head sets

[clay]

looking to buy a new headset. a few people are saying david clark h10-66. i dont like the all metal mic boom though. anyone know any other good brands that have the flexible mike boom? i know the david clark h10-60h and h10-13h have the flexible boom. whats the differences? will they both work good? blah blah blah. looking for some insight on some headsets you guys have used....

[mechanic]

Hi Clay,

 

I have a new Avcomm AC-747 headset. I have about 20 hrs in it. I have used a DC headset for .8 hrs, borrowed. I hated the DC, had the metal type boom don't know what model it was. I got my Avcomm off of ebay with a 5 year warranty. The headset is light and for flight training it works great. But, if used on the job I really don't know how well it would fair? Like I said, so far I am real happy with mine. I only paid $75.00 bucks for mine including shipping!!! Lists for around $250 bucks. The shop said it had no min bid and only one other person was bidding on it. I also recieved the ear muffs, mic sock, and fixed wing cord, too. The cord is quick connect from the eardome.

 

 

 

Good luck with your choice.

[Goldy]

Funny thing, I was going to reply that I realy like my AVComm unit...but I figured I would be laughed out of the room. David Clark has the name, but really, they aren't anything special. I love the AVComm disconnect, I can plug into a helo or airplane...or a firetruck/rescue unit all with the same headset just using a different cord....pretty cool and worth the money, especially for training. What would you rather have...another 5 hours in your logbook or a bose headset ?? !!

[joker]

a few people are saying david clark h10-66

 

Out of the DC range, I would pay the money and get the H10-56XL?

 

It has a flexible boom.

 

ANR (Active Noise Reduction i.e. when switched on) is good. Passive Noise Reduction (when switched off or when battery goes) is also pretty good.

 

Strengths: Robustness, PNR

Weaknesses: Weight, clamping, batteries are 9Vs (sometimes difficult to find).

 

New Comfort gel, undercut ear seals [ORDER]

Battery Power Module - One 9 volt battery for up to 25 hours of operation.

Pilot Selectable Automatic-Shut Off Feature.

Five foot (extended) coil cord terminating with a 10 pin quick release connector.

Coiled cord assembly connects Battery Power Module to panel intercom/radio.

Same headset can be used with optional panel mount. (H10-56XP)

Dual volume controls let you adjust the level for each ear

Exclusive, patented flex/wire boom for easy, precise microphone placement

Super soft foam filled pillow headpad

NRR - 27 dB passive noise reduction rating plus 17 dB to 22 dB when ENC is turned on

Weight (without cord assembly): 22 oz.

[klasmartin]

Out of the DC range, I would pay the money and get the H10-56XL?

 

That's the headset I've been leaning towards. Now I just gotta figure out the easiest/cheapest way to get it to Hong Kong!

[RotorWeed]

I own the DC H10-56HXL ENC. I must say it is a very well built headset; however I wish now I had paid the extra money and got the Bose X. The audio quality of the X is much better in my opinion as well as the ANR. The only plus I see to the DC is the extra passive noise reduction if the ANR quits on you in flight. I’m not sure it is worth the extra weight. My 2 C’s.

 

Rotor

[clay]

i found some of the avcomms at a local shop for 225, but then i look on ebay and found them for 165. . maybe i'll just get those. my instructor said something about the david clarks are good because of the dual impedence? that you can use them in any helo... is that true? or something i need to even worry about?

[justfly]

I have the H10-60 and am pleased with it. Same flex/wire combo boom (the best of both IMHO) as the H10-56HXL.

 

A friend compared the H10-56HXL head-to-head with BOSE and chose the David Clark.

[RotorWeed]

I have the H10-60 and am pleased with it. Same flex/wire combo boom (the best of both IMHO) as the H10-56HXL.

 

A friend compared the H10-56HXL head-to-head with BOSE and chose the David Clark.

 

 

What did he like about he 10-56HXL over the Bose X?

 

rotor

[justfly]

What did he like about he 10-56HXL over the Bose X?

