Headsets Update 2014

But, headsets seem to have reached a point of maturity, where technological advances have plateaued and manufacturers are streamlining their selections. Though the number of competing brands is confusing, there's consensus among them as to what features pilots need and want. The veterans of the industry seem to be driving innovation, with interesting ideas being proposed even as every innovation seems to have been made. We spoke with some of the industry leaders in aviation headsets to find out not only what a pilot should look for in a headset, but also what new products they have coming in the near future.

Pilot USA is a company that doesn't have the name recognition of some of the more popular brands, but should be acknowledged as the innovator they are. Thirty years ago, there were maybe five aviation headset manufacturers, and Pilot USA was one of them. The year 2014 marks the company's 30th year of making aviation headsets, with many of their flagship products still manufactured at their facility in Southern California. They've sold over one million headsets since 1984, and when you buy a dealer brand from Aircraft Spruce, Marv Golden, Pilot Mall or countless others, it's actually a Pilot USA headset in your hand. They have the distinction of being the only manufacturer we know of that has NASA-certified headsets on both the International and Russian space stations. Their technical research is robust, and is another reason why the U.S. military contracts with them for headsets.

In addition to their 30th anniversary, Pilot USA is announcing new adapters for the burgeoning GoPro, VIRB and iPhone market. As POV (point of view) cameras have exploded in aviation, users have sought more integration with their audio panels. Pilot USA has come to the rescue with a vast variety of adapters that allow users to record cockpit audio directly to POV cameras, external recorders or MP3 devices. The company also released their newest version of the game-changer "BluLink" adapter, which allows Bluetooth connection to a variety of devices. While other adapters have come and gone, some 8,000 BluLink units are in use today. "Most of our ideas for products come directly from talking face-to-face with pilots at shows like Oshkosh, Sun 'n Fun and others," says Abram Akradi, President of Marketing for the family-run company. "We don't attend them to sell product, we attend them to find out what people need."

Meanwhile, Bose is celebrating 25 years in the aviation headset arena. In the late 1950s, Dr. Amar G. Bose---a grad student at MIT and classical music enthusiast---sought to reward himself for his studies and purchased speakers he thought would reproduce his beloved music well. Sorely disappointed in what he heard, Bose instead designed and created his own speaker system that re-created classical music in a lifelike way. Dr. Bose founded his company in 1964, and he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in Akron, Ohio, in 2008. Today, the innovation continues, with Bose having introduced the very first ANR (active noise reduction) headset to the aviation world.

Bose leads into the future with its newest version of the flagship A20 headset, which has become a favorite among professional pilots. The unit's unique attenuation adapts itself to the environment, and its comfort is frequently cited as one of its best features, along with it being made in the USA. "We've never stopped working on making our aviation headsets better," said Sean Garrett, Vice President of the Bose Noise Reduction Technology Group. "Our research has produced advancements and performance that at one time seemed impossible. But what's really exciting is that we've only just begun."

Bose isn't planning any significant changes to their headsets this year, but will be making several announcements related to their 25th anniversary celebration beginning at EAA AirVenture.

David Clark is one of those handful of manufacturers that was around 30 years ago and is still going strong. Along with Pilot USA and Bose, they're one of the leading headset companies in aviation. The year 2013 saw the introduction of the PRO-X (Active Noise Canceling) and DC PRO (Passive Noise Canceling) headsets, which have been a tremendous hit with pilots. What made the PRO unique were its "on-ear" design, and its featherweight and ergonomic engineering. Killer noise attenuation didn't hurt, and it remains one of the company's best sellers.

Dennis Buzzell, David Clark's Aviation Market Manager, tells pilots to look for long-term comfort with any headset they consider. Quick try-ons at a show don't reveal the true characteristics of a headset's "wearability." Comfort is the PRO's calling card, with low clamping pressure and no hot spots, owing to the unit's position on the ear rather than around it. "Even after an hour or two, you won't feel like you're wearing any headset at all," Buzzell adds.

David Clark has announced four new models of the PRO line for pilots in different environments: The PRO-XP features a six-pin panel-mount plug for connecting to aircraft panels. The PRO-A is a passive unit that comes with a five-pin plug for connecting specifically to Airbus aircraft. The PRO-XA also connects to Airbus aircraft with a five-pin connector but features ANR instead of passive noise reduction. Lastly, the PRO-S is a passive headset with a single ear cup, ideal for commercial and corporate jet pilots.

Avcomm is a company that has been undergoing major changes in recent years. Radial International LLC took over the Avcomm brand in 2011, and has been busy building new relationships with dealers and customers since the acquisition. With a strong selection of headsets and intercom systems, Avcomm has traditionally offered excellent quality at competitive prices. Their most popular headsets are the AC-200 and AC-900 series.

