my hangarmates has a pair of 

  well-used Lightspeeds that have the thin covering pealing away from the 

  foam earseals and head cushions. Still works but looks like crap... 

  

  Thanks as always for the input, 

  

  --Mark Navratil 

  Cedar Rapids, Iowa 

  RV-8A N2D flying 25.0 hours now, first oil change just completed... 

  

  

 

 

 

 ======

============================ 

 

 

 

 

&g

t;

alexpeterson(at)earthlink
Guest

Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2006 3:49 pm Post subject: Helmet & Headset ponderings

As another data point, this was from a post I made to this list a couple

years back comparing the high end Telex to the Bose:



"Telex was a generous sponsor of our Twin Cities RV Forum last year.  I

already had been flying with a set of Bose X headsets for a couple years

in my RV, so the Telex rep and I hopped in my plane for some real time

comparisons.  My honest assessment was this: The Telex utterly stopped

all pulsatile engine noise, so much so that it was unnerving, to me at

least.  The Bose allow a low level of the engine noise to come through,

such that I have really gotten used to "hearing" the plane as subtle

changes in airspeed/power occur.  My perception, and it may not be real,

is that there was more hissing (from airflow around the plane) allowed

through the Telex, but that would require instrumentation to determine.

I felt that the Bose were more comfortable, but that is something that

would take hours of comparison to really establish.  I believe that the

Telex model we had was about $100 less than the Bose X, but don't recall

exactly.  We talked about bringing some of their instrumentation aboard

to really nail it, but we haven't done so as yet."



Alex Peterson

RV6-A N66AP 751 hours

Maple Grove, MN

HCRV6(at)comcast.net
Guest

Posted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 9:41 am Post subject: Helmet & Headset ponderings

I've been following this thread with interest and now I'll toss in my $0.02.  I was using a Lightspeed QFR XC (ANR) headset for the first fifty hours or so in my RV-6.  I really thought the Lightspeed was more than adequate.  Unfortunately for me, the Bose offer of no interest for 12 twelve months and 30 day no questions asked return policy intriqued me so I bit just to try it.  I had no intention of keeping it since obviously no head set is worth $1000.00.  Wrong!  Long story short I now have two Bose and you'd have to pry them out of my cold dead fingers to get me to part with them.

--

Harry Crosby

RV-6 N16CX, 203 hours

 -------------- Original message ----------------------

 	  Quote: 	

 Mickey Coggins wrote:

 > 

 > 

 >> So...I've been looking at ANR headsets and figure if I'm gonna spend some

 >> dough, might as well get a good one and only cry once.  I'm sure Bose is

 >> the best but I can't quite believe the cost/benefit tradeoff is worth the

 >> $1K price tag.  ...

 > 

 > It is a lot of money, that's for sure.  Before I had bought my Bose X

 > headsets a few years ago, I had only used David Clark.  I didn't have

 > the chance to try many other headsets, since there are no pilot shops

 > around here.  All the various ones I had tried seemed fine, but I

 > decided to order the Bose anyway, even though I had never tried a

 > set.  They claim you can send them back.  I'm happy with them, and

 > if I had invested the extra $500 in the stock market, it would be

 > worth about $300!  

 > 

 >

jjessen(at)rcn.com
Guest

Posted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 10:56 am Post subject: Helmet & Headset ponderings

I actually did the same with the Bose.  I bit on the no interest, 30 day

marketing ploy.  Current my ANRs are converted David Clarks.  The Bose

certainly are better than what I have now, but I returned them all the same.

While building I'm not flying as much, and therefore decided not to spend

the $$ at this time.  But, yes, when I get the RV-10 completed, actually

while completing the panel, there will be a spot to plug in the Bose that

I'm hoping someone close to me might spring for, given how poverty stricken

I'll be by then.  I plan to save the DC's for the back seaters.   



John Jessen

  RV-10 (Tailcone)



--

cgreimer(at)mts.net
Guest

Posted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 1:48 pm Post subject: Helmet & Headset ponderings

 	  Quote: 	
		   Also, any pireps on the Thirty 3G series or similar high-end Lightspeed

 model would be appreciated.  In general I've heard that Lightspeed

 headsets are comfortable and work well, sometimes break but have good

 factory support to replace parts.  One of my hangarmates has a pair of

 well-used Lightspeeds that have the thin covering pealing away from the

 foam earseals and head cushions.  Still works but looks like crap...


	


Mark, my experience with the Thirty 3G is pretty much as you describe. It's 

made almost entirely of plastic and it's a bit flimsy but the sound quality 

is great and it has features that I wouldn't live without, like the music 

and cellphone inputs. It also has the most earcup room of any of the ANR 

headsets I've tried. For me, that makes it the most comfortable because the 

cups seals don't press against my ears. The Thirty 3G has leatherette 

covered earcups and the peeling foam isn't an issue anymore.



I've broken my headband once (it was -20F at the time) and I shipped it off 

to Lightspeed and repairs were prompt and free (two days plus shipping 

time). I have also taken my headset in for servicing at Airventure a couple 

of times. The Lightspeed people bring a stock of parts with them and you can 

walk up and get your headset serviced at their booth. Their policy seems to 

be to just replace everything, even if from normal wear and tear, forever, 

just for the asking. I found my earcups getting a bit stiff after a couple 

of years of wear and when I asked them at Osh how to care for them, they 

just handed my a new pair of cups, which snapped right in.



If Lightspeed built their headsets with David Clark ruggedness, they would 

be unbeatable. For my money the Thirty 3G is still the best, but if I were 

flying professionally I might not put up with their fragility.



Curt

RV-6

C-GACR

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