Microphones compared 5:44 This was a wow moment for me as a prospective aviation student. I noticed while listening to ATC for fun that in major international airports, it's easier to hear and understand the pilots. My guess is that Bose is the unspoken standard for major pilots. The sound clarity you produce in this example is just amazing. ANC clears up what YOU hear. The microphone clears up what OTHERS hear.
Right from the start with flight training I bought Bose A20’s as I knew I wanted to do this. Never looked back. My personal tips: - thick sunglasses OR a hat, you can survive a 8hr flight day. But both… you will have a headache. - battery life REALLY depends on Bluetooth use. Without, easily 40hrs. But if I’m listening to music or making calls, that shrinks to 15-25 hrs. - I love the Bose case, I can keep a flashlight, spare batteries, licenses/medical, and two cliff bars in it - *knock on wood* never had a single issue with the headset - ALWAYS use the clips to keep the pressure off of the headset input jack if it will be “hanging”, it started creating static but went away after I applied this method - The cable easily coil’s in between the headset in the bag - just do it, buy once, cry once. Everyone I know that has lightspeeds has had to send them in for repairs. I’m 4.5 years in on my A20’s and not once (again, knock on wood)
I bought Bose A20 after a month I sent it for repairs due to on descend it starts to make a whistling noise they changed the earcub again after 6 months same issue took it back for repair now they changed the other earcub. I wonder if you have any idea about this whistling noise?
Nice video, if you're just doing general aviation flying then the Lightspeed Z3 are great, if you're thinking of moving on to the professional world then i would lean more towards the A20, you'll probably still be using them on 737/A320 size aircraft. Not being able to swap the side of the mic is a bit of a pain as you'll often want to uncover the ear towards the inboard of the aircraft to chat with cabin crew in flight or your college on a turn around whilst staying on comms and having the mic correctly positioned. The A20 also technically carries the correct FAA/EASA certifications for it to be used on large commercial aircraft which the Zulu 3 doesn't however i'm not sure anyone actually checks this, no one has ever checked my headset (A20).
I want comfort first, and noise canceling a close second. The Bose are a little quieter, but Lightspeed is a lot more comfortable and economical. I'm buying Lightspeed.
Nice video. I recently bought the Bose A20s used for about 40% off retail price and I'm very happy with it. I honestly don't see the reason to buy new ones since they all have a 5 year warranty and you can change the headband, earcups and mic cover for less than 50€
This is a very helpful video, as I'm trying to get back into the cockpit after a few too many decades. When I was flying ANR Headsets didn't exist, we were "bare" ear. I had an opportunity to try the Bose A20's when a friend took me up and yes the ANR was great. But getting back into flying in the age of ANR Headsets and EFB's requires some cash outlays. If I can find a pair of A20's at a good price, sure. But the Zulu 3's are a great option too.
I had both A20 and LIghtspeed and would recommend the Bose any day of the week. i had many problems with the LIghtspeed ( i had a few sets until i switched. to bose) and so far with the bose it's perfect.
6 years of using the Lightspeed Sierra's. I have enjoyed it however now that I'm a full time CFI, they worn out super fast and the headband is not very comfortable for the full day. So your video has been super helpful on which to upgrade to.
i have a friend who owns a bose a20 that have to deal with the customer service. the mic on his a20 was broken. he shipped it back to bose, and they fixed it with no charge even my friend’s a20 has passed the warranty period.
As an owner of the Bose A20 and Lightspeed, I can say that the build quality of the Bose is clearly superior. The controller on the Lightspeed cracked after 2 years of use which was replaced/repaired under warranty (great customer service), but after 11 years of use the Bose has never needed any downtime. After the warranty work on the Lightspeed, the volume buttons have fallen off. You get what you pay for.
I tried both before replacing my old ANR headsets, which were Telex 50D (rather bulky and heavier than either the Bose or the Lightspeed - and not as durable). I wound up buying the Bose A20 headsets. I have a loud airplane and needed really effective ANR headsets. I really love the Bose A20's, and so does my wife, who is a frequent flying companion.
