Pilot Question??

Question

Hey I need to purchase a new headset and was wondering what everyone would recommend.... ?? I know bose is a solid headset however I was looking in the price range of 300-500$ or less possibly.. Thanks for the help in advance

Answer 1

The best no frills headset in your price range is the David Clark H10-13.4.  I bought one for my private, paid a little less than $300.00, and the thing still works.  I used my David Clark for the first 2500 hours of flying time before I got a Bose for a Christmas present (the bose is great... but honestly not as bullet proof as the D.C.).  These things are amazing.  Other than having to replace a couple of ear seals after 1500 hours, the little sponge thing over the boom mike twice, and the fact that the head padding is so sweat stained now I wouldn't want anybody else to wear it-- these things are amazing.  The stupid thing works as well now as when it was new in the box.  Apparently David Clarks customer service is amazing too-- send it in, they'll fix it and sent it back no cost.  I don't know from personal experience- mine's never broken.  Also, if I threw this headset on ebay (I wouldn't... it's my backup headset now) I could probably get over 200 for it.

New, they cost 307.00 on Sportys.  The only negatives I can think of are the lack of ANR and the fact that they are ugly.  I don't know how D.C. came up with that color-- but I really can't think of too many colors uglier.  

Easily the best deal for $300.00 if you want a no headache quality headset.

If, however, you are doing this professionally... buy the Bose or whatever you want.  I wish I had got a Bose earlier (apparently the new Telex is nice too).  My hearing has taken a beating flying thousands of hours without noise canceling.  Spend the money now... you really can't put a price on your hearing.  I'm only in my late 20's and can't hear for c**p.

Answer 2

David Clark H10-30 is a great beginner headset!

Answer 3

My biggest advise: don't use price as the sole deciding factor for choosing a headset.  Many "value" headsets are extremely uncomfortable and do not do a very good job of protecting your hearing.

What kind of flying are you looking at doing?  If you are going to fly small planes for pleasure on weekends, you probably don't need all of the bells and whistles and a $300 headset will be fine.  I'm not sure I'd go much lower than $250 in a headset.  You get what you pay for.

If you are looking to make a career out of it and will be instructing or flying small airplanes for upwards of 8 hours a day, you'll need something that's both comfortable and does a good job of protecting your hearing.  The $400 to $600 range will get you something nice.

David Clark headsets are always solid.  I wouldn't say they are the best out there, but they are a great mix of value and performance.

Lightspeed headsets are really increasing in comfort and quality.  Many of them are more comfortable than DCs, but my experience is that they don't last as long.  Their warranty support has been good, though.

The top end of the Telex headsets are nice, but  I think their cheaper ones should be avoided.

Bose are very nice, but I think they are a bit overrated.  I love using them, don't get me wrong, but I don't think I would pay $1000 for them.  You can get a different brand that's almost as good for several hundred dollars less.

I would recommend asking around your local airport and see if you can try on different ones.  Everybody's head is shaped differently.  Look for headsets that fit tightly enough that they form a good seal, but not so tight that they put a lot of pressure on your head.  Notice how the head cushion feels - does it float on your head, or is there a lot of pressure where the weight of the headset is being supported?  Does the microphone boom move easily to where you need it and does it stay in place?

Answer 4

I have an AVCOMM and it works great. Never had a problem with it. I think I payed around $100 for it. If I had more money to spend, I wouldve gotten a David Clark. That is what we were issued in the military.

Answer 5

I agree the David Clarks passive headsets are great. I am spoiled by a couple of ANR headsets I have/had. I had a Telex Stratus. Great ANR just a little bulky. I now have a Bose. Tremendous headset; great ANR and very comfortable. Wish I had bought it in the first place.

Look at some of Telex's headsets. They make an ANR model that you can probably obtain for around $500 or less. ANR really is a good thing; just my personal opinion in that they seem to reduce pilot fatigue quite a bit on long flights.

Shop around, there are a lot of good ones out there. Don't buy a "cheapie" though. You'll regret it in the long run .

Just a couple of quick tips:

1. If you can, go to an aviation dealer/FBO and try some of the headsets for comfort and noise reduction.

2. Whether you buy on the web, from a catalog, or a shop, make sure they have a return policy within a reasonable time. That way if you buy a headset and really wind up hating it, you can exchange it for another.

Answer 6

I second the David Clark H10-13.4. I have 2 and they are solid performers, great quality. I found them for $265 ea with free shipping by shopping around a little online. If you are a student or private I would recommend this headset. If however you are a flight instructor, commercial prop plane pilot, or someone who spends a lot of time in a loud aircraft, pony up the $800-1000 and get a noise-canceling headset. A friend of mine is an instructor and started to have hearing problems so he got a canceling headset to keep it from getting worse, it seems to be helping.