Music to My Ears

Lane Wallace

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

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Headset manufacturers often fail at marketing by excessively focusing on technical specifications (like dBs and SPLs) that don't resonate with typical buyers.
The true value of a headset lies in facilitating clear communication, enhancing comfort, preserving relationships, and improving the overall flying experience for pilots and passengers.
Buyers, like the author, prioritize practical benefits such as comfort, reliable communication, and usability with accessories over advanced or complex technical features.

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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.