Avionics
Bose upgrades Headset X with noise-canceling A20
Fans of Bose’s noise-canceling headsets might want to stop by the company’s NBAA booth (No.

Fans of Bose’s noise-canceling headsets might want to stop by the company’s NBAA booth (No. 6068) to try out the A20. Introduced at the EAA AirVenture show in Oshkosh in July, the $1,095 (retail) headset incorporates some significant improvements from the original Bose Aviation Headset X, which pioneered noise-canceling for aviation headsets when it hit the market 12 years ago.

The major improvements on the A20 are not just built-in Bluetooth and auxiliary input but greatly enhanced noise reduction. Where the Headset X has one internal microphone inside each ear cup to supply the anti-noise signal that cancels sound waves, the A20 has microphones inside and outside the ear cup. These cancel noise in a wider range of frequencies and also help cancel ambient noise that the Headset X couldn’t sense.

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