High spec, low cost
SEHT SH30-10G passive headset
with gel ear seals £84.95 http://www.
seht.co.uk
SEHT is a new name in the aviation headset
world. The company’s best-selling model is the
SH30-10 which comes with either foam (SH30-10F;
£74.95), gel (SH30-10G illustrated) and now
synthetic leather (SH30-10L; £84.95) ear seals. We
tested the SH30-10G in the Editor’s Piper L-4 Cub,
which provides a consistently noisy cabin
environment, and found that the noise
attenuation and audio performance were very
similar to that of the old ‘industry-standard’
David Clark 10-30, which is to say very good.
Comfort over typical hour-long flights was good
too — although this has to be a subjective
judgement (different headsets can suit different
head shapes — buyers should try these things for
themselves).
SEHT’s other models include the SH30-60 (entry
level ANR based on the SH30-10) £209.95, SH30-75
(currently its top ANR set) £314.95 and the SM50-10
(lightweight passive headset) £149.95. They are
working on a ‘high performance’ ANR set that they
expect to launch later in the year. Reassuringly, all
SEHT headsets come with five-year warranty and
‘no quibble’ refund policy. PWhttp://www.pilotweb.aero Pilot September 2017 | 53
SEHT 30-10: a well
regarded low-cost
passive headset
Top-end Lightspeed Zulu 3 ANR headset features super-flexible leads that enhance comfortLightspeed’s top-end
headset made even better
Lightspeed Zulu 3* Active Noise
Reduction headset
http://www.lightspeedaviation.com £816.00
We have been using Lightspeed headsets for
several years and have been impressed by their
quality and durability. The most obvious
improvement offered by the Zulu 3 is the cables,
which are of a highly flexible braided type with a
Kevlar core — they look a little like lengths of silk
rope and appear to be almost as light. In practice,
they are magic, eliminating the uncomfortable
tugging sensation you suffer when the usual stiff
wire cable inevitably snags on harness, clothing or
some protrusion in the cockpit.
In fact, comfort is very much a Lightspeed
signature: the magnesium alloy ear cups are light,
well padded and shaped to fit the human ear. The
steel headband is readily adjustable, seems to us
to offer just the right degree of clamping pressure
and is quickly and easily adjustable for a good fit.
While the Zulu 3 is packed with features — stereo
capability, Bluetooth for listing to music and making
mobile calls, and ‘FlightLink’, an application for iPad
and iPhone that allows comms to be recorded and
played back — it is also very simple to operate
‘straight out the box’ (actually a well designed
protective hard-shell carrying case provided with
the headset). Not being great music listeners or
phoners in flight — activities generally best left to,
and welcomed by passengers — we were able to
simply plug in the unit and play with it.
Sadly, we are not equipped to put numbers on
noise attenuation performance but on a subjective
level, using the ANR-converted and upgraded David
Clark 10-30s we retain as a test standard, the Zulu
3 performs very impressively indeed, giving both a
high level of attenuation and acting across a broad
range of the sound spectrum.
Well designed, very well made, kitted out with
features that both pilots and passengers willappreciate, and offering top-notch ANR
performance, the Lightspeed Zulu 3 is simply one
of the best aviation headsets available. PW*Pilot tested the battery-powered model
4064 illustrated: audio panel-powered/
LEMO connector (4065) and battery-
powered U-174 connector (4069) models
are also available