Customer Reviews

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Rating: 4 of 5

"Absolutely perfect, except..."
12/19/2012 by Tony in Wisconsin

I have been using the Bose X10 for about 5 years. Being a techno-freak, I was very excited when Bose entered the Bluetooth, and audio-input side of general aviation. Things have been great with my A20, except one. If the headset is plugged into the plane when I attempt to turn it on, it gives me the same response as if it has a dead battery. This made me replace several sets of good batteries without need. I actually thought my headset was broken after trying 3 sets of batteries (while the headset was still plugged in). Then I figured out that unplugging it from the panel, then turning it on was the trick, all was ok. I called Bose to let them know about the issue, and they simply told me that I didn´t hold the on/off button long enough, which is not true. I hope that they will see more of this problem in other units soon, so I can have them fix mine before the warranty is out. My X10´s do not have this problem. I love my Bose, but this little nuisance needs to be fixed for them to be the perfect headset that I know they are.

Rating: 5 of 5

"Perfect!"
9/3/2012 by Ti in Washington

It is a perfect aviation headset. Very quite, very comfortable. It does what it is supposed to do. Built quality is superb.

Rating: 3 of 5

"Good Headset... but for a price"
5/12/2012 by W. in California

The Bose A20 Headset provides the supreme Active Noise Reduction (ANR) technology and comfort as found in its predecessor, the Bose Aviation X. However, unlike the Aviation X, the A20 adds additional options - such as the Auxiliary-In feature for GPS and MP3 units; moreover, with the A20 Bluetooth models, one has the option to connect his/her telephone to the headset for telephone conversations while in the aircraft. Certainly, this was an option that the Aviation X headset had lacked when compared to other headsets that were in its price range ($800+). One would expect the A20 to be supreme to the Aviation X (ex. longer battery-life and a case that actually fits the headset). And while such conclusion may be true, the A20 also lacks in many regards... namely the cheap construction to the battery´s housing. Specifically, the cover that connects to the control unit/battery module seems to be cheaply constructed - and the battery cover would seem to be easily fatigued/damaged after a few battery changes. Moreover, with regard to ANR, I seem to note no difference in sound quality between the A20 and [older] Aviation X.

Rating: 5 of 5

"Most Comfortable Aviation Headset on the Market"
4/27/2012 by CC in Alabama

Being former military, I used the David-Clark exclusively before, and while they never break, they did clamp a little too hard after hours of use. As I did experience some hearing loss from the military and wanted the best headset out there, after much asking around I choose the Bose. As I am adding a rating, my ex-military instructor (also with service related hearing loss) tried them and said they are the best headset he has ever tried, he uses the older model Bose. The performance is excellent, both in frequency quality, volume and noise detection/reduction. On cheaper headsets (and cell phones) I have trouble hearing certain tones, not with the Bose. The ear cups are now larger than the last generation headset and work well with the two different models of sunglasses I wear. When looking for a aviation headsett, my goal was to be at my best with a comfortable set vs. saving a few hundred dollars (a couple of hours of fuel) and not be at my best with a lesser fitting headset and potential subsequent headache, which may become a distraction. The bluetooth works well when testing, however I have not used it much when in the aircraft.

Rating: 3 of 5

"Too bad it was not comfortable, noise reduction great"
2/2/2012 by KSH in Arizona

I am a commercial pilot flying the 747 internationally. It has a very noise cockpit, and while new on the aircraft, I have already noticed that 75% percent of all pilots on it use some kind of noise cancelling headset. My first leg with the headset involved a big delay out of JFK; I wore the headset for 9 hours straight. After 2 hours it created a sore spot on top of my head. I used it the next three ocean crossings with the same result of a sore head after a couple hours. This confirmed my decision to return it. The other drawback is it is very big and bulky, so does take a fair amount of room in the flight bag. As another review stated, the control box is quite heavy and you can feel it dragging against your head at times. While a negative, I could of lived with this issue if it was not for the feel of my head being in a vice grip after a couple hours. Now for the positives, the head sets noise cancelling ability is excellent. The quality of ATC transmissions is amazing, although it does not always solve the problem of understanding the Scottish controllers, it sure helps. As mentioned in another review you do need to keep one side half off your ear to hear another person in the cockpit. I noticed the bulk of other pilots have the Telex model, it is much smaller and lighter. I borrowed another crewmembers Telex for 1/2 hour, and while you did not notice you even had it on, it was not as quiet, and did not do as good of job at noise cancelling.

Rating: 5 of 5

"True Luxury"
1/7/2012 by S. in California

After trying the older version (Boise Aviation X) in the 757/767 and GA aircraft, I returned them. The Low volume, sound etc were just no good. However, these new A20 headsets are a thing that every pilot should have, if they want the best. The comfort is great. The sound (or lack of) is just amazing. The bluetooth works just perfect every time. If you are flying a Cessna 150 or a 747, this headset works perfect. Battery life is very good. Stereo sound is great. Only CON is that customer service is NILL. I tried to ask how I could tighten the mike, and they are no help. Yet, the headset is a true joy to have and use!

Rating: 5 of 5

"Significant improvement"
4/19/2011 by Barry in California

I had been flying with the original Bose headsets and my wife gave me a pair of the A20´s for Christmas. I initially thought it was a very nice gift yet not really useful as I already had a similar set. I was very happy with the signifcant improvements in noise-reduction and the addition of the Bluetooth and Aux input simply shuts the doors on the "old" pair. After flying with the new ones, my wife now uses the "old" ones. I finally caught on to why she gave me the new pair!

Rating: 5 of 5

"A20 Headset brought quality to a new level"
7/29/2010 by Fred in Florida

I own the Bose X and the Lightspeed Zulu. The new A20 in my DA40 greatly reduced engine and vent noise was a completly new level of quality. The comfort and smaller form size than the Zulu was preferred. The A20 has brought a new level of comfort and quality that none of the other top headsets can comapre. The Bose X and Zulu both have their strong and weak points. The A20´s have high marks in each category. I just love them.