Saturday, October 17, 2009
As Good as These Reviews Said It Is (5-star)
by JBG from Elm Grove LA USA
Pros: ANR, comfort, industry-unique features, price
Cons: Cord length from headset to power/feature-control device is a bit short
Review: I've become very skeptical of all marketing, and even these write-ups (because I think some "personal consumer reviews" are plants/fakes). However, I needed a headset that truly cut out the sound (I used to fly an AF jet that was quiet as a mouse when I had my helmet on - I wanted to maintain that sense as much as possible because I HATE [yep, strong word] the engine/prop noise of civil aviation aircraft). My need was compounded by the lack of a place I could go to try on/test aviation headsets. What I REALLY wanted was the sound quality of the old yellow-foam ear cup Sennheiser headsets some people I knew back in college introduced me to (VERY light, fabulous sound/tonal reproduction) that cut out the engine/prop noise. Well, my search left me wanting. Then I came across this website and was delighted to find an abundance of reviews, but not with all the products, of course. So I used this sites search engine to evaluate price vs. attributes vs. the amount of write-ups in order to steer me toward an opportunity I could inform myself sufficiently about. My search led me to just a handful of headsets. The pithy nature of the write-ups, significant difference in price to the comparable Bose product (which I flew with about three-five times over the preceding 30 days), and the substantial number of very positive reviews on the 3G (which I thought aligned with what I could study about the Bose and 3G; 3G has a graph and data you can review and Bose has nothing, just like these reviews said) swayed me. So I purchased the 3G, wore it riding my Exmark lawnmower (I normally wear a passive noise reduction headset when I ride on the mower), and wore it flying in a C-172. I was a bit fearful the headset was going to be too heavy after trying it on the Exmark (yes, you can still hear the mower's engine but the put-put of the engine is significantly affected). However, I noticed the Bose weight is only about 4 ounces lighter, so I thought "common on; you're going to notice the affect of a quarter-pound?!" Well, when I first tried the 3G in the C-172 I wasn't as impressed as I thought I might be. The noise reduction I thought was about as good as the Bose; perhaps a tad inferior. However, once we started taxiing, accelerated for takeoff, and flew for about 2.3 hours I really started to appreciate this headset. I never noticed a difference in weight between my three-five flights with the Bose and this one flight with the 3G. I thought the ear cups were very comfortable and the headset fit me well. I thought the boom microphone, with its voice-activated mechanism, operated well (yes there is ~quarter-second cutout of your first word, but its not as bad as many speakerphones I have used at work in the AF). I like the ability to affect tone quality and left-right volume control. I look forward to trying the cellphone feature the next time I fly (have to use good judgment, though, as to when I try this; probably after clearing the runway before calling for taxi-back). I am REALLY happy I bought a second pair for my wife. We want to do servant aviation stuff and I need/want her in the aircraft to help out; I know the headset quality will make a difference in her wanting to continue to participate; this headset will keep that positive edge (yes, she flew in an F-15 when she was in the AF and a C-152, so she'll notice the sound difference). One last thing (if you're even still reading to this point), I know LightSPEED is coming out with a new headset ~Jan 2010 that's supposed to be an improvement over their current upgrade to the 3G, which I did not think was as good a deal as the 3G based on attributes, write-ups, and price, but I think waiting for such upgrades on a device that already does a very good job of noise reduction with features for the price often doesn't prove to merit the wait.
Monday, August 17, 2009
So far - so good
by marcus from coalmont CO USA
Review: So far so good. I owned an older pair - same manufacturer - lasted 6-7 years and then something failed on one channel in the noise attenuating circuitry. Might have been mechanical as pressing on the side of the ear phone would intermittently restore the electronic noise reduction.
