Entry Level Headsets

[Mark Morissette]

Currently I'm paying $5/Hr rental on David Clark's while flying out of
my FBO.

This was supposed to be a "temporary" charge for students there (like
myself) while the new headsets were paid for. Yes, they upgraded last
year from much lesser headsets, which were not really up to the
rigours of students and instructors alike using them for up to 18+
hours every day.

However, I'm pretty sure they were "paid for" some time ago, yet the
rental charges remain..much to the ire or alot of students, myself
included.

Anyhow, the David Clarke's are nice, but I'm not entirely sold on
them.

I'm also, at the same time, getting tired of paying rental charges
when there seem to be a great deal of entry level headsets that are
getting decent reviews.

I simply don't have $500 or $1000 in the budget right now to buy
something "high end" like I would prefer, but the lower cost entry
level sets would quickly pay for themselves when paying $5/hr for
rental sets is taken into consideration..

And they could become Pax sets afterwards...perhaps I'll rent them to
others for $4 an hour afterwards, and undercut my FBO. ;-)

Anyhow, A few that I've got my mind on are:

Featherlite:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4543170185&category=26440
Seems like a stellar deal, frequently selling in the $40 to $50 range
on eBay. I like the flexible headset boom (the DC's I'm using now
have this), they are stereo, and have a rather excellent 5 year
warranty.. The reviews I've been able to find online seem good,
except for one isolated concern about excessive background noise on
the mike...which could be an isolated case, or perhaps someone trying
to compare them to a $1k Bose set or something.

The reviews from many others who bought this set from the above eBay
seller have been excellent...so I'm leaning towards this set...it
seems too good to be true. (And yes, I know what the old saying is
about that...but for $50, heck, even if they last 15 or 20 hours they
have more then paid for themselves..)

The other is the DRE1000:
http://www.drecomm.com/1kservice.htm
Less happy with the mic boom, but still seems like a decent deal..the
3 year warranty doesn't hurt. Not alot of reviews out there.

I'm sure there are others... Can anyone offer suggestions or
experiences with these?
Mark Morissette
Courtice, Ontario, Canada
http://oshawapilot.blogspot.com (My student pilot blog)

[Mark Morissette]

Sorry everyone, seems there was another thread already started today
on a similar topic.. That'll teach me to post before updating my
newsgroup readers current posts. Duh.

Anyhow, if anyone has an opinions on the Featherlite's in particular,
I'd really like to hear it, as I'm definately leaning towards them.

Or if anyone else is interested, this website in Australia is offering
David Clarke headsets for free, apparently:

http://vs6015.server-store.com/store/products/item170.inetstore

I stumbled upon that via Google a few minutes ago..

A goofup I'm sure, but if anyone actually gets a few free sets, I'd
appreciate one. I'll even pay shipping! <grin>
Mark Morissette
Courtice, Ontario, Canada
http://oshawapilot.blogspot.com (My student pilot blog)

[airman]

See my post on ras. I don't get a good feeling about the Featherlites.
When I initially researched headsets on EBay months ago, I found alot of
"off-off-brand" headsets with the same mannequin modeling them. I'd worry
about the sound quality, not to mention construction quality. If you're
coming off of David Clarks, these Featherlites might sound muddy. You're
actually at a disadvantage because you'd be comparing your new sets to
higher quality DCs and you may notice decreased intelligibility of ATC,
which is not good. My suggestion: see if you can find one or two suppliers
who'd let you return headsets that don't sound good to you. That's not
happening with any EBay seller. DRE and Softcomm are well accepted. I
bought the DRE 1000s as my first set.
..
"Mark Morissette" > wrote in message
...
> Sorry everyone, seems there was another thread already started today
> on a similar topic.. That'll teach me to post before updating my
> newsgroup readers current posts. Duh.
>
> Anyhow, if anyone has an opinions on the Featherlite's in particular,
> I'd really like to hear it, as I'm definately leaning towards them.
>
> Or if anyone else is interested, this website in Australia is offering
> David Clarke headsets for free, apparently:
>
> http://vs6015.server-store.com/store/products/item170.inetstore
>
> I stumbled upon that via Google a few minutes ago..
>
> A goofup I'm sure, but if anyone actually gets a few free sets, I'd
> appreciate one. I'll even pay shipping! <grin>
> Mark Morissette
> Courtice, Ontario, Canada
> http://oshawapilot.blogspot.com (My student pilot blog)

[mindenpilot]

"Mark Morissette" > wrote in message
...
> Sorry everyone, seems there was another thread already started today
> on a similar topic.. That'll teach me to post before updating my
> newsgroup readers current posts. Duh.
>
> Anyhow, if anyone has an opinions on the Featherlite's in particular,
> I'd really like to hear it, as I'm definately leaning towards them.
>


I bought two of the featherlites.
The mic is omni-directional and seems to pick up more noise than other
headsets.
That said, I still don't think you can find another headset that works as
well for that kind of money.
I think the mic noise is not *that* bad, and it's not bad at all when my
kids wear them in the back seat.

