Ear-Friendly Headset Demonstrates How Smart Design Can Redefine a Product

A humble set of headphones I saw on sale at the recent Sun n’ Fun air show reminded me of an important lesson I learned about what distinguishes a great engineer from a good one. Early in my career, I discovered that most of the truly talented engineers I worked with tended to avoid cut-and-paste solutions and, when possible, solved problems by applying first principles to the basic facts and resources they had at hand.

That’s exactly what Phil McCandless did when he developed Quiet Technologies’ HALO, a lightweight, USA-built, pro-grade pilot’s headset whose unconventional design makes it affordable, rugged, and ridiculously comfortable (see image above).

McCandless is a research audiologist, an avid pilot, and inventor. He used his natural curiosity to develop an alternative to the expensive, heavy, and uncomfortable headsets commonly used for cockpit communications (Fig. 1).

Conventional pro-level headsets typically weigh around a pound, cost $1000 or more, and rely on electronic noise cancellation to protect pilots’ hearing. McCandless, on the other hand, uses a comfortable in-ear plug to deliver a similar level of isolation without the need for bulky earcups. A basic unit sells for around $375.

Although the head-worn element of the HALO headset weighs only an ounce or so, it still incorporates an IC for the microphone, which suppresses background noise. A second IC, located inside the small clip-on box that connects the headset to the unit’s mic and speaker cables, drives the headset’s high-fidelity transducers. Both ICs are powered by the aircraft’s existing audio interface, eliminating the need for the external batteries used by some conventional headsets.

As a pilot who has experienced both the benefits of noise-cancelling headsets and the discomfort of wearing them during long flights, I was curious about how the HALO stacked up against products made by companies like David Clark, Bose, and Lightspeed, which are considered the gold standard for both professional and private pilots.

After McCandless showed me how to insert the disposable foam isolation plugs (just like standard foam hearing protectors), he donned a pair and we enjoyed crystal-clear conversations at whisper-level volumes without any interference from the noisy, crowded show floor. Things got even more interesting when he loaded up an audio file and pumped concert-quality audio into the headset via its optional Bluetooth interface.

The HALO’s simple design is so light that it’s easy to forget you’re wearing a headset. It also makes it easy and economical for McCandless to manufacture products from his Mississippi-based facility, using mostly-USA-sourced components. Besides earning a place on my must-buy list of gear, Quiet Technologies’ HALO reminded me about the power of designing based first on facts, rather than previous assumptions.