Are Bose A20s worth the money?

[Bruiser]

Are they worth the money and the hassle of carryin em around?

Appreciate any comments positive, negative or other. Will be using in a 737.

Thanks,

 

[Turtle21]

Are they worth the money and the hassle of carryin em around?



Appreciate any comments positive, negative or other. Will be using in a 737.



Thanks,

Uflymike.com

Bose QuietComfort 15 + UFlyMike adapter. Love it!!

 

[LJ45]

Uflymike.com

Bose QuietComfort 15 + UFlyMike adapter. Love it!!

After a year of using this combo, I agree...1/2 the price and works great.

 

[flythere]

I used ufly for 3-4 years, worked okay, got tired of the plug coming out of the headset all the time. If you sit in the right seat and your capt doesn't use a noise canx headset, then you are flying with your left ear cup off and your mic all crooked, that was a pain in the you know what! Also had the battery crap out several times while rolling down the runway at 80-90 knots, (typically the loudest point during flight) nothing like going deaf at that speed, not to mention the distraction. The mic finally gave out, I think it was a lose connection or something in the boom portion.

I was flying with a guy who was using the A20, I tried it out for a few minutes and was hoooooked! A bit on the spendy side, but IMHO it's worth it. When the batteries die, it's fail passive, so you can still hear the other pilot and the radios. Also the mic is reversible, so I was able to move it over to the right side, so when I fly with those crusty old guys who fly with that antique ear plug thing, you know the one with all the gross ear wax and crust on it! I'm able to leave the left cup off my ear and still have the mic in the right place.

I've had mine over 3 years now and it works great, lithium batteries last almost a month at a time!! It was a great investment for me!!

 

[Old School 737]

I don't have 1 but most guys like that Ufly mike set up .. Only thing is that about 1/2 the guys have to hold the mike up to their mouths to hear them ok..

 

[waveflyer]

Are they worth the money and the hassle of carryin em around?

Appreciate any comments positive, negative or other. Will be using in a 737.

Thanks,

In a word
Yes

Research UFM- and between being an FO and no blue tooth I opted for the a20

Have not regretted


Flythere-
I dont let captains convince me not to use the noise canceling or keep an ear off-
Pick your battles, so I know what you mean- but to me it's a longevity thing when you hear about pilots losing their hearing
73 is not quiet

 

[Bugs]

A20

Wish I had been using one for the last 20 years or so, instead of a few months. I really like it. If you have some years left to fly, just get one. It might,likely,save you from tinnitus . Too late for me.

Mike b

 

[flythere]

Flythere-
I dont let captains convince me not to use the noise canceling or keep an ear off-
Pick your battles, so I know what you mean- but to me it's a longevity thing when you hear about pilots losing their hearing
73 is not quiet[/QUOTE]

Sometimes it's easier to get along vs picking a fight! Most of our airplanes still don't have latching mic switches on the com panel. Which means we have to use a latching device (aka rubber band) to latch the switch to intercom. One particular crusty old dinosaur said he doesn't believe in "intentional non-compliance" and refused to use a latching device, his choice! After doing things his way for the last 30 years, you think he's gonna change over night for some kid 22 yrs jr to him?? I still us my headset in those cases, I just keep my left ear cup a little off the ear and in some cases, I'll pull it all the way on and make him repeat everything, "huh, can't hear you, speak up!"

 

[Turtle21]

In a word

Yes



Research UFM- and between being an FO and no blue tooth I opted for the a20



Have not regretted





Flythere-

I dont let captains convince me not to use the noise canceling or keep an ear off-

Pick your battles, so I know what you mean- but to me it's a longevity thing when you hear about pilots losing their hearing

73 is not quiet

Ya know, if a guy is a retired mil pilot he should just go ahead and spend the extra cash, even though they have no hearing left to protect, they will just look cool. Civilian pilots can't afford it when they are in the regionals but they should really just do it early to save their hearing, that way throughout their career they can hear each other whisper smack about the mil pilots, but the mil pilots won't be able to hear.

Sorry. (The civ vs. mil thread thread wasn't long enough).

 

[Tripower455]

I used the UFM/QC2 until they banned their use at SW. I went through a few other "ANR" headsets that were anything but, including a $600 Sennheiser. I finally broke down and bought an A20 about 2 months before the company re allowed the UFM setup. I am still using the A20, even though I have the option to go back to the UFM.

I loved the QC2, but it wasn't perfect. The mic was never in the right place, and the UFM unit had an annoying habit of pulling loose if the cable got caught on something. It was very convenient to carry around, had good ANR and was comfortable. Nowadays, to comply with the (completely unnecessary) STC and be "legal" under the letter of the FOM, you have to stick an earbud into your ear, under the earcup and plug it into the aux input on the UFM as backup in case the battery goes dead. No thanks.