I also have some Avcomm AC-200's that work well, too. I got them for $89.
I also got a bunch of cheap Softcomm headsets with my plane. They're crap.

Adam
N7966L
Beech Super III

[Mark Morissette]

>See my post on ras. I don't get a good feeling about the Featherlites.
>When I initially researched headsets on EBay months ago, I found alot of
>"off-off-brand" headsets with the same mannequin modeling them. I'd worry

I saw the same thing...as with lots of stuff on eBay, you do have to
be carefull. Thankfully I've been using eBay since it's birth, and
have become pretty adept at being able to gather the honest sellers
from the scammers.

This person in question does seem to be quite legit and honest in his
business dealings.

>about the sound quality, not to mention construction quality. If you're
>coming off of David Clarks, these Featherlites might sound muddy. You're

Well, that's definately a concern...but I don't know - the feedback
from people who have purchased them, and presumably actually used them
inflight, seems good. The physical numbers on noise reduction is
right there for everyone to see, and they show better numbers then the
DC H10's.

>actually at a disadvantage because you'd be comparing your new sets to
>higher quality DCs and you may notice decreased intelligibility of ATC,

Very true..

>which is not good. My suggestion: see if you can find one or two suppliers
>who'd let you return headsets that don't sound good to you. That's not
>happening with any EBay seller. DRE and Softcomm are well accepted. I
>bought the DRE 1000s as my first set.

To his credit, this eBay seller does allow (And publicly states) a no
questions asked 30 day money back guarentee...presumably not including
shipping, but once again to his credit, his shipping costs are *very*
reasonable.

I don't now...I'm still awfully tempted.

The DRE1000's are not only more expensive, but IMHO here's what's
keeping me away from them:

They are only Mono. (Not an issue unless you listen to music
inflight, but a drawback none the less)

That, and I really dislike the "steel linkage" style of microphone
arm. I flew with one like that before, and never felt comfortable with
the limited microphone maneuverability versus a "flexible" microphone
arm that one can adjust inflight if needed without having to loosen
screws or adjust tensioners.

That, and they look more plasticy vs. the Featherlights.

I don't know....without using one, or both, it's hard to say, but I'm
hoping that someone here uses one or both and can offer direct
experience.
Mark Morissette
Courtice, Ontario, Canada
http://oshawapilot.blogspot.com (My student pilot blog)

[john smith]

Mark, I wanted to offer my opinion on the "steel linkage" style mic booms.
I am of the opposite feeling. I have DC10-40's with the metal booms.
There are different styles and I prefer the DC style because they are
made with a higher quality stainless design than other cheaper models.
My dislike of the flexible boom is that loses its stiffness over time
and will fall away from from the position it is placed in.
In the 25 years I have had my DC10-40's, they have never failed to stay
where I put them.

Mark Morissette wrote:
> That, and I really dislike the "steel linkage" style of microphone
> arm. I flew with one like that before, and never felt comfortable with
> the limited microphone maneuverability versus a "flexible" microphone
> arm that one can adjust inflight if needed without having to loosen
> screws or adjust tensioners.

[Lenard Spencer]

Mark Morissette wrote:
> Currently I'm paying $5/Hr rental on David Clark's while flying out of
> my FBO.
>
> This was supposed to be a "temporary" charge for students there (like
> myself) while the new headsets were paid for. Yes, they upgraded last
> year from much lesser headsets, which were not really up to the
> rigours of students and instructors alike using them for up to 18+
> hours every day.
>
> However, I'm pretty sure they were "paid for" some time ago, yet the
> rental charges remain..much to the ire or alot of students, myself
> included.
>
> Anyhow, the David Clarke's are nice, but I'm not entirely sold on
> them.
>
> I'm also, at the same time, getting tired of paying rental charges
> when there seem to be a great deal of entry level headsets that are
> getting decent reviews.
>
> I simply don't have $500 or $1000 in the budget right now to buy
> something "high end" like I would prefer, but the lower cost entry
> level sets would quickly pay for themselves when paying $5/hr for
> rental sets is taken into consideration..
>
> And they could become Pax sets afterwards...perhaps I'll rent them to
> others for $4 an hour afterwards, and undercut my FBO. ;-)
>

I bought an Avcom AC-200 for under $100 about 5 years ago, and even
sprung the extra $20 for the gel earpads (David Clark pads fit just
fine). I got them mailorder at a place in south Georgia (the name
escapes me right now). But I just checked Aircraft Spruce and they have
them for $93 and the gel pads for another $21.

