Aviation Headset Review: David Clark DC ONE-X

After using my H10-13.4 also by David Clark for my ab initio training, I decided it was time to upgrade to a headset with active noise reduction to protect my hearing and also to make me feel more comfortable during and after the flight. So naturally I hopped onto the internet and researched and narrowed my choices to the Lightspeed Zulu 2 or the Bose A20, however as I scrolled through the David Clark category in Sporty's, I found their newly released high-end competitor, the ONE-X. After reading reviews, I have determined that the ONE-X is the most well-built and has very competitive ANR characteristics which is great, however unlike the A20 and the Zulu 2 the ANR isn't

The ONE-X offers a familiar look, but modern technology

so aggressive that you can hardly even hear the engine sound. With a price of $895USD, it was reasonable as well for a high-end competitor in the headset market, so I took the plunge and went from green dome to another green dome.

Also kudos to Sporty's, excellent customer service and very helpful with shipment tracking, I recommend buying anything from them as they have a wide range of supplies to choose from.

When I received it:
It came in a white box with a prominent and iconic David Clark logo and the contents were well packed with the headset nicely wrapped up and the batteries to power and ANR unit nicely stored in an anti-static container. The headset also comes with a nice compact David Clark headset bag and it is free and included with this headset. It includes 5-year warranty and of course it is covered by the Sporty's 30 day test flight guarantee.

Comfort:
Comfort is arguably the most important feature in any pilot headset as you, as the pilot will be likely wearing the headset for an extended period of time and comfort is required to stay alert and to reduce fatigue, and the ONE-X does not disappoint.

Comfort, performance and good looks (Maybe not, I don't know)

The headset features swivel hinge stirrups, plush leatherette ear seals with slow recovery foam and an Outlast fabric headband. The hinge stirrups does a great job of distributing headset pressure and creates a very snug seal that is good enough for last week's near severe turbulence and also provides excellent PNR. However, that being said the clamping pressure is significantly lower than all passive noise attenuation headsets however is slightly higher than the Bose A20 and is slightly "clampier" than some ANR headsets however the ear seals are very soft and as it is slow recovery foam it works with my sunglasses and normal glasses very well without compromising performance. The headset is secure on your head and is not fatiguing to wear. Also, in contrast to the A20 and the H10 series headsets, the Outlast fabric and the leatherette ear seals manage heat buildup excellently and after a while I simply forgot that I was wearing the headset. The headset is also very light at only 12 ounces which also contributes to the increased comfort.

Quiet:
To many pilots, the quietness of the headset is also a very important feature especially if you fly a light GA piston aircraft. The droning of the engine can cause a lot of fatigue and can cause low frequency hearing loss, which is one of the most frequent types of occupational hearing loss reported by people working in or near aircraft. There are 2 types of noise reduction, Passive Noise Reduction relies on how hard the headset clamps and seals the ear which requires no electronics and therefore is pretty cheap. However this headset has not only decent Passive Noise Reduction from the ear-seals, but I think has excellent hybrid Active Noise Reduction (ANR). The ANR in this headset works by using one external dome mic and one internal earpiece mic in order to sample sound, and the sound waves run through a small microprocessor and then plays an anti-noise which reduces the unwanted low frequency sound. The NRR (Noise Reduction Rating) for the ANR is rated at 30dB at 150Hz, but is only for absolute headset geeks as we learn that NRR decreases as the frequency of the noise increases as these headsets only aim to reduce the low frequency rumble which is apparent in piston aircraft that these headsets are intended for,

Now enough of the geek nonsense, it's time to answer the question: Does the ONE-X hold up to the fierce competition between Lightspeed and Bose?

After holding the ANR power button down for 2 seconds, the ANR circuitry fires up and the engine noise gradually fades out to a quiet rumble at a higher pitch. I can still hear the engine, but there's just a whole lot less noise in my world compared to the time when I still used my old H10 passive headsets. Unlike the Bose and Lightspeed, I did not feel as if I was plunged into a world of utter silence, and perhaps both of those long-running brands in the premium ANR market has the edge over total ANR.

However, I actually appreciate the less aggressive ANR that David Clark developed. I feel as if David Clark has taken into account some incidents where ANR has delayed a pilot's recognition of an abnormality in the engine and aircraft systems as their headsets were simply too quiet. It's hard to describe how the ONE-X ANR performs because undoubtedly it is very quiet and it makes flying much more enjoyable, however it still lets in just enough noise so I can set throttle by ear and I am pretty confident I can pick up unusual changes in engine noise if that were to ever happen.

It's after the flight where you can feel the difference. Yes, you can still fly by hearing, yes you can still definitely hear the engine, but just much less of it. I remember that the H10 lets in so much engine noise sometimes that it becomes off-putting and simply a nuisance and the ONE-X removes much of that sort of engine noise. After the flight with the ONE-X, I feel cooler and much more refreshed thanks to reduced low frequency noise, and noise in general!

Sound Quality (Comms and Bluetooth Music):
Combined with the excellent active and passive noise reduction characteristics, the sound quality for the communications are excellent. I am not sure of ATC or my instructor can hear me any better but I hear them with no issue. The volume is adjusted by push buttons on the control module and it is straightforward and I find that the communications seems to have a tad more bass in it compared to the cheaper models, which resembles more of a normal conversation. I almost forgot I was talking through a mic and listening through a pair of headsets actually!

The ONE-X also comes with Bluetooth Music which defaults to audio mute whenever there is an ATC transmission incoming. When anyone speaks on the intercom, the music volume is decreased by 80% and I find this setting to be just fine and shouldn't be changed as this offers a good balance between musical enjoyment and ultimate safety of flight. The music quality is just as good as medium-high end consumer products with enough bass and clarity to allow me to enjoy a good dose of Kenny Loggins whilst flying.

Ease of Use:
This headset is very easy to use and well designed, especially the ANR control module. It is small and has a very nice mounting clip, everything is straightforward and the Bluetooth pairing is also very simple. There's a very useful pilot guide that comes with the headset and it is well written and clear with instructions.

My only gripes are that the headset defaults to a folded state which is great for storing but can be a little annoying when you have to spread it out every time in order to wear it, also the mic seems to be a little bit on the short side so audio reception if not adjusted correctly can be a little intermittent, but with proper adjustment to 1/8 inch away from lips it is fine. Make sure to adjust it so the mic is in front of the entire mouth, not only half of your lips.

The headband is easy to adjust and is detented to allow for precise adjustment, also it is tight enough so you do not have to adjust it for every flight and can be adjusted and left as is.

Reliability/Durability:
Currently it is a new product and I only used it for 2 hours but it feels sturdy with metal alloy headband and after all it is David Clark... They are well known for sturdiness and lasting forever. Other than that, I cannot comment any more as I am still new to this product.

Conclusion:
In closing, these $895 were money well spent, the headset is comfortable, well built and it's quiet but not too quiet to be functional and safe in an aviation environment and I strongly recommend any pilots looking to upgrade into the world of ANR to give these a good consideration, and I am happy to say that David Clark can finally compete in ANR! This headset is especially great if you are conservative with such choices and want to stick with the familiarity of the green domes, you will not be disappointed.

Have fun, fly safe

--
Howard