In-ear headsets

Im using the UFlyMike system with the Bose QC15

I have tried a lot of different headset and in-ear types on long haul flights, and the QC15 is the only one that I can wear without any form of discomfort for 12hrs+…
I find other headsets rather too heavy, squeezy on the ears, or discomfort with the in-ear systems.

Unfortunately they don’t make the mike for the QC15 anymore(you might find some used on Ebay), but there is a complete new product soon being released.

http://uflymike.com/index.html

Espen

I don’t think it can be any good with generic ear plugs, especially as far as sound isolation is concerned.

You can read what I wrote about the Phonak 7000 here. Although I didn’t like it completely, I bought one from another guy for my wife as she doesn’t like the pressure of normal headsets. The Phonak will almost certainly be better but it’s also 3 times more expensive, so it depends on your budget.

I have to fly with in ear mini-CEPs under flying helmet at work; they connect into the helmet speaker system. However the experience of in ear foam plugs for extended periods of time is an acquired taste so I would recommend regardless of the product that you get some kind of try out of that aspect first.

How would in-ear headsets work in combination with a normal motorcycle helmet?
I am asking because these traditional headsets integrated into a helmet do not seem to block a lot of sound. Well, don’t know whether there is any way to block the sound of a screaming Rotax 582 less than 1m behind your head

I don’t think the “earplugs” on this headset would work well.

I put all sorts of things in my ears, for protection when using power tools, etc, and have tried some headsets before e.g. the Lightspeed Mach 1. These things work well enough provided the item is undisturbed, which may be OK for passengers, but a pilot has to move around a bit, reach for radio controls, etc. Or reach behind to fetch something from the back seat… As soon as you do that, the thing pops out, and you need only a tiny airgap to let all the noise in.

So IMHO the Phonak looks like the best attempt so far, with its custom moulded ear inserts.

I don’t have any knowledge of this make of headsets, however, I have flown with Clarity Aloft (www.clarityaloft.com) that also use foam tips that are being inserted into the ears.
My wife always suffered headaches due to the clamping of the traditional headsets and after trying many makes I bought the Clarity Aloft for her, now she won’t fly without them. The headset is not an ANR and I could not believe that they are as quite or better than my converted DC H10-40 so one day I have used the Clarity Aloft rather my DC set. Short time after rotation the tower transmitted something. By then everything was so quite and I forgot all about the headset, as a result I have jumped in my sit, it was very weird. As a whole I would recommend the concept and would say that base on my wife and mine experience they are a very good.

I hope that this helps.

Ben

I use my Phonak regularly in a LA-4-200, Cessna 172, Piper 28, Elster-C, PA-18-180, SF23, … , but haven’t had any problems even in the Extra 300 or AN2. Most comfortable headset I have tested.