I must have a weird head or something... I used my DC H10-60's for many, many years and never once recall them bothering me while wearing them. They performed flawlessly, and DC tuned them up free of charge when I had an earpad spring a leak.

Now, I use a first gen Bose ANR. Big and clunky with great passive, and active NR, as I upgraded my intercom to stereo so I can groove on the XM tunes as I wander the vast desert wastelands. Found them on ebay for a couple hundred bucks. Like the DC's, I find them comfortable.

Gump

Apparently Lightspeed will let you try them out for free. If you don't like them, send them back. I'm wondering if Bose or DC will do that? I have Zulu 2s and find them comfortable enough. I've never tried the Bose. I wear hearing aids. I'm 100db down on the right at 2K and somewhat better on the left. I need to protect what little I have left. On the plus side hearing aid technology is so good these days that it's not much of a handicap.

So anyway Greg.....if your ears are ringing you might be accumulating permanent damage already. You should look for the best combination of passive and active isolation as you can get; comfort be damned. Turn the volume down on the stereo too. Like many, my damage came from multiple sources. A misspent youth in noisy industry, thousands of rounds of skeet shooting, rock and roll bands as a spectator and as a musician and listening to home and car stereo at painful levels. I have a pair of Altec Lansing VOT speakers in the garage. They sound really good from across the street too. It all adds up.

http://www.lightspeedaviation.com/conte ... llenge.htm

Gump reminded me of one of my experiences with those early Bose headsets.....

We had two of those headsets that I used most often in the 185, but sometimes I switched them over to the Husky, where the great noise attenuation of those headsets was appreciated.

So, one day I had a three or four hour trip up north in the Husky, so I switched the Bose headsets to the Husky. Now, one of the characteristics of those headsets is they have very large earcups, and those earcups have large, gel filled cushions.

My observer for the day was a seasonal employee named Laura, a very sweet and lovely young woman, who was an excellent worker, and a great aerial observer....as in she never got air sick. Laura was also very quiet, as in if she said ten words in a few hour flight, it was a chatty day. But, when she did say something, it was well to pay attention.

So, we're a couple hours into this flight, and from the back seat comes a well modulated "holy crap". Not loud, mind you, more like just a comment. I asked Laura what the problem was, and her response was "Your headset just came in my ear". I turned around and looked, and sure enough, she had a big drool of pale colored goo running from one headset ear seal down her neck.

One of the few times in my life I really didn't know how to respond. But, I thought not laughing was a good choice for starters......

Never trusted those headsets after that.

MTV

Love my Clarity Aloft. I have used it in everything from a J-3 and Super Cub to a Citation.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I've had my Zulu 1s in everything from champs, to super caravans, A9, 7ECA, PC12, most all the cessna 100 & 200 series, about every PA-XX and I've loved them. Recently they got crushed, as in not rebuildable at all...long story, but light speed still let me send what pieces of my old headset I could find for a "upgrade" for $500 to a Zulu2, I can't really tell the deference, but I like them.

So far the Zulu2s have been the same, maybe a hair better clarity, they've been in my IO520ed 185s fiberglass interior and behind a PT6A-67B, I'm happy.

I'd say if you're having issues with a light speed, call them up, they have always gone above and beyond for me.

Thank yuns for the PIREPS. I am very interested in those Halos, especially with the good Rotax review, but I pulled the trigger on the Bose with Bluetooth, etc with the Aircraft Spruce trade-in program. I'm sure I will miss Lightspeed's top notch customer experience and knowing my cash is directly feeding fish in Lake Oswego. Those Tangos were pretty enticing being wireless and all.

Thanks to genetics, and a lifetime of tractors, trenchers, grinders saws I was destined to be hard of hearing soon. At least I can blame it on airplanes as a good conversation starter when I'm feeble and they only fly drones.
I'll be inheriting Dad's chalk board:

I do use ear plugs with my current situation when I'm solo on a trip, but I have take them out if I want to use the radio and that's not going to cut it flying 7000 miles slow & low in the next couple months with a passenger. We aren't taking my old ratty loud S7 but it will still be a better experience for everyone.

It does seem that the current trend is as stated before, lightspeed vs Bose. But I'm one of those guys like Cary - have had a DC 10-40 since I bought it new and it still works great. A friend has the Bose A20's and I actually find them to now clamp tight enough to get a good seal, or the collar of my jacket will drag against the, too much.
Like color, everyone has a preference, and as mentioned, no two heads are the same.
If I can get flying more again I'll step up to the One-X I test fit at Sun/Fun and keep the 10-40's for passengers.
Good thing there are at least 3 great companies to choose from. Everyone should find a perfect set.
Pb

Gumpair wrote:

I must have a weird head or something... I used my DC H10-60's for many, many years and never once recall them bothering me while wearing them. They performed flawlessly, and DC tuned them up free of charge when I had an earpad spring a leak.

