Lightspeed targets Bose

gprellwitz

gprellwitz

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Grant Prellwitz
It looks like Lightspeed is trying to target Bose headsets! They're coming out with a new one that doesn't have the big earpieces I've come to associate with their headsets. Plus, it's got a Bluetooth interface for cell phones and music! About $300 MORE than the 30-3G, though! (But $150 LESS than the Bose 10X)

It looks as if they're going to try hard for the audio market, too!

http://pilotmall.com/product/3892/Lightspeed


The Zulu is so quiet, it's actually possible to appreciate high end audio performance. Typical aircraft headset designs allow distortion around 1%. Zulu's distortion is one tenth this amount. To achieve this, Lightspeed used audiophile components throughout, including gold contacts for all wire connections and high grade audio quality film capacitors. They also developed special Noise Gating Technology (NGT) to eliminate intercom noise. The headset has two independent auxiliary inputs, both capable of cell phone and stereo connectivity. One is wired and the other is Bluetooth compatible, allowing the user to listen wirelessly to music or talk on a cell phone. The switchover from music source to phone is seamless, with an incoming call automatically getting priority.

Human ears hearing music through headphones perceive it differently from music played over speakers. Because the right and left channels on headphones are totally isolated from each other, the brain is not able to create a true a 3D sound image. Lightspeed engineers solved this problem by electronically duplicating the sounds the left ear would hear from the right speaker and vice versa. As a result, someone listening to a commercial recording on the Zulu headset has the experience of being in the optimal listening position. Lightspeed aptly calls this new technology Front Row Center (FRC).

The Zulu FRC processor closely matches the shadowing effect of the head for the crossfeed signal to either ear. The signal is both amplitude and delay corrected to compensate for the increased distance the sound would travel.
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Nothing on Lightspeed's site yet, though.

This, just about when I had almost decided to get an in-the-ear model!
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Imitation is the sincerest form of...what was it? How did that go?
:)
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Hey Dave, I was at the local cell phone store, and they had an IPhone video display. It went through all the web stuff then It scrolls through the names on the contact list and up popped Dave Taylor. neat huh.
 
smigaldi said:
Interesting. But based on thier past performances I will not be an early adopter.

When it comes to Litespeed, I would like this one and consider it of high quality. http://www.litespeed.com/bikes/2006/road/ghisallo_.aspx
Although if I do go Ti I think I will go Seven!

Viva Le Grand Tour!
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Seven bikes are made a few towns over from me. We see a lot of them around, but I'm nonplussed. I'm a hardcore IF guy, one of the founders worked for me a few years ago (he left, went into software... you know the rest of the story). After getting a tour of their shop, and spending time on one of their rigs, one word remains: SWEET!

BlackWhite.jpg


If you really want to spend some money, go with a Richard Sachs. Steel is real, and hand-built, Italian style lugged steel frames are as real as it gets. So, so sexy.

Cheers,

-Andrwe
 
Competition is good. Apparently the DC competition for Bose (XL11 or whatever) falls short of the mark. Why not have Lightspeed take a crack?! I have a 30-3g, and am happy with the active cancellation, but comfort after about 2.5hrs starts to wane. I'm very seriously considering a Bose set, maybe as a reward for passing 400hrs (should happen by year end) or getting the commercial rating.
 
astanley said:
If you really want to spend some money, go with a Richard Sachs. Steel is real, and hand-built, Italian style lugged steel frames are as real as it gets. So, so sexy.

Cheers,

-Andrwe
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I am riding steel now and I love it. What do you think about Waterfords? They are pretty big in this area as they are made up north.
 
smigaldi said:
I am riding steel now and I love it. What do you think about Waterfords? They are pretty big in this area as they are made up north.
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Waterfords sure do get a lot of play amongst my bici friends (italiophiles). Waterford and Sachs are probably 1-2 on most anyone's list for classic steel frames. I'm partial to the Sachs, if only because the lugs are just so damn beautiful:

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and

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Cheers,

-Andrew
 
Wow Andrew that sure is a work of art!! IF is also good. I have been toying with the idea that IF I were to get a new bike to go Ti, but I have not made my final decision. The biggest reason I want a new bike is that I have a Lemond Zurich (highly modified) and Greg Lemond seems to have gone bobkers and I just do not like having his name plastered all over my bike.
 
smigaldi said:
Wow Andrew that sure is a work of art!! IF is also good. I have been toying with the idea that IF I were to get a new bike to go Ti, but I have not made my final decision. The biggest reason I want a new bike is that I have a Lemond Zurich (highly modified) and Greg Lemond seems to have gone bobkers and I just do not like having his name plastered all over my bike.
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The error "Bobkers" is just too funny! (Bobke, Bob Roll...) :rofl:

IF makes a very, very sweet Ti bike. They handle like a dream and it is a very solid team over there. Seven is a bit too mass produced for my tastes. I have been on and off the fence about replacing my Specialized with a IF for a while now. Going on vacation is more important, though, so maybe at bonus time...

Richard Sachs and Peter Mooney are probably the two best trad steel builders around... just super super sexy rigs. Also, they are one man shows, save for the bike painting. $2500 for a Mooney frame and (IIRC) $6500 for a Sachs, but that may be complete (with Campy Record and Campy wheels)

Cheers,

-Andrew
 
I just overnighted a set of Bose Xs back to them; ANR wasn't working after four or five years. They overnighted them back two days later completely refurbished; no charge.

I initially purchase Lightspeeds in my A-36; worked great in the exhibitor's booth. Had a high pitched squeal in my plane. They swapped sets several times; couldn't make the squeal go away. The Bose worked perfectly.

