Looking to buy a headset, I'm mesmerized by the selection and prices from $100 to $1,000 so again, I revert to the arfcom hive: I wear over the ear hearing protection for ten hours a day so I'm used to them even with glasses on.  At this junction I cannot see dropping more than a couple hundred, and see  nothing wrong with a hundred dollar set, but since I really don't appreciate what I'm looking at, I'll reserve judgment until the experts have spoken.

http://www.sportys.com/pilotshop/asa-airclassics-hs-1a-headset.html?utm_source=MarketingEmail&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=A17053A&email=glennhancock@hotmail.com&utm_content=ASA%20AirClassics%20HS-1A%20Headset&trk_msg=F680P3RFGOTKPDQ22E893PQI3S&trk_contact=JJ7Q0GIPD8JSF7L4KOSOOPUEC8&trk_sid=8LFJ20QUM9PM5NNBCJS4DDSJK0&utm_source=Listrak&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=http%3a%2f%2fwww.sportys.com%2fpilotshop%2fasa-airclassics-hs-1a-headset.html%3futm_source%3dMarketingEmail%26utm_medium%3demail%26utm_campaign%3dA17053A%26email%3d%3f%3fuserEmail%3f%3f%26utm_content%3dASA+AirClassics+HS-1A+Headset&utm_campaign=A17053A&utm_content=Everything+to+Consider+Buying+a+Headset

Once you get an ANR headset like the Bose A20s you'll never go back.

I've heard this.  Can't speak for aviation headsets but I can say as a former DJ that they definitely know what they are doing. I couldn't justify 1000+ on a headset as a beginner, but as I progress I will very likely invest in a set of A20's.

My next headset is gonna be a Clarity Aloft model like shown here.

By the way- Marv Golden usually has better pricing than Sporty's.

I have the CA with the bluetooth unit on it and I highly recommend the Clarity Aloft headsets. To the OP, as I understand it from another poster here, once you realize that your hearing is starting to go it's too late.

I started with a nice pair of David Clarks for around $300.  Later I got the Bose A20s and never wore the Clarks again.  Now I have Lightspeed Zulu which are awesome.

Don't cheap out on headsets.  $1,000 isn't much in aviation dollars and a nice pair of headsets will last you many years.

Student pilot:  I've been up three times with my $175 EBay David Clarks.  I am dying to get a set of A20's or Zulus.  I often miss the tail end of ATC calls, especially when they talk fast.

I have worn el-cheapo's. Compared to David Clark's they worked just as well but clearly were not built to last. I own a pair of basic David Clark's, which I use as a back-up pair. I've tried David Clark active noise reduction headsets and found them lacking. I've tried the Bose and the Lightspeed ANR headsets and they both work great. But ultimately I decided on Clarity Aloft. They are the lightest, most comfortable things ever. I have even done the stupid "try to get out of the aircraft with them still on" routine, that's how comfortable they are.

When you get a Clarity Aloft headset the first thing you must do is spend some quality time sitting on the couch, or perhaps in front of a mirror, bending the crap out of them to fit your head. This is very important for maximum comfort. I put mine on for the first time and they felt and fit terrible. I called the company and they told me not to be afraid to bend them.

I wear them to fly helicopters, and even with the doors off they are plenty quiet. Make sure to experiment with all of the sizes of eartips they send you until you find which one is the quietest and most comfortable.

I've had one problem with them so far, which is that the eartips become rock hard in the cold and this makes the headset hard to use in the winter. I solved this by taking the headset down to a local hearing aid place and asking them to make custom molded eartips. We had to send the entire headset out to the hearing aid company (Starkey) so they could mold the backside to accept the cable from the headset. It only took a few days. The result is nothing short of spectacular. I can now put them on and take them off in just a few seconds, in any temperature, they sound better and feel even more comfortable. Cost was $250 for the custom molds.

