whee wrote:I know we have discussed headsets a lot but most of it has been about ANR sets. I'm not in a position to buy a $600+ set but my current set is horrible and I'd like to upgrade. I've looked over ANR sets and am up to speed on those but what about passive. I've got batteries galore in my plane and to not add to that would be great. Which are the best? I assume DC are the best but which DC? I'm borrowing a friend's H10-13.4 for my fight to IDA next week so I'll be able to check those out.

Remember this is a discussion about passive sets only

I bought a used but-like-new set of Telex Stratus 50Ds for $400. It's an awesome ANR headset for little more than a good passive set. You might scour online for a similar deal.
-Adam

I'm with als, I think if you look enough you can find an anr set for not much more than a passive set. Your ears WILL thank you. I went your route when I was younger and money was tight (tighter than it is now) and purchased a passive set. Well, after may hours of the clamping pressures of most passive sets I tried the anr's. Should have spent the money in the first place, because I ended up spending it anyway, plus you end up having more headsets than you need. LOL

Maybe set yourself a little higher budget and cut out the beer for a couple of weekends and get something you won't have to upgrade. Flying is so much more enjoyable with the anr's.

Good Luck,
Keith

From the hearing protection point of view, I grew up in 182's, 210's and Mooneys etc. spending around 5,000 hours as a passenger and didn't lose any hearing. None of us wore headsets back then. I wonder how much protection is really needed. Of course then seat belts in an automobile were optional equipment too.
This coming from the guy who wears a headsets inc ANR hearing protector to mow the grass and weed eat now

I love my Lightspeed 20 3G's. Mainly because my beast is ALOT louder then any plane I have flown before, in fact it is noisier then any racecar I have driven. Your hearing in the long term should be worth a few more dollars invested now. With that said my guess is with Lightspeed giving nice trade in values for their new Zulu sets I bet they have a ton of ANR sets looking for a new home. Give them a call, the worse they could say is no and the chance of landing a great deal is pretty high. MY opinion of course and Happy Thanksgiving guys and gals...


Ben

a64pilot wrote:None of us wore headsets back then. I wonder how much protection is really needed. Of course then seat belts in an automobile were optional equipment too.

Huh?

Thanks for all the thoughts guys. It seems that as far as passive sets go the DC are the way to go...but still most say go with the ANR even if it is a less expensive ANR.

I'm kinda a dork so while watching Boise State beat Nevada last Saturday I put the 10-13.4 on for a while...I didn't have anythign better to do. Yes my wife made fun of me the whole time. After just a couple munites my ears began to ach...like they do when scuba diving and they won't equilize. Took them off and it went away...anyone else experience this? Not a good sign but I'll give them a try tomorrow then I go up.

My current set isn't worth "sprucing up"...they are garbage.

A huge benefit to ANR, aside from protecting your hearing, is the reduction in fatigue you'll experience. Vice-tight headsets that don't block much noise are exhausting to wear and the noise is exhausting for the mind. Even a cheap ANR headset will leave you feeling much better at the end of a flight.
-Adam

Here's a used Telex Stratus 50D for $450 on Ebay. A great deal.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/TELEX-St ... 0008r10853

Huh?? What'd he say???

Hearing loss is NOT a great way to earn a disability check....

Get the BEST passive AND active noise reduction you can get. If you have to hock your car to buy it, buy it. Twenty years from now, your wife will thank you.

Trust me on this. I flew Beavers when people who wore headsets while flying were considered sissys....I wound up being a mega sissy, wearing DCs AND earplugs.

I use Lightspeed Zulus now, and wouldn't go back for anything.

Get the best, you won't regret it.

MTV

Flew 2.5 hrs with the 10-13.4 adn they are OK...probly wont spend the money on them. My wife wort the Flightcomm Denali ANR set and took them off after about 15 min...couldn't stand them. onthe way home she wore the DC and liked them. I wore the Denali and thought they were ok.

I have worn the DC 20-10 on many long flights most in excess of 3 hours. I can say that these are the most comfortable headset i have EVER worn. The gel ear pads are incredible and there was no clamping on my head whatsoever. I believe it also has an adjustable headband on top so you can change how tight it is. It has pretty good noise cancellation as well.

Just my 2 cents! Good luck with your purchase.