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Lightspeed Zulu

N131RV

Well Known Member
Well, after owning, using and loving by Bose X headset for the last 6 years (or so), it started looking a bit ratty. I have replaced the ear cups and mike screen a few times (I'm hard on stuff:))

My wife has been using an old DC with no active cancellation and it was difficult to communicate in flight.

With that in mind, I decided to get another high end headset and either use it myself, or let the wife have it.

I decided to try the Lightspeed Zulu after reading a few reviews. It was widely available at most outlets, I purchased mine on Ebay.

First impressions: I did not care for the case, no carrying strap. Still it's a nice case. On opening it, every thing fit neatly inside. The ear cups do not naturally rest against each other, but remain a few inches apart. I like this, a lot. In hot weather, the Bose ear cups would "smoosh" down and take quite a bit of tinkering to get them where my rather large ears would fit back inside.

I took it out and put in the included batteries (thanks LS!). Put it on my head and immediately noticed it was VERY comfortable and felt quite light.
I hit the switch for ANR and was very pleasantly rewarded with that flat "clean room" lack of noise.

Flight test:

My RV7 is very loud in the cockpit. Even with my Bose, down low, at high power settings, it was sometimes difficult to hear the radio or a passenger on the intercom. The noise was attenuated to a bearable, not quite pleasant volume. As I gain altitude (and lose power) the noise level drops.

That is all history. I cannot believe how well the Zulu kills the noise. After starting the engine, I put them on and hit switch, and it's like sitting in a car. I can feel the vibration and see the prop moving, but I can barely hear the engine. In high power regimes (takeoff and climb out) I hardly notice the noise anymore. It's there, but quite attenuated and not really unpleasant.

Biggest bonus: The incredible clarity of the radio and intercom. I was amazed.

I did try the bluetooth with my cell phone and it worked well. I have yet to listen to any music, but I expect I will be pleased.

All in all, I am impressed with it. I recommend the Zulu.

YMMV, as always.
 
lightspeed Zulu Vs The rest

I fly in the UK & Europe and have been using a wide variety of headsets (AVcom, Pilot, DC) but decided to get a decent set of ANR. You might be interested in my research.
Bose (used in TB20 & Arrow 4) Very light, comfortable, both the battery operated type and the LEMO. Expensive for what you get now and need to be treated carefully when packed as the ear seals get deformed. Good clear comms. Passive not good.
Zulu (Used in Archer, Arrow 4 and Cessna 150,172) Battery operated. Very quiet and comfortable for long flights. Bluetooth and music input useful in the types which dont have music input built in. Headset case a waste of time no handle and akward to carry with other stuff add the cost of a good headset bag to the price! Excellent comms. Can only be used with Mic on Left as speakers in earcups are angled. Plugs to battery box a bit short, tends to hang around my knees in Cessna, OK in A/c with centre consol plug sockets. Less money than Bose and as good, but has all extras. Passive pretty good, better than Bose.
BayerDynamic HS600 Digital: (On Approval not flight tested yet) Excellent build quality, sound reduction excellent (on my Tractor), almost no background noise, only one volume control, ear cups are round so dont fit my biggish ears! Very good headset case with it. Music OR Phone input not both, not sure if auto mute is available. Don't know what difference the 'digital' makes. Passive not special
Telex Stratus 30. (As Zulu) Tried these for a while. Quite good build quality, has ipod & phone input but can only connect wired phones (as Bayer) so limits types (some Nokia wont work without adaptor). Clamping force a bit fierce and sound suffers when set on the light pressure (ear cam). Ear seals plastic and tend to get sweaty. No Automute. Case is cheap but OK. Best of the cheap options if you are limited on budget. Passive as good as cheap ear defenders

Wish someone out there (university dept?) would do a proper Passive & Dynamic comparison cause Telex is about the only one who tell you all about the product, I guess that's in their favour.
 
Love my Zulu! I've had them for over a year and they are good headsets. I consider ANR headsets a must have item now.

BTW, your wife must be a lot more undestanding than mine! She has never flown with regular headsets. At a time when we only had one set of ANR, I was the one with the old DCs (and the headache and hearing loss when we arrived). Now that we both have a set, I fully realize the value (and safety) of ANR headsets and how much more relaxed I am after a long flight. I like the Zulu, but I encourage ANYONE who flies to get the best headsets available, no matter what the cost. Perhaps second only to a portable GPS, it's simply the best bang for the buck available.
 
