Headset for Turboprop??

[B-J-J Fighter]

I had the Light Speeds as well. Very comfortable and cancelled out most noise. In fact it was hard for me to hear the engines running in the Baron I was flying at the time. BUT, they stayed broken all the time. Company was very good about fixing them, they even shipped me a brand new set one time. It only took another week or two for the new ones to break as well. Finally I got tired with having to ship them back and forth and went back to my old trusty DC 13.4s and couldnt be any more happy. No batteries and no problem with them breaking.

 

[saabcaptain]

The truth about Lightspeed is simple: they have a great product in terms of comfort and technology. They also have fantastic customer service. But they also have a fundementally flawed design that simply breaks and breaks and breaks. It wouldn't be too bad if you used it in general aviation for one hundred hours a year or something but when you fly 800-900 hours a year the thing breaks every 3 months... totally unacceptable. While they keep redesigning their product with new plastics and thicker plastic ear cup holders etc. I am waiting on them to get a TSO'd headset with an all new design that is built from the ground up to give us the reliability to match their technology and customer service.

 

[I.P. Freley]

I agree!

I have a pair of Litespeeds... And when I say pair, I do mean pair, as one of the earpieces is separated from the headband at this moment. Actually, they've been like that for about two years, as I didn't want to deal with them anymore and went back to the trusty DC 13.4's.

The difference is truly amazing between the two, but I do know that the DC's will work, and will work EVERY TIME. The Litespeed is just too fragile for regular work like 121 (not to mention that they take up a LOT of space in your flight bag, or need to be carried separately).

My other problem with the Litespeeds was only touched upon breifly, and that's "whaddya do when the batts die or the electronics take a nose dive?" Having had this happen once, I can say honestly that wearing Litespeeds with the power off is WORSE than wearing no headset at all. Maybe it's just a perception, but I think the earcup design actually channels outside noise straight into your brain... And yes, worse than sitting there with no headset.

One more thing is that they have a lot of mass out near the edges of the earcups, and are more resistant to direction changes than the DC's. You'll see what I mean the first time you turn your head quickly while wearing the Litespeeds, that "snap-back" motion of the headset reacting belatedly to directional change is disconcerting to say the least.

In the end, I'd say if you are going to buy an ANR headset, make sure it's one that has the usual passive damping if the electrics are off. At least if the electronics die or the batts die in the middle of a four-day trip you'll still have a "regular" headset to protect you. Unless, of course, you want to bring a spare headset, which is way too much hassle IMHO.

 

[HAZ-MAT]

I.P... Yea the LightSpeeds always seem to be breaking, i had 2 students that had them, and the mic boom would always do something funky. As far as batteries going out, My DC's came with two battery packs. So when the first set goes out, you shut it off, unplug the first back, and plug in your second pack and your up and running! However when you forget to restock that second pack with new batteries... well then your complaining the rest of the flight!
Cheers

 

[saabcaptain]

My situation was similar my Lightspeed 25XL's broke for the fifth time, this time with the ear piece coming off the headset entirely and I too just threw 'em in a box and went back to my DC 13.4's. However finally what I did was send the 25XL's back to Lightspeed (5th time) and they fixed up the headsets good as new including new headband and other stuff, even a new carrying case... at which point I put them on Ebay and got 80% of the orginial purchase price back. I then put that money right into a new pair of David Clark 13-X ENC headset which has been flawless and breakable.

 

[Buss_Driver]

Think Outside the Box

This discussion always seems to get narrowed too quickly. Don't jump on the DC/LS bandwagons too quickly and don't forget to consider your personal comfort and the cost of operation.

After an exhaustive search, I went outside the box and got a set of Pilot 17-79 (Independence Series) and, for almost 2 years now, have never been happier. They are rechargable (30-40 hours), self-contained (battery in the ear cup - no box to stow), as comfortable as the Bose and have excellent passive qualities (especially with the gel seals) for those rare occasions when you forget to recharge them. The downside is that, if you do forget to recharge, you can't just pick up batteries at the airport convenience store. The major upside is that you NEVER have to buy batteries at the airport convenience store - one time cost when you buy the headset! The battery life is supposed to be about 1000 recharges and, despite the quality of construction, I imagine the plastic parts will wear out before you've gone through 2 batteries (I think they replace the battery once for free).

I traded headsets with a rich student for a day. We both agreed that the Pilot was just as comfortable (when you realize that you don't have to make it clamp-tight) as his Bose and had the same (if not better) noise reduction (especially the passive). He also reported that the Bose batteries lasted barely 20 hours.

A friend recommended an ear-plug headset by Quiet Technologies (quiettechnologies.com) which I am tempted to try just because it will fit in my flight kit and probably wouldn't have to be removed just to put on the oxygen mask.

Anyway, remember to try before you buy (even if you have to beg and borrow) or, at the very least, make liberal use of the money-back guarantees until you find the headset that is just right for you.

Good luck.

 

[Lopaka]

Bose, Bose, & Bose

I broke down and got the Bose X and use them in a King Air 200. They are awesome, really comfortable, compact, and you hardly know the engines are running......... until the 9V goes out, and then the engines may as well be inside your head scrambling your brains, so always keep an extra 9V. I'd say one lasts a good 20-25 hrs. Also sometimes you get the radar zapping sound in your ear which is annoying and sounds like a misquito stuck in you headset. I've tried the Lightspeed and like those too, except for how bulky they are. The old Bose you can get for cheaper and those are still top of the line too.

 

[I.P. Freley]

The only person I know who tried the Bose had horrible luck with them. He had the 2nd-gen model and returned it for repair three times in one year before giving up on them entirely and going back to the DC's.

I know not everyone has had this experience, but it's the only one I am personally aware of, so...

 

[IFLYASA]

I have flown with Lightspeed and Bose. If you have the extra money. I suggest the Bose hands down. They give you a free 30 day trial period. Problem is, you won't return them..

 

[Jungle Prop]

I've always had David Clarks, their combination of price, quality and customer service is unbelievable. i would have liked the Bose headsets but the price was a little steep when your instructing. Also something to consider is the Bose don't seem to be very durable because they are so light. I've had my DC's for 5 years and through instructing and tossing them in and out of flight bags at a regional they never wore out. Very durable. Plus the battery life is far superior from what I've heard my Fo's say. Bottom line is everyone has their own opinion and it comes down to personal preferrance.