Feedback on possible purchase choice.

[owequitit]

I am currently debating between these two headsets, and I am sure nobody on here has any first hand experience, but I figured I would drop the line anyway, to see what I came up with.

http://www.bose.com/controller?event..._headset_index

http://www.bose.com/pdf/customer_ser..._headset_x.pdf

http://www.lightspeedaviation.com/co.../Products/Zulu

http://www.lightspeedaviation.com/pu...uUG_online.pdf

Bose:

Pros:

1) Lightest available (12OZ for the BOSE vs 13.9OZ for the Lightspeed) 1 oz (actually 1.9) might not seem like much, but that is a 14% weight reduction, and when you are wearing them all day, it does make a difference. For comparison, my current headset weighs 16.5 OZ without the chord, so probably closer to 18OZ. That is a 30% weight reduction over what I have now. Also, figure that under g's that can amount to nearly a pound difference on your head.

2) Generally voted the #1 headset by those who use them. Highly regarded by all pilots I have ever talked to that use them.

3) Bose is generally held to be the leader in noise cancelling technology.

4) Generally easy financing terms.

5) Free 30 day trial.

6) Bose generally has excellent support for their products.

7) Supposedly designed to have light clamping forces on the head, while still providing an excellent seal. Everyone I have talked to confirms this, although I haven't compared first hand which design is actually more fatigue resistant.

8) The frequency range is the same on both headsets. The BOSE runs from 15Hz-15kHz while the Lightspeed is 20Hz-20kHz. It seems the lower frequency band would be more useful, since a lot of the noise we need to cancel is low level vibration etc. I don't know this scientifically, and truthfully, every airplane would be different.

9) I believe the Bose offers more total noise cancellation.

Cons:

1) More expensive

2) Not compatible with bluetooth devices as far as I can tell.

Lightspeed:

Pros:

1) Cheaper

2) Bluetooth compatible

3) Highly regarded by those who have them.

4) Lightspeed has been around and involved in ANR headsets for a long time, as have Bose, Telex and Sennheiser.

Cons:

1) 14% heavier.

2) Not as widely used apparently. I haven't met nearly as many people who use Lightspeed as Bose.

3) Not as good financing terms.

4) Not so sure that the bluetooth connectivity is as important.

Both headsets have auxiliary audio inputs, so I could plug in say, an iPod if I wanted to. Of course, most of our aircraft also have those, so that isn't a huge deal on a daily basis, although it would be nice if I were flying one that didn't have that feature installed, and truthfully, you are normally busy enough anyway that it isn't an issue.

[trcsbrian]

I don't know how Bose fares in aviation technology or whatever, but I know in the HiFi community they aren't the best choice of headset. These brands may have absolutely NOTHING to do with any of this, but maybe you could look into them and see if they have any headsets related to what you use them for.

AKG, Beyerdynamic, Sennheiser, and Grado.

Again, I may have no idea what I'm talking about since I don't know if they make headsets for what you do, but I know they're very well-respected in the HiFi community. For most people into HiFi, Bose is a joke, although I have a pair of triports which I think do pretty good for the price that my GF got em for (50% off retail)

[slick]

i didnt read this whole post but why dont you get those bose sound wave canceling headphones i just saw the commercial about them

[owequitit]

I don't know how Bose fares in aviation technology or whatever, but I know in the HiFi community they aren't the best choice of headset. These brands may have absolutely NOTHING to do with any of this, but maybe you could look into them and see if they have any headsets related to what you use them for.

AKG, Beyerdynamic, Sennheiser, and Grado.

Again, I may have no idea what I'm talking about since I don't know if they make headsets for what you do, but I know they're very well-respected in the HiFi community. For most people into HiFi, Bose is a joke, although I have a pair of triports which I think do pretty good for the price that my GF got em for (50% off retail)

That is the thing, I haven't typically been super impressed with Bose audio products once I heard better, but here it is a little different.

I believe the only company that makes ANR headsets in the list above is Sennheiser, but they aren't as highly regarded in aviation as Bose. Here is it is more about attenuation, and noise cancelling than "quality" as an audiophile would label it. Quality for us is not experiencing hearing loss, and being able to clearly hear and understand communications. I don't think that will be much of a problem, since I can do that with my current headset, although I know that sometimes I have to turn it up louder than I should.

I think here Bose and Lightspeed are the best, but again, part of the reason I am a little nervous is that Bose isn't always the best in terms of audio quality. I would ideally like to try both brands, but I don't think Lightspeed has the same 30 day demo policy, and I would hate to spend $1,000 on Bose, and then find out the Lightspeed is better.

[owequitit]

i didnt read this whole post but why dont you get those bose sound wave canceling headphones i just saw the commercial about them

They aren't the same thing. They don't allow me to talk back. Aviation headsets are specifically two way. Their noise cancelling headphones are nice, but they won't work here. This is basically the same technology in a more advanced package.

[sackingz123]

have you look into dave clark headsets?

http://www.davidclark.com/Headsetpgs/index.html

[owequitit]

have you look into dave clark headsets?

http://www.davidclark.com/Headsetpgs/index.html

I have a David Clark currently. Actually, my second one. The first was stolen, then I got a cheapy and didn't like it, and got another one like the first one. To be honest, their starter headset (the one I have the H10-13.4) is $350.

