Music to My Ears

Lane Wallace

Sunday, July 01, 2001 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The article criticizes aviation headset manufacturers for overly focusing on complex technical specifications in their marketing, which the author finds unhelpful and overwhelming.
The author argues that the true value of headsets lies in their ability to facilitate clear communication, essential for improving relationships in the cockpit and ensuring the emotional and mental comfort of passengers.
Beyond communication and comfort, modern headsets enhance the flying experience with features like in-flight music, underscoring the need for marketing to highlight these experiential benefits rather than just technical jargon.

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||| |—|—| | | | According to the Pilot Communications Company, the PA 17-79 DNC XL is a pretty special unit. It offers 18-22 dB DNC and a maximum ambient noise level of 120 dB SPL at 100 Hz, in a bi-directional polar pattern, in addition to an EVI circuit with a 2-4 dB gain at 500-1000 MHz-with only an 8-16 VDC requirement.

I have no idea exactly what that all means, of course, but I think it’s supposed to impress me. At least the folks at Pilot headsets must have thought it would, or they wouldn’t have displayed all that technoscrabble so prominently throughout the PA 17-79’s brochure.