Thursday, July 02, 2009
A little better
by G.I. Joe, MEL from Garberville CA USA
Pros: They look nice blue
Cons: no real change
Review: I have been using headsets since Nam and have worn military helmet headsets to this set. I also own the first generation lightspeed headsets, they were a good improvememt over the D.C.'s that I wore for a long time. These lightspeed headsets eat batteries, both the old ones and the new 30G I got is no better on the batteries and as soon as the batteries get a little low the thuds start up and usually when you bring up the power, they thud away. I am just disappointed that after spending over $550.00 on these, well my thoughts are that this headset along with several other brands are get to fat hesded about there pricing of these obviously cheap to build headsets and then quadrupaling the price or more like it makes it cool. I'm not saying that their worthless, I'm just saying at the current prices for headsets they don't perform at that level and I think that the headset manufactors have gone off the charts with these prices and are helping the decline of General Aviation, no breaks from these people, friends of aviation, not.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Excellent headset
by Antonio from QC Canada
Pros: Very good noise reduction, and extremely comfortable
Cons: It's a blue-grey colour so it might not please everyone.
Review: Well I've only used this product for a couple of hours and it is very good. The ANR is simply amazing and it's extremely comfortable compared to the AVCOMM headsets I had before. Also it has a nice little device to connect to your cell phone too. Overall I am very satisfied with the product.
Friday, April 17, 2009
by Anil from Santa Clarita, CA
Review: I purchased this product with great expectations that noise cancelling mechanism will make the headset totally quiet. I was WRONG. The prop noise in the C172 still persists. So, I decided to exchange it with Zulu now. I have not tried Zulu yet but hoping to be better. Secondly, this unit is too bulky and heavy.
Friday, March 13, 2009
by JReevesTx from Round Rock TX USA
Pros: Comfortable and works great!
Cons: None
Review: Excellent Headset !!!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Great Headset
by Tony from Little Elm TX USA
Pros: Comfortable, quiet, great mic quality, great features.
Cons: A little on the bulky side
Review: Love the headset. Comfortable, quiet, great mic quality, great features. My flight instructor has the earlier model and loves his as well.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
amazing difference
by Andreas from Liestal Switzerland
Pros: not spectacular, it just works easily and is astonishingly quiet
Cons: could not find one
Review: I am a hobby pilot who is lucky to have dared to invest in such a fabulous headset. It works perfectly and there is a world between all passive headsets I ever tried and this active noise canceling headset. I truly recommend this product.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
by Bill Dotson from Greeneville TN USA
Review: Excellent noise cancellation and a comfortable headset. I bought it for the equalization feature. This feature should be improved with a straightforward redesign. Best equalization effects for pilots with either high or low frequency hearing loss could be obtained by providing both treble and bass with cut/boost/off. With one additional control, adjustable definition of treble/bass separation frequency, the headset would be every hearing impaired pilot's dream.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
These are awesome!
by A Customer from columbia MO USA
Pros: Cost+++, They work great and are very comfortable on the cross countries I've gone on.
Cons: They are a bit bulky but not unreasonably in my cessna 172, biggest problem is they do not have an auto shut off so they will drain the batts if you dont shut it off.
Review: I dont think these are the best unlimited money can buy but it's possible. For the money though, I'm sure they are. These work great and have all the functions of a headset thats twice as expensive.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
by Christopher from Kalamazoo MI USA
Pros: feels good, does its job
Cons: makes my head sweat
Review: Perfect, exactly what I expected. Light fitting, good sound control.
Friday, October 03, 2008
Good Value
by Mike from WA State
Pros: Quiet, Comfortable, Price
Cons: QA can be inconsistent
Review: I own a few Twenty 3Gs and ordered the Thirty only because the Twenty was discontinued. To my surprise I found the Thirty was noticeably quieter - not a huge difference, but clearly noticeable. The Twenty is quiet enough I can fly all day in my 172 without noise fatigue, but the Thirty even quieter. My Thirty was DOA so I had to send it back. If I hadn't owned any Lightspeed products before I would have gotten a refund and a different headset. But I knew the 3G was a good reliable headset so I asked for a swap instead. MyPilotStore handled it promptly. This shows good customer service both from MyPilotStore and from Lightspeed, but it also shows that Lightspeed's QA is not as good as it should be. When it works it is a great headset that is also reliable. But they seem to have more than their fair share of duds off the production line.