I've been a long-time Lightspeed user (Zulu 2) but recently have bought a second-hand Bose to compare. One thing I HATED about the Lightspeed was the quality of the leads, which are apparently made of cheese. Use the headset half a dozen times and the leads have worn though (from rubbing on the zip of my flying jacket as I move my head) - showing the coloured cables beneath....you can see why they changed to Kevlar! Also the earpads on the Lightspeed similarly wear and flake really quickly... I first noticed the horrible effect of this when I saw myself on video taking them off and a ring of black flecks were all around my ears looking like a ring of blackhead zits. Yuck! The earpads fell apart anyway soon after and I ordered some from overseas (Hong Kong?) - much cheaper AND better quality. Finally, I was caught in a rain shower one day holding my Lightspeed and the next day every plastic/rubber part (esp. the controller) was disgustingly tacky to the touch and has been ever since! So far I've avoided rain getting to the Bose so can't compare that feature....I also prefer the sound quality of the Bose and I think the ANR is slightly better.
Hands down, the cord for the Zulu is the baddest cord I’ve ever seen on any corded device! Being prior Army we didn’t even have cords that felt this strong. Just throwing that out there, that Kevlar cord is a beast!
The trick to bose is as follows Use a different case(most would've owned a different headset before bose) Get glasses and sunglasses with flexible temples eg flying eyes
I have a Bose and I love it. Got a light speed when I send the A20 in for a repair cuz I don’t wanna go back to my David Clark headset lol. Zulu 3 is pretty good so far. Down side is that it’s heavy and earpieces are bulky. I like it though.
Great review, thanks for putting in the effort, wish you had the DC One x as well :-) I also wish I could choose the features I liked from each and make a 3rd headset with the perfect mix of features, having the braided cord easy to self swap and choose sides would be cool. Also, I hear Bose is now made in Mexico, anyone know about the Zulu’s?
Great video and love all the tech and test bits. Do you plan on testing the David Clarks in the near future? Would love to see a side by side with the DC's. Cheers!
Thank you for the video I just had my boss 8:20 today and I hope it really worth that actually I bought it with payments anyway I was waiting for you to explain the the difference when both has Tso but light is not but unfortunately I didn't get that from you on this video or do I miss him something here
I have had the zulu 3's for a few years now, I like them but my only complaint is the mic boom is a little too short. Thinking of purchasing the a20's now?
I'm exactly in between those two headsets and that video gave me some good information to decide on. I was leaning towards the Lightspeed Zulu 3. However on that video it looks like the Bose A20 got an average noise reduction of -28db while the LightSpeed Zulus an avg of -24db. There is information that for example on a Cessna 172 the average top noise levels you got are ~96db. Looks like the Bose ones will always kept you below the dangerous limit of 70db while the Zulus can sometimes got in the 72db level which is above the dangerous limit. Do you think that is enough to not to choose the Zulus or do you think they will effectively protect your ears from damage when flying those SEP aircrafts?
It's always difficult to convey an experience like this through CZcams... The Db levels that I Show on screen is the recorded levels meaning it it influenced by the audio recorder's gain setting... The idea was to only show the difference in level between the two headsets and not the actual "loudness" inside the headset... These headsets work effectively up to 114db cockpit Noise so in a 172 both these headsets will provide more than enough protection for your ears! If you leaned towards the Lightspeed, I would go for it... It's difficult to justify the difference in ANR performance for a $300 difference in price. Just my opinion though!
I know this is really late but if you search up "high fidelity concert plugs" on amazon, it's basically an earplug that reduces the overall loudness level going into your ear (plus filtering harsh frequencies) while keeping all ranges of frequencies and details. Highly recommend a pair of those along with any ANC headset.
