Description
The Avee Aviation microphone
The Avee solution combines the unprecedented comfort of a range of standard headsets with a state-of-the-art aviation microphone โ giving a lightweight tailor-made aviation headset with superior audio communication.
How it works
The Avee microphone combines the aircraft electronic interface and a microphone boom into a compact clip-on unit that plugs directly into the base of your ANR headphones.
The add-on is securely fastened in place with a robust magnetic connection, preventing it from accidentally detaching from your headset.
Why use standard ANR headphones
There are many reasons for using standard headphones as aviation headphones:
- We claim that the comfort and quality of the standard state-of-the-art headphones from Boseยฎ QC35ยฎ I & II, QC45/SE/QuietComfort, Sonyยฎ WH-1000XM3/XM4ยฎ) and Boseยฎ 700 is superior compared to any aviation headset comfort and quality. These headsets are simply made with minimum clamp-force, maximum comfort, and maximum sound quality as the main focus and goal.
We have made an Avee aviation microphone add-on that fits each of these selected headphones.
- The ANR in the headphones we support have developed tremendously even during the last recent years. These non-aviation headphones are produced in huge quantities for a large โstandard customerโ market. This means that improvements and customer cost benefits are available on a much larger scale than on low production volume aviation headsets.
- Modern aircraft (both commercial jets and private smaller aircraft with piston engines) are far less noisy than 10-20 years ago.
The bulky and heavy headset with a fairly high degree of passive noise reduction is simply no longer needed: the modern ANR has taken over.
All in all, it makes selected standard headphones extremely well suited as aviation headphones. They are simply made for aviation use.
- Most pilots get a ride in the back seat once in a while. Having your own personal state-of-the-art headset available while listening to music, makes the ride quiet and comfortable.
.
Aircraft interface cable
- The Kevlar-reinforced Avee400 aircraft adapter cable goes directly from the headset Avee microphone to your aviation audio panel.
Our system is fully automated with nothing to configure โ no switches to set. The estimated battery life on the headphones we support is more than 20 hrs.
If the battery in the headphones runs out of power, you will still hear ATC & intercom: only the ANR is lost.
.
What you get
- Choose from a variety of Avee products to integrate perfectly with your ANR headphones. Our kits include a microphone specific to your headset and an aircraft adapter cable.
.
Mix & match adapter cables
The Avee system makes it easy for multi-aircraft users.
Two different lengths of our new Avee400 aircraft interface cables are included and variety of adapter are available;simply detach and replace it with an alternative in seconds.
No configuration is required.
Certifications
All Avee products are designed according to FAA TSO and EASA ETSO-C139, however, we are not using a third-party test house to verify our products.
Please read more about TSO and ETSO certifications on the TSO and ETSO tab.
What is included
The Avee aviation microphone kit includes the following parts:
- The new stiffer microphone boom (165mm length)
- Two flexible & thin Avee400 Aircraft Interface Cables
- Your choice of aircraft adapter (dual GA,XLR5, Lemo etc).
- Two extra windshields
- Two adhesive magnetic strips
- One Avee keychain
Avee for the Boseยฎ 700
THE AVEE MICROPHONE FOR THE BOSEยฎ 700
The Avee microphone for the Boseยฎ 700 is our forth generation of the Avee microphone kit. Customer feed back โ as well as our own experience with our add-ons for the QC35ยฎ,QC45ยฎ and XM3/XM4 has been analysed and channelized into the development of the microphone for the Boseยฎ 700. In brief the following improvements have been implemented in the Avee700 microphone for the Boseยฎ 700:
- Even better connection to the headset Four magnets for a firm & secure connection between the Avee and the Boseยฎ 700. Safely attach and detach the add-on from the headset. On the Boseยฎ 700 we have developed a new discrete magnetic stripe with four neodymium magnets.
- Microphone output level We have added the possibility for a โwider envelopeโ in the microphone output level from the Avee.
