Lightspeed Zula 3 v. Bose A20

[larrys]

I had an old LightSpeed and the plastic parts of the headset kept breaking. (old is the keyword - but still) Sent it into Lightspeed to fix, broke again and I threw in the trash.
Now I use Dave Clark NC and they are durable and work really well.
Larry

[bret]

I spent all my money building an airplane and use my 25 YO David Clark, works for me, afraid to try one of these fancy new sets, still trying to get out of dept.

[Acrophil]

I have Zulu 3?s (ship powered) in the front of the 10 and A20?s (battery powered) in the back. The A20?s are probably a little quieter but the Zulu?s are more comfortable on my head and cover the entire ear. Cord management is much easier on the Zulu?s. Phone interface is seamless. I would buy the Zulu 3?s again.
Ships power beats batteries!!

[tjo]

I know you didn't ask this, but a friend of mine has Sierra's and his airplane partner has Zulu's. He says he can't tell the difference. As a result, I have Sierra's and really like them. Can't directly compare to the Zulu's myself, I have never tried them, but it is a $200 savings... and I really like the Sierra's. My backup is my old DC's, they are seemingly indestructible.

Tim

[DanH]

Bought three Lightspeeds over the years, but no more. The quality isn't there.

[BlndRvtr]

After trying the BOSE A20 and Zulu 3, I still wasn't sold. So I tried the new David Clark One-X and kept it. The same price as the Zulu but noticeably higher construction quality, more comfortable for me and every bit as quiet as the others. Plus it comes with a neat clip to keep the control module secured out of the way.

Just another item to consider.

George

[donoltman]

My Zulu 3 sets on my head for 8 hours a day. Was in my buddy's plane the other day for a wee little trip of 2 hours. Bose in his plane. My elephant ears wouldn't fit in the cups. Couldn't wait to get those things off my head.

[jliltd]

It's hard to beat Lightspeed customer support. When you call you are talking to a real aircraft person, not an operator at a huge audio corporation. That being said:

It really does come down to a personal choice. Try on and fly. Try on and fly. I have half a dozen headsets and prefer the A 20 to the Z3. I have friends who own A20's who like the Zulu 3s and want to change. I have friends with the Zulu 3 who want to change to the A20. Others yet are vehemently loyal to their first choice. Go figure. By the way, the Lightspeed Sierras are awesome if you have room for their increased bulk. I have 2 Sierras. Perfect for passengers. I found the Bose A20 LEMOs (Bose Interface panel powered) with coil cords to be my sweet spot. Mainly because my mooching buddies (ni T-Hangar Mafia) are always borrowing headsets and can't make good use of a LEMO plug. Bless their hearts and grubby hands. And then the coil cord works awesome in cockpits like Aviat Husky and other tandem seaters without tangling in the controls. Now I know why helicopter headsets always have coil cords. I even have a set of Clarity Alofts I specifically bought for a Pitts S1 we had with tight head room. I now use them in my RV-3B with tight head room and just leave them in there. But when space isn't an issue I opt for the Bose A20s every time.

I suppose the above ramblings don't help much with definitive advice. I will say this. When I ferry an aircraft or go to pick a new one up I take an A20, as it is my defacto compatible and useful tool.

I am remiss in giving the David Clark units a new try since steering away from them years ago. Maybe I am missing my perfect headset here. DC are very high quality as a rule.

Again. Try and fly the top tier models. Personal preference is a big part of headset satisfaction.

Jim

[RV6_flyer]

Originally Posted by DanH

Bought three Lightspeeds over the years, but no more. The quality isn't there.

Same here. I like my A20 slightly better than the AKG AV100 and a LOT better the the Lightspeed PFX.

Top of the line ANR headsets are like underwear. Everyone will have a preference as to what is best for them.

[Weasel]

acquired quite a few Lightspeed Zulu headsets along the way. Will keep using them and may even send them for repair but doubt I will ever purchase new. Better solutions out there for less in my own particular opinion.