Headsets for the RJ

[Anaconda]

Thats what they provide disinfecting wipe things for.

still gross when you consider how many people use those things and their suspect grooming habits. to each his own i guess...

 

[CRJ puppy]

Bose.

 

[MDAutry]

Are the Bose not any good? I havn't seen anyone talking about them. Which set gives the max dB protection?

 

[Dan CFI/CFII]

I'm a big fan of my Sennheiser 25's. They're MUCH lighter than the Bose, and very quiet to boot. The Bose is probably a bit quieter, but frankly, the Sennheiser makes the ATR the quietest thing I've ever been in.

The Stereo 25s I've got were also $350 cheaper than the Bose, and the sound quality is excellent (for those folks who might care about using a Muse). You've never heard "Highwayman" sound so good in an airplane.

I'll admit it: I bought the things so I could rock out harder. Comfort schmomfort!

Dan

 

[Almerick07]

Bose.....the best money (a lot of money) can buy.

 

[EDUC8-or]

I have the Sennheiser 25's as well. Very quiet and comfortable. I only have 2 complaints: The batteries don't last long, and when I'm talking to the FA in back it's CRAZY loud. It might be the fact that I'm a cheap azz and I bought the mono version. Still love 'em.

Go to http://www.spinnerspilotshop.com They were about 150 bucks cheaper there VS buying them with the ALPA discount. I would also reccomend buying a set that's powered by the mic tip since the batteries don't last long. I think Sennheiser just started doing that in the last 3-4 months.

 

[Slice121]

What headset do you wear for use in the noisy RJ? I'm interested in the Sennheiser HMEC-25, anyone have a pair of these?

Telex 850's.

 

[cfdoubleeye]

How do the Lightspeed 30-3G's do in the 145?

 

[xcr600]

Dont you know what they pay us to fly that stupid CRJ? I still use my David Clarks as they are paid for!

 

[BoilerUP]

Just picked up a pair of less-than-1-year-old Sennheiser 25-KAS off eBay. With shipping, $275. I accidentally bought another pair (oops) as well, so I should have another pair of 25-KAS to sell in a week or less if anybody is interested. $300 (less than what I paid) to a fellow broke RJ pilot...

 

[rjacobs]

I use the Flight Com denali ANR's. They block out almost all of the noise in the ERJ and are pretty comfortable. I am looking at getting the telex 500(I think thats the one im thinking about anyway). If anybody has that let me know what you think about it in the ERJ.

 

[Gorilla]

I fly the 737-800, one of the louder aircraft out there. I used a Telex 750 for a year until I left them in the CP and they weren't returned. Grrr... But my hearing is suffering.

Anyway, good thread, I like the inputs. I'd like a lightweight set that is good for 5 hours+. My big question is the suitability of these sets with GA aircraft. If I'm going to drop big coin, I'd like to have a headset that will work with transport jets AND some GA use. Lightness and reasonable NR more important than extreme NR. It sounds like lots of votes for Sennheiser - usable for GA? Thanks guys.

 

[BoilerUP]

I don't think I'd use my Sennheiser 25 for banging around in a 172 (not enough passive NR in my opinion) unless I had no other options.

 

[F16fixer]

I use the light speed 20g in a B200, chieftain, saratoga and a lot of other props and it works great. i'm moving on to the crj now and I'm considering something else. How long do the batteries last in this sennhieser 25 people keep mentioning. My light speed holds out for a good 50 hrs or so.

The light speeds are very light, comfortable and adapt to cell phones and music players perfectly, but something about them screams newbie. Maybe it's because they are kind of big.

 

[BoilerUP]

I sold my pair of Lightspeed 20XLs when I transitioned to turbine aircraft. I liked them and they work okay with wind noise, but are too damn bulky for the brainbag. I used a Telex 750 with earplugs for about 3 months, then bought the Sennheiser off ebay for less than $300 because I couldn't afford to part with $400+ for a Telex 850. It was stereo, brand new, and works like a champ. With rechargables, I can probably get 20 hours (WAG) out of it, with standard alkalines, probably 30-40ish hours. Basically, one 4 day with rechargeables and two or close to two with regular batteries.

I'm quite happy with it!

 

[epic!]

anyone tried that new DC-X11?

 

[Gorilla]

In doing a bit of research, it appears that the Telex 850, which uses no batteries, taps voltage off the microphone line. From what I gather, you must be flying hot mike to get ANR with the 850. Is this true? If so, it won't work for me.

 

[paulsalem]

I'm a little confused on the Telex 850s. The website says

Total Noise Reduction: 12dBs
Volume Control: Yes
Stereo: Yes
Mic: Noise Canceling Electret Microphone

Does that mean just the Mic is ANR, or also the ears?

 

[Gorilla]

I'm a little confused on the Telex 850s. The website says
Does that mean just the Mic is ANR, or also the ears?

No, the mikes on these things "cancel" noise just like they've been doing for decades. They're engineered to reject ambient noise beyond the voice when they are keyed on.

ANR headsets need power to do their magic. Usually it's a battery, but the T-850 supposedly taps microphone voltage. I'm 99% sure that voltage is not present unless the mike is ON, as it hot mike, all the time. Not all guys fly with hot mikes, so I've rejected the 850 from my list.

I just bought a Bose QC-2 and a mike adapter from uflymike.com who is I've heard a Southwest guy making these on the side. I've seen two of them owned by other guys at my company. They're VERY well made and the entire setup looks sweet. Best thing is that the QC-2 can be used for iPods, stereos, deadheading, etc, so it's use goes beyond aviation. Total setup cost is ~ $500; $300 for the headset, and $200 for the mike. I'll do a review when it arrives.

 

[Gorilla]

OK, I flew a trip with my QC2 + UFMike combo. B737-800, two day trip, 2 legs of 3+ hours and some shorter legs.

The UFM unit is very high quality. I have a machining background, and I was impressed with the care that went into the engineering and design. The housing is machined and anodized aluminum, not some injection molded crap. The UFM secures nicely to the QC2 cavity via the 4-wire mini-jack, and does not wobble or move at all. The sound quality of both the headset and the mike is superb.

Things I really like about it:
- A single AAA battery in the headset itself powers everything. No dangling battery cases, or slider volume controls. Use your AC audio panel like you always do.
- On/Off switch convenient on the right ear cup.
- The boom mike has good stiffness and will not flop around or move unless you want it to.
- Can be used as a normal Bose QC2... meaning stereo, deadheading, etc
- Has a stereo input jack on the UFM housing. I haven't tested that yet. looks perfect for an iPod.
- Good balance of weight and performance.
- The UFM can be stored with the QC2's in the Bose-supplied case.

Things I didn't care for so much:
- The boom mike is on the left, and there's no way to change that. As an FO, I had a lapful of cable. I tried routing it in different ways. Across the back of the neck worked best for me. Today, I'm going to try routing the cable over the headband and out the right side with some cable ties or velcro straps.
- I got a modest hot spot on the top of my head after about three hours, but I tend to be sensitive to those. That's a QC2 function, not a UFM issue.

Overall it's an excellent setup, and you don't have big bux wrapped up in a dedicated aviation headset. The ability to detach the mike is great, because now you have a high end noise cancelling headset for whatever you want to do with it. Thumbs up!