Just in time for the fresh flying season, David Clark throws another noise-cancelling headset into the competitive market, the One-X. At first blush, the new model looks a lot like the previously released Pro-X, but it has major design differences that contribute to better performance, while affecting comfort. It also has a higher price. Lets take a look.
Lightspeed Aviation’s Tango wireless headset nearly matches the esteemed Bose A20 in audio quality, and it costs only $800! Features on the Tango include a remote control module, transceiver, lithium ion batteries, boom microphone, LEMO interface, and much more. Read on for a full analysis of the headset.
That may be the case if your aircraft has wiring issues. While the cabin of a noisy piston-powered aircraft is perhaps the worst environment for listening to your favorite tunes, its often the aircraft wiring that makes the sound quality laughable by even the lowest standards. Bluetooth audio panels help because eliminating the patch cable that connects your music player to a music input jack can also eliminate noise. But they arent the cure-all for subpar music quality. Even with a flagship Bluetooth audio panel like Garmins GMA350C and PS Engineerings PM8000-series, music playback quality will only be as good as the wiring between the audio panel and headset jacks, the health of the ignition system, charging system, grounds and a slew of other variables.
For buyers willing to drop as much as $1100 for an aviation headset, the current market has no shortage of choices. Moreover, models in this high end of the market sport more advanced features than ever, while promising the best sound quality, comfort and build quality money can buy. To subjectively determine which model takes the top spot (not an easy task, considering the personal nature of selecting a headset), we spent the better part of a year flying with four models we think represent the best of the best. While our evaluation turned up an overall favorite, each model has its strengths and weaknesses and our takeaway is its hard to make a wrong choice.
If youre looking for Bluetooth connectivity for entertainment and tablet app interface, you don’t have to spend big on a major audio system upgrade. Consider that a full-up GMA350c audio panel interface could easily top $5000 for an average installation. Thats a hefty price to pay for Bluetooth connectivity. As an alternative, you might try connecting your devices through a Bluetooth headset, including the updated Bose A20. While the enhanced A20 isn’t a new model (it was introduced five years ago), the set now gets the Bluetooth capability the market expects-including wireless music streaming. The only way to listen to music with the previous version was to plug it in via stereo patch cable. Unchanged is the A20s 12-ounce top end, including its fit, finish, ANR audio performance and comfort. New to the A20 is a redesigned control module, which requires swapping the interface cord (also called the downcable.) The downcable also has a new microphone in favor of an improved and more adjustable one, which can be attached to either earcup.
Overall, editor Larry Anglisano did a great job of explaining the Skyvision Salus-3 portable ADS-B Out/In solution and the Xtreme Vision software (June 2015 Aviation Consumer.) We were impressed with the articles accuracy and his ability to review it without personal bias. However, there are a few finer points related to certification.
When we visited the Cirrus Aircraft factory in Duluth, Minnesota, last month, we couldn’t help notice the positive vibes that echo throughout the operation. There’s reason for boardroom fist pumps. Production slots for the new G5 SR22 are sold out through October, the SF50 Vision Jet is we’ll on the way toward certification and delivery in 2015, and the competition is struggling to sell half as many aircraft as Cirrus did last year. Cirrus built a total of 253 aircraft last year alone. Unlike other manufacturers, Cirrus doesn’t distribute aircraft to a dealer network, so production is based on customer orders.
We like the combination of our ANR headsets and Oakley M-Frame sunglasses for short trips but not for long, non-stop hauls. That’s because the clamping pressure and resulting ache it creates on the noggin is unbearable. Sunglasses maker Flying Eyes has an alternative, with pilot glasses that are designed with webbing straps instead of traditional temples. We gave them a try and liked what we saw and felt.When we reviewed sunglasses in the December 2010 issue of Aviation Consumer we judged them, in part, for comfort while wearing headsets. While some brands— including the Oakley M-Frame wrap design— offered exceptional comfort, none were immune to eventual discomfort after hours of headset and temple clamping.
Active noise reduction (ANR) headsets are a terrific investment. But not everyone can afford the $400-$1100 to baby the ears of occasional riders. Sennheiser thinks they have a good solution in the passive (non-ANR) version of their S1 Digital headset. We half agree, finding it an exceedingly comfortable headset, but only up to the challenge of cutting the noise in quieter cockpits. The S1 Passive inherited several features from the S1 Digital. The ear pads are thick, with a special “eyeglass zone” of extra pliant foam right where sunglass or eyeglass temples would pass under the earseals. Our experience was good even with thick sunglasses, but there is still some air leakage compared to no glasses at all.
That not-so-faint hissing sound you hear is us reacting at the slightest suggestion that we are Mac fanboys. We are, if anything, washed-in-the-blood cynics when it comes to the great bloated gust of hype that surrounds everything to do with Apple computers and products. But were also realists and fair to a fault, so when we see practical, meaningful products of any kind, we think the nod is due. So this year, we are naming aviation applications for the iPad as our products of the year. Please just shoot us if we use the phrase “game changer” applied to anything, most of all a computer. We prefer to think of the iPad and the dozens of useful aviations apps it has spawned as a substantial and useful contribution to cockpit information management.
For years, Lightspeeds Zulu was our favorite headset for its winning combination of comfort, quiet and features, like Bluetooth cellphone connectivity. Last year, at Oshkosh AirVenture, Bose leapt into the 21st century with their new A20, improving their ANR and comfort, as we’ll as adding Bluetooth for cell phones and a jack for external audio. We tried an A20 at Airventure, on the long ride home and beyond. Our verdict was that head-to-head, we preferred the Bose, but werent sure it was worth the $200 price delta.
Bose has always held a place at the top end of noise-canceling headsets, with a history dating back to 1989. The company has been virtually silent in the aviation arena for the past 12 years, resting on the continuing strong sales of their Headset X. But even the Bose devotees have been getting restless due to the lack of auxiliary music input and a Bluetooth connectivity for phones (to be used, uh, on the ground only, of course). All the while, Lightspeed Aviations Zulu has been steadily increasing its dominance in the premium headset market by offering active noise reduction (ANR) on par or exceeding that of the Bose, along with music and phone connectivity.
