So I just took my final check ride earlier on today and after many months of training I finally have my private pilot certificate. So it's time to ditch the old cheapo headset I was using and get a nicer one. Do you guys have any recommendations? I'd like to keep it under $200 (flexible though) and I really don't care about noise cancelling.

4/16/2009 4:15:17 PM

Bueller?

4/17/2009 10:35:18 AM

You cant get good headsets for under $200. You can get something close by buying an AVDesign headset from avshop.com. I bought a pair of active noise cancelling headsets 4 years ago from them, and have loved them.

If you dont care about noise cancelling, then you arent flying enough. I cant imagine not wanting noise cancelling in any controlled air space. Being able to clearly understand air traffic control is essential.

I have been considering buying a pair of the Lightspeed Zulu's, but they are about $800.


[Edited on April 17, 2009 at 11:25 AM. Reason : .]

4/17/2009 11:22:56 AM

I've been using a cheapo pair for the past year or so and I did all of my training in controlled airspace for an international airport... I was able to clearly here everything on the radio perfectly fine.

4/17/2009 1:43:57 PM

Well, I have used plenty of cheap headsets that I had to borrow from times past, and the results were mixed. its also nice not having to blast the volume up to get it above the engine/wind noise around you. Your ears will thank you in 20 years time.

Anyway, $250 for ANR from AVDesign. The ear cups can get hard when its really cold. You can upgrade the cups to a softer material. I have taken them on many long haul trips with no fatigue.
http://www.avshop.com/product/ITEM5931/340

[Edited on April 17, 2009 at 1:53 PM. Reason : .]

4/17/2009 1:48:26 PM

i have a very basic headset that i use when flying civilian. Dave Clarks are my favorite civilian headsets that I've used, but I haven't really used that many.

I don't have any active noise cancelling or anything in my helmet, and it works fine. I don't know what the price difference is, but unless it isn't much, I don't think I'd think of the noise cancelling as a "must-have". If you fly a lot, especially IFR, you won't have trouble understanding radio calls, unless it's a broken, weak, or otherwise bad transmission...and then noise cancellation won't help you. I mean, I've never used it, so maybe I don't know what I'm missing. Maybe it's great. It isn't necessary, though...I haven't looked at my logbooks in a while, but I bet I have 600-700 hours altogether, all without any high-tech earphones, and usually monitoring multiple radios (and often with music playing through my earphones, too).

Now, a headset that is comfortable is definitely a good thing to have.

4/17/2009 11:08:59 PM

First off, congrats on passing the checkride. I bought a set of David Clark H20-10s about a month ago from sportys. I have nothing bad to say about them.

4/18/2009 5:12:51 PM

Yeah comfort is the main thing I'm going for... my current headsets start to make my ears ache after about 2 hours. When I first started lessons, I used my instructor's noise canceling ones and they were pretty nice but I really didn't think it was a necessity.

[Edited on April 18, 2009 at 7:08 PM. Reason : ]

4/18/2009 7:08:01 PM