Lightspeed Delta Zulu

[jwx96]

I’m just using this opportunity to put in a plug for Lightspeed headsets. I’m still using the original Zulu headset I bough 14 years and 1,000 hrs ago. They still sound great and are very comfortable. Everything still works including the bluetooth. I’ve replaced the earpieces once and the microphone muff a few times. If only my plane could get by with this little maintenance!

[Boatguy]

My headset has been with Lightspeed for over a month and they have no idea about how to solve this problem.

I tried a DZ when it first came out, but the 3D audio did not sound right. Simply put, they were not working as well as my Z3's. I returned them, then waited a year figuring they would sort our their software. Yesterday I received a new one which I have not yet tried again since my DA62 LEMO plugs have no power (delivered that way in May, then the factory failed to fix them when I returned to the factory in July).

If the DZ is still not working for you, then I'm thinking I shouldn't bother even opening the box; I'll just return them.

[Rich]

My headset has been with Lightspeed for over a month and they have no idea about how to solve this problem.

I tried a DZ when it first came out, but the 3D audio did not sound right. Simply put, they were not working as well as my Z3's. I returned them, then waited a year figuring they would sort our their software. Yesterday I received a new one which I have not yet tried again since my DA62 LEMO plugs have no power (delivered that way in May, then the factory failed to fix them when I returned to the factory in July).

If the DZ is still not working for you, then I'm thinking I shouldn't bother even opening the box; I'll just return them.

I wasn't aware they are furnishing 3D audio in any Zulu headset. Certainly not listed as a feature.

[Boatguy]

My headset has been with Lightspeed for over a month and they have no idea about how to solve this problem.

I tried a DZ when it first came out, but the 3D audio did not sound right. Simply put, they were not working as well as my Z3's. I returned them, then waited a year figuring they would sort our their software. Yesterday I received a new one which I have not yet tried again since my DA62 LEMO plugs have no power (delivered that way in May, then the factory failed to fix them when I returned to the factory in July).

If the DZ is still not working for you, then I'm thinking I shouldn't bother even opening the box; I'll just return them.

I wasn't aware they are furnishing 3D audio in any Zulu headset. Certainly not listed as a feature.

It's a feature of the GMA1360 audio panel.

[Rich]

It's a feature of the GMA1360 audio panel.

Possibly the hearing correction circuitry in the DZ interferes with this? It might not matter whether one actually has undergone the hearing correction process.

[Boatguy]

It's a feature of the GMA1360 audio panel.

Possibly the hearing correction circuitry in the DZ interferes with this? It might not matter whether one actually has undergone the hearing correction process.

Perhaps, but that's a problem for Lightspeed to solve. Based on the posts here and in the A30 thread, both Bose and Lightspeed have problems with Diamonds in general, across a variety of panels and models.

Maybe @mdutra will let us know if there have been any problems with the DZ or A30 in Cirrus aircraft.

[steve_falconer]

I have DZ, Z3, and A30 with a PMA450B audio panel. All work well for 3D audio in that regard. To me the noise cancelling is superior in the DZ and going back to my Z3 was disappointing when I sent my DZ to get lemo plug converted by Lightspeed. But I overall have a slight preference for the A30 over the DZ mostly for comfort and very light clamping, but both are fantastic headsets.

[Paul]

I have had my DZ for just over a year. I had to return them early on as the cables did not quite fit in my DA40 but since repaired, they have been perfect and I really like them compared to the A20 it replaced.

One thing I have learned though is that with the DZ, I turn the volume down all the way before starting and shutting down otherwise the various CAS dings are too loud. Prior to taxi, I turn the volume up again.

[dant]

Possibly the hearing correction circuitry in the DZ interferes with this?

Depends on how the 3d audio is done. Classically this is just done with panning, which should have no issue with equalization. However nowadays you often see "binaural" 3d where they use an HRTF and convolve it with the signal. These vary fairly dramatically between people as every persons' head is different however VR headsets rely on them. These could be affected by frequency sensitive volume applied by a hearing correction system.

I wouldn't really expect the audio panel to be doing a convolution as that's fairly computationally expensive even if you do all the tricks to optimize it with respect to half band processing and such.

[CFIDave]

3D audio in a Garmin audio panel has nothing to do with "spatial audio" or head-related transfer function (where the frequency response of music is modified based on where it's coming from, to take into account the shape of the listener's ears).

Garmin 3D audio in the GMA 1360 is much simpler than that: One radio's audio is mixed/panned to sound like it's coming from 11 o'clock, while the other radio is made to sound like it's coming from 1 o'clock -- so the pilot can better listen to one radio vs. the other, when both are active. There's no change to frequency response or any equalization applied.

So I doubt Garmin 3D has any negative interactions with the Delta Zulu; it operates totally independent of the DZ's hearing correction (a form of equalization to compensate for hearing loss).