He is an engineer and IIRC he thought the DCs did a better job of ANC and were more robust. I think there was also an issue of sound leaking into the earcups around glasses temples interfering with the ANC, especially when flying doors off. Have you had any of that with the BOSE?

 

Maybe the DCs just fit his head better!?

[RotorWeed]

He is an engineer and IIRC he thought the DCs did a better job of ANC and were more robust. I think there was also an issue of sound leaking into the earcups around glasses temples interfering with the ANC, especially when flying doors off. Have you had any of that with the BOSE?

 

I agree the DC is more robust (the reason I bought the 56H). I have found the Bose has a better ENC then the DC. I think the Bose x is also better flying with doors off in relation to noise reduction, more comfortable too. I've sent mine back to the factory once and they replaced the speakers, made no difference. I also own a brand new H20-16, and I'm not impressed with it either.

Anyone else have good luck with the 56HXL?

 

rotor

[tonymont]

Here's my two cents. I've been using the Bose X for a few months now. The other day, just for comparison, I tried my instructor's David Clark. Not sure which model, but it has ANR, and I think he said he paid around $700. Anyway, the sound clarity of his was not as good as the Bose X (which, for the record, cost $1K). On the other hand, the David Clark does seem to be more robust. But to me the most important thing is noise reduction (to help prevent/minimize hearing loss over time) and clarity (to get those radio calls without needing them repeated), so I'm happy with my Bose X.

[500E]

I have Pilot 17-79 DNC XL

They work for me + it had detachable cord, re chargable battery. dual vol, on most cords! 35+ hours on 1 charge, ANR.

Down side on \off switch small and warning light to small and hard to see at a glance

[Warlord51]

The company I fly for provides Dave Clark's. The ANR was okay, but not great. The real problem was after a few hours, my head felt like it was in a vise. I bought a set of Bose X and have been very pleased with both the comfort and the sound suppression.

A few months ago I started to go through batteries at an alarming rate. I contacted Bose and they felt the problem was in the wiring. The headset was out of warranty, but they sent me new wiring, a new battery holder, a new microphone and a new set of ear cups for $120. So essentially, I received nearly a new headset for $120 - they stand behind their product.

My opinion is that both companies make a good product and it is a matter of personal preference. I would recommend that you base your decision on comfort. Nothing makes a long day in the cockpit feel even longer than an uncomfortable headset.

[PhilJ]

Has anyone found any scientific testing of headsets which offers a direct comparison between headsets?

 

I found a little bit on some of the headsets but it was the manufacturers own data. Ideally what I was looking for was an independant test which shows attenuation vs frequency, its all very well claiming that you have xxdbs attenuation but if thats at a frequency which is not so damaging it doesn't really tell you anything.

[mechanic]

Hey Clay,

 

 

 

I looked for the name of the company I purchased the headset from, its Avionics West ph. 805-934-9777. I have not seen them list any headsets the time I've checked back. So, it might be worth a call to see if they have any special or close outs.

 

 

 

Regards

[clay]

i will call in the AM tomorrow. appreciate all the insight guys.

[R44 Driver]

I've used the Bose X for about 3 years. First in my old ship, now in my new. They are GREAT! Expensive, but great. I've flown all day long and never had that "head in a vise" problem associated with other headsets. Problems? I recently had a passenger puke on the microphone on one set. I cleaned it up by rinsing it under tap water and allowing it to dry. Seems to be working fine. Even if it didn't Bose has a great rep for fixing any problems.

 

Lessons learned? Buy Bose and always carry a Barf bag that is easily reached!

[flingwing206]

I've used the Bose for about 1100 hours of (mostly piston) flying. I've also got about 50 hours in the DC 10-66XLs. It's personal preference mostly.

 

Bose X: Light, comfortable, unsurpassed ENC and NR in general (as long as they have batteries), excellent comm clarity (even with the noisiest intercom systems), long battery life on 2 AAs, expensive, you should treat them with a slight measure of care. So far, zero maintenance required.

