Cup-less Headset

      

A few years ago, I saw the Clarity Aloft headset at OSH and thought, while the product was a good idea,  They were light weight and had these unusual audio drivers that had a thread on the posts on to which really soft ear foam plus were attache with a matching thread on the inside of the foam. Nice product, but I thought the price at $495 was a bit ridiculous for the overall product.

So recently I built my own.  I already owned some  Shure E3C ($117) ear buds I use for my IPOD, and had an old worthless headset I could steal the mic from, and thought why not try. I like the Shure because it has a yellow foam earplug sleeves which work just as well at sealing the ear and they are as effective as using regular solid foam ear plugs, but of coarse I can hear the music and ATC.

I just love it using the assembly.  I own a Bose Series 1, 2 and X (10) aviation headsets, and I like bass and frequency response of the series 2, and the lightness and comfort of the series X.  With that being said, the cupless headset I made in a weekend, has better noise attenuation and much more comfort than with any of the Bose products I own.   The sound quality blows the Bose out of the sky, it is super light weight at 21 grams (less than 1 oz) and most importantly they cost of less than $150 even if you have to buy new Shure ear buds, and happen to have a old headset around.  A buddy bought two old headset at SNF for $15 just for the mic's and wire plugs.

Here is your shopping list:

**One builder told me he is trying a ceramic mic from radio shack ($4).  Don't know if it will work...**

NOTE: As a motorcycle rider, I know some audiologists will make custom ear molds of the ear for noise attenuation/music for around $150 or you can also get them made for the Shure (I have a set) and you don't have to bother with the Shure earbud foamies.  After using both types (the Shure foamies and the custom molded appliances) I can say with hesitation, the foam type is much more comfortable and a bit quieter.  The only reason I can see to order the custom ear pieces is if you have a very large ear cannel and the foams will not fit. 

***NOTE:   After visiting SNF I was able to pick up some Clarity Aloft, and the Lightspeed ear bud foams to test at home.  Both kind will fit the Shure transducers.  I was so impressed by the Clarity tips, I purchased a box of Clarity Aloft foam replacements at 12 ea @ $24.  Later I found out the Clarity tips are really a hearing aid product meant for continuous wearing from the manufacture "Comply Canal Tips".  A cheaper site for the good ear foam is Trick Audio (same stuff as Clarity but  less $$ at 12 ea for $19).    I think the sealing properties and comfort is much better than the Shure style (the yellow ones) and can assure you they are worth the money.  All I can say is buy them...you wont be sorry!

The blue foam shown is from Lightspeed and they are uncomfortable and harder to get in.  Not recommended! The yellow one is from Shure (ok) the gray one is a Comply tip.... MOST EXCELLENT!!

The Process of Building

I did not modify the Shure headset in any way.  I first thought of cutting the wires and incorporating it into the head piece (aka Clarity), but decided I wanted it separate so I can still use it on the motorcycle, on the airlines, at work, etc.   Mainly the electronic components will be used to match the ear buds to the plane electric system, and adapt the microphone.

First, cut the plugs off the old headset.  You will be reusing the mic plug (and headset plug for mono systems).  Remove the mic and crack open the case.  In my unit I found a small electronic assembly and the small mic (which I relocated to the interface box).  Remove everything from the plastic mic holder.  I then cut the tip of the plastic mic off the main holder to be reused.  Make sure you mark all the wires.  I don't know if they are +/- but I didn't want to mix them up.

     

Solder some #26 wires on the mic and then take the piece of piano wire and bend the end to form a hook (to better hold the flox to the plastic) and flox it on plastic mic holder you cut off the mic end, and set the assembly aside so the flox can cure.

Now flox on the cover of the mic and when cured, shape the mic area to make a nice bud on the end of the piano wire. 

I took some aluminum welding wire (soft wire), and just wrapped it around my head until it was comfortable in the shape I wanted.  It is easy to bend and it formed the template for the piano wire assembly.  Make sure you make a dip in the areas over the ears as they seem to help with keeping the band comfortable and secure.

  

Once you are happy with the template, just bend the piano wire mic assembly to the shape of the template.  It helps to bend, starting from the mic end, then tape the two together a little at a time.  Bend, tape, look.  Bend a little more, tape, look.  On the non mic ear piece side, I also formed a very small loop on the end of the wire so to soften the terminal end.

Take some heat shrink tubing and slide it over the piano wire (the mic wires are inside) and shrink it down.  I put a couple of extra heat shrinks on the back of the headset where the wire exits the band to keep the stress of the wire movement from ripping the shrink tubing.

Next we will make the interface box for the Shure headset to the plane intercom.  It uses impendence matching transformers to match the 8 ohm of the ear buds to the plane system.  Just hook up the planes headphone plug to the transformer's  green and blue wires, and solder the stereo headphone jack to the red and white wires.  You can tie both ground together if you wish.  If your plane is mono, then you'll only need one transformer.  Add a 480 ohm resistor in the transformer output line to the Left and Right channels to reduce the volume of the Shure's because they are super efficient.  This allows me and the GIB on the Bose to be at the same volume level.  

**NOTE: A friend who has built one said the Shure headset will work when directly plugged into the headset plug of the plane (with no transformer box).  You will still have to put in some resistors, about 460 ohm, or a 1k ohm potentiometer because the Shure's are so much more efficient than normal headsets.  I just added resistors until each ear was balanced and the pilot to passenger volume was acceptable.

The small circuit looking card is the carbon mike circuitry I took out of the mike.  I just relocated it to the box. 

Here is the finished unit:  I took the mic foam cover off a car headset I  had laying round.   

Enjoy