Telex warranty Comfortzone, TELEX STRATUS 30XT, Ultra sturdy mid-pricedANR headset, apparent

FEBRUARY 2007 LOOP XTRA

9

TELEX STRATUS 30XT

‘It

soon

TELEX STRATUS 30XT

PRICE: £349 APPROX

became

that

Comfortzone

big design

apparent

comfort is a

driver’

Ultra sturdy mid-priced ANR headset

ELEX has been a leading

manufacturer of dependable, top-

Tof-the-line communication

equipment for 75 years. According to the

company, more than 70% of commercial

airline pilots use Telex headsets.

The Stratus 30XT is the latest offering

featuring ANR, a built-in battery

recharger, 50 hours of battery life, plus a

thick foam headband and newly

❚ Hard-wearing 30XT is built to last.

designed, more comfortable ear cushions.

There is an LED light that flashes once

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

when you turn the ANR on but it doesn’t

THERE’S no getting away from it,

remain illuminated. This LED flashes

the Telex Stratus 30XT is a

green several times when you turn it off –

substantial headset – the

I’d prefer to see a constant green when

biggest of all the ones we’ve

the ANR is on.

tested.

It soon became apparent

IN THE CIRRUS SR22

that comfort is a big design

YOU can definitely feel the difference in

driver. The Stratus has

size compared to other headsets but the

quarter-inch thick ear

Telex is also extremely comfortable.

cushions and a well padded

After putting it on, cockpit noise

headband. The padding does

reduced considerably and my voice was

make it feel a lot lighter than its

clear in the earcups. However, the first

weight of 520 grams.

sentence I heard was pilot Russ joking

The materials are all high

that I looked like Mickey Mouse.

quality and it looks like a rugged,

With the ANR turned on, the headset

dependable headset that will

performed even better. The only worry

withstand years of use.

was that because of its sideways size it

The headset carrycase is different

felt like I could knock the headset off

to other manufacturers – it isn’t a bag in

when turning my head left and right.

its own right; it’s simply for keeping

everything together so you can keep it in

IN THE PA28

your flight case or flying bag.

THE Stratus performed very well in the

The headset cord is very long. The

PA28 too and the radio hiss wasn’t as

battery box is unique as it has a built-in

pronounced as in other headsets. It felt

recharger but it isn’t designed as well as

like Telex had designed this headset with

the headset itself – the battery cover is

the PA28 in mind.

awkward to remove and feels like it

The ANR worked extremely well to cut

might break if you’re too heavy-handed.

out engine noise and this combined with

The two grey control buttons don’t sit

the comfort would make a long flight, say

very straight in the battery box which lets

a day trip to France, less fatiguing.

THE

360°

LOOK

it down slightly.

VERDICT

FEATURES

A RUGGED mid-priced ANR headset built

to last with lots of padding and comfort

Weight 520g

with above-average audio quality.

Passive Not published

The Telex performed well with and

Active Not published

without the ANR turned on and I reckon

Total 30dB

this is the ANR headset you should go for

Batteries 2 AA, built in

if you have a noisy cockpit and don’t want

recharger

to spend a fortune.

Battery life 50 hours

The build quality is superb and a

Auto shut-off Yes

headset like this should last the course of

Mic Noise-cancelling electret

many years of use.

Mobile phone jack Yes

Expect some mickey taking because of

Music interface Yes

its size but if comfort is high on your list

FRONT

RIGHT

BACK

LEFT

Warranty 5 years

and you like well-padded gear then go for

W: www.telex.com

this.