 

DC 10-66XL: Built like a tank, excellent passive NR, good and unobtrusive ENC, super customer service, heavy, average to good comm clarity, relatively high clamping force, ear seals wear out fairly quickly. About $200 less than the Bose.

[rotoflightmaniac1]

To all you headset people,

 

Could you tell me why you chose to go with a headset over a helmet? I am debating which to buy at this point and am interested to find out why you guys with headsets don't wear helmets. From what I hear from the helmet guys they won't fly without one.

 

 

Thanks,

 

Jake

[mechanic]

Hey,

 

I called AVcomm today and inquired about the 32 ohm higher volume speaker option. They are only $12.95 each list price. I will be getting a pair for my headset. I am a little tone deaf from being around diesel and jet aircraft. I use my headset with both volume knobs turned all the way up to barely hear the tower most of the time. I seem to have this problem when flying with a CFI that uses a ANR headset.

 

If anyone else wants the 32 ohm option the part # is WO32QC for the AC-747 headset.

 

 

 

Regards

[RotorWeed]

FYI

 

I personally own 8 different David Clark head sets. I recently acquired a DC that has the Head Sets INC ANR conversion. After using it I believe their system is equal or greater quality then my DC ENCs. If anyone has a non ANR headset I highly recommend looking into them. Has anyone else tried the Head Set Inc conversion?

 

http://www.headsetsinc.com/

 

Rotor

[lockedcj7]

I wore the old helmet the military had (pre SPH-4/5) and it was brutal. For anyone who has never had a "hot-spot", it feels like someone is trying to shove a knitting needle through your head. I know they've gotten better but if two people sit in an R-22, both wearing helmets, you can't close the doors.

 

If I were doing long-line, ALE, HEMS, etc. I would probably wear one but flying day, VFR, >500 ft AGL, it hardly seems like the benefits outweigh the cost and comfort issues.

[Witch]

I have a question.

 

Concerning impedence, I know that military and GA headsets have different impedence, but is the impedence difference in the mic, speakers, or both?

 

Later

[Gomer Pylot]

To all you headset people,

 

Could you tell me why you chose to go with a headset over a helmet? I am debating which to buy at this point and am interested to find out why you guys with headsets don't wear helmets. From what I hear from the helmet guys they won't fly without one.

Thanks,

 

Jake

 

Nobody I know wears a helmet, and that includes a few hundred helicopter pilots. If you're doing utility work, like logging, firefighting, etc, then that's another story, but for general flying, helmets are very, very rare. I've been doing this since 1971, and the only time I've ever worn a helmet was in the Army.

 

A few other short notes:

 

David Clark is the gold standard for customer service. Nobody else comes close. They gave me a brand new headset just because my ears are so big, and hurt when wearing production headsets. They're also by far the most durable, and if they ever break, DC will fix them for free, not for $120.

 

I currently use a lightweight in-the-ear headset from AuriComm. No domes, just foam earplugs, and the NRR rating is higher than any ENC headset. They're light, cool, comfortable, and I can use any sunglasses and cap I like. There are at least 3 brands of these type headsets available, and Google should get them for you. The one I have is the cheapest, but I do like the looks of the Clarity Aloft model, although I haven't actually tried it. The AuriComm had a defective mike connection when I received it, but it was immediately replaced free, including shipping, and I have no complaints.

 

After 7 or 8 straight hours, any headset starts to get uncomfortable, but this one is far better than any dome headset I've ever tried, and the noise reduction is better than any I've tried, and over the past 35 years I've tried a lot.

 

The difference in impedance is in both the speakers and the mike.

 

I tried the Headsets, Inc conversion, and it worked pretty well, and was easy to install. The only problem was that there wasn't enough room inside for my ears, so I had to remove it. That's the same with all production headsets, though. If you can wear a standard DC headset, the Headsets, Inc ENC conversion is a quick, cheap way to get ENC and still keep your old headset.