Head Set

doug8082a · Post by **doug8082a** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 3:29 pm

Kyle Wolfe wrote: Now a question... anyone have a good way of clipping the Bose battery cases to the wall or something? Or do you just let them hang down? Leaving them hanging seems to be a bit of an issue putting pressure on the jacks and the cords. Will look to you guys for ideas.

Kyle,

what battery pack do you have? The old 9v or the newer AA?

lowNslow · Post by **lowNslow** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 3:45 pm

Kyle Wolfe wrote: Then I bought myself a gift - a bose. Bad mistake. My wife was always fighting me for it. So I had to buy another one just for her.

Same here, but it was the other way around. She didn't like the ones I had so we bought her the Bose headset. After trying them I can't imagine using my old ones except under emergency conditions. We probably should have shopped the other headsets but I have no regrets. Bose occasionally has a special deal where they included some other goody with the headset, we got two Garmin handheld GPSs and recently they were offering a set of their QuietComfort 3 headsets.

cessna170bdriver · Post by **cessna170bdriver** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 4:29 pm

I'm afraid to try Bose headsets for the same reason I'm afraid to try lobster... I have enough expensive habits already.

I wore my 12-15 year old non-noise cancelling DC's for a total of 31 hours to and from Galveston (including 8.5 hours each day on both the first and last day), and they never got uncomfortable.

I have a pair of active noise cancelling DC's, and I'm impressed with their capability, but I can never remember to turn them off at the end of a flight, so I only get the one flight on a set of batteries.

Because of that I've relegated them to the baggage compartment for those rare times when I have a third person in the airplane. At the time I bought them (1997), DC offered active noise cancelling headsets that run on ship's power, but that would have requred adding power jacks to the airplane, and would limit the use of the headset to airplanes so modified. Maybe next time...

Miles

Kyle Wolfe · Post by **Kyle Wolfe** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 4:48 pm

lowNslow wrote:
Kyle Wolfe wrote: Bose occasionally has a special deal where they included some other goody with the headset, we got two Garmin handheld GPSs and recently they were offering a set of their QuietComfort 3 headsets.

I further "justified" the purchase by selling the Bose freebie QuiteComfort headset as well as my older DCs on e-bay. Made the purchase a bit easier.

Doug, both of my sets are the AAs. I had one that was the old 9 volt but I had that updated. No regrets on that change either.

doug8082a · Post by **doug8082a** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 5:30 pm

cessna170bdriver wrote:I have a pair of active noise cancelling DC's, and I'm impressed with their capability, but I can never remember to turn them off at the end of a flight, so I only get the one flight on a set of batteries. Because of that I've relegated them to the baggage compartment for those rare times when I have a third person in the airplane. At the time I bought them (1997), DC offered active noise cancelling headsets that run on ship's power, but that would have requred adding power jacks to the airplane, and would limit the use of the headset to airplanes so modified. Maybe next time...

Miles

I know what you mean. 6 AAs down the tubes each time I went flying.
The Bose (and I think the new DC ANR ) has an auto shutoff feature on the battery pack to prevent that problem. The Bose unit also gets at least 40 hours on 2 AAs.

Kyle,
I haven't heard of anyone having problems with the control module putting any strain on the cables. There should be two clips on the cord one of which is between the plugs and the control module. This is to give one the ability to clip it to something to address that concern. Does your unit have that clip? Is there anything to clip it to?

n3833v · Post by **n3833v** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 5:55 pm

My Headsets from TX has an auto shutoff for the batt box. I went and installed the power jacks and it turns on/off with the master. I like my sets for the noise reduction.

John

HMA170 · Post by **HMA170** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 3:28 am

Kyle,
I don't have the Bose but do have the DC ANC. I clipped my battery pack underneath the pilot dash on top of the rigid upholstery sidewall insert. I clipped it over the top. It is out of the way, out of sight and works great. I then looped the extra cord and put a small piece of velcro around it and stuck it to the side upholstery below the ashtray. Very neat and clean all the way around.

