“Say Again?” – Headset Review: ASA HS-1A

ASA – AirClassics HS-1A Headset

This headset is probably the least expensive for aviation. It is certainly not the best one, but based on the money you spend, it is really one of the best options.

Price

I got this for around $100 from Amazon.com. It is also available from MyPilotStore.com, but a little more expensive. One can read detailed pros and cons on the manufacturer’s website.

Below is a list based on my experience.

Pros

• Obviously, the price is very appealing. The so-called good ones starts from several hundred.
• It has lifetime warranty. This makes it very favorable for flight schools. What I was told by a flight school is that they just send the old/broken one and either it is repaired or a new one is sent.
• It is certainly not heavy at all (weighs 1.65 lbs).
• There is no ANR. In a way it is better as you can learn to notice changes in engine sound, which is very helpful especially during training.

Cons

• After wearing it for over 45-60 minutes, I start to feel that it is tight. I found that many people have this problem. There is a way to fix this too, but I have not tried it yet.
• I noticed that there was a brief delay (around a second or so) before I hear the other person talking. This could be an issue in the airplane.
• It does not have any noise reduction feature, which can increase fatigue.

Overall, it is a nice choice at least for initial training. Once you start to fly more often or longer flights, you can certainly upgrade to a better option.