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Buying Bose A20s - where?

I am looking at buying two Bose A20 headsets.

I see there is currently no promotion running by Bose.

I am aware retail prices are being controlled by Bose, therefore prices are very similar, all over the place (Europe, I mean).

Still, which is the best place to buy one (or two)? (I am not going to buy from the US). Thanks.

Mainz (EDFZ) & Egelsbach (EDFE), Germany

I am biased

EHLE / Lelystad, Netherlands, Netherlands

Cheapest new ones from dealer with invoice I could find. I can ask if a discount is available when taking two, let me know.

https://www.willhaben.at/iad/kaufen-und-verkaufen/d/bose-a20-aviation-headset-anr-bluetooth-alle-stecker-varianten-neuware-mit-rechnung-363976070/
always learning
LO__, Austria

According to the description, it even comes with an FAA Form 8130-3 ;-)

ELLX

Possibly wait for Sun’n’Fun pricing? Although with Bose you usually just get a freebie, not a lower price.
Don’t they have some FI / CPL discount like Lightspeed does?
Check out the FI / professional pilot discount they may have.

Last Edited by tmo at 27 Feb 16:46
tmo
EPKP - Kraków, Poland

Snoopy: thanks. As expected, not so much beef there. And you have to pay for shipping, which you don‘t if you order from Bose.

Peter: thanks. Eager to know.

Tmo: oh, thanks a lot. A thought that this one had expired too…

Mainz (EDFZ) & Egelsbach (EDFE), Germany

Also check their website if they have any extra promotion on top of the headsets purchase? when I bought mine, I applied to get SoundTouch 20 for free (250£), that promotion was buried deep online and lot of hassle to get, something that I really did not need so just hand it to someone

My wife got her straight in US pilot shop that had a small discount but you excluded this possibility

Last Edited by Ibra at 27 Feb 18:17
Paris/Essex, France/UK, United Kingdom

After a bit of a delay, I still want to buy two Bose A20s (with LEMO plugs). What I am unsure about is whether to also get Bluetooth.

Are there any real life advantages, or is just a gimmick after all? Do you use it for telephone calls, or for music? Or nothing?
Are there any disadvantages to getting the Bluetooth version (aside from the 100€ premium?) Higher power usage shouldn’t be a an issue if using ship power through the LEMO plugs, no?

Last Edited by boscomantico at 19 May 12:51
Mainz (EDFZ) & Egelsbach (EDFE), Germany

I have one of one and one of the other and have never used the BT feature.

Whether you want music through it depends on your personal preferences, obviously. I would hate it, but then most flying I do involves more or less constant radio. If I was bimbling around at 1500ft with the transponder off and with no CAS anywhere near then music would work well

People have used the BT for linking up to traffic warning gadgets. Some of this will work and some won’t… just like BT in a car where some satnav apps work and some don’t, with a particular car’s hand free kit. My new phone, S10e, does not work with any satnav app I have tried, such that it suppresses the music or radio for the annunciation (the desired mode). I would need to change the car end, made in 2012 – this is the same issue as the headset BT feature which will be frozen in whatever year it was made in.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

boscomantico wrote:

Do you use it for telephone calls, or for music?

Both. If you get the A20s second-hand, pay attention that the early models couldn’t use Bluetooth for one of phone or music, I don’t remember which one; they are upgradeable, but at significant cost.

It is a life-changer when one tries to do a phone call while the engine is running (on the ground, ignore it when it rings during your takeoff, etc). Stuff like:

  1. I’m cleared by ATC to taxi through a particular piece of taxiway, but the gate is closed, ATC is not in control of that gate, and washes its hands of it. I need to call the airport office that operates that gate myself.
  2. In training, we land (fullstop) at an aerodrome without any local ATC, nor AFIS, nor Flugleiter, nor anything. We need to phone to close the flightplan before starting our TGLs.
  3. Landing at an aerodrome without any local radio presence, I go to the wrong hangar for my appointment. I can phone the person I’m visiting for directions.

I also sometimes use it to watch TED talks on very long flights.

I also find it useful in getting alerts from my tablet navigation apps. In VFR mode, SkyDemon’s airspace alerts. On the ground, “Approaching runway XX” from ForeFlight. In flight, “climbing through transition level”, “destination ATIS is XXXX” (reminder to listen to it now..), etc.

boscomantico wrote:

Higher power usage shouldn’t be a an issue if using ship power through the LEMO plugs, no?

Yes. And you can turn Bluetooth off if/when you run on batteries if you want. Also, in my experience:

  1. common off-the-shelf / cheap rechargeable batteries run with Bluetooth off just fine (the A20 will indicate “low battery” for many hours, and then suddenly turn off, but other than that it works).
  2. common off-the-shelf / cheap rechargeable batteries don’t run with Bluetooth on.
  3. Eneloop (and rebadged: e.g. Fuji) run fine with Bluetooth on (same “low battery” indication for many hours).
Last Edited by lionel at 19 May 13:39
ELLX
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