HMA 170

N170CT · Post by **N170CT** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 5:38 pm

Everybody has their own ideas and opinions

. For me, I have used the Clark's H10-60 in an open cockpit Great Lakes for several years. Inverted

, you don't notice the weight of the headset. A friend allowed me to use his Bose set once and they were great, actually a bit too good. I missed some of the ambient noise the biplane makes which provides clues as to what is happening. In the 170B, I use a matched pair of Peltor (7004s, I think) headsets which are more than adequate and a whole bunch lighter. There are many excellent reasons to choose Bose. For example, if I were piloting a Lear with either Rosie or Hillary aboard

, Bose would definitely be the headset of choice.
chuck

CraigH · Post by **CraigH** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 2:54 pm

Wow Doug, I didn't know you worked for Brand "X". I've been a happy Bose X user for 6 years. You guys have a superb product!!!!!!

doug8082a · Post by **doug8082a** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 4:11 pm

Thanks. I've only been working for Brand "X" since December '05, so it's kinda recent. It's a great product and a great company. Where else could someone do what I do (software development/programming) and be able to work for a place that not only makes a product I bellieve in, but has a stake in aviation and allows me to work an event or two to boot!

Post by **GAHorn** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 8:29 pm

Yeah, Doug's right in the middle of things, although he used to be out on the fringe.

doug8082a · Post by **doug8082a** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 8:50 pm

What's this? Am I being brought into the "inner circle"?

I need to take time to acclimate to my new surroundings. Too fast of an adjustment could be a real shock to my system.

My head's already spinning...

Post by **Bruce Fenstermacher** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 9:04 pm

Wow Doug, slow down. Maybe the outer fringe of the inner circle.

doug8082a · Post by **doug8082a** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 12:29 am

Oh ok... that sounds better. As long as it still has some fringe in it. I wouldn't want to forget my roots.

Mike Smith · Post by **Mike Smith** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 1:18 am

I've just had the opportunity to try a few headsets. My originals (which I still like) are DC's with the flex boom mic and Oregon Aero head pad and ear pads. The only reason I have starting looking around is that on long XC's the noise level has started to bother me.

I tried the Lightspeed 30-3g and 20XL. Both had the same comfort level, but the 20XL worked better at quietening the noise level than the 30-3g's. The music level was louder in the 3g's, but that was the only thing that was slightly better. The noise cancelling could not keep up with prop pitch changes in turbulence and gave a thundering noise (similar to when only one window is open in a car at highway speeds), but the 20XL didn't even hiccup, it kept on cancelling the noise without wavering. My opinion is that the 3g's are only worth about one third the price of the 20XL (but they cost ~$100 more).

I tried the Bose X, and it was more comfortable for a short period, but after a while I hated the headband hinge in the center of the top of the head. It made me feel like the head set was squeezing my head half way between the center of the headband and the earcup. Also, the lighter initial comfort level comes at the price of increased noise level (i.e. less PNR). It was not as quiet as the Lightspeed 20XL. The background wind noise was much more noticable on the Bose X but nearly non-existant with the Lightspeed 20XL. The Bose seemed unable to counter the background wind noise (air vents & outside). So, my vote still went to the Lightspeed 20XL since the goal was noise elimination. Comfort is still a big priority, and the Lightspeeds are still comfortable. I just prefer the slightly more passive noise attenuation of the Lightspeeds to the minimal passive noise attenuation of the Bose (not to mention the way the headset really hurt my head after about 30 minutes due to the hinge being in the center of the top of the headband).

I'm also trying out an item by UflyMike that makes the Bose "Quiet Comfort 2" avaition capable. After trying it in the C-170 I've decided it is more inadequate than the Bose X at passive noise attenuation. It is only margianally better than my DC non-ANR headset ... but waaaaay more comfortable! It rests very lightly on the head, has a waaaaay better head band than the Bose X, is lighter and when you add the price of the headset and adapter - you're cost is ~$500 ($300 for the QC2 & $200 for the microphone/cell/music adapter). I've used the QC2 in the cabin of airliners and it's awesome! I can lower the volume of the music or movie audio to a more comfortable level, and if I only want silence I can do that too. And, my ears don't "ring" at the end of a long flight.

The QC2 with adapter works good in the airline cockpit too. It nicer to have the radio go into both ears than just one, but I'm not sure if it's $500 better than just the foamys and a $30 earpiece. So the jury is still "out" as to wheather it's better. I'm still "testing". But compared to other headsets, it is definately better due to it's size, weight, ANR and slight PNR. I tried the Lighspeed 20XL and it was quieter than the QC2, but it's so big compared to the QC2 that I really don't want to carry it with me on a trip.