| W2MV |
Rating:  |
2010-12-09 | |
| Disappointed |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
Based upon the reviews prior to Dec, 2010, I purchased the Pro Set Elite to replace my Pro Set Quiet Phone which I love except for the RFI issues.
The adverts were somewhat misleading to me. The PSE ear cushions appear to surround the ears in the photos, but they do not. They sit on top of the ears. While this may be OK for an ANR unit, for phones w/o ANR the external acoustic isolation is not very good. What were they thinking? I have a multitude of low-freq noise producers in and around the shack; I really need ANR or headphones with very high external noise isolation.
The mike boom is too short. It's not long enough to let the mike set in front of my mouth, only to the left side.
I didn't even try them on.
Again, what were they thinking?
I'll be returning them. |
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| VE3LLL |
Rating: |
2010-12-05 | |
| Kludgy, uncomfortable, and doesn't get out |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
The Elite 6 is my third Heil headset.
The first was a Pro-Set Plus! purchased approximately 2004. Big, heavy, not very comfortable with round speakers that create pressure points on the ear and are hot to wear, and a mike boom that seems to always need adjustment.
The second was a Heil Proset K2 purchased through Elecraft approximately 2008. It was a huge improvement; light, comfortable oval shape, cooler to wear, and a lengthy and flexible boom that makes it easy to position the mike in the right place. It's a fine headset, and I have often been told "nice signal" when using it.
Even though very pleased with it I was seduced by claims of dramatically-improved sound quality from the Elite 6 and purchased it a few days ago. A big mistake.
This "professional" headseat has not evolved far from the one Heil was selling a decade ago. It feels heavy on the head - although holding it and the K2 in each hand they seem similar in weight, the Elite seems to have more mass, I notice it on my head more. The round earpieces pinch the tops of my ears, which becomes irritating after a while. The earpieces are very hot to wear, especially with the cotton covers on... that's like having mittens on my ears and is unbearable.
Especially irksome, the mike is on a too-short and too-inflexible boom. The center dimple of the mike element ends up right AT the left corner of my mouth. With the mike turned parallel to the ground below my lower lip - as Heil recommends - I seem to be fiddling incessantly with the mike to keep it in position near my mouth while NOT touching my face.
But worst of all, I've already noticed a reduction in my ability to get out. With my K3 set up as Heil recommends for this headset, I've already experienced a noticeable reduction in being heard. I might well sound like a professional radio announcer, but if my DX contacts can't hear me I'm not ahead of the game.
Yes, these are well-built. They do seem to reduce ambient shack noise a little better, and they seem more ruggedly-built. But my shack isn't all that noisy, and I don't plan to tow trucks with the headset. I expect the Heil Proset K2 to last MANY more years.
Thankfully, because my Elite 6 is definitely going on a hamfest table some time soon, but if you want a good, comfortable headset, get the Heil Proset K2 from Elecraft (or from Heil or dealers?). Better, and less expensive too. |
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| K9KEJ |
Rating: |
2010-12-02 | |
| Works for me! |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I too have the new Pro Set Elite and I fully enjoy the quality of headphones, as well as the HC6 audio. I use mine with an Icom 756 ProIII. Because of the excellent audio reports I've received, I "shelved" my Heil PR40 and continue to work the world with the Elite.
Orrin
K9KEJ |
|
| N1CKX |
Rating: |
2010-12-01 | |
| Worst Head Set I have worn, save your money. |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
After all I have heard about Heil products, I was thoroughly looking forward to trying out the Heil Pro-Set Elite Ic with an attached microphone tailored for Icom Radios.
My Local HRO did not have them in stock so I ordered them and waited impatiently for them to arrive. Two days later UPS dropped them on my doorstep.
Within an hour I was packing them back in the box and getting ready to return them. I am sorry to report that these are the most uncomfortable headphones I have had on my head since the nine buck set I bought from radio shack 10 years ago.
I have read the other reviews and this led me to this purchase.
I can not imagine anyone thinking that these are comfortable unless your previous headphones were made from solid lead.
The Ear Cushions do not fit around your ears like a good pair of Bose or Sony Noise canceling Headphones.
Instead the ear cushions are ROUND and sit on TOP of your ears crushing your ears against your head.
They are also large and bulky, and bending the bridge to reduce pressure results in them falling off your head every time you look down at your log.