Zulu Bluetooth stereo music from iPhone

I know this is an old thread but figured I would post here instead of start a new one.

I just had one pair of my Zulu headset come back from repair. I was paring the headset bluetooth to my iPhone before I take it to my RV. I was wondering if the iPod music playing function would work by bluetooth so turned it on. Low and behold, I had bluetooth stereo music in the headset. I more than likely will not use this function as I have a stereo built-in my aircraft but thought others would like to know. If this function is in the manual, I must not have read the manual well enough. Not sure how many other bluetooth music players exist besides the iPhone but others that know can educated us here. Not sure if the function works with two headsets synced to the same bluetooth source or not. I did not try that and did not even think about it till I got to the end of this post.
 
Yes you can. I've paired my WinMobile device to a Zulu and it seemed to work well. I just didn't take it as far as running music as I just plug the Zune into the audio panel.
 
Gary,

Can you make and receive calls too?

Yes.

I have tried that over a year ago when I first got the Zulu.

Not something that you use very often. Nice to have to pick up an IFR clearance sitting on the ground in the run-up area.
 
Zulu/Bose

I have had my Bose headset for about three years and a Zulu for about two years. Both are great but I believe the Zulu has better ANR. I like the case even without the handle however I just received my second Zulu (for the wife) and the case now has a handle, sounds like someone at LS was listening. The plan is for the Bose to go to the backseat of the RV10.

Pat Stewart
 
I have two Zulu's The newest one is not nearly as quiet as the older one.
I am interested in the ability to connect bluetooth to my Iphone. I have lost my zulu manual. How would I par the two?
 
I have two Zulu's The newest one is not nearly as quiet as the older one.
I am interested in the ability to connect bluetooth to my Iphone. I have lost my zulu manual. How would I par the two?

You can download the Zulu manual from the Lightspeed Aviation web site.

From page 10 and 11 of the manual link above.
Using a Bluetooth device
Note: Different manufacturers use different interfaces and names for the functions described here. See your Bluetooth device documentation for details as needed.
Turning on and off Bluetooth mode
To turn on Bluetooth mode:
With Zulu turned on, press and hold Zulu?s Bluetooth button until you hear a long, high-pitched tone and the Bluetooth indicator LED flashes three quick blue pulses.
To turn off Bluetooth mode:
Press and hold Zulu?s Bluetooth button for about 5 seconds?until you hear a long, high-pitched tone and the Bluetooth indicator LED flashes two long red pulses.
Connecting a Bluetooth device for the first time
Before you can connect a Bluetooth device to Zulu for the first time, you must pair it with Zulu. Use the steps below.
To pair a Bluetooth device with Zulu:
1. Make sure Zulu?s Bluetooth mode is turned fully off. You should not see blue or red flashes from the Bluetooth LED, only green flashes from Zulu?s power LED. See ?Turning on and off Bluetooth mode,? above.
2. Once Bluetooth mode is off, press and hold the Bluetooth button for about 5 seconds, until the Bluetooth LED flashes alternating red and blue. This puts Zulu in pairing mode.
3. Follow menu prompts on your Bluetooth phone or device to direct it to look for other Bluetooth devices.
4. Select ZULU_BT from the list of found devices.
5. When asked to enter a passcode or PIN, enter 0000.

You do need to have bluetooth turned ON on your iPhone.
Start at "Setting".
Next is "General".

Bluetooth should be ON. If not, turn it on. You will need to use these iPhone steps to enter the passcode.
 
Zulu Power problem

I have had my Zulu's for almost a year now.... From the start I was never able to get more than about 10 flights on a set of batteries..... I have had them back once and they still continue to kill batteries....:(

seems that they are still drawing power after shutdown (of the headset)....

they have gone back for the second time and Lightspeed have been really good at trying to figure out what the heck is going on.

Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this problem...?

btw.....I hope that we can figure this out as I really like everything about them and they work really well in all aspects..... Noise cancellation, cellphone interface, bluetooth....
 