The A20 is larger and heavier, which, IMHO, are the only downsides compared to the UFM setup. They are noticeably quieter than the QC/UFM, which some regard as a bad thing, but I love it. The cable assembly is somewhat delicate. I am very careful with my stuff, and mine has already been replaced once in warranty, and I know several other folks who've had the same issues. The upside is that Bose's warranty service is excellent. I called them while on a trip and the assembly was waiting for me at home 2 days later with an RMA for the old one. The warranty is 5 years on the A20.

Overall, I am happy with the A20, and would buy it again in a heartbeat. The QC/UFM setup is a close second, with some reservations.

 

[LJ45]

As far as the Ufly mic goes,

If you clip the wire to your shirt, it doesn't pull out easy. Also the O-ring on the plug if worn or missing will make it loose fitting in the headset.

Also, I think the later sold mikes had a better/longer boom. I have no trouble with keeping it in the proper location.

I have no trouble detecting when the battery is low and changing it before it dies.

 

[Tripower455]

As far as the Ufly mic goes,

If you clip the wire to your shirt, it doesn't pull out easy. Also the O-ring on the plug if worn or missing will make it loose fitting in the headset.

Also, I think the later sold mikes had a better/longer boom. I have no trouble with keeping it in the proper location.

I have no trouble detecting when the battery is low and changing it before it dies.

They might've changed them as mine was an early one. The boom would never stay bent to the proper position,. It would always straighten out a bit and make transmissions weak. The pulling out issue was from the get go, and I did/do clip the wire to my shirt. I put fatter o-rings on mine and that helped somewhat.

The battery is/was is a non issue, IMHO. They run a LONG time (5-10 hours) after the LED starts flashing, and then they "click" loudly for a while before going dead.

Another advantage to the UFM is that it uses one AAA vs. 2 AAs in the A20. The battery also seemed to last a lot longer with the QC2 vs. the A20.

They are both outstanding choices. I believe that Bose has a trial period for the A20 where you can use it for a while (30 days?) and return it if you don't like it. Not sure about the QC15/UFM. That's a no brainer if you're on the fence about the A20.

 

[densoo]

Bose 20i soft earbuds noise canceling has worked great for me. No more over-the-head weight, over-the-ear clamp. You have to figure out a mic setup which I already had separately. Adapter from radio shack puts transmissions into one ear so it doesn't interfere with talk with other pilot while still keeping NR in both ears. The soft pliable ear tips have been remarkably comfortable and of course the whole thing takes up a lot less room in personal flight bag. Will still carry signal with dead battery or if turned off, just no NR.

http://www.bose.com/controller?url=...ncelling_headphones/quietcomfort_20/index.jsp

 

[densoo]

If you sit in the right seat and your capt doesn't use a noise canx headset, then you are flying with your left ear cup off and your mic all crooked, that was a pain in the you know what!

...I just keep my left ear cup a little off the ear and in some cases, I'll pull it all the way on and make him repeat everything, "huh, can't hear you, speak up!"

You can buy a third-party in-line volume control that can control the volume to each ear separately. This does not affect the noise canceling feature. So you can turn the ATC volume down on only the left ear which should allow conversation coming from left side to be heard. When you upgrade turn right volume down and left up. More wires to deal with (arg) but worth considering.

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HZR-62-Stereo-Volume-Control/dp/B000H0K8VY

 

[ATLplt]

What did you use as a mic setup? This combo sounds like a winner. Keep the company issued 850's in the bag for gov't and line check reasons, earbuds for all the other times.

 

[Ty Webb]

David Clark makes a nice, small, lightweight on-the-ear ANR headset with bluetooth. Sells for about $650. Very comfortable, lightweight, TSO'd, and has individual volume controls to tune in or out whoever you're flying with.

Marv Golden or Sporty's.

http://www.marvgolden.com/david-clark-dc-pro-x-anr-enc-headset.html

 

[Ticker]

Holy cow. $1000? Yikes!

 

[densoo]

What did you use as a mic setup? This combo sounds like a winner. Keep the company issued 850's in the bag for gov't and line check reasons, earbuds for all the other times.

My company provides these.

https://www.google.com/search?q=tel...%3Fid%3Dprod00200982413498295_JEPP_bu;280;250

I use just the boom mic part and instead of clipping it to the provided headset I clip it to my glasses. The over-the-head part goes in a cubby hole. Meets the FAA requirement for boom mic. The only time I've found it convenient to wear glasses. Nothing on head or over the ears, which I have found to be uncomfortable, especially after several hours. And in the summer, very uncomfortable.

