What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Clarity Aloft vs QT Halo

olyolson

Well Known Member
Friend
I have an AKG AV100 ANR headset that I really like. I?ve been considering one of the really lightweight headsets. Since my music is hard wired into the GTR 200, these lighter headset versions should work well.

I?ve never tried a pair, will they be clear enough in a loud RV-4 cockpit? Any preferences on one or the other? Please include quality, durabilty and customer support (if ever needed).
 
I've owned a -4 for most of the last 24 years.

After about a decade of use/return for repair/use/repeat with a couple pairs of Lightspeeds, I bought my 1st pair of Halos. Let my wife try them first, and never got them back. Bought a pair for myself (again).

Needless to say, we both love them. I don't know if they are as quiet as the current crop of active noise canceling head vices, but they are actually quieter than the 1st and 2nd gen models I had. Low freqs blocking is as good, and the higher freqs (wind noise, etc) is superior. And no batteries, no special plugs, no extra wiring. Just plug 'em in & go.

Support has been as good or better than Lightspeed was in the beginning.

You do need to be sure you can tolerate ear plugs; either the compressible foam types or multi-ring silicone. Also need to be sure that type of ear plug will seal up in your ear canal. A non- or poor seal will reduce their effectiveness at blocking sound by quite a bit. If you can meet those targets, you will likely forget you're wearing them within 5 minutes of putting them on.

Charlie
(long term satisfied customer)
 
Try a search for “Halo” here on the forums - more threads commenting on them and comparing them to other headsets (including Clarity) than you’ll ever have time to read. But you’ll get a lot of good information.
 
Our airplane flies with two very active pilots. On one side is a QT Halo, the other side is a Clarity Aloft, for the last 1900hrs... I've made this comparison in posts in years past. (search). We have gripes with both. The Clarity came back today from the nearly annual speaker replacement $100 with "we recommend that you/we replace the other one too." That will be the last time ever for us. We are fully into a ground up build to replace both,with truly quality components.

Last weekend I went around the pattern with a brand new (borrowed) Lightspeed Zulu and landed with "**** no!". I've been using Phil's product for the last decade, but it is time for a quality upgrade for me.

Ooh, disclaimer, I almost can't go out of the house on a cloudy day without sunglasses. It isn't an option at all.

Edit: Fast forward just a few months from this post, and the overwhelming interest pushed the CQ1 headset by Card Machine Works into production and available for all at https://cqheadset.com
 
Last edited:
Halo ear seal

Ditto rv7charlie comment. Mine would start off good but need to be pushed into my ear (repeatedly) to maintain a seal. So, I bought Bose A20 AND that works better for me. YMMV
 
Our airplane flies with two very active pilots. On one side is a QT Halo, the other side is a Clarity Aloft, for the last 1900hrs... I've made this comparison in posts in years past. (search). We have gripes with both. The Clarity came back today from the nearly annual speaker replacement $100 with "we recommend that you/we replace the other one too." That will be the last time ever for us. We are fully into a ground up build to replace both, in small quantity (not for sale) with truly quality components.

Last weekend I went around the pattern with a brand new (borrowed) Lightspeed Zulu and landed with "**** no!". I've been using Phil's product for the last decade, but it is time for a quality upgrade for me.

I am a little slow on the uptake...does this mean you do not like lightspeed ZULU? Who is Phil and what does he make? QT and/or Halo? I am looking for a new headset and appreciate the input.
 
Who is Phil and what does he make? QT and/or Halo? I am looking for a new headset and appreciate the input.

Phil is the manufacturer of the Halos.

My experience is that the only earbuds that work for me with the Halos are the very soft black gell tips. The foam inserts result in substantially more noise coming through compared to my Lightspeed Zulu's.

From a mic quality standpoint, I find the Lightspeeds superior to the Halos. One problem I've had with the Halos is keeping the mic oriented properly. It seems to rotate to a position pointing somewhere other than where I initially aimed it. That's bad with a directional mic.

From a comfort standpoint, it is a wash. The Lightspeeds are comfortable, but are heavier and make it more difficult to wear a hat.

From a convenience standpoint, I can have the Lightspeeds on (or off) in 5 seconds. It takes a couple of minutes to roll and insert both tips on the Halos.

Bottom line - if they were similarly priced, I'd almost certainly go with Lightspeeds. They aren't. I'm pretty much ambivalent at the relative prices.
 
