For a long period of time, we have had the idea to do a test of the state-of-the-art ANR (acoustic noise cancellation) headsets we are supporting, and finally, we have found the time to do this.
At the moment, we have Avee aviation microphones fitting a relatively large range of high-end Bose® and Sony® recreational headsets.
Development from these two manufacturers is not standing still: new headsets are added regularly, and we do our best to support their new products as fast as we can.
Customer questions
Many customers ask the following questions:
In this article, we will give you the answers – and you might be surpriced!
What we are testing
The purposes of the aviation headset are to reduce cockpit noise as much as possible to create a comfortable working environment and to give you quality radio and intercom capabilities.
In this test, we are checking out the following parameters on the headsets:
Passive noise cancellation
The passive noise reduction is the reduction of noise the headset itselves provides with no headset electronics switched on.
Sound level is measured in decibels (dB) and you can read more about it here https://soundear.com/decibel-scale/.
Active noise cancellation
The active noise reduction or ANR, is the redution in noise the electronics built into the headset gives.
Weight and ear squeeze force
Providing a reasonable amount of comfort, it is essential that the weight of the headset is as low as possible.
The squeeze or clamp force should also be as low as possible.
.
How we have tested
When setting up a test like this to get reliable results, it is crucial to test the headsets under precisely the same conditions:
How to read the test results
Read the table according to the following:
ANR conclusion – Bose®
We see from these measurements that the ANR/noise cancellation in the Bose® headsets are fairly stable: they are all at almost the same level.
The Bose® 700 has excellent noise reduction capabilities, while the QC35 is at a slightly higher level (64 dB for the B700 vs 67 dB for the QC35).
The A20 has OK ANR capabilities but is not as good as the QC45 and B700.
The A20 does have good passive noise reduction capabilities, but even here, the B700 and the QCx5 are at the same level or better.
Somewhat surpricing.
ANR conclusion – Sony®
The Sony® XM headsets are somewhat in the same range as the Bose® when it comes to the ANR.
We included the new XM5 in this test, and we can see a clear improvement to 24dB (90dB – 66dB) on this new model compared to the older XM4 & XM3.
We will support the XM5 in a couple of months.
Comfort conclusions
It is challenging to say which recreational headset is more comfortable – simply because they all give excellent comfort and
the sound quality in all of them is simply incredible.
All headsets we support come with super comfortable earcup ‘pads’ – and the clamping force is almost similar on all ‘our’ headsets.
The weight is also in the same range for these headsets.
The Sony® earcups are a bit bigger than the Bose® earcups (10mm in length and some 2-4 mm sideways), leaving more room for the complete ear to go inside the earcup.
This detail easily compensates for the bit lower efficiency on the ANR on the Sony®.
Durability
The recreational headsets are made to be used – and to be used rough!
We have to this date, never seen a headset have mechanical failures. We have experienced connector failures on the Bose®QC35, but this is really rare.
We feel that the mechanical design of the Bose® 700 could have been better, but when that is said: we have never seen or even heard about mechanical failures on this headset.
We are also happy to see that the new Sony® WH1000XM5 has a very good mechanical design, so we are looking forward to supporting this headset.
The only real issue we have with the recreational headset is wear and tear on the earcup pads: after a few years of extensive use, the earpads simply need to be exchanged.
You can purchase ear pads for all recreational headsets on line, and we are also planning to sell earpads from our store in the very near future.
The earpads can be exchanged in a few minutes by a handywoman – or in many cases, even by a handyman.
Technical data
In the table below, we have added some important technical data for the headsets we support (the XM5 is coming fall 2022).
Common features for all these headsets are as follows:
User interface
For us at Avee, the real difference between the recreational headsets is how easy they are to use.
When that is said: you can get used to all the headsets – and learn how to use the features they have – and even like them when you are in seat 4C (upgraded from tourist – to business class) transporting yourself to a long vacation in Thailand.
Final words
The quality of the headset is much more than the bare ANR numbers beacuse most of us will have problems hearing the difference between a noise level of 67dB and a noise level of 65 dB.
The Avee solution using recreational headsets might not be the thing for all pilots.
These headsets are often a bit more complicated to use simply because they offer more selections – and they are much lighter and delicate than then the sturdy ‘single purpose built’ pilot headsets.
When deciding on a headset, go to a headset store and test them out; the one you like to wear is the one you choose!
All the headsets we are supporting have their specialties, and we have added some words on these specialties for each headset we support.
Find them in the Shop -> Avee aviation microphone kits -> More information on this product (several tabs) (https://www.avee.no/product/avee-combination-kit/).
We have never been in doubt to which headsets are more comfortable – the recreational versus the ‘single purpose built’ pilots headset.
What truly came as a surprice to us – is that the recreational headsets are as good – and in some cases even better than the state-of-the-art ‘single purpose built’ pilots headsets when it comes to active and passiver noise cancelling.
We are flabbergasted…
Good luck choosing !
The Avee Team
In our newsletters you will get information on the Avee Aviation microphones and related products, and/or information on the Avee Office related products from us:
To be able to log in you must have an Avee account.
You will automatically get an account when you make a purchase in our web store.
One Response
Thanks very much for doing this research guys. I’ve been using my Avee NG kit with Sony XM4 for a while now, and I still love it. I’ve flown with pilots using various kits over the years, including other add-on mic kits, David Clarke headseats, Bose An-20, etc. Your study confirms what I’ve experienced. I’m still of the opinion that your solution is the way to go. I get the same quality comms in the flt deck (737 Max) with a lighter, smaller headset which I can use as a normal entertainment headphones while commuting, deadheading, hotels, etc, at half the price of an An-20….. Cheers!