Images at bottom.
A few years back, when I was just dreaming about becoming a pilot rather than actually doing it, I read about Lightspeed headsets. The reviews were positive and the price was right for an ANR headset. I bookmarked their site as a site to visit when I finally did get around to earning my certificate.
After scheduling my first lesson, I revisited Lightspeed to see what they had to offer. I wanted an ANR headset for under $400, and the Lightspeed 20XLc seemed to fit the bill. Ok, I’ll admit I thought they looked a little goofy with the 1 1/2 inch thick ear seals, but they did have auto battery shutoff and a built-in cell phone interface (why I care I don’t know – I don’t like talking on my phone normally). There was only one problem – I couldn’t tell where they were made. I like to buy products made in the USA when possible so I sent Lightspeed an e-mail asking about the origin of their headsets.
The response from Lightspeed read:
We have industrial, acoustical, electrical, and mechanical, engineering done here in our Portland offices. Along with a team of tech support staff, sales, and marketing. The headset is actually built in a factory in China who’s owner is one of the principles in Lightspeed.
My search continued. If every headset meeting my criteria was made in China (though I’m willing to pay more for domestic products) then I’d probably go with the Lightspeed. Fortunately that wasn’t the case – not every headset is made overseas.
The Pilot USA PA-1771T (also written as PA 17-71T or just PA-1771) is an ANR headset with auto battery shutoff, cell phone/music input jack, and mono/stereo sound with dual volume controls. It retails for $385 and is made in the US. Reviews were hard to come by – while I found many praising Lightspeed, Bose, and David Clark I found next to nothing about the PA-1771T. Taking a chance I ordered it from Gulf Coast Avionics at $360.
After a little over a month I can say I’m completely happy with this headset. I don’t know why it doesn’t get more love online. I have no trouble hearing the radio over the drone of the T-41’s 210 hp Continental - the slightest RPM change is still noticeable but engine noise is reduced to a reasonable level. The headset is comfortable yet secure on my head. I put on my CFI’s David Clark headset when we were troubleshooting a comm problem and it was like putting my head in a vise compared to the Pilot USA headset (the comm problem was his broken DC headset).
Speaking of comfort, the PA-1771T weighs 11.9 ounces. The 20XLc “weighs just 15 ounces“, David Clark’s least expensive ($600) ANR headset tips the scale at 18 oz (also made in the USA). Even the Bose Aviation Headset X weighs more (12 oz). Weight certainly isn’t the only factor when it comes to comfort, but headset manufacturers tout weight as a selling point so it’s something I looked at too.
Noise reduction:
PA-1771: 18-22 dB active, 25 dB passive
20XLc: 22-24 dB active, 12-22 dB passive
David Clark H10-13X: 17-22 dB active, ?? passive
Bose Headset X: ??
The headset comes with a cable, which I assume is for a cell phone or MP3 player, and a padded carrying case.
What do I know about headsets? Not a lot. I do know that this is one damn comfy unit (no pressure issues when worn over my sunglasses), I can hear the radio clearly, no one has complained about how I sound wearing them, the price was right, and it’s made in the United States (except the bag, which is made in China). If you’re shopping for a reasonably priced ANR headset, definitely give the PA-1771 a look.
reviewed 14 Oct 2008
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Update 17 Dec 2008
The headset still works great, still very comfortable. I find I’m getting about 20 hours out of a 9v battery. The first time the battery ran low I thought we had interference on the intercom – I started hearing a whine in the headset. Next time I heard the whine I knew exactly what to do. If you don’t have time to change the battery in-flight you can either ignore the whine or turn off the ANR box – either works to get rid of the noise.
