Monday, April 07, 2008
Just as advertised
by Jack from Minesing ON Canada 
Pros: Light weight, comfortable, easily adjustable.
Cons: Price
Review: Like the ads say, It's light, it cuts noise and it comfortable.

Tuesday, February 05, 2008
DC X11, perfect headset
by Gust from Langemark . Belgium 
Pros: Light, comfortable, ENC works very good.
Cons: Cable from the ENC box to the headset may be a bit longer.
Review: Very good headset!! Light weight and the noise reduction is fabulous. I fly the King Air Beechcraft 200 and it is a pleasure to wear, more pilot comfort. Happy landings, Gust.

Tuesday, December 04, 2007
David Clark X-11 awsome
by A Customer from PYM 
Pros: Light Weight/
Cons: Battery Life
Review: I think that this is by far the best head set on the market. Very light weight and you realy do forget that your useing them. Noise cancleing couled be a little better but over all realy good.

Sunday, October 14, 2007
I would recommend these to anyone who flys a lot
by DAVE from PORTLAND OR USA 
Pros: light weight, good sound performance, excellent fit
Cons: none found yet
Review: I tried "Bose" first based on their ads. They did not fit well, small ear cups and too shallow. The "David Clarks" fit perfect and work better.

Thursday, August 09, 2007
by Juergen Imhoff from Davie, FLA 
Review: David Clark-feeling ! Good fit. Product description very good-is matching my request.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Highly dissapointed.
by A Customer from Boca Raton, FL 
Pros: Comfortable, light weight and nice fold up design.
Cons: noise cancelling is ineffective
Review: David Clark has some opportunities for improvement on this headset. The noise cancelling is so subpar I could barely hear ATC instructions on climb out(dangerous). Ears seals are ineffective if you have hair and especially if you wear sunglasses(kind of a must for flying). The Head clamp does not offer much adjustment. I found myseat constantly pressing the ears together to try to get a good seal (distracting). The batteries don't last near 30hrs. I'd give em 15-20 flight hours at best. However David Clark offered great customer service. At first I thought I got a lemon. They sent me another pair without hesitation. Unfortunatly the same issues occured again. The guy in a earlier review took the words out of my mouth "poor product from a great company".

Saturday, June 09, 2007
I love DC's but the X11 is not good
by A Customer from Memphis, TN 
Review: I spent the 800$ on this headset, and being a flight instructor this was a whole months pay... They worked ok at first the ANC was not to good, but better then nothing. Then slowly the overall volume on the headset got lower and lower. I now fly the CRJ and the other day the volume was so low that couldn't hear ATC. I am going to be sending these back to DC very poor product from a great company.

Monday, May 14, 2007
Excellent headset
by Gary from Georgia 
Pros: Comfort
Review: Glad I purchased this. Extremely comfortable, good noise reduction. Nice mic. Have only used for 2 months, so can't comment on durability. Would like to be able to review after one year or so of use.

Monday, April 02, 2007
Mixed feelings
by Kurt from Santa Cruz, CA 
Pros: Comfortable
Cons: Worthless if the seal over ears isn't perfect
Review: The headset seemed to function great at first, but not long thereafter, poorly. I think it is because if the ear seals don't fit perfectly, then you get almost no benefit from the ANR, and the passive reduction is minimal. My sunglasses seem to be all it takes to break the seal; looks like I'll need traditional pilot's glasses w/ flat wires to overcome this problem.

Thursday, March 29, 2007
Very disappointed
by Juliusace from NJ 
Pros: Very comfortable
Cons: Noise cancelling did function at all and had poor audio quality
Review: I have owned a DC H10-40 for about 20 years and recently decided it is time to get a new headset. Knowing the high quality and reliability of my H10-40 I did not think about looking at the review for the X-11. What a big mistake. I was in the traffic pattern at PNE and when I used the headset for the first time and could hardly hear ATC. I had to switch to my H10-40. What a difference. The noise reduction did not work and the audio was garbled.

Saturday, March 24, 2007
Not worth the premium
by A Customer from San Juan, PR 
Pros: Comfortable and light
Cons: Low volume, questionable durability, interference with elect.
Review: Received the product and used it twice for 2 hours each. The headsets are definitely comfortable, but maybe too comfortable in that you get the sense that you do not have them on correctly because of the low volume you get from ATC and other traffic.

Additionally, in my case, a lot of interference with plane´s electronics (specifically, whenever flaps are lowered, a lot of electric interference). Conclusion: What´s more important, comfort or safety? I changed mine for a David Clark ANR full size and for half the price I have a real David Clark headset.

Saturday, March 17, 2007
ANR is just not effective enough
by A Customer from Dallas, TX 
Pros: Light, Comfotable
Cons: Everything else. Worst ANR of any headset I've ever tried.
Review: I'll give DC credit for one thing with this headset....they are comfortable. The problem is that they must have spent so much time designing the comfort into the headset that they forgot about the ANR. As other have said, the ANR is only effective when you press the ear cups together and form a VERY tight seal. Forget about sunglasses with these headsets. Anything at all that disturbs the seal of the cups COMPLETELY destroys the ANR. They quickly become the worst passive headset in history. Very sad to say it, but these headsets just aren't very good at all. Go with the Bose X. I did, and I am very happy I did now.