It's not worth it to everyone, but if one goes on a lot of long trips, these really prove their worth. Big lesson; try them in your plane before you buy 'em.

Best,

Dave
 
i love my 30-3 G's. i also love that 500 bucks that i didnt spend.
 
I absolutely love my 30-3Gs I cannot believe I flew that long with a pair of Sigtronics vise clamps.

As for the bikes I love my Gunnar (Non custom, welded steel by Waterford). If you have a chance Waterford has a factory bike ride around the hills of Waterford, WI and will give you a tour of the plant. Pretty cool deal if you are in the area.

Pete
 
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20XLc here, and I gotta say, the features it beats Bose on makes it worth not spending the extra $650 or so.

Plus - turn off the noise cancellation on either and they sound exactly the same, so Bose can't claim the upperhand there.

Comfort? I love the big squishy ear seals for the Lightspeeds. The Bose feel like they're clamping my head.

Actual noise cancellation? I can't tell the difference, although there are tests that show there is a difference.

Both still have the biggest irritation to me ever: They pick up the strobe in most airplanes at night. That sound drives me absolutely bonkers, and makes it almost worthwhile to use a passive set at night.
 
SkyHog said:
Both still have the biggest irritation to me ever: They pick up the strobe in most airplanes at night. That sound drives me absolutely bonkers, and makes it almost worthwhile to use a passive set at night.
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I've heard that the passive noise reduction from in-ear headsets is almost as good as the ANR in clamp-on headsets. Maybe that's the way to go for you?
 
SkyHog said:
Both still have the biggest irritation to me ever: They pick up the strobe in most airplanes at night.
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Strange that they are not picking up the strobe noise during the day. Generally that is a noise that has gotten into the DC power system and is independent of the position of the sun in the sky.
 
smigaldi said:
Strange that they are not picking up the strobe noise during the day. Generally that is a noise that has gotten into the DC power system and is independent of the position of the sun in the sky.
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My thought was that he didn't generally have the strobes on during the day. It's required by regs in the DA-40, but not the Hawk's I fly. I frequently put them on if it's hazy even during the day, but it's not regulatory.
 
smigaldi said:
Strange that they are not picking up the strobe noise during the day. Generally that is a noise that has gotten into the DC power system and is independent of the position of the sun in the sky.
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Well, its interesting. I think its a combo of navlights/stobes that does it, maybe enough draw or something?

Its happened in almost every plane I've flown at night - all the 172s, my old Cherokee and Michael's Mooney (Lightspeeds and his Bose). Gotta be an ANR thing.
 
Never had a problem with the strobes, but I pick up the Madison surveilance radar in my Lightspeeds when on the Ground at KMSN.

Pete
 
SkyHog said:
Well, its interesting. I think its a combo of navlights/stobes that does it, maybe enough draw or something?

Its happened in almost every plane I've flown at night - all the 172s, my old Cherokee and Michael's Mooney (Lightspeeds and his Bose). Gotta be an ANR thing.
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Very weird, my LightSpeed 20-3G's don't pick up the strobes on the 172SPs I rent here at HPN during the day or night. Must have something to do with wiring somewhere on the aircraft.
 
SkyHog said:
Well, its interesting. I think its a combo of navlights/stobes that does it, maybe enough draw or something?

Its happened in almost every plane I've flown at night - all the 172s, my old Cherokee and Michael's Mooney (Lightspeeds and his Bose). Gotta be an ANR thing.
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I have this same problem in almost every airplane I fly as well. But I have an old passive David Clark headset. It has nothing to do with ANR. It's coming through the intercom.. I can hear the beacon during the day. If you turn on the nav and strobes at night it's even more loud and annoying.

Btw I have never had this problem in airplanes with the Garmin 430/Garmin audio panel setup.
 
Let's face it everyone is different. My 30-3Gs work for me on 5+ hour flights. I borrowed a friend's Bose for a recent long flight to compare. I was certain that this demo was gonna cost me a thousand bucks. However, on my head the Bose stopped being comfortable after just a couple of hours even though they felt wonderful when I first put them on.

You just have to borrow a set of whatever you're considering and fly a typical mission. Then you can make a decision. A demo booth at a fly in or anyone else's testimonial won't tell you a thing.
 
My partner in the Baron can't use the Bose. He claims they hurt his ears after awhile. So, what Lance said. They sure work for me, but sure don't seem to fit some folks well. (Does this confirm I can sometimes be a 'hard head'?)

Best,

Dave
 
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Dave Siciliano said:
(Does this confirm I can sometimes be a 'hard head'?)
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If the headset fits? :)

I'm curious, has anyone ever tried the Telex Stratus 50D headset? The specs look as good as the Thirty 3G's. I've considered a pair for a second set.
 
jesse said:
I have this same problem in almost every airplane I fly as well. But I have an old passive David Clark headset. It has nothing to do with ANR. It's coming through the intercom.. I can hear the beacon during the day. If you turn on the nav and strobes at night it's even more loud and annoying.

Btw I have never had this problem in airplanes with the Garmin 430/Garmin audio panel setup.
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I can hear a slight whine from my pulsing wing leading edge landing lights. It does come from the intercom.
 
If it makes anyone feel better, I hear the strobes and the surveilance radar in my plane. Gets pretty irritating after the 8 hour or so mark. I have a Bose set and an old school staderd issue DC passive set, and I swear by the DC's. I preffer the gel ear cups to the pleather foamy deals that Bose uses. The Bose also leave a lot to be desired as far as durability goes. The Bose has also been known to provide an electrical shock to the ear from time to time. I still fly with the Bose every once and a while just to remember why I don't like them. Not worth the $1k in my book.
 
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