In the beginning....

[Half Fast]

The new Bose, with Bluetooth, are excellent.

Thanks!

I'm sure the Bo$e head$set$ are great, but I'm laying out a good deal of money at the moment for lessons and would prefer to economize a bit when doing so is safe and prudent. Also, the last thing I need at this point in my flying career (whopping total of 6 hours) is having a BT connection to my phone while flying.

A year or two from now I might want the extras, but for now I just need a simple, reliable, easy-to-hear headset. I tried a few different sets over the weekend including a Faro, a Rugged Air, and my instructor's ASA (all passive). The Faro was decent, the Rugged Air sucked (unintelligible; I kept asking my CFI to repeat things), and the ASA was comparable to the Faro. To me, the ASA lifetime warranty compared to the Faro's 3-year warranty tips the scale in favor of the ASA.

So I ordered an ASA HS-1A from Sporty's along with a set of cloth earpiece covers for comfort. I might go to the gel covers if the original foam ones aren't satisfactory, but my CFI's headset had foam and seemed fine to me.

[rcpilot]

Oh, yeah. Headsets. Almost forgot.

My instructor lent me one of the ASA headsets today. He's used it for a couple of years and it's still in great shape, though he now has a Lightspeed. I was satisfied with his ASA and I've read good reports so I'll order one. It should be okay for a while. I've heard great things about ASA honoring the lifetime warranty as well.

I have an ASA headset and have had no problems with it. My instructor of course has a Bose.

[MackAttack]

Any comparisons between the Bose A20 and the Lightspeed PFX or Zulu 2? Same basic deal and pilot's choice or major differences? I know the PFX uses 4 batteries and consumes them faster than do the other two ...

Thanks!

[3Dreaming]

You really need to try headsets on before making the big plunge for an expensive pair. Comfort and performance are the 2 big factors. The last thing you need after a long flight is to be fatigued because of an uncomfortable headset. I went through the purchase of an expensive headset a few years back. A standard DC style headset had become so uncomfortable to me that I could only use one for an hour at a time. I tried the new LS Zulu's, and they had to much clamping pressure. The Bose were OK, but bothered the top of my head. I wound up with DC X11's based on comfort. I know others who like their ZULU's and Bose. It is a personal choice that should be made after trying them on.

[Cluemeister]

I used my Bose A20 (non BT) headset on a 6 hour flight two weeks ago. No issues. Very, very comfortable.