I bought a set of dave clark anrs off used off ebay a while back...seems like they were 250ish. I couldnt imagine flying props without anrs.  There are great deals to be had on used headsets...lots of guys go balls deep into aviation then quit.

I started with DC's, then bought bose X, fooled around with A20's as well. Sent my X's back to bose for refurb and had to use my DC's for 2 weeks...it wasn't fun first world problems, i know.

Started with issued standard DCs, then noise canceling DCs, found a Bose Aviation X in a supply closet, and eventually talked my way into some end of year funds for A20s.

The Aviation X was a huge improvement on the DCs, and the A20s were a huge improvement on those. I'd never go back to DC.

Most of my sorties are 7 to 11 hours and we don't have much for insulation in the cockpit, so the light weight and noise cancelling of the Bose are crucial.

Protip: If you don't have the funds for an A20, but you can find an older Aviation X, make sure they are refurbished with the new yokes. That is the wishbone shaped piece that attaches the ear cup to the head arch. The original yokes had a bad plastic that cracked and split. Also make sure the ear pads are new. They tend to crack and flake. There was a recall on the yokes, so check with Bose on pricing on a refurb.

IMHO, a good headset is the best money you can spend on flying.

I've owned several David Clark's, three Telex's, a Planetronics and two Sennheisers over the years.

The airbus is a pretty quiet cockpit, but I currently use a David Clark Pro-X ANR headset.  I've also flown with guys who use the One-X (over the year model, more suitable for GA airplanes).  The ANR on the new DC's is great, and they have bluetooth.  I don't notice any difference over the Bose I've tried, and I don't think the name justifies the price point of the Bose.  Sennheiser makes a very nice aviation headset, but service here in the US is expensive. They wanted almost as much to fix my HMEC-46, as the Pro-X cost new.

I've also played with a set of light speed Zulu's, they also seemed very nice.  Try and find a local pilot shop, where you can try on everything you are interested in.

This thread couldnt come at a more appropriate time, our company is evaluating anr headsets for the challenger, we have bose on one sid lightspeed z on the other.  The bose wins so far.  We will try the david clarks next.

Anyone with big ears will want the LS over the Bose. I think the lightspeeds are heavier on the head, but ear cup is better than the lighter Bose.

When it comes to the top end sets, you'll get all sorts of differing opinions. It's not that I think there's a huge quality difference, it's just that everybody has different shaped heads and ears. I tried on a Bose in the store and after 20 minutes I knew they weren't going to work. As it was mentioned above, the Bose didn't fit over my ears right. I went with the Lightspeed a couple years ago and have been very happy. I also found out that Lightspeed has awesome customer support after last winter when I managed to break my set. Shipping to OR. was all it cost me to get them fixed.

Lightspeed PFX owner.   I went with them over the Bose A20's since I like Lightspeed's customer service and the PFX's can be made moar better due to downloading their firmware when they have an update.

Protect your hearing out on the ramp as well.   Just because you are not physically sitting in the seat does not mean the environment is not noisy.

Protect your hearing.   Always.

Of course I protect my rear end always!

I mean, how did you guess I was a 4000 hour turboprop pilot? At least they were PT-6s.

Garrett drivers are still probably just slowing down their vibration.

Another tip - if for some reason you are stuck with DCs with the gel filled ear cups, the Oregon Aero upgrade ear cups are an incredible improvement.

Looking at Amazon, lots of the Bose A-20's have been sold, but they are out of my price range and justification.
How about "Kore Avaition" adn "Rugged Air"?  Are they Asian knock-off?  

I have a pair of Kore Aviation I bought for my wife to use.  I use a refurb pair of Bose X I picked up for under $500.  I like them, but I'm going to be upgrading to the Lightspeed Zulu.2 or .3.

The Kore are 'ok', but nothing to write home about, so I'll give my wife the X and keep the Kore for backseat passengers or just as a backup pair.  They're fairly heavy and my wife complains a little about the squeeze they put on her head.