Sunday, March 04, 2007
by bearcatflyer from Cincinnati, OH 
Pros: Comfortable, Light, Compact, Good ANR
Cons: Sunglasses can be an issue when used with this headset
Review: The headset delivers on what DC markets....a superiorly comfortable headset. The ANR is on par with most other high end headsets that I have used. My only complaint with this headset is that it doesn't perform well when using sunglasses....The ANR seemed to be much less effective with the seal of the earcups slightly broken. Overall, I would definitley recommend the headset to others though.

Monday, February 26, 2007
by A Customer from Hartford, CT 
Pros: NONE....because their ineffective
Cons: (INC) Ineffective Noise Cancelling
Review: ATP/CFI/CFII/MEI - I instruct in anything from Piper Tomahawks to Beech Bonanzas to Piper Senecas. I own a Telex ANR4105, DC H20-10XL, DC H10-13S....and now I own a Bose X....because DC X11 couldn't cut it. The DC X11 was only effective when I pressed the earcups together with both hands. I even tried changing the earcup seals with DC gel earcups....nothing worked. The DC X11 was so noisy and ineffective that I couldn't hear ATC. I literally had to change headsets inflight....(fortunately, I had my Telex 4105 with me as a backup). After three tries with the DC X11...I sent them back. And, now I'm a proud owner of a Bose X headset. When I first tried the DC X11, I thought it was me...but three others at my flight school had also tried the DC X11 and we ALL sent them back (FOUR DC X11 were purchased and sent back...based on the same findings as I mentioned above.) I will not recommend the DC X11 to any of my students. In fact, I saved one student from buying a pair.....and convinced him to buy the Bose X. He, too, is the proud owner of Bose X.

Friday, February 02, 2007
by A Customer from Fond du Lac, WI 
Pros: Light Weight, Folds neatly
Cons: Not up to par. Possibly dangerous
Review: I was all excited to get an ANR headset, especially after my flying buddy let me try his Bose unit. Unfortunately I am very dissapointed with the DC X11 ANR unit. Not only does it not adequately cancel cabin noise, after about 45 minutes of use my ears hurt and I have to turn the ANR off. This is the second set that I am trying, after being told by DC that this problem was unusual and that the unit must have gotten damaged in shipping. Same problem with the second set with no improvement. I have tried the DC X11's in two different aircraft (C172 and C182) and in both cases the same problem. I have also noticed the same problem as reported elsewhere in these reviews in that at times ATC communication becomes very faint and barely audible. This one goes back and I will spend my money on [something else] instead.

Friday, January 12, 2007
by from iNVERNESS, fLORIDA 
Review: I's light, very good. The ANR doesn't shut off by it's self like the Bose. It does fold nicely.

Friday, January 12, 2007
by adam marks from  
Pros: Comfortable and the ANR works very well.
Cons: none
Review: This head set makes flying a absolute pleasure, the droning engine noise is eliminated! flying 2-3 hour legs is far less fatiguing now. It is very light and the ear cups do not squeeze at all! I am very happy with the purchase.