+1 on the H10-60s

I have a pair of H10-60s and I don''t know why this current headset gets so little love.
David Clark's website describes the 10-60 as:

.
"Top-Of-The-Line" standard headset. No other headset has all these exclusive features:

https://www.davidclark.com/HeadsetPgs/h10-60.htm
The David Clark H10-60 is a passive head set that does not get much attention. It is super adjustable even compared to other DC units. In addition to the normal adjustments, notice in the two diagrams below how each of the chrome forks (that allows the ear cup to pivot) has three lateral adjustment positions allowing the cups to be adjusted transversely for a tighter or looser fit. This in/out capability is not seen on most of the other DC units such as the ever popular H10-13.4 . The 10-60 also has dual volume controls, and a hybrid combination flex-shaft+wire mic boom consisting of a flexible stalk attached to a metal arm boom. It is very comfortable on my head. It really is the most comfortable headset I have.

David Clark 10-60 Headset





AND..on an unrelated note, I am just curious what sorts of headsets the "Duke" aka John Wayne wore in this classic 1950's film The High and The Mighty. Anyone know?

Figured I better do some house cleaning and check back in for this forum format to work.
We bought Bose headsets. It turned out the Zulu's were broken and that's why my ears were ringing. I thought the ANR was still working because they clicked when you powered them on but it was only one ear cup doing that. Lightspeed does help you out at OSH repairing things but only if you drop them off early in the week.
The Bose are perfect [for me]. They are quiet and I can talk on the phone and people think I'm sitting in an office or calling from bed. Works well with MGL v6 radio--no external intercom and a Rotax 912 ULS.

Just aint flying without my Halos. No headclamping. No ear greenhouse effect.

Idahomike wrote:Just aint flying without my Halos. No headclamping. No ear greenhouse effect.

+1

It's just too hot around here 3/4 of the year to wear a sweatband with earcups. When I used my ANR headsets, I was always worried about "flood damage" to the electronics from all the sweating they caused... No longer an issue with the Halos...

I do have to remind myself that I'm wearing them, lest I try to exit the airplane with them still on my head and plugged in. Did that once and managed to rip the wires right out of the "box" where the volume controls reside. Sent them in and they made them like new - and didn't charge me anything - not even return postage.

I was (and still am) seriously impressed with their support policy.

Denali

Hope I am not the only one to remember Carbon Mikes and Crystal Headsets!
Almost sounds like another Indiana Jones title.

Used to make crystal radios in early 50s. Needed loong wire antenna.
WWII surplus was everywhere and cheap.

My first flying radio gear - (~~1960) - used a carbon mike - when it quit you just slammed it on something to breakup the carbon particles and try it again. The headset was old WWII surplus also - similar to what you see in the "Duke" picture. Tech. problem with that photo is that there was a cold weather covering and as I recall that was a "lost in the Arctic" film - so, where are the cold weather covers? (R-14)
Can't hide the Dukes mug on camera?

Have researched this before for a story and still have links bookmarked.
Too complex to list all the options here - but, if your interested in the history.

Crystal related:

http://www.xtalman.com/headsets.html


Headphone related - extensive

http://aafradio.org/flightdeck/Peripher ... dsets.html


Hope it helps
Chris C

At OSH, I finally sprung (sprang, springed, whatever) for the DC One-X, and I'm totally satisfied. Extremely comfortable, light weight, great ANR, fits my punkin head just fine. The Bluetooth paired to my iPad is nice--good for traffic and runway warnings from Foreflight. I haven't tried it with my iPhone. Music (XM plugged into my audio panel) is really good. I did add Oregon Aero "Softskin" cloth covers, because that really reduces discomfort caused by sweating. Worth $900? Hard to say, but I'm not complaining.

I added a new Flite Light Mic light to the boom mic. Since Flite Light doesn't yet make an adapter specifically for the One-X, I ordered the kit with all the adapters, and I found one which fit close but a little loose--one wrap of electrical tape took care of that.

My old 10-13.4 with the Headsets Inc. ANR conversion and Flight Light Mic light has moved to the right seat. Now with the second 10-13.4 and my original 37 year old 10-40 for the back seat, all seats are DC-equipped. I still have the el cheapo Softcomm child size headset for kiddies and the similar adult size Softcomm that used to be the 4th seat headset, which I'll keep as a spare or loaner, as it works fine--just cheaply constructed.

Reading back through this thread, the "solution" to all the Lightspeed and other headsets flaking earcup seals is to replace the seals with Oregon Aero seals. They are either actual leather or a good faux facsimile, and they simply don't come apart. If after awhile my new One-X ear seals show any deterioration, I'll replace them with OAs. They are the best.

Cary