[Jared Hartzell]

So, I've been testing the Zulu 4's out for the past few months and it seems that they have better Bluetooth capabilities and slightly clearer audio quality. However, I can't tell the difference in comfort or ANR between the Zulu 3's, very similar and I wear glasses. The padding material is softer where your frames sit, which is noticeable but I'm not sure if it truly improves noise reduction over the 3's. For music, the Zulu 3's can get much louder which is nice in a helicopter when you're on a long flight in the middle of nowhere while the Zulu 4's don't really get quiet as loud—disappointing! The longer mic boom isn't that great either, it's a little too long so it curls out more but might be good for people with a wider head? I think the Zulu 3's mic boom was just a little short of perfect length. 

I have a flight helmet fitted with Bose A20 Bluetooth as well, haven't used it for music though since it's more for work than play, so I haven't compared yet. I've been hearing the A30's are not very good in noisy helicopters.

All this to say, so far, I don't think the Zulu 4's are worth the price difference of Zulu 3's unless you truly need the dual BT connectivity capabilities.

What are your thoughts on the ANR headsets available today and what do you use?

[Lyle Swallows]

i use david clark One-X ANR noise cancelling.

theyre alright, was a little cheaper than the bose. the main reason i went with them is i like the way they fold so tight and compact for traveling. another factor i decided on these was the their ability to function as a headset and muffle noise seemed clearer compared to the Bose or lightspeeds when the batteries died/were not powered on. i like the dual hinged design, it fits comfortably opposed the the single hinge design,

plus name brand loyalty, the classic David Clarks are everywhere and a timeless headset design.

i did wire in a CEP with plug into my ANR DC's which i found a bit overkill on the noise muffle/canceling so i dont use them, i like to HEAR my helicopter too. i think with a non ANR helmet CEP's would be my way to go.

what helmet do you have Jared, i am looking for one. i may be picking up a Gentex Alpha soon.

[Jared Hartzell]

I recently tried the DC One-X's for a short flight in a Cessna 182 and they're actually very comfortable with comparable ANR! In fact, I think they were noticeably more comfortable than the Zulu's and Bose A20's... But I didn't get the chance to wear them on a very long XC to really tell. I definitely like how compact they were, my headsets take up way too much space in my flight bag, I usually leave the cases at home. When I had first started flying, I used the older DC's (H10 or H20?) without ANR and they were terrible. Still have em lying around somewhere collecting dust, I think... Also tried the cheaper Faro G2's, work just fine but not a fan.

Yes, I hear a lot of utility helicopter guys are moving towards CEP's with non-ANR setups.

I have an Evo HPH helmet and it's pretty decent, not too bulky and comfortable enough. Gonna try it out during the ag spray season this summer and I'll give you a PIREP! Got a great deal on it (used) from a friend, the price of new A30's and it came with the A20's.