My first headset was a cheap set of David Clarks.
They got the job done, but after I saved some money I got a pair of light speed Zulus. I had to sell them and have used Bose A20s for the last 8 years.
David Clark’s will get you through training. I hands down love my A20s.
They had an issue a few years ago. I think I was out of warranty but Bose still refurbished them to good as new for free.
The noise cancellation on the A20s was better than the Zulus, and they both were way more comfortable than the Clarks.
They nicknamed them David Clamps for a reason.
My colleague has the David Clark Pro X2 noise cancelling headset. Every time we seat swap and move headsets he has his volume turned way up on the audio panel. Which shows to me the noise canceling isn’t that great.
Get a used pair of A20s off eBay, replace the ear cups and get a new mic muff.
Jets. First time I used A20s, the cirrus I instructed in had them.
The David Clark Pro X2 is used in a challenger 3500. Either he is deaf or they suck. Every time we swap seats, I have to turn the volume down by a lot when I use my A20s.
Sportys.com David Clark H10s. I got mine for $250 about 16 years ago. Won’t last your career but will get you through training/CFI.
Dc One X are wonderfully comfortable and quiet headphones. They have absolutely nothing to do sonically or comfort wise with the classic passive DC’s. I own two pairs and have clocked almost 1800 hours with them. For me they are lighter and more comfortable with the Bose, built better and the service is top notch- which can be said also of Lightspeed but def not Bose.
I think you’re spot on. The One-X is a fantastic ANR headset and one I only bought after researching this exhaustively. It’s miles beyond the old David Clamps. Definitely recommend.
My first set was the DCs without noise cancelling, the sound quality was pretty bad and they completely stopped working within 30 days. I sent them in for a refund and got the A20s and never looked back. I now also have a set of the A30s as well. The A20s are almost 4 years old and work just as well as the day I got them. I slightly prefer them to the A30s.
IMO DCs are pretty comfortable, I have the $330 pair that I got in Florida when I started my PPL training way back in the day and they've been great.
That said, I can see why y'all go with Bose over DC, they protect your hearing better and they're a bit more comfy.
Refurb or used Bose are probably a good middle ground.
They are good, and the G is worth it, but I still prefer my David Clarks. Simple enough that you can take em completely apart in 45 minutes. Not as comfortable maybe, but they haven't given me any trouble.
At the end of the day it's what works best for you. Choose the most comfortable, safest option.
I used my dad's David Clamps through training. Got gifted a Bose. I couldn't tell the difference... Until I tried to go back to the David Clamps. I couldn't hear anything without ANC... And the clamping became quite uncomfortable after about 45 mins.
Then when it was time to buy my own set after I got a flying job, I tried the Zulu 3s in the store. They were by far the most comfortable.
My advice is try all 3 out if you can. If there's a store near you, ask if you can try on for 15 mins. Or borrow them from a friend.
All 3 brands are similar in workmanship quality and customer servuce. All 3 models have their pros and cons. It's really a matter of personal preference.
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1
Sennheiser
HD 560S
79% positive of 619 users
Budget gaming king with clear sound, but tight fit.
flyingforfun3
