AOPA Pilot Magazine - November 2014 - 36

PILOT BRIEFING
PILOT PRODUCTS

Lightspeed PFX gets personal
New headset gets to know your ear
BY THOMAS B. HAINES

WITH ALL THE RECENT ATTENTION to inear and on-ear headsets, Lightspeed has
fired back with a cutting edge new overthe-ear model that takes noise attenuation
and audio processing to new levels. Years in
development, the Lightspeed Zulu PFX uses
acoustic response mapping to constantly measure
your "unique auditory landscape" (the shape of your ear
and the fit of the headset) to fine tune the noise canceling and
audio processing as flight conditions change. Put on a pair of
sunglasses, for example, and a few seconds later the headset
has mapped the new "landscape" caused by the addition of the
sunglass frame over your ear. With that, the electronics adjust
the noise canceling and you will hear a pronounced change in
noise signature.
I've flown with Lightspeed Zulu headsets for years and own
several pairs of them. When I first put the PFX on, the noise
canceling seemed similar. However, shortly after powering up
for takeoff I heard a bit of a burble in the headset (apparently
the electronics figuring out the quickly changing environment)
and then a pronounced drop in sound-so pronounced that I
thought something broke. But all was well as the headset was
simply doing its job, using its Streaming Quiet capabilities to
adjust to the dynamic environment. A series of microphones
inside and outside the ear cup constantly measure the sound
and respond many times a second to cancel the din.
The default settings on the PFX (which stands for Personal
Flying Experience) provide a high-level of noise canceling,
but sliding the Home button on the side of the CPU to the
Favorites position opens a whole new set of features, including access to an iPad and iPhone app. With a Bluetooth
connection between the mobile device and the headset, the
free Lightspeed FlightLink app allows further customization
of the listening experience, including saving separate userpreferred sound profiles for intercom and music. The Voice
Clarity feature further optimizes voice communication, providing a noticeable improvement in the quality of ATC audio.
FlightLink, originally introduced in 2012 with earlier Zulu
models, also can record and playback audio heard through the
intercom and from the radios-helpful for when you missed
an ATC call or for using later as an aid for students.
As with many other headsets, the Bluetooth connection
also provides linking to a mobile phone, allowing hands-free
calls through the headset (with impressive voice quality) and
the playing of music from another device. A double tap of the

36 | AOPA PILOT November 2014

Action button on the
CPU turns on and off
the ComPriority function, which lowers the sound of phone
audio and music when a radio transmission comes in.
The app also allows for customization of the automatic on
and off feature (so you don't leave it powered up after landing)
and monitoring of the headset's battery condition.
All the electronic sophistication comes with two penalties. The PFX requires four AA batteries, compared to two for
the simpler Zulu models, and a much larger CPU. Fortunately,
the CPU comes with a removable clip, which allows it to be
clipped to a side pocket because it won't fit conveniently in
most pockets already overstuffed with checklists, outdated
charts, and flashlights. The cables and connectors seems
remarkably robust and, well, handsome. The cables are covered in what looks like a woven Kevlar material that makes
them exceptionally flexible. However, an advantage of the CPU
is that it can be connected via a supplied cable to a computer
to receive firmware updates, opening up the possibility of new
features and improved performance in the future.
Having flown with the Zulu PFX for several weeks, I can
say that it is the quietest headset I have used and certainly with
the most advanced audio processing. With PFX, Lightspeed
has moved active noise reduction (ANR) technology up a
notch after a number of years of no advancement in such electronics for over-the-ear headsets. With that leap, of course,
comes a price tag that reflects the quality and capability. At
$1,100, PFX is right at the top with the most expensive ANRs
available-a place it has a right to be.
EMAIL thomas.haines@aopa.org
WEB

www.lightspeedaviation.com

http://www.lightspeedaviation.com

AOPA Pilot Magazine - November 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - November 2014