I have two headsets; the ubiquitous Bose A20 and Clarity Aloft. I ordinarily fly PA31, DA42 and DA62, the PA31 being the noisiest. Standard sortie lengths in the order of 4-5 hrs and, ordinarily, two fights/day.
Generally, I use the Clarity Aloft as they are more comfortable for extended periods of time although they lack the ability to dynamically balance RT against intercom. To be fair, I tend to skip between headsets, often reaching for the first set to hand and the NR of the Bose is slightly better. However, in the Middle East where cockpit temperatures often reach 50 Celsius I only use the Clarity Aloft as they are far more comfortable and there is less sweat.
Dave_Phillips wrote:
Generally, I use the Clarity Aloft as they are more comfortable for extended periods of time
Dave, do you use the generic ear plugs or the custom made ones? I tried the Clarity once albeit with the generic ones and didn’t like them at all, but have heard from others that the custom plugs make all the difference. My normal headset is a Bose, btw.
I use the generic. I keep meaning to get some made but the mid-size ones suit me fine. I do change regularly and, unlike many, I don’t recycle.
@Dave_Phillips, thanks for the info. That’s what I did and they kept falling out and the sound was awful. Guess it depends on one’s ears….
My newest gadget – Clarity Aloft headset
My trusty and cheap MGL headset (which actually is produced by David Clark) said thank you last week, so it was time to get something new. I wondered about Bose or Lightspeed ANR. I need something that really blocks out the noise in the Cub, Safir and experimental aircraft that are very noisy. We have Bose (ANR) in the glider tow plane, but I have never been that impressed with it (plasticky feeling and “weird” sound from the active cancelling, and not really good to wear a whole day when also wearing glasses), even though just about everyone here got a Bose. Lightspeed looked nice, but a bit internet research lead me to something completely different, that I have seen no one here use, but it’s used by the guys at Sonex. According to what I could find out, it is by far the best for noisy cockpits, as well as good for aerobatics, good with glasses, looks cooler than any other headset also 
The Clarity Aloft
Got them earlier today, so haven’t tried them in flight yet. They look and feel absolutely cool though, hope they are worth the price.
A colleague of mine has these. Whenever I fly the plane after him and don’t look at the volume controls, my eardrums almost burst when the first transmission comes through. For some reason these headsets require an incredible voltage to work properly, almost full volume setting (my Sennheiser headset is happy with the knob set around 1/3).
Personally I don’t like the idea to stick things in my ears (although I have been cleaning mine with a Q-Tip daily since I am old enough to hold that in my own hand – but still: no!) but my colleague obviously likes them.
I wonder what the options are for custom made earplugs for this headset? That is what most users of the in-ear headsets end up using.
I use them all the time. It’s worth trying a variety of plugs (not just Clarity’s own) to get the best fit.
I’ve been using them since 2011, but only for aerobatics.
Have been ordering replacement earplugs online from US. No customs on this minor item.
Wouldn’t use them in a plane where a Bose ANR headset can be worn. Too noisy.