I don’t even know how well the attached microphone works as within 15 minutes my ears were so painful I was looking around for the packing material, I never even opened the package with the microphone connector as I knew there was no way I could live with this headset.
Heil Engineers need to pick up a set of Bose or Sony and take them back to the lab do some reverse engineering.
Other reviewers need to try on a set of Bose and see how comfortable a correctly designed head set can feel.
A supervisor where I work loaned me his older Bose for a trip to Asia and those were so comfortable for 18 hours of flying that I hardly even knew they were on my head.
By the way, I have tried the latest Bose Noise Canceling Headphones and they have a problem with the latest version that uses two microphones, one internal and one external to the headset.
It is often reported that users end up with serious ear aches from some sort of inaudible sound pressure.
I tried them in a store and within 5 minutes my ear drum ached and continued to ache for several hours. This was with NO music or audio only the noise canceling turned on.
The feeling is as if your ears drums are being pressurized.
If Bose gets this fixed, I will probably spend the money and buy a set.
The Sony Noise canceling set does not suffer from this issue, but the AD/DA converter has an issue when dealing with the static on SSB radios.
Two different Icom and two different Kenwood radios where tried, and heavy audio distortion occurs in the Sony when listening to SSB.
I will fall back to my standard Sony head phones for now and live with the microphone on my desk.
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|
| NB4B |
Rating: |
2010-11-01 | |
| Perfect for the Flex Radio |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| I purchased the Heil Pro Set Elite for my Flex 5000A and find the audio is very good. Because of the Flex 20hz. to 20khz. microphone response, I used the 10 band EQ to roll off the low end beginning around 500hz., all the way to the lowest frequency. The 2k-8k is boosted to maximum and the 16K is flat. This in concert with a 50hz carrier point filter resulted in exceptional quality within a 2.8Khz transmit filter without sounding to "AM-ey" like so many signals having excessive bass. The HC-6 element seems perfectly matched to the Flex 3000 & 5000 radios I own. |
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| W4PIG |
Rating: |
2010-10-31 | |
| OUTSTANDING |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
| i use the head set with my new flex 5000c works great. excellent audio reports and very well built. great job heil!!!! |
|
| KI9A |
Rating: |
2010-10-31 | |
| Perfect |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
In July '08, Bob brought a set of pre-production Elite 'phones up to our contest effort at K9SD, using the W1AW/9 call. I had a chance to use them, and we all gave our opinion on everything from speaker audio, to comfort.
I bought a set, and, wow. Bob utilized our comments to produce a another great piece. IMHO, he has created the best Heil headset yet.
The comfort is dead on. They are light, but, provide a good seal around the ears. the mic boom is short, as not get in the way, and is totally flexible.
The audio coming from the internal speakers seems to be the best out of the many versions of his headsets I have owned. The smoothness helps after a 48 hour contest. The phase reversal is a good touch to change things up a bit.
So far, the HC-6 element seems to work great with my ICOM Pro3. People who know me, tell me I sound more natural than before, using the HC-5 element. |
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| W8OWL |
Rating: |
2010-10-31 | |
| A Nice Surprise |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| I have never been fond of headsets or headphones. Either they have been too small or too heavy, plus ear warmers (read hot). But I'm impressed with the new Elite. I'd used the Pro-Set Plus for awhile and gave it up as uncomfortable to wear. Now the Elite is a whole different experience. I can live with it and even enjoy. The microphone boom design is a nice improvement too. Audio reports have been superb. It is more a surprise than I expected in every way.... 73/Bob |
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| F4DPT |
Rating: |
2010-10-10 | |
| nice |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| hello, I use the headset for 15 days, the product is very well done, it is stronger than proset plus. much like the helmet head and the position of his space works wonders on small signals or QRM. The new element HC6 is very good, I use an IC-7700 and delayed modulations are excellent. thank you heil sound. purchase from http://www.cheapham.com |
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| K3HW |
Rating: |
2010-10-03 | |
| Fantastic! |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| Like others have said, simply the best headset I have ever used. The comfort, the audio, the sound, it is all incredible. I use these with my IC-7600 and have received many unsolicited compliments on the audio. Looking forward to using these for the contest season. It is simply the best set you will ever use, period. Thanks Bob for providing such superior products. |
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