Just get ya a pair of DC-One-X's and call it a day .... made entirely in the USA and incomparable customer service ...... Lightspeeds are pretty good tho'
You said the Lightspeed is better for bigger heads, which is wrong. I wanted to get a Zulu 3, but it didnt fit me. Fully extended, it was still a tiny bit too small and would cause discomfort on longer flights. So I went with the A20 and have no regrets. Both are high quality headsets, just try them both and get the one that fits you better. Everything else really does not matter.
Great comparison though, didn't mean to critizize, just give my input. The A20 is kinda "mainstream" and I wanted to give the Z3 a chance. But in the end, comfort is what matters most, the details do not. Some things are better on one product, others on the other. It's easy to live with some irrelevant details that could've been better, but ignoring a headache or a pressure on the head isn't.
Bought the original Zulu years ago and used lightly. I really liked the headset but recently I pulled it out to use and the controller plastic and plastic around the band had turned sticky and gooey. Was able to use rubbing alcohol and a paper towel to remove the coating. But really, should I have to do this on an 850 headset? My next headset will be a Bose.
so did I see at 8:55 you can record ATC and cockpit communication via Bluetooth directly to phone without wires and splitters and more parts and complexity? Well the specific picture was with the lightspeed, can you record to phone via bluetooth from the bose?
Via Bluetooth it only records the audio going into your microphone, but if you use the cable plugged into the aux port and the Lightspeed Flightlink app, you can record all the audio
Thank you for the review. My personal experience with Lightspeed has been really bad. I had two Zulus with broken cables and there were no spare parts available from the manufacturer. The support was horrible and now the headsets are essentially garbage. I can only warn against purchasing a Lightspeed headset based on my experience.
In terms of bluetooth, does the A20 have the ability to connect to more than one device at a time? The Zulu 3 does not. It would be nice to be able to connect to both my Ipad and phone without having to use an extra cable.
Ok 20Hz is as low as the human ear can hear, and gets worse with age so... I don't know if that´s better, sure you can feel the 15Hz but with excesive volume
@@About2Stall that's great thank you. I'm looking to make CZcams videos of my flights again (but I seriously need to upgrade my cameras, recording software, etc) so any advice on equipment is greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Microphones compared 5:44
This was a wow moment for me as a prospective aviation student. I noticed while listening to ATC for fun that in major international airports, it's easier to hear and understand the pilots. My guess is that Bose is the unspoken standard for major pilots. The sound clarity you produce in this example is just amazing.
ANC clears up what YOU hear. The microphone clears up what OTHERS hear.
Right from the start with flight training I bought Bose A20’s as I knew I wanted to do this. Never looked back. My personal tips:
- thick sunglasses OR a hat, you can survive a 8hr flight day. But both… you will have a headache.
- battery life REALLY depends on Bluetooth use. Without, easily 40hrs. But if I’m listening to music or making calls, that shrinks to 15-25 hrs.
- I love the Bose case, I can keep a flashlight, spare batteries, licenses/medical, and two cliff bars in it
- *knock on wood* never had a single issue with the headset
- ALWAYS use the clips to keep the pressure off of the headset input jack if it will be “hanging”, it started creating static but went away after I applied this method
- The cable easily coil’s in between the headset in the bag
- just do it, buy once, cry once. Everyone I know that has lightspeeds has had to send them in for repairs. I’m 4.5 years in on my A20’s and not once (again, knock on wood)
I bought Bose A20 after a month I sent it for repairs due to on descend it starts to make a whistling noise they changed the earcub again after 6 months same issue took it back for repair now they changed the other earcub.
I wonder if you have any idea about this whistling noise?
Nice video, if you're just doing general aviation flying then the Lightspeed Z3 are great, if you're thinking of moving on to the professional world then i would lean more towards the A20, you'll probably still be using them on 737/A320 size aircraft. Not being able to swap the side of the mic is a bit of a pain as you'll often want to uncover the ear towards the inboard of the aircraft to chat with cabin crew in flight or your college on a turn around whilst staying on comms and having the mic correctly positioned. The A20 also technically carries the correct FAA/EASA certifications for it to be used on large commercial aircraft which the Zulu 3 doesn't however i'm not sure anyone actually checks this, no one has ever checked my headset (A20).
