by Dave Weiman
Thirty-five years ago when Peggy and I bought our first airplane – a 1946 Cessna 140 – we bought two Dave Clark 10-40 headsets, and they served us well. A few years later, we had two children, and moved up to a 1974 Cessna 172 Skyhawk, and eventually to a 1976 Cessna 182 Skylane, and bought two more Dave Clark headsets – this time 10-30s. Thirty-five years of Dave Clark headsets and only once did we have to send one back to the factory for repair, and they did so at no charge! So we cannot complain. But one day last fall, while preparing to fly to Washington Island, Wisconsin, the weight and tight fit of the Dave Clark headset aggravated a sensitive area behind Peggy’s ears, resulting in a headache, so we canceled the trip.
I immediately began to explore other headsets, and considered the ultra-lightweights, but felt that Peggy needed the style that completely covered her ears to provide the best noise protection. We spoke with friends who own Boise and Lightspeed headsets, which are the top of the line and priced competitively. After trying on several headsets, Peggy chose the “Lightspeed Zulu PFX.”
The Zulu PFX is Lightspeed’s top of the line headset and is engineered for comfort.
Weighing only 14 ounces, it is the lightest over-the-ear headset ever manufactured by Lightspeed. The PFX features plush ear seals that provide 20% more surface area and 30% more space for your ear inside the ear cup than its closest competitor, creating a better seal and more comfortable distribution of side pressure.
All Lightspeed Aviation headsets employ active noise reduction (ANR), which works by sensing cockpit noise and generating an audio signal that is 180 degrees out-of-phase with the noise. The noise and the signal cancel each other out, creating the remarkable quiet that Lightspeed is known for and increasing the enjoyment of flying, as well as reducing dangerous noise-induced fatigue.
Lightspeed’s Zulu PFX Streaming Quiet® ANR continuously adapts to your environment, extending the amount, consistency and frequency range of noise cancellation. Firmware enhancements are just a download away, giving the Zulu PFX unlimited potential to evolve with new innovations.
Acoustic response mapping measures your unique auditory landscape, personalizing the audio response for maximum noise attenuation, voice clarity, and music fidelity.
Other features of Lightspeed headsets includes FlightLink – the free, proprietary app developed by Lightspeed for the iPad® and iPhone® that adds enhanced functionality to the headsets. FlightLink works seamlessly to capture and retrieve incoming and outgoing communications. A great tool for any pilot, it’s especially valuable for flight training. FlightLink’s enhanced capabilities also allow users to set a variety of personal audio and operational preferences.
Lightspeed’s “trading up” program makes it easier for pilots to stay on the cutting edge of headset technology. Lightspeed will give you up to a $400 trade-in allowance.
For additional information, visit the Lightspeed website www.lightspeedaviation.com, or call 800.332.2421.
Lightspeed Aviation is located in Lake Oswego, Oregon.