Has anyone used an ANR headphone conversion kit?

[Methusala]

G'day all, I have a trusty David Clark H-10 13.4 headset which I would like to convert to active noise cancelling. Has anyone used the kit from Aircraft Spruce and can report on the results?

[Underwood]

I have a DC headset that I had converted by ANR Man https://www.anrman.co.uk/

 

He uses one of the conversion kits.

As I never did the conversion myself I can't comment on its fitting but in use I would say the Noise reduction is 80%-90% as good as the Bose A20 headset I also have.

It also has the advantage that if the battery runs out then the passive noise reduction on the DC is far better than the Bose A20. When the battery runs out on the A20 its horrible

[Methusala]

40 minutes ago, Underwood said:

I have a DC headset that I had converted by ANR Man https://www.anrman.co.uk/

Thanks for your post. Unfortunately, I am in Oz so can't really use your bloke in the UK. A/c Spruce offer a kit so may try a self-install. Anyone else have experience?

[440032]

3 hours ago, Methusala said:

G'day all, I have a trusty David Clark H-10 13.4 headset which I would like to convert to active noise cancelling. Has anyone used the kit from Aircraft Spruce and can report on the results?

Yes, I fitted the kit to an Altronics headset back in 2002 ($390 AUD for the Headsets Inc. kit) and it still works great. But the USD price these days - OUCH! I don't know if I would again today, especially at that price. I don't know what a good factory ANR headset costs.

Edited Friday at 09:45 AM by 440032

[skippydiesel]

Found this- 

https://aerocircus.com.au/anr-upgrade-part-1/

https://aerocircus.com.au/anr-upgrade-part-2/

https://www.aircraftspruce.com.au/catalog/avpages/anrkit11-12165.php

https://www.aircraftspruce.com.au/catalog/avpages/retrofit_kit.php

 

 

 

[spacesailor]

I use an Altronics head set with separate ANR battery powered kit.

Works great while mowing the lawn. 

Cuts out All the mower exhaust & ignition noise . As I don't fly .

spacesailor

[BrendAn]

5 hours ago, Methusala said:

Thanks for your post. Unfortunately, I am in Oz so can't really use your bloke in the UK. A/c Spruce offer a kit so may try a self-install. Anyone else have experience?

hi don, have you looked at the anr headsets in the shop on this site.   they are not much more than the kit you are looking at.

[BrendAn]

Edited Friday at 01:30 PM by BrendAn

[rodgerc]

I upgraded a DC H10-13.4 a few years back. It works OK but not as well as my wife’s Lightspeed. My two primary reservations are: It’s still got the David Clamps/Cramps comfort level and it’s a heavy consumer of 9v batteries. 
 

But it was a LOT less expensive than a Bose or Lightspeed. 

[BurnieM]

Buy once, cry once.

I like my new A20 that I got for $1650 a month after the A30 came out.

 

[facthunter]

Some always want the Latest when the Price is Highest.  The Ones I used with my Crystal set in the 50'a still work and my 90's David Clarks  are fine. Nev

[BrendAn]

39 minutes ago, facthunter said:

Some always want the Latest when the Price is Highest.  The Ones I used with my Crystal set in the 50'a still work and my 90's David Clarks  are fine. Nev

if you fly a noisy little ac anr would be nice.

[BrendAn]

18 hours ago, BurnieM said:

Buy once, cry once.

I like my new A20 that I got for $1650 a month after the A30 came out.

 

you can buy quality anr headsets right here in ians shop for a fraction of that.

[BurnieM]

The problem is unless you know somebody with a set you cannot actually test them before purchase.

My choice was A20 or A30 or Lightspeed and it was based on their reputations.

The only thing I really tried in the shop was their fit/comfort.

 

Stlll happy with my Bose A20 2 years later.

Had to look up the receipt to remember the price.

 

Edited Sunday at 02:47 AM by BurnieM

[facthunter]

Some sounds might be a useful warning. My ears were affected by Aircraft noise over Many Years of Piston engines, Particularly.    Nev

[Thruster88]

5 hours ago, facthunter said:

Some sounds might be a useful warning. My ears were affected by Aircraft noise over Many Years of Piston engines, Particularly.    Nev

Agree, I was wearing a Sony nc headphone, watching a YouTube on the big screen when RFguy landed at the farm recently. Lucky my 6th sense was working.

[facthunter]

Good Vibrations? Nev

[Red]

11 minutes ago, Thruster88 said:

Agree, I was wearing a Sony nc headphone, watching a YouTube on the big screen when RFguy landed at the farm recently. Lucky my 6th sense was working.

Pardon?

[Thruster88]

1 hour ago, Red said:

Pardon?

My friend and forumite RFguy did his first landing at my farm strip in his excellent Piper Archer yesterday. 

[BrendAn]

9 hours ago, BurnieM said:

The problem is unless you know somebody with a set you cannot actually test them before purchase.

My choice was A20 or A30 or Lightspeed and it was based on their reputations.

The only thing I really tried in the shop was their fit/comfort.

 

Stlll happy with my Bose A20 2 years later.

Had to look up the receipt to remember the price.

 

i thought ian was looking for someone to trial his anr headsets a while ago. will have to find out if he has results.

[CT9000]

Ian did test several headsets in flight in my aircraft. Also tested phone connect capability and so on. He went to a fair bit of effort to make sure his product is up to scratch.

[BrendAn]

13 minutes ago, CT9000 said:

Ian did test several headsets in flight in my aircraft. Also tested phone connect capability and so on. He went to a fair bit of effort to make sure his product is up to scratch.

excellent thank you. i have been looking at getting a set myself.

[skippydiesel]

I am a relative newcomer to noise canceling headsets - current set DC H 10's, inherited with last aircraft that did not need the ANC capability, so rarely used. New aircraft, much noisier cockpit, so used all the time.  The DC's went on the blink, Sydney repairs shop took months to get the parts and two goes at getting it right.

 

Peltor (now 3m) used to make the most comfortable, effective, passive, noise reduction headsets - sadly do not seem to be still in production - I have one.😈

[CT9000]

Unfortunately I can't comment on the performance of any of these units but Ian can. He did all the testing and I did the flying.

[bushcaddy105]

Have used the DIY kits in Pilot brand headsets for years. Very good attenuation.
2 tips:-  The accessory replacement cables which include the power wires make the setup much less likely to tangle.

Make up a 9 volt power supply run from the plane’s 12 volts and fit a socket next to the headset sockets. No worries then about battery life.