Here's a view of how the boom part clips on without the over-the-head piece. For me, instead of it clipping onto a rod on a molded in-ear piece as shown, it's clipped to the eyeglass template.

https://www.google.com/search?q=tel....pilotstuff.com%2Fpilot_earpiece.html;260;288

The eyeglass angle won't work for most for the boom mic, but the over-the-head part could still be used for the mic and then just use the Bose 20i for the ears.

 

[ATLplt]

Densoo, I like it. Very MacGyver of you. I'm gonna go all super geek and solder up a couple ideas I have in my head. They'll be totally frowned upon by the FAA, but maybe I'll stumble upon something that works well. Can't stand wearing the big headsets after flying such a quiet airplane for so long.

 

[JonnyKnoxville]

I use A20s on the 747 (loud cockpit). I have tried many different headsets out there and I would say without hesitation that the A20s have the best audio quality. The downsides are the cost and they take up a lot more room than some of the others when you want to pack them in a flight case.

There is no question that I would purchase them all over again if I had to choose a new headset today.

 

[waveflyer]

Btw-
This exact thread has been done a few times- search that if you want more opinions

 

[Bruiser]

Thanks for all the posts.

Much appreciate.

Wave, did the search before and came up with nil. Tried again, pull downs for bose, bose A20 still there but this time came up with quite a few threads. thanks again.

 

[Turtle21]

I used ufly for 3-4 years, worked okay, got tired of the plug coming out of the headset all the time. If you sit in the right seat and your capt doesn't use a noise canx headset, then you are flying with your left ear cup off and your mic all crooked, that was a pain in the you know what! Also had the battery crap out several times while rolling down the runway at 80-90 knots, (typically the loudest point during flight) nothing like going deaf at that speed, not to mention the distraction. The mic finally gave out, I think it was a lose connection or something in the boom portion.

I was flying with a guy who was using the A20, I tried it out for a few minutes and was hoooooked! A bit on the spendy side, but IMHO it's worth it. When the batteries die, it's fail passive, so you can still hear the other pilot and the radios. Also the mic is reversible, so I was able to move it over to the right side, so when I fly with those crusty old guys who fly with that antique ear plug thing, you know the one with all the gross ear wax and crust on it! I'm able to leave the left cup off my ear and still have the mic in the right place.

I've had mine over 3 years now and it works great, lithium batteries last almost a month at a time!! It was a great investment for me!!

Some guys complain that the A20 cord is a bit too sort and they get an extension cord. Do you find the length of the cord acceptable?

 

[Tripower455]

Some guys complain that the A20 cord is a bit too sort and they get an extension cord. Do you find the length of the cord acceptable?

It's fine in a 737.....

 

[StopNTSing]

The ultimate test of an A20 would be this summer in a clapped-out -300/-500 running short-hauls through AZ or FL. If it doesn't get your melon too hot & sweaty under those conditions, then it's probably the headset for you. Otherwise, I'd suggest the Clarity Aloft or Lightspeed in-ear models.

 

[Tripower455]

The ultimate test of an A20 would be this summer in a clapped-out -300/-500 running short-hauls through AZ or FL. If it doesn't get your melon too hot & sweaty under those conditions, then it's probably the headset for you. Otherwise, I'd suggest the Clarity Aloft or Lightspeed in-ear models.

I bought mine in the summer of 2011, and I've spent far too much time in the sweathogs since. Never any issues for me, or at least not any worse than any other headset, as that's the least of the problems, temp wise, in a classic.

 

[Zdriver]

+1 for the ufly mic a couple of points not mentioned.

-works awesome for commuting or just sitting the the airport using just the QC15, great sound for music and movies.. (plus you don't look like a dork wearing your A20)

-TSO ufly mike comes with westone ear buds (these retail for about $100 alone) these are great ear buds, best I have ever used for running.

-Customer service at UFM is outstanding!

Great setup!

 

[EntertheCentury]

I have the 20s and they were worth every cent. Don't try to save money by getting the 10s used as they were clampers as that was my pair prior to the 20s coming out. I have tried the UFM combo and it is a good setup for the space and weight but it is not the same and not near as a good. Yep, they are expensive but, so are hearing aids down the line. Do yourself a favor and buy the good stuff now and take the tax write off.

 

[Downwind]

I liked my UFM but love my A20's. The blue tooth is great for clearances at obscure airports. Probably not a factor for the 121 guys.

 

[ATLplt]

-TSO ufly mike comes with westone ear buds (these retail for about $100 alone) these are great ear buds, best I have ever used for running.

I had the $100 Westone buds for years till I left them clipped to a seat back pocket. Never saw them again. Upgraded to the Westone 2's and was blown away even more than with the old pair. Great line of earbuds, but they get expensive quickly as more drivers are added.

Anyway, back to the A20 debate.