Monday, September 29, 2008
I'm returning it!!!
by Tom in a T-18 from Rosamond, CA
Review: I've been flying with a passive AVCOM headset(AC-900) for 4 years now, and thought it was about time to step up to an ANR. I choose the Lightspeed Thirty 3G and flew with it for 1 day, and I'm taking it back! First I had to turn it way up to hear anything (both the headset and the intercom). Then, the headset developed a loud popping noise after about a minute of use and muted out all communications. It basically made me lose com with the rest of the four-ship I was flying with, and in fact I couldn't even hear myself talk. I tried turning the ANR portion off and the popping went away, but it didn't get much better - still unreadable. I tried cycling power but I got the same effect... I'm taking it back for a refund and sticking with my $180 AVCOMs.
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
I would buy again
by A Customer from farmington MO USA
Pros: does what I want so far...
Cons: little noisy with the window open...
Review: I tried the Zulu headset two different times. A lot of weird popping noises. I fly 8 sometimes 10 hours a day. I need quiet and need my tunes. The Zulu's had great sounds, but the popping noise was awful. Tried the thirty G's...no popping noise , tunes were good. Sometimes, if I have the window open for pictures or fresh air, I get a fluttering noise in the headset, but not nearly as annoying as the Zulu's and they're a lot cheaper. Also, after three or four hours my ears get a little sore, but I move the headset around a little and that helps.And I don't have big ears....wife says I have cute little ears...I'd buy them again and would recommend them to someone that wanted quiet and descent sounds....
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Excellent Product
by Philip from San Angelo TX USA
Review: What can I say about this excellent product. Thank you.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Good Buy
by Stephen from Durham NC USA
Pros: noise cancellation, price
Cons: It's bulky, does not fold up like other headsets.
Review: This is a good headset. All the features work very well and the noise cancellation is great. It is not as comfortable as the Bose or Zulu headsets but for the money I find it very hard to beat.
Monday, March 10, 2008
good product
by Krishna Arjun Reddy from Ormond Beach FL USA
Pros: it is a good headset, the headset rests very lightly on the head, the foam in the ears is really comforting, the sound clarity is very good, the performance is good.
Cons: none as far as i am concerned
Review: Excellent.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Replacment for beat up 25xl
by Stuart from Dallas TX USA
Pros: much better price than BOSE
Cons: Still not as good as the Bose
Review: Works better than the LightSPEED 25xl it replaced, cell phone interface works as advertised but is usefull really only on ground as cell phone reception once above about 1000 AGL is worthless.
Friday, February 22, 2008
great headset at a reasonable price
by Brian from San Diego CA USA
Pros: great noise reduction and comfortable
Cons: lots of plastic that could break if sat on
Review: Great noise cancelling headset that is also extremely comfortable. I bought this headset about 6 weeks ago and have used it about a dozen times now, and I really like it. Way better than the old David Clark's (passive noise reduction) that I was using! The only better headsets that I tried were the Zulu and the Bose. This is almost as good, but at nearly half the price. Good compromise in my book.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
by from
Review: Lightspeed Thirty 3G Headsets are just above an average headset. Noise reduction makes it seems as though you are flying a jet. One can still minorly hear the aircrafts propellers in a turbo-prop aircraft. Only plus is when you plug in a music device, all exterior noise seem to disappear. Music quality is really good, one can hear most of the sound quality eg bass, treble, mid range etc. Music cuts out whenever there are radio transmission coming through or made also when the pilots are communicating with each other, awesome feature! Another, BIG plus is that the Headsets are light on ones head and that the ear cushions are awesomely soft! Battery life, I cannot say as I have forgot the device "ON" and the batteries have died on me. Not too sure if the device has an auto "OFF" feature (Need to check the Manual).
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
by A Customer from Seattle WA
Review: Comfortable, great ANR,
Monday, January 21, 2008
by Murray mcIntyre from Burns Flat, OK
Pros: Very quiet and clear. Great volume control in ear muffs.
Cons: Quite tight on head.
