• Fri. Feb 14th, 2025

Compare Factory

The Blog for the Indecisive

Aircraft Headset Adapters: Comparing Plug Types and Versatility

It’s no surprise that pilots are notoriously picky about the fit, feel, and functionality of their headsets. Unlike their uniforms, headsets aren’t the visual focal points that pilots are normally identified by, but they’re just as distinctive and twice as important.

A headset that fits comfortably over the ears, and has the sound quality and noise reduction features that a pilot wants is as personal as a well-worn pair of shoes. The challenge that pilots face with their perfect headsets, however, is ensuring that they can be used in as many different types of aircraft as they fly. A headset with a 5-pin XLR plug is perfect for a pilot who flies Airbuses at work, but there’s no way to use it with the standard GA (general aviation) ports in their personal aircraft. Fortunately, the solution for this little setback is a simple one: a headset adapter.

Staying Connected With Correct Aircraft Headset Adapters

Source: flyush.com

If you’re a pilot who frequently switches between aircraft families, or between fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, then you know that using your personal headset can be problematic. The sheer range of radio port types can be staggering, which is why it pays to always carry an airline headphone adapter cable with you if you plan on using your personal equipment.

While headphone usage generally isn’t a problem for private pilots flying their own aircraft, the situation can be a lot more complicated for commercial, and commercially-employed GA pilots. Shared, low-cost “ship set” headphones typically lack the fit or the comfort that you’d want clamped around your head for hours. A premium aviation headset adapter, however, is going to let you use gear that you know and are comfortable with to:

  • Communicate with flight officers, crew members, and passengers through the intercom;
  • Communicate with ATCs, ground crews and controllers, and other aircraft through the transceiver; and,
  • Allow high-impedance headsets to be used with low-impedance transceivers.

Unless you’re required specifically to use a TSO (Technical Standard Order) certified headset, an airline headset adapter with the proper plugs is going to allow you to use your personal headset, regardless of the type of aircraft you’re flying. Some airline headphone adapters even make it possible to connect simultaneously to a selection of handheld devices, making them ideal for creating your own personal aerial videos or training material.

Recognizing Your Headset Plugs, and Knowing the Plug Combination

While the aviation headset industry is dominated almost exclusively by a handful of manufacturers like David Clark, Bose, and Lightspeed, there are more than 50 handheld, panel-mounted, and remote-controlled aircraft radio and transceiver manufacturers on the market. And with such a wide selection of transceivers and porting possibilities, the chances of not having the correct plug when you switch aircraft can run fairly high.

High-quality aviation headset cables and adapters, however, eliminate the possibility of not being able to use your headset with an aircraft’s ports, and are built to match a variety of plug types that include:

  • GA connectors. Non-powered, non-ANR (Active Noise Reducing) GA plugs are the most common type of connectors used on both commercial and civilian fixed-wing aircraft, and consist of two individual plugs: a large PJ-055 plug for audio, and a smaller PJ-068 plug for the microphone.
  • U-174 (NATO) connectors. These durable, single plug connectors are the standard for radios and communications systems used on rotary-winged military aircraft, and draw power directly from the aircraft for ANR, and other audio enhancements.
  • 5-pin XLR connectors. XLR plugs allow a single connection for audio, microphone, and power; and although they’re the connector of choice for Airbus and ATR aircraft communications systems, they’re becoming increasingly more common on other commercial aircraft like Boeing and Bombardier.
  • 6-pin LEMO connectors. These secure, twist-type plugs are most commonly found on Bose headphones, are used on both fixed-, and rotary-winged aircraft, and are capable of powering earphones, microphones, ANR, and Bluetooth directly through the aircraft’s panel.
  • 8-pin Fischer connectors. These rugged, well-sealed plugs are most often used on Agusta helicopters, and are known for their stability under tough working conditions.

The selection of plug-to-port aircraft headset adapter combinations for each of these types is extensive, with the most likely combinations including:

  • Dual GA plugs, or a 6-pin LEMO to a single U174 plug;
  • Dual GA plugs, 5-pin XLR, or U174 plug to 6-pin LEMO; and,
  • U174 plug to a 6-pin LEMO.

You can also buy most of these combinations of aviation headset adapters with inline low-to-high, and high-to-low impedance converters. They ensure that when you’re using an airplane headset adapter, the volume and distortion levels created by the transceiver’s output voltage are consistent with what your personal headset needs to deliver optimal audio quality.

Adapters Bring Handheld Flexibility To Your Communications

While pilots and aircrews typically purchase aircraft headphone adapter cables specifically to connect to the aircraft’s comms system, the same cable are also capable of adding a whole new level of flexibility to how they interact with those systems. And as cockpit electronics have evolved to include everything from handheld GPS navigation to Electronic Flight Books (EFBs) on private and commercial flight decks, airplane headphone adapters also need to be able to connect with, and enhance the functionality of these devices.

Along with making it easier to use your personal headset, extended-use pilot headset adapter cables allow you to integrate your aircraft’s fixed communications resources with an even broader selection of portable equipment, including:

  • Handheld transceivers and satcom radios;
  • Smartphones, tablets, or other GPS-capable devices; and,
  • Digital audio capture devices like GoPros.

Custom flight headset adapter cables allow you to integrate all your personal devices with your cockpit communications. With dual and triple-splitter aviation headset extension cable adapters, you can even plug multiple headsets into your ship’s panel ports to allow the entire flight crew to use the equipment that they’re most comfortable with.

The Final Word

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if you regularly move between aircraft with different panel ports, or if you simply aren’t comfortable with the thought of using shared headsets, having the opportunity to use your own doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s just a matter of having the right connecting hardware; and fortunately, it’s hardware that’s available and affordable.

Premium quality airline headphone adapter cables give you the flexibility t use your personal equipment in any aircraft that you’re flying. They let you keep the fit and feel that you want so that you can stay focused on what’s important: flying.

By Jessie Sanner

Always weighing things, the life of a Libra isn’t easy and that’s something Jessie is well acquainted with as a Libra herself. The confusion with having to choose between things is what helps her write for the blog, in the hope of making it easier for readers who are indecisive themselves. Interested in contrasts, like period dramas and sci-fi, casual and classy outfits, fries and detox shakes, the life of this young lady is anything but boring. Or is it?