The best aviation headset for you

Home The best aviation headset for you

The Best Aviation Headset For You

Knowing the features and benefits of all the premium ANR headsets helps pilots make the right decision when considering a purchase. Here is a quick overview of the best aviation headsets on the market.

What is the best aviation headset?

Pilots often ask us, “What is the best aviation headset I can get?” The answer is simple if you know what you want and need in an aviation headset. Lightspeed Aviation is proud of our two premium Active Noise Reduction headsets that are tested and trusted by thousands of pilots worldwide. There are other great premium ANR headsets out there, too. Here, we will try to give you a quick overview of most of them to help you make the right decision for you.

Sierra ® ANR headset

The ideal choice for any pilot advancing to a premium ANR headset, Sierra offers a better experience for you and your passengers. Quiet and comfortable, the premium Sierra ANR headset is value-priced yet still delivers quality on advanced features like Bluetooth connectivity, ComPriority™, plush ear seals, and a reversible headband designed for left or right microphone placement. All of Lightspeed’s innovative ANR technology is supported by durable fiber-reinforced polymer construction. Your search ends here for an ANR headset that is both high-quality and budget friendly. The Sierra is the best aviation headset for you if you are interested in stepping up your headset game and want a premium ANR headset. The Sierra is priced at $650.

BUY NOW

Zulu 3 ANR headset

Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, we’ve engineered — with pilot needs in mind every step of the way — the quietest most durable Active Noise Reduction (ANR) headsets on the market. Our high-quality, innovative technology will keep you comfortable, connected, and safe. Our flagship model is the Zulu 3 ANR headset, undoubtedly the best aviation headset you can buy. Zulu 3 is designed for the discerning pilot looking to invest in a high quality ANR aviation headset built for longevity and with unsurpassed attention to comfort details. Legendary Lightspeed comfort and durability have earned the loyalty of pilots around the globe. Performance ear seals, sturdy cables built around a Kevlar core, an industry-best 7-year warranty, make Zulu 3 the most enduring headset Lightspeed has ever assembled. With full Bluetooth integration, enjoy excellent call clarity, music fidelity, and wireless access to critical audio alerts from aviation apps on mobile devices. The Zulu 3 is priced at $850.

BUY NOW

Other models available

A couple of other manufacturers in the aviation headset market are David Clark and Bose. Both companies have numerous aviation headsets available, including the David Clark One – X and the Bose A20. Both of these premium headsets are best compared to the Lightspeed Zulu 3.

Both the Bose A20 and the Zulu 3 are very quiet and very clear. The Zulu 3 has better low frequency attenuation while the A-20 has some advantage in the mid frequencies. In all three of these headsets, the audio frequency characteristics for voice are fixed by the electrical design.

Examining the DC One – X headset, it is comparable in weight to the A20 with a small but sturdy design approach to the headband and stirrups. One semi-unique element is the foldability of the design. The flex electret mic boom with two-sided capability is like the Bose A20. The Zulu 3 is not reversible, favoring instead specific acoustic designs for unique left and right cups to optimize fit and quieting.

The control box of the David Clark One – X is similar in features and functions to both the Zulu 3 and A20 including dual volume controls, Bluetooth audio, and “behind the battery” switches to control stereo/mono and auto shut off. Minor premium capabilities that are missing from the ONE-X are a port to plug in a 2nd auxiliary audio device and the selectable ability to mute that aux signal. These are both very helpful options for music listening and piloting.

While comfort  is subjective and ultimately a personal preference, Professional pilots who flew both the Bose A20 and the Zulu 3, side by side, for hundreds of hours, rated the Zulu more comfortable than the A20 by a margin of 2 to 1.

To review a more detailed comparison of these three headsets, to help you decide what is the best aviation headset for you, you can read further on our blog here:

Zulu 3 vs. DC One-X and here: Zulu 3 vs. Bose A20.

The DC One-X is priced at $895 and the Bose A20 is priced at $1,095.95