Very interesting! Thanks for the sharing!
The Bose carry case has a special pocket inside the lid for the cable which makes for quite tidy stowage. Good idea from Bose.
Love my Zulu3s and I’ve tried the Bose. The difference isn’t enough for me to spend 300 more!
Definitely!
Thanks. I want to buy the Zulu 3.
Sounds like purchase cope. But aight
I want comfort first, and noise canceling a close second. The Bose are a little quieter, but Lightspeed is a lot more comfortable and economical. I'm buying Lightspeed.
Just got my Bose a20 today absolutely love it so far only flown with it for one hour currently
Would have loved to have seen your take of the Delta Zulu vs the Bose A30. Especially the ANR test.
Nice video. I recently bought the Bose A20s used for about 40% off retail price and I'm very happy with it. I honestly don't see the reason to buy new ones since they all have a 5 year warranty and you can change the headband, earcups and mic cover for less than 50€
Thanks!
Yeah, the second hand market is a great option for these headsets! Thanks for sharing your experience
Where did you buy your used pair from?
This is a very helpful video, as I'm trying to get back into the cockpit after a few too many decades. When I was flying ANR Headsets didn't exist, we were "bare" ear. I had an opportunity to try the Bose A20's when a friend took me up and yes the ANR was great. But getting back into flying in the age of ANR Headsets and EFB's requires some cash outlays. If I can find a pair of A20's at a good price, sure. But the Zulu 3's are a great option too.
I had both A20 and LIghtspeed and would recommend the Bose any day of the week. i had many problems with the LIghtspeed ( i had a few sets until i switched. to bose) and so far with the bose it's perfect.
6 years of using the Lightspeed Sierra's. I have enjoyed it however now that I'm a full time CFI, they worn out super fast and the headband is not very comfortable for the full day. So your video has been super helpful on which to upgrade to.
i have a friend who owns a bose a20 that have to deal with the customer service. the mic on his a20 was broken. he shipped it back to bose, and they fixed it with no charge even my friend’s a20 has passed the warranty period.
Glad to hear he had a positive experience!
Thanks for the feedback.
As an owner of the Bose A20 and Lightspeed, I can say that the build quality of the Bose is clearly superior. The controller on the Lightspeed cracked after 2 years of use which was replaced/repaired under warranty (great customer service), but after 11 years of use the Bose has never needed any downtime. After the warranty work on the Lightspeed, the volume buttons have fallen off. You get what you pay for.
Great non biased review. Exactly what I needed to hear
Thanks Brenton!
I tried my best to be as non biased as possible!
Glad it helped out 😁
I tried both before replacing my old ANR headsets, which were Telex 50D (rather bulky and heavier than either the Bose or the Lightspeed - and not as durable). I wound up buying the Bose A20 headsets. I have a loud airplane and needed really effective ANR headsets. I really love the Bose A20's, and so does my wife, who is a frequent flying companion.
That's Awesome! Thanks for sharing!
I've been a long-time Lightspeed user (Zulu 2) but recently have bought a second-hand Bose to compare. One thing I HATED about the Lightspeed was the quality of the leads, which are apparently made of cheese. Use the headset half a dozen times and the leads have worn though (from rubbing on the zip of my flying jacket as I move my head) - showing the coloured cables beneath....you can see why they changed to Kevlar! Also the earpads on the Lightspeed similarly wear and flake really quickly... I first noticed the horrible effect of this when I saw myself on video taking them off and a ring of black flecks were all around my ears looking like a ring of blackhead zits. Yuck! The earpads fell apart anyway soon after and I ordered some from overseas (Hong Kong?) - much cheaper AND better quality. Finally, I was caught in a rain shower one day holding my Lightspeed and the next day every plastic/rubber part (esp. the controller) was disgustingly tacky to the touch and has been ever since! So far I've avoided rain getting to the Bose so can't compare that feature....I also prefer the sound quality of the Bose and I think the ANR is slightly better.
