Lightweight Headset

[moscowcfi]

I'm looking for an effective lightweight headest to use in the CRJ. A couple that I'm considering are Telex ANR 500 and Telex ANR 850, priced at $490 and $446 respectively. Are these any good? Is the 850 good enough considering it gets its power from the jacks, not batteries? Is there a better one that is inexpensive? Thank you for any feedback from people who have used them.

 

[Smacktard]

I'm looking for an effective lightweight headest to use in the CRJ. A couple that I'm considering are Telex ANR 500 and Telex ANR 850, priced at $490 and $446 respectively. Are these any good? Is the 850 good enough considering it gets its power from the jacks, not batteries? Is there a better one that is inexpensive? Thank you for any feedback from people who have used them.

I've got a set of Bose and they're overkill in the CRJ. Half the time I forget to turn the ANR on. I've been asking the same the questions you are. I would imagine that the 850, with less ANR than the Bose, but not quite as much passive protection as the Bose, would have to sound about the same or better as the Bose without ANR on. Which I think is fine. (Did you follow that?) I'm leaning towards the 850's, but I'm looking used for less.

 

[~~~^~~~]

One other option are the Sennheisers. Take a look at this web site.

http://www.aviation-headset.com/

I have David Clarks, Telex 750's and the Sennheiser HMEC25's and have used all of them in the CRJ200, ATR, Bonanza and Baron. Overall, I keep the HMEC25's in the flight bag because they are comfortable, quiet, and don't cause problems with incomms that are sensitive to impedance. The old David Clarks are probably the best quality, followed by the Sennheisers and trailed by the Telex's.

A side benefit to battery powered ANR is when you get the hotel room next to the ice machine & elevator during Spring Break, the headsets function just as well at 3AM to shut out the noise.

The fellow at the link I posted gives discount to professional pilots / ALPA members. It is the best deal going and the headsets are like new.

One thing you might run in to is that all Sennheisers come with sterio plugs, regardless of whether they are sterio headsets. You might have to go to Radio Shack and buy a $0.79 mono adapter plug - no big deal.

~~~^~~~

 

[ATR-DRIVR]

The site says the battery life is two hrs for the ANC pwr supply. Do you have to change them several times a day!?

 

[PoorJetDriver]

I find I can fly 2 four day trips with my Sennheiser although if I remember correctly they claim you can get 60 hours out of the batteries. I haven't been able to get that much maybe 40.

 

[~~~^~~~]

Results vary greatly on the batteries you use. For my business, we are set up with Mahia Chargers and PowerEx 2300MAH AA batteries. These work so much better in our digital cameras than the over the counter Duracell batteries. With the PowerEx, or even the EverReady 2300MAH AA's the headsets go a couple of weeks between battery changes. That is probably 30 to 35 hours of flying.

With the old batteries available over the counter in the airport, you are right that they don't last long at all. Maybe 16 to 20 hours of flying.

Power consumption also seems dependent on how hard you are working the headsets. The louder and lower pitched vibrations seem to use more juice.

But, buy yourself a charger and a 4 pack of at least 2100MAH batteries and you will be set for years. Just throw an extra pair of in the bag and you will be fine.

~~~^~~~

 

[Airpiraterob]

it depends on the windnoise i would say.

i got a chance to try the telex 850's and in the ERJ (prolly more wind than a crj im guessin) the radio and intercom starts to get a little muddled above 250 indicated and at cruise mach up high and had trouble differentiating cockpit conversation AND radio calls whereas usually i dont have that problem. im looking for something that takes care of the windnoise AND anr but dosent enclose the ear.....i think i might be ANR SOL.

i want it to fold up for storage ala peltor and telex. any lightweight jet headset do that?

 

[wrigley23]

I tried the 750s and was missing radio calls every 5 minutes. I use the 850s now and like them well enough. There is still some wind noise above 300 knots indicated but you get over it. I can usually get away with having Com 1 and the intercom on half volume. It's nice not worrying about batteries, just plug it in and forget about it. Although, like any headset, eventually you just want to take it off. At the end of the 4th day of a 4-day recently I had to take it off and crank up the speaker volume for about 30 minutes.

I wore my old Clarks for about a week and wanted to take them out in a field like in Office Space and take a baseball bat to them.

 

[Night_Flight]

I fly the CRJ-200 and use the Telex 500. Great headset! I purchased mine at www.stopoverstore.com.

Like mentioned, the 500 does have ANR. I only really use the ANR at the end of long days or a long leg. In the CRJ, you really don't need ANR. A lot of times, we fly "Topless" meaning headsets off and using the hand-held mic. I am still on my orginal battery.

Another reason I purchased the 500 was that I could also use it when I fly GA aircraft for fun.

Hope this helps!
-Night_Flight-

 

[701EV]

I will second the Sennheisers. I've had mine for 3 years and love them. I bought mine off the ALPA site.701EV