Headset comfort: Lightspeed or Bose A20?

[zaitcev]

4. I would fix the airplane radio (likely a disconnected p-lead or bad cap).

The problem actually turned out to be this:



and that one does not have a choice in what airplane he's ferrying after agreeing to do it.

I suppose nobody's flying A20 in a B-25 or P-51.

 

[Barry]

I've got both. I bought my A20s about 1/3rd through my ppl training and are my go to headset. I recently ordered two Zulu 3s for my wife and young son, just couldn't justify A20s for them (I saved $500 with Zulus over two A20s, to put it in perspective). I have gotten to test both, and I prefer my A20s for me. In my own testing I can tell the noise cancellation is a little better on A20s, and they feel better on my head. However the Zulu 3s are nice, real nice, and am very glad I bought them for my family. I love the Kevlar cable that doesn't kink, but they do seem to squeeze my head more. Lightspeed customer service is great, I ordered directly from the factory and they also sent thicker headpads, which I put on for my 7 yr old.

Anyhow you can't go wrong with either one, you really should try both imo and see what you think.

 

[C-1 PILOT]

I’ve got the A20, the Mrs has a Zulu 3. I prefer the Bose, however, the side tone in the Zulu is much crisper IMO, compared to my A20.

 

[Grum.Man]

I've had my zulu 3 for a little over a year now. I still think they are the better buy but there are pros and cons to both. The Zulu's are of much much better quality materials and build wise. With that comes heavier weight and more bulk. I often times long for the slim profile of the bose. The times I have used bose though, I want my Zulu's back. The ear cups of the Boes aren't as deep as the Zulu's and my ears rub the foam on the inside which bugs me. The top band on the Bose also makes for a pretty hard pressure spot on my head.

I do like the noise cancellation and sound quality of the bose slightly better. Given how much cheaper I purchased the Zulu's for compared to a set of A20's and no real complaints I would probably go that route again. If you have a slimmer head profile you may like the Bose better.

 

[Crashnburn]

As I have large ears, there's no question that when the time comes to buy a headset, it will be a Lightspeed, probably a PFX.

 

[texasag93]

I have the PFX, Zulu 2 (converted to Zulu 3) and the A20s.

PFXs eat batteries. The controller is bigger that the A20s and Zulu's.

A20s hurt my head after 3 hours of flight.

I love the Zulus. 4 hour flights are fine. Although, my bladder pain may dampen the head pressure. Just kidding.

I do not listen to music in flight, so I cannot attest to the Bluetooth music quality.

 

[Jeff767]

I purchased a Bose A20 and a Zulu 3 about the same time. Comfort is about the same. Sound quality favors the Bose and since I am hearing impaired I find I use the Bose 95% of the time. I have had several earlier versions of the lightspeeds and all had cord failures. It remains to be seen if the new braided cord holds up better. I have never had a issue with the Bose.