Review: I didn't have any expections, only shock at the quiet clarity.
Monday, January 14, 2008
by A Customer from Rapid City SD USA
Review: it seems to work well...so far. good sound reduction, and pretty comfortable, even after 8 hrs.
Friday, January 04, 2008
by Michael from Eastsound, WA
Review: This headset is quiet and comfortable and a great value for the dollar. I can
wear it all day with no noise fatigue or head discomfort. I actually own 3 of
them - for my whole family.
It has crystal clear audio quality comparable to a good set of audio
headphones, a clear mic with adjustable gain, and includes audio & cell phone
interfaces that auto-mute and has tone controls.
Two downsides I've found. First, they are on the bulky side. This has not
been a problem for me but it could be for some people. Second, the build
quality, while good, is not stellar. There is a lot of plastic and if you step
on them they will break. The
Zulu and Bose
may achieve all this while being lighter and less bulky, and more rugged, but
they are twice the price. That's why I rate these a "5" - for the price they
can't be beat.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Relaxed flying
by Adam from Carlisle PA USA
Pros: top performer, versatile inputs for mobile phones and other devices
Cons: Slightly bulky
Review: As a student pilot I'd gotten used to the vanilla Dave Clark headsets, which work just fine. I decided to punt on a more robust set, with ANR, as I've been impressed with the ANR capabilities of simple consumer headsets on commercial flights. The Thirty 3G are fantastic--your ears don't feel buffeted nearly as much as with any other headset I've used, and the integration for ipods or cell phones is very smooth. Good audio quality--I'd use them with an ipod on a commercial flight if I felt that no one would look at me funny.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
I am more than satisfied with both headsets.
by Dale from Davenport IA USA
Pros: Light, comfortable, noise cancellation outstanding, boom mike
Cons: Really don't have any
Review: Since I have no experience with civilian headsets, I had no predetermined parameters for evaluating them. I have not used the LightSPEED 20 headset but my flying companions have and liked them very much. The LightSPEED 30 headset is light, comfortable, VERY quiet to the point I sometimes forget that I have it on. The noise cancelling capability and individual volume controls are my two most positive feedback areas for the features. I do like the light weight and flexible boom mike very much as well.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Function and comfort, I could have paid more but been hard pressed to get better.
by Zapper from Montgomery AL USA
Review: Very satisfied with all the features. I haven't logged enough time yet to confirm battery life but so-far-so-good
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
wow!!! its not a pair of Bose but !
by G.Gambino from PONCHATOULA, LA.
Pros: very comfortable, anr works well .
Cons: the only reason I gave 4 stars is the battery compartment could be better built and use a 9 volt battery .
Review: Like I said. its not a pair of Bose but! who cares. For the money, you would be hard pressed to find a finer pair of headsets that have ANR that works this well. Just for kicks I wanted to see how the cell phone worked while in the plane. So I made a call and the person I was speaking with could not tell I was in the plane @ 2500 feet and climbing at 100% throttle. Not bad. No background noise at all. Note: the stereo portion only works if your plane is set up for it. Otherwise keep the mono/stereo switch set to mono and you will not have any problems.
Monday, August 06, 2007
Amazing product
by led65 from Orlando, Fl
Pros: Comfort, sound quality receiving and transmitting, the equalizers are great for fine tuning for optimal listening, basically every feature is great
Cons: Nothing really. I wish they were cheaper but honestly they are worth every dollar that I spent for them
Review: It is truly an amazing product. The headsets are extremely comfortable, very good sound quality, and in my opinion they are designed to perfection.
Friday, August 03, 2007
Great product that performs better than other headsets costing more.
by A Customer from Fredericksburg, VA
Pros: Auto shut-off. Cell/I-pod inputs. Priority for air communications.
Cons: None.
