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How do you make the best headset in aviation even better? By focusing on what matters. The new Bose A30 offers performance you’ll appreciate on every flight, including improved comfort, quiet, clarity, and durability. Plus, new features give pilots more control over ANR performance, microphone location, and power source.
The pilots at Sporty's took this all-new headset flying in a variety of airplanes to see how it performs in different noise environments, including a Cirrus SR22, a Piper Aztec, and a Cessna 172. Plus, we swap A20 for A30 with two pilots to see their reaction to the new headset.
Bose A30 - higher performance where it matters
Comfort. Bose has a well-earned reputation for making the most comfortable headsets in aviation, and the A30 sets a new standard. It features 20% less clamping force than the A20 (a very comfortable headset in its own right), so you’ll hardly know you’re wearing it. A new aluminum alloy headband and a redesigned center torsion spring more evenly distributes weight on your head, and a new headband pad provides an extra cushion. Plus, dedicated left and right earcups match the shape of your ears for a more natural fit. It truly is a headset you can wear all day without regret.
Quiet. The A30 features a completely digital ANR system to provide full attenuation across a wide variety of noise environments, from loud warbirds to quiet jets. Enhanced direct wind noise rejection means better ANR performance when the vent is blowing on a hot summer day, and the firmware is upgradeable to take advantage of new technology. Best of all, these new features do not reduce Bose’s famously long battery life: at least 45 hours of use, or 25 when using Bluetooth for external audio.
Clarity. The most important job for an aviation headset is clear communications, and here the Bose A30 excels. The noise canceling microphone blocks background noise and the fully flexible boom makes it easy to position the microphone right where you need it. Active equalization enhances intelligibility of intercom conversations and air traffic control instructions, so you never miss a call. Optional Bluetooth connectivity makes it easy to get audio alerts from your favorite electronic flight bag app, make a phone call on the ground, or listen to music en route. As you would expect with Bose, the sound quality is superb.
Durability. The A30 might weigh less than 15 ounces, but it’s still built to last. It meets the rigorous FAA TSO and EASA E/TSO-C139a certification standards, which means it has passed 145 different tests, including being dropped onto concrete and subjected to extreme humidity conditions. The redesigned cable is dramatically thinner and lighter, but it’s made with copper strands and a Kevlar core so it resists kinks and tangles. There are no exposed wires on the headband, and the A30 comes with a full 5-year manufacturer’s warranty.
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