Ditto rv7charlie comment. Mine would start off good but need to be pushed into my ear (repeatedly) to maintain a seal. So, I bought Bose A20 AND that works better for me. YMMV

Aaannnddd if one wears glasses (or sunglasses), the same issue arises. Without a good seal against the head around one's ears, regular and noise cancelling muff style headsets have the same issue with air leaks. It really does come down to what works for each person.
 
QT Halo! Are They the best? Don't know! But I fly 1200 miles to Oshkosh and forget I have em on! I'm happy!
 
Thank you, Kyle, for the input! I have bose now and they work well. It is a set I got from the former, now retired, commander of the Oregon Air national guard. He went to fly for Alaska and bought a new setup.
 
Same Boat

I have 2 Bose A20's and 2 Bose X's and we are considering the Clarity Aloft as our replacement for the 2 Bose X's but I just love the A20's. I get slightly more noise wearing my sunglasses but it is hardly noticeable.

I may try one of the in ear styles for a longer trip at some point.

Like anything, you have to try them for yourself and see what works.
 
I have the QT Halo. As I always have problems with earbuds, I made a personal silicone earbuds with a mould of my ears and only have to do a hole to pass a tube to connect the Halo's. This is very comfortable and very cheap modification as these earbuds are the same as I use in the swimming pool for only $20 slightly modified.
 
This subject is very much a personal preference, more than most other things that we discuss here. Even the "performance" of each brand that is judged is all based on person preference. I have Bose A20s and Bose X, then decided to buy Halos so I could wear a baseball cap and have glasses on without issues from the headsets. I used the Halos for a while, especially during the summer due to heat in the cockpit and from the fishbowl that we fly in, but then I find myself going back to the Bose A20s for quality over comfort. Sometimes I start with the A20's on a long cross country during summer mornings and then switch to the Halos when the sun comes up and I want to wear sunglasses and a hat while flying.
Like I said, its just such a personal preference and so hard to give recommendations. :D

Not sure this help but good luck coming up with your own personal choice :):confused:
 
I have the QT Halo. As I always have problems with earbuds, I made a personal silicone earbuds with a mould of my ears and only have to do a hole to pass a tube to connect the Halo's. This is very comfortable and very cheap modification as these earbuds are the same as I use in the swimming pool for only $20 slightly modified.

Can you please provide more details about this mod? where do you get the silicone earbuds? I see you are in Spain so we may not have the "store" here in the US but it would be nice to see your mod. Maybe a picture ?
 
Headsets

I hate to admit but I am a headset collector. I have try them all from the cheapest X brands to the most expensive. Halos, DC's, Bose, Lightspeed, Clarity Aloft

If you fly a very loud aircraft, there is none better than either Bose or Lightspeed. I use them with a Velcro Chin Strap to keep them tight and in place during acro flight. Of these two brands, I'll stick with the Lightspeed if music is involved but Bose is as good as it can be too.

As for the Halo vs Clarity Aloft question; You cant beat the light feeling of using any of these two headsets while flying...Both feel great. However, when I fly w/my helmet on I rather use the Clarity Aloft since the Halo make me feel like someone is talking through a tube into my ear. I dont like the ECHO feel the Halo give you... The CA also fits better with any helmets (aviation and non aviation helmets)

Yes, I have had a few (ALL SELF INDUCED) issues with my Clarity Aloft but even after warranty was expired, I've never been charged for any repairs or replacements. Definitely Clarity Aloft is my choice.
 
My wife and I have tried both the Clarity and Halo's. Neither come close to the noise cancelling of the Bose A20's, which is what I am using now. The microphone audio on the Halo's was terrible compared to the Bose or the Clarity. I suspect these would work well in a quite environment, but not in an RV.
 
Can you please provide more details about this mod? where do you get the silicone earbuds? I see you are in Spain so we may not have the "store" here in the US but it would be nice to see your mod. Maybe a picture ?

Next weekend I will take some pictures if you want. The earbuds are commercial to use for swimming. Usually it has been made from a mould of each ear of the patient. I made mine in my optical store. I don't know in USA where they can be made, but for sure there will be a lot of places. I am attaching two pictures of standard earbuds

actualidad-tapoenes-de-bao-a..._zpsx5ystv8v.png


292-moldes-clasicos_zps5uu2sal2.jpg
 
Last edited:
My wife and I have tried both the Clarity and Halo's. Neither come close to the noise cancelling of the Bose A20's, which is what I am using now. The microphone audio on the Halo's was terrible compared to the Bose or the Clarity. I suspect these would work well in a quite environment, but not in an RV.