I have had my Zulu's for almost a year now.... From the start I was never able to get more than about 10 flights on a set of batteries..... I have had them back once and they still continue to kill batteries....:(

seems that they are still drawing power after shutdown (of the headset)....

they have gone back for the second time and Lightspeed have been really good at trying to figure out what the heck is going on.

Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this problem...?

btw.....I hope that we can figure this out as I really like everything about them and they work really well in all aspects..... Noise cancellation, cellphone interface, bluetooth....

I get 25-hours on a set of Duracell alkaline batteries and around sixty (60) hours on Lithium batteries. I purchased the Lithium batteries on sale for the same price as Duracell Alkaline batteries. Only regret is that I did not buy more of them.
 
25hrs is more like it...

I get 25-hours on a set of Duracell alkaline batteries and around sixty (60) hours on Lithium batteries. I purchased the Lithium batteries on sale for the same price as Duracell Alkaline batteries. Only regret is that I did not buy more of them.

25 hrs is what I would expect to get.....not 4 as I have been getting....are the Lithiums rechargable ?
 
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My Zulu doesn't work

In all fareness to Light speed they have been trying to fix/understand what the problem is with my Zulu. When I first got the headset it worked well but now has a problem "Make that non functional" with the headset going into occillation overload (like sticking a mic in front of a speaker) every time I transmit. I have a set of 303G's that work great. I sent the headset back to them and they did repairs on the headset and returned it to me and the problem was identical to what it was when it was shipped back the first time. After lots in phone interaction with the company they agreed to just replace the headset. I just shipped the headset back to then and got the following E-mail regards the headset,

Regarding Case No. XX-XXXXX
We have received your old headset, and will update our records. Thank you for this diligence. Please call us if there is any thing else we can do LightSPEED

It makes it sound like they are just going to keep it and by the way thanks for sending it to us. Am I the only one out there that has a problem with this occillation squeal. I have a RV-7 200 HP with a blended airfoil C/S hartzell. Again the 303G's work great.

David Richardson
N434DR
[email protected]
 
Dave:

I have two pair. Would you like to borrow one to see if mine act up? One is over a year old. The other had a connector unplug in the battery box and would not work after that. Lightspeed replaced the battery box with an upgraded on that does not have exposed wires and connectors.
 
In all fareness to Light speed they have been trying to fix/understand what the problem is with my Zulu. When I first got the headset it worked well but now has a problem "Make that non functional" with the headset going into occillation overload (like sticking a mic in front of a speaker) every time I transmit. I have a set of 303G's that work great. I sent the headset back to them and they did repairs on the headset and returned it to me and the problem was identical to what it was when it was shipped back the first time. After lots in phone interaction with the company they agreed to just replace the headset. I just shipped the headset back to then and got the following E-mail regards the headset,

Regarding Case No. XX-XXXXX
We have received your old headset, and will update our records. Thank you for this diligence. Please call us if there is any thing else we can do LightSPEED

It makes it sound like they are just going to keep it and by the way thanks for sending it to us. Am I the only one out there that has a problem with this occillation squeal. I have a RV-7 200 HP with a blended airfoil C/S hartzell. Again the 303G's work great.

David Richardson
N434DR
[email protected]

Something very similar to what you describe happened to me in the RV-12. A friend plugged his Zulu's into the co-pilot side. We heard the "feedback" squeal that you describe. This was last November, and, I cannot recall if the squeal occurred with just the intercom audio or when he attempted to transmit from the co-pilot's side.

Everything worked fine using the headset on the pilot's side.

What I found was my grounding was not correct. On the RV-12, the microphone jack is supposed to be insulated from the airframe at the jack location and the headphone jack is to be grounded at the jack location. I had them reversed.

After removing the insulating washers from the headphone jack and then putting the insulating washers on the microphone jack all worked just fine.

I also recall a thread where a Halo headset exhibited the squeal with a particular manufacturer's intercom and a particular manufacturer's radio. I believe the combo was the same as used in the RV-12. This was before Halo changed the type of microphone they use. The new microphone eliminates this issue.
 
I experienced the same squeal on my Zulu's and tried several fixes including battery changing, etc. Finally, in frustration one day I whacked the left ear cup with my knuckle and the problem went away. Haven't heard it since!:D
 
Zulu

I saw an FAQ once on the Zulu that asked about not being able to hear the engine. With the Zulu and ANR on I swear I can hear the cam and lifters of the engine. You don't hear the exhaust drone you just hear the internals of the engine working away.

