There isn’t a lot to say in this review of the Telex Echelon 20 headset. If you’re looking for an affordable passive aviation headset, then look no further.

The Telex Echelon 20 was my first headset. Now, it still lives in my flight bag for passengers. It’s cheap, it’s reliable, and it’s comfortable. If you’re looking for a flashy headset, however, then the Echelon 20 isn’t for you. It doesn’t have many fancy extra features — no bluetooth or audio inputs here.

Unlike most entry-level headsets, you can actually wear this one for multiple hours without needing an ear amputation. That’s rare. The Echelon 20 comes with a faux-leather headset bag that’s not really very useful — the headset folds into a compact size, and it’s easier to stuff it into a flight bag or backpack pocket.

As of this writing, you can pick up a new Telex Echelon 20 for $189 on Sporty’s.

Before I finished my private pilot’s license, I knew that an instrument rating was in my future.

So, right after earning my private, one of my first buys was Sporty’s Instrument Rating Course. Then it sat on my bookshelf… for about a year.

 

I wanted to build some time and experience (and cash) before I embarked on an instrument rating. And perhaps more than that, I wasn’t eager to sit through hours and hours of instrument ground school — this stuff isn’t known for being the most engaging material, after all.

But it didn’t take too long before I finally bit the bullet. After canceling cross countries because of low cloud layers enroute and a flight with my instructor in marginal VFR, I started getting really excited about becoming instrument rated. So I pulled the Sporty’s Course off my shelf and got ready to learn.

I’m no stranger to self-study — I used the ASA’s DVD ground school for my private. Since I’d heard good things about the Sporty’s course, so I decided to try that on this go around. [Read more…]

[Note: For my review of the QT Halo in-ear headset, click here.]

I like Bose.

I’ve got a SoundDock sitting next to my basement bar, and I’ve got a pair of QC3 noise canceling headphones sitting in my desk at work. They’re both great products. So, when I decided that I wanted a new high-end aviation headset, the Bose A20 seemed like an easy choice.

But this review isn’t about the Bose A20.

The Decision

On doing a little digging into headsets, it was clear that the market was split in two camps: Bose vs. Lightspeed Aviation.

I didn’t know much about Lightspeed — my CFI has a set of A20s, and loves them. But [Read more…]