Noise cancelling headsets and intercom

[jbcollier]

My "other" car is a S1 Lotus Europa and it is very noisy inside.  It's pretty cool for about an hour or so; after that, it gets annoying.  On long trips, I run an intercom system with Bose A20s.  They're noise cancelling and it all works very well.  However, the Europa is not an open car.

 

Anyone have experience using noise cancelling headsets in a Seven?  Do they work in a draughty cockpit?  If so, I'll set up the Seven with an intercom as well.

[SM25T]

They are not effective in the raucous environment of a 7. We use good ear defenders with speakers and boom mic attached.

[Jonathan Kay]

Discussion from 2021 with lots of products and some happy users.

Jonathan

[DougBaker]

From a quick search for Bose A20s I suspect they should work very well in a Seven.

[Skorn]

May I ask what intercom system you use that accepts A20's. I use mine daily for work and was very keen to use them in the caterham but couldn't find anything. They are by far the best audio quality device I've ever used.

 

I think the question you should ask is do they work well in open top aircraft. I know a guy who flies a Boeing Stearman and uses his A20's for it. If they work open top at over 100mph they should be fine in the Caterham at normal road speeds. 

[jbcollier]

Well I'll give it a go and report back.  Looks like I may have to add PTT but we'll see.

[Jonathan Kay]

"Looks like I may have to add PTT... "

Hardware or an app on a smart 'phone?

Jonathan

[Aerial_stu]

My AirPods Pro 2's are awesome.  Much better than over the head Bose set I have. I go full noise cancellation on long drives, and off when having a blast.  They trigger "slight " noise cancellation when it gets too loud, which work great for what I want.

I have the Just Add Lightness headset for when I want to chat to others, but they don't cut out much noise in my opinion.

[jbcollier]

Hardwired push-to-talk as the buffeting may play heck with the squelch settings.

[Golf Juliet Tango]

I can't comment on intercoms but often use noise cancelling headsets or custom ear mould defenders.  If I have a passenger, which isn't often, I let them use similar units. We'll chat once we arrive.

Value for money: https://www.richersounds.com/lindy-wireless-bluetooth-noise-cancelling-mic-closed-back-headphones.html

[Jonathan Kay]

"Hardwired push-to-talk as the buffeting may play heck with the squelch settings."

Thanks.

I'm probably showing my ignorance but how does that affect the choice between a dedicated intercom system and an app on a 'phone?

Jonathan

[Dan R]

As a side thought, and thinking out loud, i do wonder if there has been any research into the use of noise canceling headsets instead of hearing protection headsets, and if there is any long term effect on hearing as a result?  I am assuming that the noise canceling variety introduce the an opposing sound to the ambient ones that are being picked up and therefore canceling out that sound, but does that have an effect on the ear? 

I think this may be an interesting topic for a paper or two sometime in the future given the popularity of noise canceling headphones...... if it hasn't been done already?

Jonathan ?? 

[Jonathan Kay]

I'll have a look, but I'm not expecting to find much.

Which group of people wear them for the longest time?

Jonathan

[jbcollier]

Not really, you can use a phone app as an intercom.  No idea how well they work.  Or, how easy they are to control on the fly.  I prefer to use aviation stuff myself.  Specifically units designed for ultralights as they are rated for excess vibration and noise.

[Dan R]

I too am suspecting there isn't much.  I've had a quick Google but don't have access to an academic library to see if there has been any research. I would imagine it wont be too long before there is something published ......  if anyone needs a topic for research.....

[jbcollier]

Pilots.  If you want noisy, ultra-light and helicopter pilots.

[Dan R]

I think there is a distinction here.... On one hand there are passive attenuation headsets that have noise canceling built in, and then there are primarily noise canceling headsets (On, over, or in ear) that may be used as/instead of hearing protection.   

So there may be questions around the impact of the noise canceling element in both cases, and also with one type vs the other 

[jbcollier]

Chap on the USA7s list has used the Bose headsets and they work fine.  Intercom (mic-ing) above 50mph is a problem though. Definitely looking at PTT.

[SLR No.77]

We use a homemade intercom setup based on an Autocom SPA with the helmet headsets built into a pair of Peltor Optime I ear defenders, so fundamentally the same as the original Autocom in-car setup but with the enhanced features of the SPA unit.  If using a full over-ear headset in a Caterham, personally I think noise-canceling isn't really necessary, likely a different matter with ear-buds though.

We've taken some time to set up the squelch for each headset and it works very well, just don't expect to communicate in whispers because it's asking too much of the system! We only use PTT for car to car via a Kenwood radio. Also a benefit of the Autocom SPA unit is the primary headset has an additional microphone which picks up ambient noise and increases the volume at higher speeds, slow down and the volume reduces again.

Stu.

[ACaterhamCalledFern]

I first bought some Sony xm3's which were great for music but I didn't feel like they were protecting my hearing. 

I use the Just Add Lightness Bluetooth headset which I've made a video on 

I know some people make their own headsets and there are other options available, but I use the Just Add Lightness ones.

 

[Skorn]

I use my noise cancelling headset daily for work (the aformentioned Bose A20).  If I lose my hearing, I lose the medical certificate for my pilots licence and essentially my job, so protecting my hearing is a very high priority for me.  Admittedly an Airbus cockpit is relatively quiet, but certainly at takeoff and low altitudes it is noisy enough to warrant hearing protection.  The change in noise levels at high altitude is marked as the air is thinner, therefore less air hitting the aircraft.  I use some wireless earbuds when driving solo in the Caterham as I enjoy listening to music while driving.  When driving with a passenger I recently bought a Terratrip intercom off Demontweeks.  The voice quality is just about OK, but music is a no go (nice to have on longer trips with my wife).  Hence my interest in how the original poster got the A20's working, because I would be extremely interested in that setup.

[jbcollier]

In answer to your previous question, I use aviation intercom systems designed for ultralights (very noisy!).

 

Happily used this at first:

 

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/avpages/flightcom2sx.php
 

Then went built in with this system:

 

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/pages/av/intercoms_sigtronics/spa4sintercom.php
 

Both worked well.

[Billy.Whizz]

JAL headsets are aviation/military grade.

[jbcollier]

My first attempts were with the SPA rally unit and recon headsets.  Worked well enough but the sound was flat and dull.  Ok for voice communications but awful for anything else.  I then went to the Bose A20s based on online reviews.  They are amazing.  Expensive but very well built and stunning sound.  The noise reduction and blue-tooth is powered by 2 AA batteries and lasts roughly 8 hours depending on where and what you are doing.  I use rechargeable a and charge them every evening when I'm tripping.

[Skorn]

Thank you so much for the links jbcollier.  I had discounted aviation products as usually it comes with the aviation "tax" that makes it vastly more expensive than similar products.  I assume it just connects to the car's 12v power (I'm not sure on microlight electrical systems)?