That’s one less device to deal with while flying the aircraft. Then you could play back an ATC clearance by pressing a button on the control module rather than fumbling with your smart phone or tablet or using “Say again” several times while copying a clearance. One safety feature that would be nice is to have the cockpit voice recorder built into the headset rather than the smart phone app. With the Zulu 3, I have to go to the Settings app on my iPad and a 2-step process to establish the connection. After the initial pairing with my iPad Mini 5, it automatically connects with Foreflight. I also noticed that Bluetooth has been improved with the Delta Zulu. I gave my wife the Zulu 3 when I bought the Delta Zulu since the Zulu 3 ANR works better than the Zulu 2. The Zulu 2 still works well but you can’t trade it in on the Delta Zulu. I started out with a Zulu 2 years ago and then upgraded to a Zulu 3. It would be nice to have a trade-in program that accepts Zulu 2 headsets to lower the cost of the Delta Zulu. Knocking down the engine noise improves clarity for me. For those with hearing loss who don’t wear hearing aids or those who wear older hearing aids that aren’t performing like they did originally, the HearingEQity could make a difference in the clarity of intercom and radio communications. There is also some signal degradation present in each equalizer so the fewer the better. If you’ve ever tried to run sound signals through two sets of equalizers, one of which is automatically adjusting, you’ll notice that clarity isn’t as good. I wear advanced hearing aids with the Delta Zulu and although I set the HearingEQity up with the test tones, I’ve found that setting the headset equalizer to flat response works better because my Starkey Evolv AI hearing aids constantly adjust for the sound environment. I like the larger, deeper, soft ear cups on the Lightspeed headsets better than the Bose A20. The Delta Zulu is a bit heavier than my Zulu 3 but it’s not that noticeable. Even with a Kevlar jacket around the wires, frequent bending will eventually fray them inside the insulation with the other arrangement. When I pack the headset in my flight bag, there less bending and folding of the wires. I also like the cables coming out of the same end on the control module. The only reason that I can think of to do that is if I forget to charge the rechargeable pack and it dies on me in flight. I can charge the headset with the included USB cable so I don’t need to take the rechargeable battery off unless I want to swap the included AA battery pack on. It’s much easier to get the battery on and off. Like you, I really like the battery compartment change. I think that the manual for Delta Zulu says that you can send the headset back to Lightspeed to replace the CO detector when it doesn’t work anymore rather than buying a new headset. With the Delta Zulu I charge the battery after each flight and I can plug it into my panel mounted 12 volt accessory jack if necessary so I never have to change the battery on the CO detector. You can’t change the internal battery on one of those things in flight. I also have had several occasions where I forgot to turn it off and the battery died. I have a portable electronic CO detector but I’m always moving it around to be in my view since I might not be able to hear the audible alarm with all the cockpit noise. I really like the integrated CO detector. The engine noise is quieter and I’m sure that it’s due to the additional microphones on the outside of the headset. The ANR feature is definitely better than the Zulu 3 that I also have. I’ve used my Delta Zulus for about 20 hours of flight so far. In not doing so, I think they are missing out on a significant portion of the market. I know of a few pilots that like Lightspeed products, but have to use the A-20 because their work environment requires a TSO’d headset. I feel they are making a mistake in not going through the TSO process. One final observation: With the Delta Zulu, Lightspeed is now a direct competitor for the TSO’d Bose A-20. It’s hard enough to open sitting in a well lighted room at home, but fumbling with it in a dark cockpit in turbulence to swap batteries is, what I consider to be a safety hazard. All of the previous Zulu series and the Sierra have a cover for the battery compartment that is a real pain. First, like Coyle above, I am curious about the life limitation and calibration of the CO monitor, and can you select the level at which the alarms(s) is (are) set? Second, I am very happy to see the new design for the battery compartment. I have two questions, or maybe observations.
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