Thursday, January 11, 2007
by A Customer from Menomonie, WI 
Pros: Effective ANR, very comfortable
Cons: quality control, modest passive noise reduction
Review: I can compare this unit to the Bose X, my old passive David Clark headset, and my Pilot ANR headset. 1: VS the Bose: equivalent ANR and passive NR, $200 lower cost, DC X11 will function when batteries are dead, unlike the Bose, slightly more comfortable than the Bose. The Bose is the only ANR that still functions will when the earpieces are lifted off the head. 2: VS the old passive DC. The old DC has slightly better passive NR, is less comfortable, has been bulletproof, requires no batteries, has excellent mic voice quality. 3: VS the Pilot. The Pilot has excellent passive NR, the best of the group, long-life rechargeable battery integrated into the ear muff, and high clamping pressure that make it painful to wear with glasses for more than an hour or so. Its ANR does not tolerate any "leaks" due to partial skin contact, which creates secondary noise. But its total NR makes it the best for a very high-noise environment I have had exposure to 3 DC X11 headsets: one, owned by a friend, has been flawless and he loves it. Another, owned by a friend, came with built-in static in the right speaker. Mine came with built-in microphone feedback squeal that occurs every time I press to talk to center. Obvious QC issues.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007
by Britt from Sacramento, CA 
Pros: Comfort, lightweight, great looks, cell interface, audio interface,
Cons: Noise cancelling not up to Lightspeed or Bose standards yet
Review: These are my impressions of the new DC X-11. I fly a Swearingen Merlin, an airplane with little wind noise and lots of prop noise. I purchased the headset after the headband broke on my Lightpeed 20XL that I had for about 4 years. I liked the LS for its comfort and noise canceling but disliked the looks, clunkiness and lack of build quality. I briefly tried a friend’s Bose and was impressed with the ANC but the passive was nil and I did not think they were worth the price. I discovered the X-11 and knowing DC’s reputation I bought the headset not knowing much else, I couldn’t find much in the way of reports. They seem well built, and I know if I had any problems DC had my back. The clarity was better than my LS and about as good as the Bose. They are super light and extremely comfortable, very little clamping force. More comfy than the Bose or LS and they are a great looking headset. I think one of the nice features is the asymmetrical ear cups that are larger toward the lower back, where your skull recedes. Makes sense. The interface/battery box is kind of clunky and large but the interface part works well. Audio through the box/headset combination is not close to hifi, but it works. The cell phone interface is one of the big reasons I wanted these headsets and it works well also. I called my own answering machine in flight and you can't tell the call is from an airplane. There is an auto-turnoff feature to spare the two AA batteries. The noise reduction is not nearly as quiet as the Bose or my old LS. When I was taxiing I got a motor boating throbbing kind of sound and this also occurs often in flight, like every time you hit a bump or when I made a power setting change. On takeoff, the ENC could not keep up. It got very loud in my headset, and I could barely make out towers request to contact departure. I guess it is better than nothing, but this is the one thing that makes me wonder if it was a wise purchase. The DC ENC is rated at 17-22, but the passive is nil. I guess that is the price you have to pay for exceptional comfort and no clamping force. I don’t know what the Bose ANR is rated, but it is much more effective than the X-11. My LS had great passive and about the same ANR as the X-11 but it never had the throbbing or power setting issues. I tried readjusting the headset several times in an effort to get better noise canceling, and this worked, but every time I hit a bump or changed power setting I had press on the ear cups and move them around to try and get the quiet back. I understand DC is not advertising these to be extremely quiet headsets, and what they do advertise is dead-on. I just need a quieter headset and perhaps the X-11 works better in piston aircraft. When DC gets their total noise canceling up to Bose or LS standards (38 db total and at least 24 electronically) then these will be my headsets.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007
by Dick, who flies a Christen Eagle II from Lincoln. NE 
Pros: Very comfortable and lightweight
Cons: ENC completely breaks down at very high noise levels and becomes useless.
Review: I bought the X-11 thinking it would be the quietest and most capable in an extremely noisy cockpit (an uninsulated, high performance acrobatic plane). At high power settings which are used most of the time, the very high noise level overpowered the ENC feature rendering it essentially useless, and the passive noise attenuation capability is not sufficient to permit clear air-to-ground communications. The solution is David Clark's headsets designed for helicopters (H10-56) because their passive noise attenuation capability is outstanding. The X-11 has features (cell phone capable, stereo reception, etc.) which are useless for my application.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007
by Christoph from Johannesburg, South Africa 
Pros: light, no clamping, silent
Cons: pricey
Review: We tried almost every headset in the book including the lightspeed lightweight series. Nothing worked for my financee, too much clamping force, too heavy, too noisy etc... this one beats them all

Wednesday, October 11, 2006
by A Customer from Lafayette, IN 
Review: I’ve had these less than a week, about 15 flight hours and two 5+ hour days. Previous headset: 5 yr old DC H10-13.4 old style gel seals and head pad. Comfort: The X11 feels much lighter and has less clamping force. I have fairly big ears that stick out from my head, they were crushed by the 13.4’s but fit in the slightly wider and much longer/deeper opening X11’s. Noise: I have been using earplugs under the 13.4’s as I typically wear sunglasses and my ears were ringing after full days of flying. The ENC cuts out some low rumblings. The noise difference is small with earplugs yet I will keep turning the ENC on. I have not worn them for any significant amount of time without earplugs. I have noticed some popping ENC malfunctions during descents at certain RPM in a 180hp C172. I didn’t notice anything on shorter flights in PA34 or AA5-A. The new mic is the same size as the 13.4’s yet shorter and thinner flex portion on the boom makes it difficult to position. I worry about abuse tolerance on the boom flex portion and plastic construction on headband and earcup forks. I think they are worth the money as I no longer get headaches after only 3-4 hours of flight time, excellent DC performance and hopefully durability.

Saturday, October 07, 2006
by A Customer from Boston, MA 
Review: I thought I'd be switching from my Bose X headset to the DC's, as I have always owned David Clarks and wanted to give them a chance. After one day of flying a twin Cessna using the X-11's they're being returned. The noise cancelling quality is so subpar that I was nearly unable to communicate with ATC. The passive noise cancelling is shockingly bad. I was only really able to hear anything ATC said and avoid intense ear pain by pressing both ear cups hard on my ears. With normal tension, there is nearly no noise attentuation at all. I strongly recommend you try these before buying. Perhaps they may work in a single-engine environment but compared with the Bose X, these are utterly inadequate.