Review: This headset is the most comfortable I've worn. The sound quality and noise canceling is great.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Meets my expectations
by Jim from Grass Valley CA
Review: Well satisfied with product. Repaces high end Telex unit that would cost $500 to repair. A little to much clamping pressure. Becomes uncomfotable after a couple of hours,
Monday, July 30, 2007
Good - but not as good as I expected
by Mark Hemming from Melbourne Australia
Pros: Imperssive in the right environment
Cons: Somewhat uncomfortable and annoying noises in the wrong environment
Review: I use this headset flying as a C206 jump pilot, and in that environment the headset is a bit dissapointing. There are constant "pops" and other odd noises and it is not as comfortable as I expected either (about the same as my 30 year old Telex it replaces) . The VHF quality is very good though. It a less noisy cockpit eg a C152 the headset is quite impressive in noise attenuation and performs as one would expect.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Just Great wonderful I can ATC easy
by Jim 310 from Near Nashville Tenn.
Pros: very quite
Cons: size
Review: A little large, but other than that there worth every penny, I have never had it so quite it is hard for me to sink my engines(310) with out really listing for there miss match. I have never had a boise head set, but they would have to go along way to be better in noise reduction and cost well you know $$$$. Not to heavy, I love them.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Great performance in non-extreme conditions
by A Customer from Homestead, FL
Pros: Noise cancelling, Phone jack. Case.
Cons: A bit chunky. Blue Color - my tastes run black or grey.
Review: Generally high performing product, comfortable with good noise reduction in most conditions. I fly with my passenger-side door off for observations and in that high-noise environment there is some fluttering in the attenuation. A bit obnoxious, but the Sennheiser 450's could not handle the noise at all, so all in all I'm satisfied with this headset.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Excellent Customer Support
by D Wilmot from Little Rock, Arkansas
Pros: Excellent customer support
Cons: A bit on the bulky side
Review: This is the third Lightspeed headset I have purchased. They have all worked well and have been comfortable to wear. Lightspeed has made some quality improvemets in the design and materials used in the headsets they manufacture. Probably the most amazing thing Lightspeed offers is the customer support. They are second to NONE! I wish that every business I deal with had that kind of customer care. Way to go Lightspeed!
Monday, June 18, 2007
Simon & Garfunkle, The Sounds of Silence!
by High Above Texas from Central Texas
Pros: Good looks, does a great job of reducing noise ANYWHERE
Cons: Cell phone interface is OK, but still not perfect but better than without
Review: I was a machinegunner in Vietnam and as a result of exposure to noise, I lost some hearing but I also have a bad case of tinnitus. I became religious about protecting my hearing after that. I've been flying in airplanes for a long time, starting when I was a kiddo at age 6 with my dad in a T-bone. I know how any airplane can be way too noisy and I've always used a passive set of headphones, but still, lot's of noise comes through on long flights.
When Bose came out with an ANR headset, I investigated and tried their demo at Oshcash years back. I was impressed, but at $1,000, no way was I going to sink that kind of cash into a pair of headsets.
Finally last year (2006) I read reports (epinions etc) about Lightspeed 3G 30, ordered them through MyPilotStore.com. Holly COW was I impressed.
These are so effective at reducing noise, I also use them on my 1969 Case tractor! My tractor is worse than my Cessna in regard to noise. Believe me, I bought a Radio Shack sound meter just to see how much noise my tractor and Cessna made and gads, they both are terrible.
Before the Lightspeed 30, I used foam ear plugs AND a Peltor hearing protector when driving my tractor, and still my ears would hurt after plowing a short spell. Now with the Lightspeed 3G 30, the tractor is VERY quiet and the Cessna seems like a sail-plane (well darned close to it...:)
I was so impressed with the Lightspeed, I bought another set for my bride of 25 years...
