Time to give up on LightSpeed

[PilotMikeTX]

I just looked at the LightSpeed homepage and there is a picture of the Tron Guy on it. In case you haven't seen him before... http://www.tronguy.net.

When I was growing up pilots were cool. They had strong hands and square jaws and they walked with a little swagger, no doubt because of their giant brass...keys. Like this guy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1ytmAIkvsY

Not like this guy.



Sorry LightSpeed, I bought your refurbished 20K and wore it almost every day for 2 years and over 1800 hours. Three sets of pads and one cord later, it's in my 170 with fress batteries ready to go. And I listen to music at FL450 on your Mach 1 while I consume yet another pasta salad and cup of honeydew/cantaloupe with one grape at the bottom. But I'm not going to be associated with that guy. Nope. Ain't happenin'. I know you can't choose your customers, but you can choose who you put on your homepage.

[russfarris]

I thought this was going to be a rant about Lightspeed Products! Outstanding customer service, but all four of mine have been sent back to the factory more than once for various problems.

The Tron guy - I could have done just fine the rest of my life without seeing, or his package...Russ Farris

[GAHorn]

Is that a "moose-chuckle"?

I had a pair of LIghtspeed 20K's and liked them very much, as they were my first experience with ANR headseats and I got them brand-new for $150 each from a guy who wrecked his plane just as he bought them and merely wanted his money back. They were great for 8 years, although they required 3 different sets of ear-muffs (which Lightspeed sent for free.) They finally died. (The rubber sheath on the cords simply disintegrated, something I've never seen before in any other headset despite their ages.)
I called Lightspeed and they informed me they cannot repair them. No parts for those discontinued models.

BUT....... they would give me $150 each in a trade-in scheme for certain newer models, and they told me the QFR-Solo series were comparable.... for my old 20K's plus $300 each for new QFR-Solo's. So I did it. I sent them my two old 20K's and $600 bucks and earnestly awaited my new Lightspeed headsets.

The new headsets arrived and they look fine, and seem well constructed. I prefer the steel-wire frames over the previous plastic. But they are NOT the "same" performance as the 20K's. They don't have anywhere NEAR the ANR capability. (Instead of diminishing the deep, propellor "throb"... they merely alter it...albiet to a slightly less offensive tone.... but they definitely do NOT work as well as my old 20k's.) I'm disappointed.

I will not buy another Lightspeed headset now, over this experience. I'll probably spring for the Bose next time.

[futr_alaskaflyer]

The Tron Guy was an Internet Meme for a while (that means "fad" for some of you ) He posts quite often on another flying forum where I participate, and seems like a good guy (other than his politics but why let that stand between pilots )

On another note, I tried out the Lightspeed in-the-ear headset (the "Mach 1") for the past couple of weeks. Sent it back. Felt and looked cheap and was uncomfortable to wear over the ear. Bought a Clarity Aloft instead even though it did not have as many aux features.

[blueldr]

My favorite headsets were the old ones we had on the 'Dizzy Six" when I was flying the Pacific. They had a rubber pad that was the thickness of a condom and a wire frame used to crack walnuts at meal time. They sure did hold your ears down so you could hear your own pulse in case you felt that maybe you had gone to hell or something. Unfortunately, the flight legs were only about ten hours each so you didn't really get their full potency. Their principal function was to amplify the noise of the inboard engines so they could be synched up to a reasonal throb which helped to ignore communications from Oakland Radio asking for some silly crap like your guestimated position.

[GAHorn]

...communications from Oakland Radio asking for some silly crap like your guestimated position.

Bonanza 1234: "Hello, DFW tower?...this is Bonanza 1234 ten-miles north, requesting landing instructions."

DFW Tower: "Bonanza calling DFW, we don't have anything on you. Have you called Regional Approach?"

Bonanza 1234: "This is Bonanza 1234..... No. We're VFR and have the runways in sight and we just now found your frequency."

DFW Tower: "Bonanza 1234, DFW tower, we have numerous airline traffic inbound from the north.... turn left IMMEDIATELY and proceed Northbound at or below 2,000 feet and contact Regional approach frequency 125.3. Say your position..?"

Bonanza 1234: "Roger, I'm vice-president of commercial lending, First United Bank."

[4stripes]

You would never see a high wing pilot dressed like that!

[PilotMikeTX]

On another note, I tried out the Lightspeed in-the-ear headset (the "Mach 1") for the past couple of weeks. Sent it back. Felt and looked cheap and was uncomfortable to wear over the ear. Bought a Clarity Aloft instead even though it did not have as many aux features.

I almost sent mine back too. It takes some getting used to if you're not used to having something stuck in your ear. I also have to use the "less quiet" silicone ear plugs instead of the foam ones, but the cat's meow will be when I finally get around to getting my custom ear molds done.

FWIW, everything that I've heard about their new Zulu is great. Everyone raves about it and seems to prefer it to Bose (which I personally didn't like to wear for more than a couple of hours anyway).

[bsdunek]

You would never see a high wing pilot dressed like that!

Or taildragger pilot!

[blueldr]

Oh, George!

That was a good one!