ANRs/ sound level in cockpit.

[AdamZ]

My Lightspeed 20XL headsets which I love dearly went on the fritz this weekend. Well half of them went on the fritz. I don't get any sound out of the Left ear cup.
Lightspeed with its AWESOME customer service said no problem send them back and we will get them fixed. They also offered me an upgrade. I could get a cell phone/music interface installed for only $75.00 a pretty good deal. They also said I could trade them in for a pair of Thirty 3G headsets and pay $300.00 basically 1/2 price for the Thirty3Gs.
So here is the question My 20XLs have 20-22db of active noise reduction the Thirty 3Gs have 28-30dbs of active noise reduction. I'm trying to find out if the extra noise reduction is worth it. I spoke to my pilot mentor's wife a retired audiologist who said (you guessed it ) "It depends" She said a 6db difference can be a big difference depending upon the enviorment because dbs go up exponentially. She said that it gets dangerous around 85-90db so what you want to do is get the dbs down below that. If you get down to 80dbs getting it down to 75db may not really be worth the extra cost becasue it won't matter that much.
The question then becomes what is the sound level (with out attenuation) in the basic GA airplane such as an Archer, Tiger, Lance etc?

 

[Bill]

So here is the question My 20XLs have 20-22db of active noise reduction the Thirty 3Gs have 28-30dbs of active noise reduction. I'm trying to find out if the extra noise reduction is worth it.

FWIW, I own both a reconditioned 20XL with the cell/music interface, thus making it a 20XLc, and a Thirty-3G. I can tell no discernable difference in the noise levels between these headsets. Some have commented that the 3G has a better mic, and other added features, but for my money the 20XLc is just fine. Next time around? I'll buy another 20XLc and keep the extra $$$'s in my pocket.

BTW, I have used each headset in:
172
Archer III
Citabria

 

[RotaryWingBob]

Adam, if you have lousy hearing like mine, every db helps! I upgraded to a pair of Thirty 3G when they first came out and found them to be better than the 25XL (I think it was a 25XL anyway) that I traded in for them.

I tried the Bose challenge when they first came out with the new Aviation X and find them to be far better than my Lightspeeds were in noise reduction, clarity, and comfort. So my wife gets to use the Lightspeeds. And now she wants a pair of Bose. Sheeesh.

 

[Fast n' Furious]

Get the most ANR you can find or afford. It's about that simple.

 

[AirBaker]

FWIW, I own both a reconditioned 20XL with the cell/music interface, thus making it a 20XLc, and a Thirty-3G. I can tell no discernable difference in the noise levels between these headsets. Some have commented that the 3G has a better mic, and other added features, but for my money the 20XLc is just fine. Next time around? I'll buy another 20XLc and keep the extra $$$'s in my pocket.

BTW, I have used each headset in:
172
Archer III
Citabria

I've used the 20XL2, 30 and 20 3Gs. I think the quietest headset is the 20XL2s, but the 3Gs are more comfortable. This all according to my highly calibrated ears...

I have to agree with Bill.