Obviously a modern audio panel is a even better choice but this review is about the headsets and not panel upgrades. So although the A20's would be lighter on the passengers head and perhaps a bit less clamp/pressure - I think they would prefer the Zulu 3's for overall enjoyment of their media. The key difference between these units is that the minimum volume on the Zulu 3's goes lower than the minimum volume of the A20's. This would also be bothersome except you can then turn down the main headset volume so that the music or movie can be louder. So there is a isolate option where the audio stream and the ATC/Intercom stream retain their current levels. For passengers, especially kids that mode quickly goes from nuisance to downright frustrating. The normal behaviour is for all ATC and passenger intercom audio to suppress the audio stream. When you are streaming audio (bluetooth or wired). When I went back to the Zulu's I was immediately fiddling with the intercom volume as the side tone almost seemed missing. In the A20's the sidetone was obvious and sounded good. When we landed I said "Greg - what do you think?" He said "They are comfortable but I'd rather wear my nice passive set over these A20's, especially given the huge cost difference." So that makes two of us.Īnother thing I learned during the comparison is that the Zulu's for some reason seem quieter w/r to sidetone. So the ANR is working but just not like the Zulu 3's. So I would click the power off and WHAMMM!! Now it was mega loud in the cabin. It was almost like I was using a decent passive set. But for all 3 flights with the A20s I was continuously wondering why it was so loud. With the Zulu 3's I barely hear the Continental 0470 in the 182. They are loud! The ANR off the Zulu 3's is definitely more aggressive. Kari said both sounded the same on her end regarding any delays, background noise, etc.īut it was the actual flight time that was the big letdown. On the Zulu 3's there a bit of a delay or something that the A20's did not have. My first thought was that the call quality is easily better than the Zulu 3's. While taxiing I tested a bluetooth call to the wifey. On the first flight when I switched on the ANR after the plane was started and idling it definitely got quieter. I am guessing a bluetooth audio stream on a newer A20 would still be the winner.Īs of this review I have made (3) flights with the Bose A20's. Trying out streamed or wired audio (music) I think the Bose A20 is a winner. I makes we wonder if they might be more prone to being easily yanked out. ![]() Perhaps the only weird part of the Zulu3's is that the controller is longer / heavier and the kevlar is so thin. I probably don't fly enough to warrant the advantage of the kevlar cords but when paying these prices I think the kevlar version should be the standard. I would say the Bose A20 cords did seem pretty solid to me too. The kevlar cords on the Zulu 3's make then light and way more flexible. However, when flying the Zulu 3 controller lays in the armrest better and is less likely to flop out. Seems a bit more compact, not as easy to bump the volume buttons, etc. I was quickly liking the A20's because they don't clamp as hard, weight less and I like the long mic boom. Meanwhile at home, while waiting for flying days I tried out both. Now starts the Minnesota winter flying wait for decent flying days. The last step was pairing with bluetooth and trying a call. We met at an airport so listened to the AWOS and did a radio check with the control tower. You click on the ANR you can immediately tell its doing something. The tests during purchase went just fine. Also, it is not clear if that updated module also updates the ANR capabilities. So there is the possibility that this older generation was not as good as the new ones today? With Bose you can swap out the entire plugs, controller, mic assembly with a new setup that does bluetooth phone + music but that is close to $300. The telltale difference is that the bluetooth button's icon is a handset where as the new ones have the actual bluetooth symbol. It is the first generation of bluetooth so you can make calls but not stream bluetooth music. So I finally found a used Bose A20 on craigslist.įirst things first - this is a used Bose A20. I had never tried a pair of Bose A20's and I really wanted to understand the differences. But their ANR effectiveness makes them a pass for me.Ī while back I purchased a set of Lightspeed Zulu 3's from Yes its a plug for him because they were in fantastic shape, he shipped right away with tracking and was great to do business with. ![]() TLDR: Unexpected - Bose A20 are comfortable with great features.
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