We use Bose A20 ANRs, they're fantastic.

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/search/search.php?s=Bose+A20&x=0&y=0

We use a combination of Lightspeed Zulus a few Sierras, Bose A20s. I like the Lightspeeds Bluetooth and aux in but the Bose isn't bad. I recently used my hiel pro set elite (ham headset) and while I could still hear the pt6s outside I could easily do what I needed to.

The first time I put them on in the aircraft, I looked at the prop for a few seconds to make sure it was sill turning.
Comfortable, very good noise cancelling.  I wish they were cheaper, but so far they were worth the cost.

Just another tid-bit: The Instructor furnishes DC's with ANC and told me to "not get anything less than 13.4 because cheaper ones diminish the quality of the other sets."  Now I don't know what 13.4 is, but will by the time I start looking for it.

Similar experience here- Bose A20 or Lightspeed Zulu 2.  Better headset means less fatigue.

I'm a big "ain't broke so don't fix it" kinda' guy - my first awesome headset was Litespeed so I've stuck with them since.  Customer service is excellent - I'm hard on stuff.  Once you use a good pair of ANR, going back to anything less just downright sucks.

FWIW:  I figured out what the instructor meant by "13.4"  It's a David Clark 10-13.4 headset.
They have a NIB set of DC 10-40's for $150. and while they're discontinued, it well within my price range, but I doesn't appear they have ANR....
When you haven't used something high-end like the Bose or Lightspeed, I dare say you literally don't know what you're missing (or not hearing for that matter)

Here's a photo of my Clarity Aloft headset with the custom molded eartips...

I own Lightspeed and Bose A20.  Right now I'm using Lightspeed Zulu PFX.   Had them almost 2 years and they are (for me) more comfortable than my Bose A20(wife uses now) and unbelievably quiet.  Downside is it takes 4 aa batteries and has a larger control box.  When you initially turn them on they are Bose level quiet.  After a min or so the computer dampens even farther to another level which is just amazingly quiet.  Also, the acoustic quality of the speakers is much better than the Bose.   But, I would be happy with either one.   I started out with the DC 13.4 which were great, but like others have said, once you experience ANR you won't go back.

I used my Clark 13.4 just last week to do some practice approaches. I immediately regretted it because the sound quality was similar to a fast food drive through compared to my Lightspeeds that I always wear.

Make sure u have the latest firmware update for your PFX's.   I can now use rechargeable batteries and the battery life is way moar better.

I'm a Clarity Aloft guy too. But I've never tried to use them in a GA setting. For commercial aircraft cockpits they're awesome. Extremely clear and so light you hardly feel them. I can listen to music while flying and complete a 12 hour flight without headset hair.
I need to send mine back in for a tune up though. They're getting a little frayed on a couple of cords.

After a 2 hour cross country in the R22 this weekend, The Boss^TM (aka the wife ) just asked for her own set of Bose or Zulu 3's (she doesn't want a pair of CA's). This actually makes me very happy because a) that means she wants to fly more and b) if I don't want to wear the CA's I can grab those instead--best of both worlds!

Follow up to this: I just found out that the Zulu 3's cannot be obtained in a form that will allow their use with aircraft power (Lemo plugs) but default to batteries when used with an adapter in other aircraft.

So it looks like a pair of DC One's for the wife, as DC knows their shit and has sanely designed this capability into their headsets.

Would you be willing to report back with a little product test on that?  I'd be interested to know if the ENC function still works with no battery power.

You may have misunderstood. ENC/ANR will not work without power of some sort in any headset. The issue at hand is that the Lightspeed headsets can't be bought in a form where they can use aircraft power in an aircraft with Lemo (aka Redel) jacks, and also be used with a Lemo-to-U174 or Lemo-to-GA adapter using battery power in an aircraft with no Lemo jacks. However the DC One-X can do that, at least the spec. sheet says it can. I'd be happy to provide a report on the DC One-X when I get it, though.