Ditto. Tried the Halo's by Phil. Tower always complained they couldn't hear me (too much background noise). Switched to A20s and am extremely happy with the improved noise cancelling and mic filtering.

As another mentioned, the mic on the Halo would never stay where I put it. I had to always hold it to my lips when transmitting so people could hear me.
 
As someone who works as an engineer for a company that makes in-ear monitors and headphones for pro applications, I'll just make a couple general statements.
In my experience, if you have a good seal with the right tips, the in-ear type of headset will give you good overall noise rejection similar to that of a noise cancelling over-the-ear (circumaural) headset. Second, as others have mentioned already, it's a personal thing because some people hate having the in-ears shoved in their ears for long (or even short) periods of time. If you can, try a pair (with new tips of course) and see if you like that type of headset first.

Matt
 
QT Halo

I have both Lightspeed Zulu 2s and QT Halos. I mostly use my QT Halos for the following reasons:
I can wear a big hat for sun protection.
No ear cup seal for my glasses to interfere with.
My Halos provide good noise reduction and are comfortable.
The mic is quite adequate. No complaints from anyone reading my calls.
And, the price is reasonable.
JP
 
Another data point ? I bought a pair of clarity aloft earbuds at Oshkosh last year. Flew home with them and along the way compared them to my lightspeed headset. Ended up returning the clarity headset and sticking with lightspeed. One thing not mentioned above, and maybe not an issue for others, is that the clarity unit almost seemed too light. It felt like the earbuds were ready to come out of my ears as I movedmy head around. They just didn?t feel secure. Couldn?t get used to that feeling. Just my experience.
 
Hi Matt,

Good to hear from someone who's still a pro in the field. Care to address the custom molded earpieces, relative to how well they seal the ear canal vs. using foam or multi-ribbed silicone?

Charlie
(sound engineer in a previous life. In a previous century)
 
Another data point – I bought a pair of clarity aloft earbuds at Oshkosh last year. Flew home with them and along the way compared them to my lightspeed headset. Ended up returning the clarity headset and sticking with lightspeed. One thing not mentioned above, and maybe not an issue for others, is that the clarity unit almost seemed too light. It felt like the earbuds were ready to come out of my ears as I movedmy head around. They just didn’t feel secure. Couldn’t get used to that feeling. Just my experience.

you sure you had the right size earbuds? there 3 different sizes are available. No problems here

BTW I had the ear molds made for my CA's and did not work as good as the earbuds
 
I have both the QT Halo's and A20's.

I prefer the QT most of the time. I only wear the A20's if I am going to be taking the headset off and on a lot. But for a XC or aerobatics, the QT wins hands down.

I made the mistake of trying to wear the A20's in my Pitts. The ANR was constantly trying to "catch up" and it actually hurt my ears. Now, this was because I was doing acro and making constant throttle changes. I did't have this issue XC flying.

So:
1. Halo
2. A20's

For me. I can't speak to the CA's, but they cost more and I have been told break more often.
 
Hi Matt,

Good to hear from someone who's still a pro in the field. Care to address the custom molded earpieces, relative to how well they seal the ear canal vs. using foam or multi-ribbed silicone?

Charlie
(sound engineer in a previous life. In a previous century)

Hey Charlie,

Cool! Pro sound engineering is a fun but tough gig. We have a lot of people who work here who were live sound or recording engineers and got out of it for various reasons.

I personally haven't had a set of custom molded earphones made for me (mainly because they're expensive). It's certainly what most of the pro musicians are using as well as race car drivers and others who need a low profile earphone for use under a helmet. People I work with who have extensively tried both customs and universal earphones have mixed reviews (like anything). Generally if done right they fit in deeper in the ear canal and do seal a little better. Many absolutely love the customs. Others have difficulty getting them in or found them uncomfortable because of how deep in the ear canal they protrude. As mentioned, quality customs aren't cheap. For most people I'd say if you spend the time to try the different tip options on a universal earphone and figure out what works best for you, the seal is just as good as a custom. Hope that helps!

Matt
 
Back
Top