The problem with MOST David Clarks is that they have passive noise reduction, i.e. they seal the sound out. They are effective, but there are some circumstances where they just don't attenuate enough sound. For instance, the other day it was hot, and we had the windows open for more airflow, and it was louder than shit. I knew it would be, but it had been awhile, so I had forgotten. I had to turn the volume way up in order to hear ATC, and after an hour of flying, my ears hurt. Long term, that is bad. I have already noticed some hearing loss in the last 10 years, although, not a lot. I also don't know how much of it is from loud music... But, I figure I should do what I can.

Also, while David Clark has ANR headsets, I don't think they are nearly as advanced as BOSE for approximately the same price. They also tend to be heavier which is somewhat fatiguing. Don't get me wrong, David Clark headsets are awesomely built, and pretty comfortable overall, but it would be like an S2K or a 350Z vs an NSX or GT-R. They are just on a differnt level. I will look to see what they have though.

[Losiracer2]

I vote BOSE. the QC2 headset is one of the best for cancelling noise in the industry. They're renown for that ability. They might have a QC3 out by now. So I'm going to make an assumption and think that these, since they're made for pilots, would be on the same level as their regular headsets for noise cancelling abilities.

[owequitit]

The DC options are quite a bit heavier, in some cases almost twice as much. They also don't have the same frequency response, don't get as much life out of a more expensive battery, and don't provide as much noice cancelling.

[owequitit]

I vote BOSE. the QC2 headset is one of the best for cancelling noise in the industry. They're renown for that ability. They might have a QC3 out by now. So I'm going to make an assumption and think that these, since they're made for pilots, would be on the same level as their regular headsets for noise cancelling abilities.

That is sort of what I am thinking. I can certainly try one out to see if I like it, but, I need to figure out how to get a chance to sample the Lightspeed too. At this point, I am heavily leaning towards BOSE, but I don't want to rule out a good headset just because.

[TurboZach]

I'm just glancing at the op, but I'm assuming you're looking for aviation headphones?
My dad's an airliner and I know he's loved his bose for a long time. He has one of those u-fly-mikes or whatever they are hooked up to the standard noise-cancelling models, it's a great setup and pretty cheap compared to dedicated aviation phones (plus you can use them for music). I think he's busted both the mike and the phones but both have been easily replaced quickly and at no expense. From what I understand, the mike/bose combo isn't completely within regulations in kost sectors, so keep it quiet if you do choose one. If you need more I'll ask him.

[owequitit]

I'm just glancing at the op, but I'm assuming you're looking for aviation headphones?
My dad's an airliner and I know he's loved his bose for a long time. He has one of those u-fly-mikes or whatever they are hooked up to the standard noise-cancelling models, it's a great setup and pretty cheap compared to dedicated aviation phones (plus you can use them for music). I think he's busted both the mike and the phones but both have been easily replaced quickly and at no expense. From what I understand, the mike/bose combo isn't completely within regulations in kost sectors, so keep it quiet if you do choose one. If you need more I'll ask him.

Hmm. I am interested what exactly his setup is made out of. I am probably going to vote to just keep it simple, but that doesn't mean that I won't consider it.

[deevergote]

Going by your own list, I would go with the Bose. It seems that the only real draw to the Lightspeed headset is the price, and you've already got an inexpensive headset.

This is your profession. This is what you love to do. Get the right equipment to do it. The Bose headset is backed strongly by the company. It'll last, or they'll replace it, right?



You getting a cheapie headset would be like me, when I was a waiter, getting the most inexpensive shoes possible. I need them to work, I should spend the money on the ones that make my job the most comfortable.


Going from your original post, I think you've already made your decision... you're just trying to justify the cost.

[owequitit]

Going by your own list, I would go with the Bose. It seems that the only real draw to the Lightspeed headset is the price, and you've already got an inexpensive headset.

This is your profession. This is what you love to do. Get the right equipment to do it. The Bose headset is backed strongly by the company. It'll last, or they'll replace it, right?



You getting a cheapie headset would be like me, when I was a waiter, getting the most inexpensive shoes possible. I need them to work, I should spend the money on the ones that make my job the most comfortable.


Going from your original post, I think you've already made your decision... you're just trying to justify the cost.

Partly.

I am not sure what the Bose warranty is. I know the Lightspeed one is 5 years, and the main reason I am debating is that I have NO exposure to Lightspeed's product, and would like to try it out. I know the BOSE is good, but I am unfamiliar with Lightspeed, which is also supposed to be good.

I don't mind buying the best tool for the job, but I guess for around $1,000 I want to be sure that it is actually the best tool. I am going to do the 30 day trial, on the BOSE, but I am going to wait until I can actually pay for it. Probably in September sometime.

[203Cree]

Yeah, Bose would be my choice. My DC's that I have now, while nice, would gladly go in the trash were there a set of Bose to be had with my name on them. I've worn them, you can't beat the noise reduction they have, and they are super lightweight. If you like your DC's, you'll love the Bose.