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Thread: Upgrading my headset

  1. #11
    Super Moderator Av8r3400's Avatar
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    Default Re: Upgrading my headset

    Quote Originally Posted by kmach View Post
    Bose a20 gets my vote
    +1 with Bluetooth. Because everything is better with Bluetooth...
    Av8r3400
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  2. #12
    Senior Member Flybyjim's Avatar
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    Default Re: Upgrading my headset

    I bought a pair of Bose this year at Oshkosh, why did I wait so long, they are great, so quite and comfortable and love the bluetooth

  3. #13
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    Default Re: Upgrading my headset

    FYI,Lightspeed was not receptive to a trade down. With the response I got from Lightspeed, I am going to do something I don't do frequently, which is to give a recommendation. If and when I buy a new headset, it WILL NOT be a set of Lightspeed headsets. Once you have purchased them they are not really interested in resolving customer problems.
    Paul Zimmermann
    LSRM-A
    Garland, Texas

  4. #14
    Senior Member Esser's Avatar
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    Default Re: Upgrading my headset

    Check out the Clarity Aloft headset. Best headset i've ever used.

  5. #15
    Senior Member Dusty's Avatar
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    Default Re: Upgrading my headset

    Clarity wins for me.A friend who is very hard of hearing and uses hearing aids also wouldn't go back!

  6. #16
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    Default Re: Upgrading my headset

    love my clarity headset

  7. #17
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    Default Re: Upgrading my headset

    Quote Originally Posted by jiott View Post
    I have heard of several people going back to the Zulu II. The new PFX has great performance, but it is not that much better than the II and its big clunky controller and short battery life are real disadvantages.
    I have a PFX, it was shutting down as I flew my cross country. I keep getting a warning sound, I think is battery's low warning. The next time I land the plane, I'll check the batteries. The batteries only last about 8 to 10 hours. So stock up on the batteries. After I flew up to Boise the end Sept (I purchased them at Oshkosh last year) with it cutting out at least 6 to 8 different times in flight on long cross countries. Twice on the way back to Texas from Oshkosh, 2 or 3 times on the way up to Homedale, and 3 times on the way back from Homedale. In Oct, I called Lightspeed about downgrading from the PFX to the Zulu II, and I told her I was very unhappy with the performance. She insisted everyone loves the PFX, they have had no complaints. I told her, I was complaining, and told her about them cutting out as I was landing at Albuquerque, somewhat distracting on landing at a busy airport. She commented she never heard of them doing that. I told her I wanted to trade down to the Zulu II and at first she said she couldn't do that. She asked me to send them in so they could load the new software, I asked, "I thought you were suppose to be able to upgrade the software via the Web." She commented we don't have that working yet. So I sent them in. They did the software upgrade. I used them a couple more times and the battery life was still really bad. I called about a trade down, she said I had had them too long to do anything, I told her I had called earlier and that she had had asked for them to give them a chance to fix them. I told her I was one unhappy customer, and informed her I was going to make sure and give out my recommendation on the Zulu PFXs performance. I said I was planning on taking them over to the just South of the Airport, there is a gun range. I think I'll use them for target practice, and when I go to Oshkosh next year I'll wear them around my neck and as people ask what happened, I'll tell them my story. Finally she offered me an trade down, Zulu PFX for a Zulu II straight up exchange. Let's see $1100 for the PFX, $850 for the IIs. I would end up loosing $250 on the deal.

    Currently I'm using the same old pieces of s**t Zulu PFXs for now. The only time the cut off is on a long cross country. I believe it is a overheating problem with the components in the controller, after extended use. I will not know about the overheating until I go on a 5 or 6 hour flight, like going to Oshkosh from Texas. If they cut off in flight again, it's off to the range.

    Don't waist your hard earned money on Lightspeed Zulu PFXs.

    John McBean told me to get Bose Headsets, they are next on my list!
    Last edited by Paul Z; 03-10-2015 at 09:57 AM.
    Paul Zimmermann
    LSRM-A
    Garland, Texas

  8. #18

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    Default Re: Upgrading my headset

    I remember treating myself to a new David Clark H10-13.4 when they came out in the early 90's, after finishing my CFI rating. A couple years later, I sent an older DC headset back to them for overhaul, expecting to pay something for the refurbishment, and they rebuilt it and EXPRESS shipped it back to me in like three weeks, no charge, no questions asked. I was in awe. So, I thought I'd never own another headset brand that wasn't David Clark. Then, I finally broke down and bought a Bose about 7-8 years ago. I used to think it was insanity to even THINK of paying 1k for a headset. But, I've had my Bose for about 3,000 hours now and have to say that I LOVE it. The only reason I finally popped for it was that they were offering 0% financing if you charged it to a credit card- they carried the note for 10 months or so at no interest if you let them charge a credit card monthly. Worked out to like 10 payments of $80 or so per month. I've never been happier with a headset, and since I fly professionally, I figure that if, at the end of my career, I have a detectable amount of extra hearing left because of a $1,000 ANR headset, then it was worth the money.

    I think I'll buy an A20 in the next year or so and my honey (a CFI) will "inherit" my old Bose.

    Sidenote- Over the years, I've had at least 6-7 pro pilot buddies who went cheaper and bought Lightspeed instead of Bose. EVERY one of them had problems and told me that they wished they'd have just spent the extra $$ and bought Bose. To date, the ONLY thing I've had to do with my Bose is replace the ear seals (and batteries). But even those last longer than I expected. NO regrets whatsoever.

  9. #19
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    Default Re: Upgrading my headset

    Well my wonderful Lightspeed PFX headsets have another issue. I upgraded to the new version of Firmware, I tried using the Bluetooth with my phone, it works, but the volume control will only not increase the volume. At the initial use the volume is not loud enough to hear, you increase the volume an you can tell someone's on the other end of the phone, but you can't distinguish what they are saying. I guess it's time to by a set of Bose!
    Paul Zimmermann
    LSRM-A
    Garland, Texas

  10. #20
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    Default Re: Upgrading my headset

    [QUOTE
    Sidenote- Over the years, I've had at least 6-7 pro pilot buddies who went cheaper and bought Lightspeed instead of Bose. EVERY one of them had problems and told me that they wished they'd have just spent the extra $$ and bought Bose. To date, the ONLY thing I've had to do with my Bose is replace the ear seals (and batteries). But even those last longer than I expected. NO regrets whatsoever.[/QUOTE]

    Not going to disagree with you here but I have seen almost the exact opposite. Seen several guys change from BOSe to the LightSpeed Zulu. I guess it all comes down to personal preference.
    I looked at every ANR set available at Oshkosh and ended up with the LS. I have had several models over the years and never had any issues. I've had a Zulu for many years and got a Zulu II when they first came out. COuldn't be happier.
    I will say that I was going to get the new PFX but after trying them out, reading the reviews on short battery life I decided to just keep the Zulu's. I have a set of DC also but use the LS 99.9% of the time and regulate the DC's for passenger use.

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