As for battery life. I just buy regular Duracell batteries and they last more than 40 hours. If I'm going on a long trip and will be listening to the iPhone over Bluetooth I will switch the batteries out on the ground before hand.

This headset rocks. If only I could afford another set for my wife.
 
This headset rocks. If only I could afford another set for my wife.

I just took advantage of their upgrade offer for the second time and traded in my wifes 15 XL for another Zulu. She doesn't know it yet but it will be a pleasant surprise for her when we get in the plane in a few weeks for a planed trip to the Outer Banks. For those that are unaware, Lightspeed has expanded their trade up program to include other manufactures headsets! http://www.lightspeedaviation.com/content.cfm/Products/Trade-Up-Program
 
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Just ordered one on the upgrade plan. Sure hope all these good reviews are accurate!

Strange thing on the upgrade... They gave me $200 credit for a ~$150 headset that is 5 years old....
 
Me too

I just took advantage of their upgrade offer for the second time and traded in my wifes 15 XL for another Zulu. She doesn't know it yet but it will be a pleasant surprise for her when we get in the plane in a few weeks for a planed trip to the Outer Banks.

I used my "own" Zulu and let the wife use the 20xl. One day her batteries died and I said, "here wear mine while I replace yours." She wouldn't give me back my Zulu. Wanted to know how much they cost. "Oh, I got a really great deal on a trade in!" "Well, I want one too." Good girl!

Now she has her own Zulu and I have matching headsets in my 7. Oh yeah! Life is good.
 
A bit of a necropost here, but I thought I'd put my thoughts into an established Zulu thread.

I'm using the upgrade program to trade my Lightspeed 25XL's for a set of Zulus. After a few hours with the Zulus, here are my observations:

- Noticiably quieter. Not the huge difference I experienced going from non-ANR DC knock-off's to the 25XL's but they are quieter.

- They are lighter and less bulky. They also sit lower, giving me another inch or so of clearance to the canopy. This is good and bad. My head bumps the canopy less frequently, but in turbulence, there is an extra inch to accelerate before your head whacks the canopy - ouch!

- They have significantly more volume at a given intercom setting. On my old XL's I had to keep the volume controls on the headsets all the way up. On the Zulu's, half volume is about right.

I experienced a couple of issues that I resolved through Lightspeed's tech support line:

- I have a polarity problem with my mic jacks that is only apparent using late model Lightspeeds (My 25XL's were not impacted). I get a squeal in the headsets under certain conditions. There is a dip switch setting in the Zulu's brain box that addresses this problem.

- With the Zulus, there was a consistant hum in the headsets if the intercom was on. This didn't exist with my other headsets. Again, there is a dip switch setting (the #5 switch, set to "off", IIRC) that fixed that problem.

I commented to the Lightspeed tech support folks that they need a better set of instructions for dip switch settings. The user's manual, including the portion on dip switch settings, didn't address either of the settings that needed to be changed on my headsets.

In the end, I'm very pleased with the upgrade. Why did I upgrade now? Because (according to Lightspeed) some of the critical replacement parts on my 25XL's are no longer available. Given that those headsets seemed to need a biannual visit to the factory for repairs, I didn't want to be out in the cold the next time they failed.
 
Kyle
I have had a squeel in my Zulu's that is intermittent but so bad that you cannot hear ATC coms for a couple of seconds. So much so that I stopped using my Zulu's many months ago.
Can you give details of how you sorted out the squeel?
I would like to get it sorted so I can use them again.
Regards
John
 
Kyle
I have had a squeel in my Zulu's that is intermittent but so bad that you cannot hear ATC coms for a couple of seconds. So much so that I stopped using my Zulu's many months ago.
Can you give details of how you sorted out the squeel?
I would like to get it sorted so I can use them again.
Regards
John

Open up the battery pack, remove the batteries, and locate the dip switches. Check to see which ones are in the "on" setting. In my case, switching the #3 dip switch to "off" fixed the squeal. Setting the #5 switch to off fixed the background hum.

A toothpick or a pen cap works well to move the dip switches.

If those solutions don't work, call Lightspeed. They have a very helpful group in tech support.
 
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