Now when I fly or plow, I'm enjoying "The Sounds of Silence" Thanks Simon & Garfunkle but most of all, thank you LIGHTSPEED for the 3G 30... I am impressed.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
The best
by Scott from Mobile, Alabama
Pros: Quality ANR Headset
Review: The Lightspeed Thirty 3G Headset performed so quiet, it changed my whole flying experience.Along with a more quiet flight, I am able to communicate with the tower with more confidence.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Excellent all around!
by dan6888 from Portland, OR
Pros: quiet, durable, many useful functions
Cons: slightly less comfortable than lighter headsets
Review: After reading reviews of this headset on several different websites, I decided to purchase it. I have had it for a little over two weeks now and it has completely exceeded all of my expectations. I have read reviews of people saying that the plastics were cheap, but that is not the case with the newest thirty 3g's (I bought mine directly from the factory). This headset is pretty comfortable and lightweight and the noise attenuation is remarkable. Even with sunglasses, the seal remains secure and the engine noise stays outside of the earcups. The microphone is also very high quality and extremely poseable... much more so than anything i've ever used from David Clark. I've put about 6-7 hours on the headset so far and the batterys are still going strong. (and these are the cheap batteries that came with the headset). Also, Lightspeed has recently added a plastic dock with a clip to the volume control, aux input unit. All in all, I would very strongly reccomend this headset to anyone who is looking for excellent noise reduction and comfort at half the cost of comparable headsets.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
I would but this product again and will if I need more.
by A Customer from Ogden. Utah
Pros: Very quiet
Cons: Relies of battery power
Review: It exceded my expectations for sound suppression and quietness. Almost too quiet. Very comfortable on the head.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Comfort and Quality!
by A Customer from Tampa, FL
Pros: Comfortable, sound great!
Cons: I'll let you know when I find one.
Review: I was ready to take the plung and buy a headset for the next 5 years. This was it. I have tried the Bose on and they are nice, It's Bose they better be. But for 1/2 the price these sound just as good and very comfortable. Yes they are blue but it is kinda like a planes paint job. You can't see it while you're flying it so it doesn't matter. Some say the plastic feels cheap. If it is I don't know. I do know that a friend of mine has a pair and his cracked on the headband after about a year of use and they sent him a brand new pair.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Completely functional: LightSpeed v Bose X
by Salty Surgeon from Gilbert, AZ
Pros: Good high quality efficient ANR system. Cell/MP3 port works well.
Cons: A bit heavier or at least bulkier than other brands.
Review: I got the Light Speed for a passenger, but on a recent 3 hr flight, the Bose X got a little sore. I was completley delighted with the ANR ability and comfort of the LightSPEEED 3G. Controls are even better than the Bose. No fatigue after 3 hours!
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Worth every penny!
by R. White from Paris, TX
Review: I had planned to buy the Bose Aviation X headsets. Then a good friend of mine told me the best kept secret in aviation headphones....Lightspeed. They are OUTSTANDING. In fact, I am not sure the the Bose are worth what they cost, when the Lightspeeds can be owned for half the Bose. I have listened to the Bose....and honestly cannot tell any difference from the 30-3G. Try the Lightspeeds. You will buy them instantly if you do!
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
A wonderful investment
by Susan Boles from Denver, CO
Pros: Very lightweight & comfortable
Review: I purchased the LightSPEED Thirty 3G Headset for my son. He said that I could not have given him a better gift, and that when you wear a headset for hours at a time it is important that they are comfortable. I am pleased that this was the right one for him.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
works fine
by jim from
Review: my first ANR and it works great at limiting background noise, without interfering with ATC comm. I had previously always had David Clark and was happy with them, but the ANR makes a big improvement in communications.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
by Robert Bonnet from DFW, Texas
Pros: Noise cancelling capability.
Cons: Heavy and quality of materials can be better.
Review: I like the amazing noise cancelling capabilities; they are just as efficient as Bose and cost less. However, one issue is that they are very heavy on the head. Even though I am better off wearing them on long flights than not, still a lighter model would be a wonderful success. Some of the materials seem to leave some space for improvement as well. The ear cup black cushions are already coming off from the headset after only 2 months of careful use.
Monday, January 29, 2007
by from Davis, CA
Pros: Quiet, optional inputs work well, sound control is good
Cons: Large - not good in my tiny cockpit
Review: Am very pleased with this headset. It replaced a DC-11 that was returned. It is large and in a Long EZ it bangs the canopy more than I'd like but works very well.
|
- 