[Trent Moorehead]

"john smith" > wrote in message
...
> Mark, I wanted to offer my opinion on the "steel linkage" style mic booms.
> I am of the opposite feeling. I have DC10-40's with the metal booms.
> There are different styles and I prefer the DC style because they are
> made with a higher quality stainless design than other cheaper models.
> My dislike of the flexible boom is that loses its stiffness over time
> and will fall away from from the position it is placed in.
> In the 25 years I have had my DC10-40's, they have never failed to stay
> where I put them.
>
> Mark Morissette wrote:
> > That, and I really dislike the "steel linkage" style of microphone
> > arm. I flew with one like that before, and never felt comfortable with
> > the limited microphone maneuverability versus a "flexible" microphone
> > arm that one can adjust inflight if needed without having to loosen
> > screws or adjust tensioners.

I agree with you John. I bought a DC H10-30 set 14 years ago when I was
training. It's still my one and only headset. That boom stays right where
you put it and I've never adjusted it once. Not once in 14 years. I would
argue that you would have more trouble with the flexible boom staying set
once the headset gets some years on it. They also have a tendency to have
some "springback", that is, you kind of have to pull it to touch your lips
and when you let it go, it springs back away from your face a little bit
(just enough to annoy me). The steel boom just stays exactly where you
position it. And with the flex boom, you have no way of fixing it if it
becomes slack, besides just replacing the whole boom.

Hey, the flex booms are perfectly fine, don't get me wrong. But in my
experience, the steel booms are extremely robust. I also like the thought
that if I wanted to adjust tension, I could (though I've never needed to).

-Trent
PP-ASEL

[[email protected]]

You might take a look at the Raven line at
http://www.flightessentials.net/. They are manufactured for Flight
Essentials by Lightspeed.

I just placed an order for a set....I'll let you know how they work.

[Chris Ehlbeck]

Mark,

I fly with a pair of FlightCom 5DX and like them a lot. Cushioned headband,
gel ear seals combination wire boom and flex mic boom. Good sound quality
in both the mic and the speakers. My wife wears a pair of Telex Exhelon
100's that is quite good for what we paid for them also. The Telex set
seems to have more adjustments and "clicks" to one's size and stays there
much better. Both the Flightcoms and the Telex can be had for well under
$200.00 at any of the reputable on-line retailers like www.avshop.com ,
www.marvgolden.com , www.aircraftspruce.com and yes even Sporty's. The
first three all sell there own "branded" headsets which are Lightspeed Solo
headsets. The "store branded" passive Lightspeed sets are going for about
$100 and even less if you don't care about the cell phone interface.

--
Chris Ehlbeck, PP-ASEL
"It's a license to learn, have fun and buy really expensive hamburgers."

"Mark Morissette" > wrote in message
...
> Currently I'm paying $5/Hr rental on David Clark's while flying out of
> my FBO.
>
> This was supposed to be a "temporary" charge for students there (like
> myself) while the new headsets were paid for. Yes, they upgraded last
> year from much lesser headsets, which were not really up to the
> rigours of students and instructors alike using them for up to 18+
> hours every day.
>
> However, I'm pretty sure they were "paid for" some time ago, yet the
> rental charges remain..much to the ire or alot of students, myself
> included.
>
> Anyhow, the David Clarke's are nice, but I'm not entirely sold on
> them.
>
> I'm also, at the same time, getting tired of paying rental charges
> when there seem to be a great deal of entry level headsets that are
> getting decent reviews.
>
> I simply don't have $500 or $1000 in the budget right now to buy
> something "high end" like I would prefer, but the lower cost entry
> level sets would quickly pay for themselves when paying $5/hr for
> rental sets is taken into consideration..
>
> And they could become Pax sets afterwards...perhaps I'll rent them to
> others for $4 an hour afterwards, and undercut my FBO. ;-)
>
> Anyhow, A few that I've got my mind on are:
>
> Featherlite:
>
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4543170185&category=26440
> Seems like a stellar deal, frequently selling in the $40 to $50 range
> on eBay. I like the flexible headset boom (the DC's I'm using now
> have this), they are stereo, and have a rather excellent 5 year
> warranty.. The reviews I've been able to find online seem good,
> except for one isolated concern about excessive background noise on
> the mike...which could be an isolated case, or perhaps someone trying
> to compare them to a $1k Bose set or something.
>
> The reviews from many others who bought this set from the above eBay
> seller have been excellent...so I'm leaning towards this set...it
> seems too good to be true. (And yes, I know what the old saying is
> about that...but for $50, heck, even if they last 15 or 20 hours they
> have more then paid for themselves..)
>
> The other is the DRE1000:
> http://www.drecomm.com/1kservice.htm
> Less happy with the mic boom, but still seems like a decent deal..the
> 3 year warranty doesn't hurt. Not alot of reviews out there.
>
> I'm sure there are others... Can anyone offer suggestions or
> experiences with these?
> Mark Morissette
> Courtice, Ontario, Canada
> http://oshawapilot.blogspot.com (My student pilot blog)