Just discovered your channel, great stuff and I really appreciated this review as I am just debating whether to go for the Bose or Zulu !!
Hands down, the cord for the Zulu is the baddest cord I’ve ever seen on any corded device! Being prior Army we didn’t even have cords that felt this strong. Just throwing that out there, that Kevlar cord is a beast!
Great video! You really helped me nail down what I want.
Matthew from Texas, USA.
A20 vs DC One X, need this review!
Great video!! Very informative, well done!
The trick to bose is as follows
Use a different case(most would've owned a different headset before bose)
Get glasses and sunglasses with flexible temples eg flying eyes
Flawless, what a brilliant video. Absolutely amazing. Super informative while staying unbiased. Lekker video tjoms keep it up.
Thanks Dylan! Really appreciate it 😁
Thanks so much for this comparison video... helped so much!!
An absolute pleasure! Glad it helped 😁
AWESOME video!!! Thanks for the work you put in to doing it. Very helpful.
Thanks Aaron, it was an absolute pleasure to make. Even more worth it if you find it helpful!
Appreciate the feedback 🔥
I have a Bose and I love it. Got a light speed when I send the A20 in for a repair cuz I don’t wanna go back to my David Clark headset lol. Zulu 3 is pretty good so far. Down side is that it’s heavy and earpieces are bulky. I like it though.
Excellent video to make a choice, your explanations are extremely clear.
Thanks! I'm so glad it helps 😁
Great review, thanks for putting in the effort, wish you had the DC One x as well :-) I also wish I could choose the features I liked from each and make a 3rd headset with the perfect mix of features, having the braided cord easy to self swap and choose sides would be cool. Also, I hear Bose is now made in Mexico, anyone know about the Zulu’s?
Thanks! 😁 It would be pretty cool to make a custom headset. Mabe one day...😜
You guys are awesome. You need to produce more videos. Please
Thanks 😁
Definitely a few more coming! 😜
Love the plant mount DYI
😂👍🏼
Great video and love all the tech and test bits. Do you plan on testing the David Clarks in the near future? Would love to see a side by side with the DC's. Cheers!
Thanks for the feedback Darren!
We will see if we can get a David clark to test out 😉
seriously NO ONE has done a proper review on the DC's vs the A20!
Thanks for that comparsion. Really helped me to make my mind :D
Awesome! Glad we could help out 😁🤟🏼
Great review - really balanced and very helpful 👍😊
Thank you for the video I just had my boss 8:20 today and I hope it really worth that actually I bought it with payments anyway I was waiting for you to explain the the difference when both has Tso but light is not but unfortunately I didn't get that from you on this video or do I miss him something here
I have had the zulu 3's for a few years now, I like them but my only complaint is the mic boom is a little too short. Thinking of purchasing the a20's now?
Awesome job on your video bro, very informative!!
Thanks Mike!
I appreciate the feedback and support 😁
Glad it helped!
You are welcome brother.
I'm exactly in between those two headsets and that video gave me some good information to decide on. I was leaning towards the Lightspeed Zulu 3. However on that video it looks like the Bose A20 got an average noise reduction of -28db while the LightSpeed Zulus an avg of -24db. There is information that for example on a Cessna 172 the average top noise levels you got are ~96db. Looks like the Bose ones will always kept you below the dangerous limit of 70db while the Zulus can sometimes got in the 72db level which is above the dangerous limit. Do you think that is enough to not to choose the Zulus or do you think they will effectively protect your ears from damage when flying those SEP aircrafts?
It's always difficult to convey an experience like this through CZcams... The Db levels that I Show on screen is the recorded levels meaning it it influenced by the audio recorder's gain setting... The idea was to only show the difference in level between the two headsets and not the actual "loudness" inside the headset...
These headsets work effectively up to 114db cockpit Noise so in a 172 both these headsets will provide more than enough protection for your ears!
If you leaned towards the Lightspeed, I would go for it... It's difficult to justify the difference in ANR performance for a $300 difference in price. Just my opinion though!