Though the details are still few, Avcomm is announcing that they've added Bluetooth capability to both the AC-200 and AC-900 series of headsets. They're refreshing their product line and relaunching it in the fall of 2014. With their long history of tank-like reliability, Avcomm recommends pilots look at the long-term durability of their headsets. "I'm amazed when we have pilots send in their 15-year-old headsets that are still working," laughs Avcomm's Per Sekse. "I realize when pilots love a headset, they really do keep it for a long time."

Clarity Aloft pioneered the in-ear, ultra-light headset and continues to thrive based on their simple but effective design. The company has an almost cult following of pilots who have become enamored with the unique headset. While Clarity Aloft isn't the only company making in-ear headsets, they're one of the best-known companies, and have survived while many competitors have come and gone. The company is so committed to the in-ear design that they suggest pilots simply try the headset, and that it will quickly convert them to the Clarity Aloft fold.

Their newest offering is the Link headset with Bluetooth. It's a premium headset and has been more popular than the company anticipated. The Link shares the same design as the company's "Classic" and "Pro" headsets, but adds the ability to connect wirelessly to a variety of devices (like cell phones and music players) via industry-standard Bluetooth. At less than two ounces, the name of the game with Clarity Aloft is ultimate freedom and long-term comfort. "We have been striving to keep up with the high demand of this product," noted Jo Abbott, Marketing Director for Clarity Aloft. "When pilots like to fly, they spend a lot of time in the air in a wide variety of aircraft, and that is where our headset is an advantage."

Lightspeed, meanwhile, is a relatively young company (they introduced their first headset at EAA AirVenture in 1996) that has become very successful with its line of premium headsets. Lightspeed just unveiled their new Zulu PFX. A stunningly beautiful headset with an almost industrial design ethic, the Zulu PFX marks a development was field tested for quite some time prior to its release. The company's meticulous refinement of the headset has resulted in a unit that's well worth its $1,100 price.

Designed around Lightspeed's new proprietary PFX ("Personal Flying Experience") technology, this addition to the Zulu family includes a trio of techno-logical advances that adapt the headset's ANR and audio responses to the user's ears, environment and personal preferences. Streaming Quiet is the ANR system that Lightspeed says adapts to the environment in real time, adjusting the amount and frequency range of noise cancellation. Another feature measures your unique auditory landscape, adapting the audio response to your ear shape and size for maximum noise attenuation and clarity. The last feature---"FlightLink"---allows users to set personal preferences on the headset using the proprietary phone app developed by Lightspeed.

For pilots looking for high quality at a low price, Faro Aviation has been the go-to solution since 2010 when they introduced their first headset. With their passive G2 headset selling for $189 and their ANR version at $389, a better bargain is tough to find. The units come with a three-year warranty with full replacement and are built with durability in mind. The ANR G2 has surprisingly good noise reduction for the price, and both their passive and ANR units make great headsets for new pilots or passengers who might not need the features of a headset costing over $1,000.

Faro's latest announcement includes a new array of very pleasing colors for their ANR G2, including a very cool green, slate blue, grey and black. The company went through a revamp of the headset, reducing the clamping pressure for more comfort, switching silicone ear seals to leather to eliminate hot spots and a slew of other improvements. Faro headsets are available from a variety of sources including Amazon.com, so prospective buyers can read real reviews and judge the G2's performance for themselves.

To finish our list of headset leaders, Headsets Inc. is a company that has made some huge innovations in after-market ANR kits for retrofitting a variety of helmets and headsets. The company recently acquired DRE Communications, another low-price headset manufacturer. In addition to their well-respected and highly popular ANR kits, Headsets Inc. offers a line of four passive and ANR headsets that are priced well below competitors, but include an impressive list of features. Ranging from a bargain $119 to $399 for a full-blown ANR set with all the bells and whistles, Headsets Inc. is a high-performance alternative to the more recognized manufacturers.

For 2014, the company has announced a new color scheme for its 1001, 6001 and EM-001 models: flat black. The flat color adds a modern twist to the already professional-looking headsets and contrasts nicely with the units' polished hardware. Pilots should note that all Headsets Inc. units come with a lifetime warranty.

As far as what the future might bring in headsets, all of our companies were tight-lipped about the features they'll be introducing in the years to come. We know that wireless headsets are being worked on as the push to completely eliminate wires from the cockpit continues. Adapters are a hot item as pilots seek integration with a vast variety of external devices, and lighter-weight units are being driven by the desire for more comfort. Innovation is trending toward smaller and more compact headsets, with manufacturers targeting higher noise attenuation numbers while reducing their headsets' weight. New materials and even composites might be in your headset's future, as will clearer microphones with higher noise-rejection capabilities. The future in headsets is exciting, and we hope to see even more innovation in the months and years to come.