[Dave S]

Entry level Av-coms... can be had NEW for less than $100/set. Later on
you can buy some gel seals for them, and make em more comfortable and
quieter...

Later on you can even add ANR modules from an aftermarket vendor and
have a fairly decent ANR headset.. and you can do it in stages, rather
than plunk down $400 for a factory "cadillac" headset.

Dave

Mark Morissette wrote:

> Currently I'm paying $5/Hr rental on David Clark's while flying out of
> my FBO.
>
> This was supposed to be a "temporary" charge for students there (like
> myself) while the new headsets were paid for. Yes, they upgraded last
> year from much lesser headsets, which were not really up to the
> rigours of students and instructors alike using them for up to 18+
> hours every day.
>
> However, I'm pretty sure they were "paid for" some time ago, yet the
> rental charges remain..much to the ire or alot of students, myself
> included.
>
> Anyhow, the David Clarke's are nice, but I'm not entirely sold on
> them.
>
> I'm also, at the same time, getting tired of paying rental charges
> when there seem to be a great deal of entry level headsets that are
> getting decent reviews.
>
> I simply don't have $500 or $1000 in the budget right now to buy
> something "high end" like I would prefer, but the lower cost entry
> level sets would quickly pay for themselves when paying $5/hr for
> rental sets is taken into consideration..
>
> And they could become Pax sets afterwards...perhaps I'll rent them to
> others for $4 an hour afterwards, and undercut my FBO. ;-)
>
> Anyhow, A few that I've got my mind on are:
>
> Featherlite:
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4543170185&category=26440
> Seems like a stellar deal, frequently selling in the $40 to $50 range
> on eBay. I like the flexible headset boom (the DC's I'm using now
> have this), they are stereo, and have a rather excellent 5 year
> warranty.. The reviews I've been able to find online seem good,
> except for one isolated concern about excessive background noise on
> the mike...which could be an isolated case, or perhaps someone trying
> to compare them to a $1k Bose set or something.
>
> The reviews from many others who bought this set from the above eBay
> seller have been excellent...so I'm leaning towards this set...it
> seems too good to be true. (And yes, I know what the old saying is
> about that...but for $50, heck, even if they last 15 or 20 hours they
> have more then paid for themselves..)
>
> The other is the DRE1000:
> http://www.drecomm.com/1kservice.htm
> Less happy with the mic boom, but still seems like a decent deal..the
> 3 year warranty doesn't hurt. Not alot of reviews out there.
>
> I'm sure there are others... Can anyone offer suggestions or
> experiences with these?
> Mark Morissette
> Courtice, Ontario, Canada
> http://oshawapilot.blogspot.com (My student pilot blog)

[Thomas Borchert]

Mark,


If you are committed to flying, don't with anything that doesn't have
ANR. Also, consider comfort as a primary facot in your decision.

I think Lightspeed offers excellent value.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

[Paul Sengupta]

"Mark Morissette" > wrote in message
...
> I'm sure there are others... Can anyone offer suggestions or
> experiences with these?

I've always liked Flightcom. I've got a 4DLX. You get an a 4DX for $99
but that has the two dimensional microphone boom that you dislike. You
can get the 4DLX for $119 and as well as a better microphone and the
flexible boom, you get a better headpad.

http://www.lcflight.com/flightcom.html

I'm making a couple of pairs of DC ANRs for my plane and the
Flightcom hardware looks identical to the DC hardware apart from
colour.

Paul