This month’s panel planner topic is one that doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. That’s because the aircraft audio panel is integral to the rest of the avionics suite and the passenger cabin experience.
Moreover, I don’t think shops always give the best advice when it comes to selecting the right system. As an example, it’s easy for a shop to simply sell a Garmin panel when it’s installing a suite of Garmin equipment, and many customers might not think about other choices. This includes good-performing and feature-rich models from PS Engineering.
Before requesting a demo, think about how you’ll use an audio panel. If you still fly with a vintage basic switching panel like a King KMA24 as one example, you’ll be surprised to see and hear the features that are packed into today’s units. As you’d expect, they have wireless Bluetooth connectivity, and this is more useful than you might think. Sure, you can stream music from your smartphone or tablet, but consider the interface between your navigation app of choice and the audio panel. ForeFlight, Garmin and other apps have audio outputs for warnings and alerts that can stream seamlessly between the tablet and the panel.
Flawless audio quality
When installed properly, current audio panels are worlds ahead of vintage audio panels when it comes to audio clarity. So much you might be surprised at how you lived with the flaws in your old system. But the flip side to studio-quality audio is there’s no room for shortchanging the installation.
Good shops know that new audio panel installations should also include new wiring. Don’t skimp on the installation because reusing existing older non-shielded wiring might only result in disappointing performance. The other thing to consider—and many buyers don’t—is the health of the aircraft’s charging system. Alternator whine, strobe light noise interference and ignition noise are just some of the pitfalls that can tag along with otherwise high-quality audio panel installations, and in most cases it’s no fault of the new audio panel or the installer. If you have noise in the audio system, talk to your shop about it before venturing on the upgrade. Installing noise filters might just mask a problem instead of fixing it.
Last, an important part of the audio interface is good noise-canceling headsets. And since most new audio panels have true stereo capability, ask the installer if the interface will include stereo audio jacks. With them you’ll be able to switch your headset to stereo mode and take full advantage of the best-sounding cabin audio possible.
For the results of our Garmin versus PS Engineering audio panel shoot-out, check out the April 2023 issue of Aviation Consumer.