@@About2Stall thank you very much for the help! I'll go with the Lightspeed Zulu 3 then! I'm convinced :D
An Absolute pleasure!
Glad we could help.
I know this is really late but if you search up "high fidelity concert plugs" on amazon, it's basically an earplug that reduces the overall loudness level going into your ear (plus filtering harsh frequencies) while keeping all ranges of frequencies and details. Highly recommend a pair of those along with any ANC headset.
Cool! Thanks.
Will check it out
Just get ya a pair of DC-One-X's and call it a day .... made entirely in the USA and incomparable customer service ...... Lightspeeds are pretty good tho'
Excellent video ❤ Thank you very much.
Thx for the review. Helps a lot :)
Really glad it helped! 😁
Why the microphone sound quality of aviation headsets are so bad? Even in cabin communication.
You said the Lightspeed is better for bigger heads, which is wrong. I wanted to get a Zulu 3, but it didnt fit me. Fully extended, it was still a tiny bit too small and would cause discomfort on longer flights. So I went with the A20 and have no regrets. Both are high quality headsets, just try them both and get the one that fits you better. Everything else really does not matter.
That's the best way to go! Put it on and take the one that suits you best.
Thanks for your feedback!
Great comparison though, didn't mean to critizize, just give my input. The A20 is kinda "mainstream" and I wanted to give the Z3 a chance. But in the end, comfort is what matters most, the details do not. Some things are better on one product, others on the other. It's easy to live with some irrelevant details that could've been better, but ignoring a headache or a pressure on the head isn't.
Thanks! Did not take as such. But encourage the feedback. Everyone finds each headset different, as you said.😉
Bought the original Zulu years ago and used lightly. I really liked the headset but recently I pulled it out to use and the controller plastic and plastic around the band had turned sticky and gooey. Was able to use rubbing alcohol and a paper towel to remove the coating. But really, should I have to do this on an 850 headset? My next headset will be a Bose.
Do the two headsets work with standard NiMH batteries or do you need to buy the single-use alkalines?
lightspeed will send you the headpiece for free, it’s stated in the user guide
Great vid. 👍
Thanks Raphael!
Gotta go with the Bose. They look way better lol.
That twaz a lacka review! thanks
My Pleasure!
Glad you enjoyed it🙌🏼
Bose all the way
so did I see at 8:55 you can record ATC and cockpit communication via Bluetooth directly to phone without wires and splitters and more parts and complexity? Well the specific picture was with the lightspeed, can you record to phone via bluetooth from the bose?
Via Bluetooth it only records the audio going into your microphone, but if you use the cable plugged into the aux port and the Lightspeed Flightlink app, you can record all the audio
How many decibels does the Bose and lighspeed reduce?
Thank you for the review. My personal experience with Lightspeed has been really bad. I had two Zulus with broken cables and there were no spare parts available from the manufacturer. The support was horrible and now the headsets are essentially garbage. I can only warn against purchasing a Lightspeed headset based on my experience.
DC one X is the best!
In terms of bluetooth, does the A20 have the ability to connect to more than one device at a time? The Zulu 3 does not. It would be nice to be able to connect to both my Ipad and phone without having to use an extra cable.
No don't think so...
yes it does my a20 connects to phone and ipad
Love my lightspeed
They are really great!
Thanks for the feedback
Ok 20Hz is as low as the human ear can hear, and gets worse with age so... I don't know if that´s better, sure you can feel the 15Hz but with excesive volume
Yo did you know the origin of Bose.
It's by a Bengali man. Know your history.
I bought the Bose A20 2 days ago. Its the best in the world
How do you record audio using the Bose A20?
For the tests we used a microphone inside the earcup, but usually we use a cable that connects to the Gopro. Hope this helps?
@@About2Stall that's great thank you. I'm looking to make CZcams videos of my flights again (but I seriously need to upgrade my cameras, recording software, etc) so any advice on equipment is greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Nah, DC ONE-X anytime..
😂 You are very persistent!
++++++