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If you are looking for a new headset for the cockpit (flight deck) on the CRJ200, consider these headsets. I’ve seen all of them in my years of flying jets and everyone I have talked to has really enjoyed them. There are many other headsets available but few will meet the challenges and rigors of living the airline lifestyle. Also, I’ve listed two REFURBISHED headsets that will save you a couple hundred dollars, if you buy them and that is always a good thing.

REFURB: Sennheiser HMEC-45-KA ANR Headset – With Noise Guard active noise compensation, this lightweight headset is ideal for use in all jet cockpits. This is my dream headset. If I could have any headset in the world, this would be it. I tried one out once and was floored by the quality and comfort of this headset and I think that it is a total gem. The price tag is a little steep for me though, so I think it will have to wait, but if you are looking for the leading aviation headset on the market, this is it!

REFURB: Sennheiser HMEC-25-KA ANR Headset- Lightweight and comfortable dual earcup commercial pilot’s headset with Noise Guard active noise compensation. This is a great headset and the one that I use. I’ve had it for six years. It was broken only once and I sent it in to get fixed by SennheiserUSA and they did a great job. I look forward to wearing this headset for years to come. 

David Clark H10-13.4 Headset- Best Selling David Clark Headset. Extremely Lightweight and comfortable. Durable and will last you FOREVER! Most new regional airline pilots come from flight instructing and most flight instructors use a David Clark headset and there is a reason why. It is tough! I’ve had my David Clark for a long time and when my Sennheiser headset broke, I started using the David Clark again. It didn’t let me down. So, if you are looking for a great starter headset, that you can take with you to your airline job and will protect your hearing, this is the one. 

Telex Airman 750 Lightweight Headset- The world’s best selling lightweight headset and you’ll find it in most airline fleets around the world. Compact and will fit very nicely in your flight bag. Most the pilots that I saw wearing these were flying heavy metal where they were far away from the engines and insulated from the noise. Extremely comfortable, but not super durable. They are relatively inexpensive though and a great entry headset for the airlines or charter flying. 

Telex Airman 850 Lightweight ANR Headset- Eliminating the battery pack and focusing on your comfort, the Telex Airman ANR 850 headset also features innovative noise reduction technology and is the best price for the money. Again, like the Sennheiser HMEC-45-KA above, I would love to have this headset. It is a step up from the Telex Airman 750 and just a great headset.

So if you have a favorite headset, let me know. These are just a few of my favorite headsets that I thought you would like.

To You Flying Success…

Jeffrey

If you fly the CRJ, or any jet for that matter, and you are looking for a new headset, consider the Sennheiser HMEC-25-KA ANR Headset.

No doubt that the deep technical specifications are important but for me the technical specs go way over my head but the quality, comfort, and price of this headset puts it way above the rest.

Now there are a lot of different types of aviation headsets by Sennheiser.

I’ll tell you right now, the Sennheiser HMEC-25-KA ANR Headset is the one that I own and the one I think you would be most happy with.

For the MOST part, they are essentially the same:

• light weight (7 oz. or 170 g)
• extremely comfortable
• outstanding Noise Reduction Rating (NRR)
• compact
• adjustable headset
• adjustable microphone

The differences are either the NoiseGard™ power supply for the headset or the microphone/headset connectors.

So let’s get started.

The Microphone

The –CA series use one cable, the XLR-5, connector for both microphone and headset, whereas the –KA series uses two connectors (normal configuration for most jets), one for the microphone and one for the headset.

Both the –CA and –KA microphones get their power by using either 24V DC or the 12-35 V DC from the airplane internal power supply and provide crystal clear communications.

The Headsets

The –CA and –KA both use a power pack that require 2 x AA batteries to power the noise canceling feature of the headsets BUT it is not required if you don’t want to use it.

In order to use the NoiseGard™ on the –CA and –KA versions you have to turn on the battery pack, which has a two-color LED (Power On (Green)/Low Battery (Yellow) indicator); however I very rarely use it in the CRJ200, CRJ700, and CRJ900. The quality is so good, that even without the NoiseGard™ on, the interference is substantially reduced and the headset provides extremely clear communications.

Often, I find that when I get in the CRJ, I have to turn down the intercom volume from the previous captain because their headset didn’t filter out the ambient noise. There are times though when I do turn the NoiseGard™ on because either the airplane ambient noise requires it or there is too much static over the airwaves or I am going into a terminal area where I don’t want to miss a single communication.

By turning NoiseGard™ on, the clarity of radio communications improves 10-fold.

Fun Facts of Know-and-Tell

Did you know that when people use headphones, they tend to choose a higher volume than they would with loudspeakers. As we all know, listening with high volume levels for a longer time can lead to permanent hearing damage. As pilots, permanent hearing damage could seriously reduce the number of years you could fly. Because the NoiseGard™ circuitry reduces the ambient noise, the headphones can be set at a correspondingly lower level leading to more comfortable hearing conditions and thus protect your hearing.

How does the NoiseGard system work?

The headphone is a Sennheiser NoiseGard™ system. It is a dynamic headphone system which, in addition to reproducing the original audio signal, electronically cancels the low frequencies of ambient noises. This active noise compensation operates on the principle that sound and ”anti-sound“ (in phase opposition) cancel each other out. Like matter and anti-matter. The NoiseGard™ compensation circuitry in the headphone requires an extra power supply, hence the battery compartment has been integrated into the headset cable (see illustration on the right), but like I said above I hardly every use.

Clearly intelligible communication is ensured, and the pilot no longer has to turn the volume up to overcome ambient noise.

Conclusion

The Sennheiser HMEC-25-KA ANR Headset is a great headset! The Sennheiser HMEC-25-KAS is the stereo version. It is more expensive and all you get is the ability to control the volume on the headset which no one ever uses, so why pay for it? All the other headsets in Sennheiser series are a bit too expensive for me or don’t have the proper configuration for the CRJ200.

The Sennheiser HMEC-25-KA is light weight, affordable, and extremely comfortable. I’ve had mine for over five years and have never had a problem with it and it fits easily into my flight bag as well. This headset absolutely pays for itself over time.

Who is this headset NOT right for? Well if you fly piston airplanes there headset is not for you. If you are new to flying this headset is probably not for you either. I recommend going with a less expensive headset for now.

So if you want to pick up either a new Sennheiser HMEC-25 headset or a refurbished Sennheiser HMEC-25-KA ANR Headset, just click on the links and you’ll be taken directly to MyPilotStore.com where you will get the best deal possible on this headset.

To Your Flying Success (and hearing comfort)…

Jeffrey

P.S. Here are two related posts you may be interested in:

• My Aviation Headset Review of The Two Best Headsets Available
• Tips on Buying Pilot Supplies for New Pilots