Sony Headset

[bothfly]

Anyone use the Sony DR 6020 Pilot Headset?? I think its the second gen of the 6010.
I came across it at Marv Golden, and have never seen it before. My ear piece has been bugging me and I'm looking for a new lightweight headset.
The Sony looks nice, but they want $380 for the thing and they say there is no warranty on it.
Thanks

 

[ivauir]

Try this thread ...

http://forums.flightinfo.com/showthread.php?t=21073&highlight=737+headsets

I used the CWK website to get a refurbed Sennheiser and I am very happy with it ...

 

[jetblue320]

Sony 6010

Anyone use the Sony DR 6020 Pilot Headset?? I think its the second gen of the 6010.
I came across it at Marv Golden, and have never seen it before. My ear piece has been bugging me and I'm looking for a new lightweight headset.
The Sony looks nice, but they want $380 for the thing and they say there is no warranty on it.
Thanks

I have had and used a Sony 6010 for about, oh, 15 years I think. I love it and it is a lot lighter than the 6020. The big difference is the earpieces. The 6010 has ear bud type that go into the ears (duh). I will tell you the probable reason for no warranty. My boom microphone went bad about 6 years ago and it was a MAJOR hassle getting it fixed. First I spent two days tracking down where to send/take it. I finally talked to a human in FLL that I had to send it to, then she sent it to a repair shop for diagnosis. Four weeks later they called me and told me that the mic was bad and needed to be replaced. I was fuming at this point. Then they said they didn't repair it, they simply replaced the whole mic (it's a two piece unit just like the 6020). So, they sent it to Sony, in Japan I guess, and about six weeks later I got a call from the original lady in FLL saying that they were on back order and I needed to send her a check (no credit cards) for $125 for the replacement mic. I only paid just under $200 for the whole thing originally!. Anyway, about 3 more weeks after that she called and said she has my headset and it was ready but then she had to send it to an FAA shop for certification, which would take another two-three weeks!! Oh well, you get my drift............

The grand total was $125 and about 2.5 months to get my headset back to me. Since then, about two months ago the sound went out on the left earbud. I was about to chuck it in the trash when one of my co-pilots mentioned that he had one sitting around the house that he didn't use anymore. I bought it from him for $35 and it works great. So now, I have two and a half Sony 6010's.

All in all, the unit works great and I love it but I wouldn't wish the experience of having to get it fixed on anyone. I have bought houses with much greater ease!!

Good luck.

 

[Iceback]

Sony headsets were produced by the Sony TransCon division that produced inflight entertainment equipment. Sony TransCon was sold a couple of years ago, so Sony stopped producing aviation headsets... hence the leftover stock does not carry a warranty (no remaining entity to honor it).

 

[bothfly]

So what to do

Well, thanks for the imput, but the question is should I spend $380 from Marv Golden for the 6020??
Will it work for me in the 737??'

 

[NuGuy]

Hi Bothfly,

I've used a 6020 for thousands of hours, in both jet and turboprop aircraft, and I love it! However, the service problems noted will affect you most certainly.

The nice thing about the Sony is that it has no rabit ears or exposed wiring like the telex, sound quality is excellent and it is VERY comfortable to use. It would serve you on the 737 very well.

The problem is service and parts. Since you fly for SWA, I would assume the headseat would see heavy usage every day, with lots of on/off cycles. The cord will become frayed, and when mine did, I had to send it in to be replaced, which isn't an option anymore with all the service centers gone.

The other issue is the lack of any replacement ear pads. The pads on the Sony 6020 will last you about 2 years of heavy use. They are odd shaped, and replacement pads for other headsets will not work. I when I started using the headset again after a hiatus, I called around for replacement pads, and wound up getting a few from Sony, and a few more from Hart Aviation. I have about 10 sets now, enough for the expected lifetime of the headseat, and then some.

If want to get the 6020, make sure you get at least a few extra sets of ear pads from someplace before you buy. Once you have it, I would wrap the cord with one of those spiral plastic cord protector things you can get from Radio Shack. With that, you should get 4-5 years out of it, and then you could probably get some sort of avionics shop to replace the cord if you need to.

Best,
Nu

 

[bothfly]

Thanks Very Much

Ok,
Thanks for the post, I'll check for the pads and order the headset.
Also if you have a phone number or contact to get some pads that woild be great.