David Clarke Reviews

I happen to like the Lightspeed headsets very much. They offer
excellent comfort and very good ANR at relatively low prices.

And you just can't beat their customer service - I've read of people who've
sent them back a dozen times or more, and everytime they fix them up again
and send em back with a smile

Cockpit,

I've read of people who've
sent them back a dozen times or more


Well, I'd wager you've read about exactly ONE person who's done that.
And he's gotten one for free now.

You also find one person here who hates his (ex-)Cirrus. This is
Usenet...

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

All joking aside, the single thread that seems to consistently bind all
models of lightspeed is their unreliability.

From what I've read (from people who have allegedly owned them) I wouldn't
touch them with a 10 foot pole.


"Thomas Borchert" wrote in message
...
Cockpit,

I've read of people who've
sent them back a dozen times or more


Well, I'd wager you've read about exactly ONE person who's done that.
And he's gotten one for free now.

You also find one person here who hates his (ex-)Cirrus. This is
Usenet...

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

I've owned my 15XLs for close to three years now, and haven't had a single
problem. I'll qualify that statement by saying that I *carefully* unplug
them and replace them in their carrying bag after each use, and I usually
don't leave them in the airplane in the winter, even though it is in a
hangar. Also have a pair of the QFR Solos for pax, and have no complaints
about them either.

Steve DeMoss
N16071
KHVC

"Cockpit Colin" wrote in message
...
All joking aside, the single thread that seems to consistently bind all
models of lightspeed is their unreliability.

From what I've read (from people who have allegedly owned them) I wouldn't
touch them with a 10 foot pole.


"Thomas Borchert" wrote in message
...
Cockpit,

I've read of people who've
sent them back a dozen times or more


Well, I'd wager you've read about exactly ONE person who's done that.
And he's gotten one for free now.

You also find one person here who hates his (ex-)Cirrus. This is
Usenet...

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

Cockpit,

the single thread that seems to consistently bind all
models of lightspeed is their unreliability.


I disagree. Don't base such statistics on usenet posts. They are in NO
way representative of what's really happening. Can't be, by design.

I have had my 20K since 1997 - no troubles.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

In article ,
"Paul" wrote:
I am a student pilot hoping to take my checkride within the next month
(PPL/A).

I am after a David Clarke Headset but am not sure which one to buy.
Does anyone know of a good website that has independent reviews on all the
Dave Clarke models, the only reviews I can find are either on the David
Clarke website or on pilot supply websites but none of these seem to be
independent or detailed enough to make my decision.

I am not really interested in the detailed specifications, I am after
reviews from pilots who have used them (comfort, features, weight etc..)
ideally comparing the pro's and con's between the different models.


David Clark's aren't the most comfortable, but they are probably the
most durable and are backed by a company with a legendary reputation for
customer service. I have a relatively old model, the H10-20, and prefer
it to the newer H10-13.4 (I think that's it) model.

Bose is definitely the way to go if you have the money and want active
noise cancellation. My Cherokee just isn't loud enough to warrant any
type of ANR... I've tried many of them, and the extra quiet wasn't worth
the price paid to get it. However, airplanes with larger engines or
less cabin insulation would probably cause me to re-evaluate.

I've tried the LightSpeed sets and they are an excellent value for
active noise cancellation. They are comfortable and work well, and
although the noise cancellation and audio quality isn't quite as good as
the Bose, they're also about $700 less expensive. However, they are
pretty much an all-plastic headset and -- the deal-killer for me -- they
are just too darn big for my airplane. It was easy enough to lower the
seat and work around scraping the top of the cabin, but my lateral space
is at a premium as well, and the large cups with the thick foam made the
headset just too bulky for my airplane.



JKG

Jonathan,

they are
pretty much an all-plastic headset


No, they are not. The metal is covered by plastic, that's all.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

Paul:

I bought a pair of DC's 30 years ago...still have them, they
work great. 20 years ago, a young friend of mine barfed into
the mike. I sent it back, years after the warranty had
expired, and asked for a quote to refurbish. They sent it
back quickly, completely refurbished, new cords, etc, no
charge. The company is that good.

With regard to ANC, don't even think about not getting it. I
know that it seems like an expensive option now when you are
starting out but if you continue to fly, you will find that
the upfront cost is nothing compared to the cost of hearing
aids that you will eventually need.

Pete
Anchorage
--

Peter D. Brown
http://home.gci.net/~pdb/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/akmtnsoaring/

Pete Brown wrote:

With regard to ANC, don't even think about not getting it. I
know that it seems like an expensive option now when you are
starting out but if you continue to fly, you will find that
the upfront cost is nothing compared to the cost of hearing
aids that you will eventually need.

There is some question of the value of ENR (Electronic Noise Reduction)
in avoiding future hearing loss. Our company investigated supplying ENR
headsets in a high noise area, but decided not to, since there was no
demonstrated value. In short, ENR only works on lower frequencies, and
those frequencies typically don't affect hearing as much as higher
frequencies.

There were a couple of areas where there might have been some benefit,
but they were unquantifyable, so the company couldn't put a dollar value
on the systems. The use of the systems might have led in a possible
reduction in fatigue, resulting in improved alertness, and there might
have been improved clarity in conversations, reducing communication
error.

There is some question of the value of ENR (Electronic Noise Reduction)
in avoiding future hearing loss. Our company investigated supplying ENR
headsets in a high noise area, but decided not to, since there was no
demonstrated value. In short, ENR only works on lower frequencies, and
those frequencies typically don't affect hearing as much as higher
frequencies.


.... and smoking hasn't been proven to cause cancer.

If you put them on, and it seems quieter (vs a non ENR set) then it's probable
that there is less noise entering the ear. This probably leads to less damage
(if we accept the premise that noise at that level causes damage).

I find ENR works on the higher frequencies too. I put on my DCs passively and
can still talk to people around me. I flip on the ENR and it's like I've gone
deaf.

My only issue with (DC) ENR is that I get a low frequency warble, probably due
to a poor seal around the earpiece of my glasses.

Jose

--
(for Email, make the obvious changes in my address)