I thought ANR headsets use their own design jacks not standard jacks. And Cirrus told me that the Lightspeed 25xl use standard jacks. Is this accurate? Larry
Sure is. I use Lightspeeds in my SR22
Bob
> I thought ANR headsets use their own design jacks not standard jacks. And Cirrus told me that the Lightspeed 25xl use standard jacks. Is this accurate?
Larry,
It depends on which jacks you’re referring to… headphone/microphone are standard. If you mean power jacks, there really isn’t a standard… and Lightspeeds don’t have provision for external power at all. There are other solutions… [;)]
Mike.
There have been a lot of posts for a long time about headset use in the Cirrus aircraft. Most of the discussion has been about Bose and Lightspeed headsets. I think this got started because a year ago there was a sales pitch that Lightspeed somehow had designed an ANR headset that was “tuned” for Cirrus planes. That turned out to be just a sales pitch.
Nobody has ever talked about David Clark; one of the most reputable headset makers in the business. I have been using David Clark units for 10 years and they are rugged, comfortable and have the best product support I have ever seen. They fix virtually any problem for life but my old H10-20 has held up without fail for 10 years.
I think their H10-13X ANR unit is fabulous and priced way below the Bose. I think it is constructed better than the Lightspeed as well.
Comments?
Cirrus planes are delivered with four-place headset jacks. Two of the jacks (pilot & co-pilot) are in the center console. You have to lift up the cover to access them, but there is a notch on each side of the cover for the headset cords.
The back seat jacks are on the back side of the console, and are accessible without lifting the cover.
All four places have three connections each: microphone, headset audio, and power.
(As a backup to the headsets, there is a speaker in the ceiling, selected from the audio panel, and a microphone that plugs into a headset microphone jack.)
The microphone and headset audio jacks are standard and will work with any standard headset plugs: David Clark, Lightspeed, etc.
Most ANR headsets require a power source. It is rumored that the Cirrus power connections fit Telex headsets, but since those are the only headsets that use that type of power connector, you are on your own with the standard connectors.
Lightspeed headsets do not have any provision for powering them from the airplane’s electrical system, but at least one clever individual has engineered a solution with a power connector that replaces the batteries in the Lightspeed battery box, and plugs into the standard Cirrus power connectors.
If you want to use Bose X headsets, you have another option. Bose X sets are available with a battery pack (and standard two-plug mic and audio connectors), or with a “hardwired” connector.
The hardwired Bose connector is a slender plug that connects to microphone, stereo audio, and power, all in one plug.
Bose supplies a matching jack for installation in the plane with each hardwired headset. The jacks are also available separately.
Now for the good news. The Bose jacks can be wired into a Cirrus in parallel with the standard jacks, so that you can use either a hardwired Bose set or a regular headset. The Bose jack replaces the Telex-style power plug.
Any avionics technician should be able to install the jacks for you.
I’ve got the Bose jacks wired in parallel at all four places in my SR22, and it works great.
-Mike
After all the discussions going on about which headset is the best or best value for money and being only partially satisfied about my current David Clark’s H13X I tried to find some test-data on the net.
I have to have a second headset on my current plane, a Beechcraft Sundowner and what to choose ?
The only thing that came up was http://www.avtop.de/aviation/tests.htm and some testdata from
Pilot-Avionics (I can’tfind the link anymore) which stated Sennheiser (HMEC 300 ANR) was the best after their one product. Bose was not so good because of resonance of low Hz noise
The first link stated that the Bose was the ‘golden standard’ because of 10db noise reduction at 50Hz, so it gives much less, HARMFUL, engine noise. The DC was not very compatible with other headsets and altough giving good ANR in the speech range, it did nothing for engine noise. The previous Sennheiser (200) ANR was good in ANR and al the flaws in this model are dealt with in the 300. The Lightspeed 20K (now 20XL), Pilot PA 17-16 DNC and Peltor 7004 also did a good job for both engine noise and ANR in the speech range.
But now this Lab-rat has to choose.
I have good experience with the 25XL (Thanks again Roger W., beautiful 22) but I heard sometimes things break loose from it, the Sennheiser HMEC 300 is a lot cheaper over here in Europe and has many plug options, and Bose IS expensive but you can do the “free ride” (but it seems i have to order for it in the US)
will be continued,
Jaap
Funney you should mention David Clarks. I have been using until recently the Lightspeed headsets, but I have to say that ubnlike just about everyone else I have have been dissatisified with their performance. I find the intercomm very noisy and the background noise only partially filtered out. So during a recent flight tom Poland I got so fed up with them that I changed to my old Dave Clarks (no noise reduction by the way) and suddenly I could hear both the intercom and the radio much more clearly. Anyone else tried this?
I have heard the David Clarke’s are good units. They just, uh…, well,… look like my Dad’s headsets. You know, 21st century plane, 1960s looking headset. What will the gawkers on the ramp think? Of course, if I drove to the hangar in my father’s Oldsmobile, maybe nobody would be surprised.
Greg
I have been using non ANR David Clarks for a long time. Last week I tried the ANR H10-13X ANR version of their headset and was most impressed. It was comfortable, quiet and the power pack is small and not cumbersome. If you want to run from ship’s power you can install an adapter. Cirrus power jacks are not compatible with ANY know headset so any model will need a power adapter to run on ship power. But with the David Clarks the battery pack last 60 hours so what’s not to like?
Brian: I think that the Cirrus power plug matches either a Telex or Pilot ANR headset. I am not sure whether that model is still on the market. Cirrus was hoping that the connector would be a standard ANR power connector (in fact that is the way it is labeled on the Cirrus “ANR Power” but it didn’t happen.
I suggested to both Bose and Cirrus that they should put in the Bose connectors and offer the Bose headsets as a Cirrus option, but Cirrus has not done so. I guess they are too busy with other things.
You said:
Cirrus power jacks are not compatible with ANY know headset so any model will need a power adapter to run on ship power.
My response:
Another solution is to have the connector on your existing headset converted to the Cirrus power jack. I have done many of these changes for Cirrus owners (right Andy B.) for various headsets. Additionally, for the Bosx X units, rather than paying $600 or more dollars for connectors installed in the aircraft, I have made an adapater box which accomodate two Bose X headsets per box for substantially less. It even allows you to move the headsets from your Cirrus aircraft to a non-Cirrus jack equipped aircraft.
There are lots of options out there just get the best product that fits your own subjective criteria.
Chris
All the military and many local jurisdictions use David Clark’s for their folks. Since military stuff is very “in” now, nothing is more “up to date” than a David Clark. I just think they are more rugged constructed than Bose or Lightspeed or any of the others for that manner.
My partners and I had Bose jacks installed at all four locations. The jacks are single units (contain power, mic & phones) and look like they were installed at the factory. Clearly, the cost of the jacks (I think the four seat install ran about $600) and the headsets make this a BMW type option – it’s one comfort item that I was happy to do.
Chris SR22 N747SJ
You are coreect. The problem is that there is no “universal” power jack for headsets and Cirrus does not want to play favarite to any one company with a particular jack installed but it does work with Telex. Would be nice if the entire headset industry used stardard power jacks. After all, they all use the same microphone and headset connector plugs.
Chris: Did you buy 4 Bose headsets or just 2 headsts and an additional 2 jacks? I noted a lot of people are using the rear seat headset jacks for the pilot and copilot seats when the back seats are not in use. That avoids having the plugs and wires in the storage box. Did you find out how much the Bose jacks are? I’m thinking of buying 2 Bose headsets and 2 additional jacks to make for maximum flexibility. BTW $600 for the install seems high. At even $75/hour it should not take 8 hours to do the job.