- Angle for cable connection to Avee microphone adjusted The angle for the connector going into the Avee is changed. This means that the strength relief on the avee cable is pointing 15 degrees more forward than on previous Avee versions. The reason for changing the connection angle, is that we have had issues & comments where customers feel the cable strength relief is โpoking intoโ their shoulder.
- Headset level adjustment Improved headphone volume regulation to the headset speakers is now available. Please note that this feature is mostly used by pilots (or more commonly the ones in the back seat with no individual headset level adjustments from the aircraft avionics.
- Avee settings
The microphone output level an mono/stereo settings can be done from the underside of the Avee.
- The Avee height
The height of the Avee700 has been reduced by a good 50% compared to the add-on for the QC35ยฎ.
- The new microphone boom
Last but not least, the Avee700 comes with the new Avee microphone boom.
Bose 700 issues
The Bose 700 is an extremely good headset for aviation use, but it has its โissuesโ. For some unknown reason, Bose decided to make the on/off keys (and all the other keys) as keys that can easily be invoked by accidentโ for example when you adjust the headset position on your head. Our experience is that it takes some time to get used to the position of these keys – and learn how not to touch them by accident. But when you do get used to it –ย it really works well.
New non-needed features
Numerous new features have been built into the Bose ยฎ700. Many of these features are not really needed when using the 700 as an aviation headset, but the possibility to adjust the headset volume from the headset itself (even when connected to the Avee or external wired source) is practical and useful
Occasional high volume
This is simply caused by the fact that the Bose 700 has been switched off: It then reverts to maximum volume ! The volume on the Bose 700 is adjusted by swiping your finger up/down on the right headphone when the Bose 700 is turned on. Swiping your finger up/down on the right headphone when Bose 700 power is turned off, does not give any result.
Way to fix:
-
- Avoid getting close to the buttons on the Bose 700 when adjusting its position ! Do not accidently turn the Bose 700 off !
- Set the Bose 700 volume to maximum to avoid getting extra high volume in case you accidently turn the Bose 700 off.
Complete silence โ for 10 seconds
The Bose 700 have a fairly ugly issue when it is switched on: it goes completely silent for approximately 10 seconds. This is the start-up / boot period for the headset, but making it go dead for this long period is a bit over the edge. Hopefully Bose will issue an software update โ fixing this issue.
Way to fix:
-
- Same as in ‘the high volume issue’ย above: Avoid getting close to the buttons on the Bose 700 when adjusting its position ! Do not accidently turn the Bose 700 off and then on again!
Echo on the Bose 700โจ
We do have some report on the โechoโ from the Bose700 and this is an annoying feature for some pilots. โจUntil now we only have some 10-15 reports on this issue (many thousand units sold), but we believe the problem is much more common than this.
We have studied the problem, and we find that the Bose700 is creating the โechoโ when the noise cancelling is ON.
When the ANR is OFF the ย โechoโ is gone. ย We do of course need the ANR to be ON, that is the purpose of our set up.
The root causeโจ
We believe the root cause for the echo sound is as follows:
* A conflict between the pilot voice picked up by the Bose 700 microphones, and
* the pilot voice generated by the Avee microphone through the intercom and back into the headset speakers, and last
* the ANR system trying to eliminate the pilot voice picked up by the Bose 700 microphone.
How to do the best out of itโจ
Unfortunately we have not found a good way to eliminate the echo completely. โจWe have however found that the following setting makes the echo more tolerable:
* Set the mic level at 2 on the Avee,
* Turn on the volume on the Bose 700 headset to maximum and then last but not least;
* Adjust the boom so close to your lips as possible.
What about the other headsetsโจThis is an interesting question (asked ย by ourself). โจThe Bose 700 is the only headset that has complaints on the echo.โจThe Bose QC25, QC35, and the Sony XM3 and XM4 does not have a single complaint about the same feature.
ย
TSO and ETSO certifications
What is an TSO/ETSO approval
The TSO (US Technical Standard Order) and its European equivalent ETSO (European Technical Standard Order) authorization, represents one way (and not the only way) to have parts and appliances approved. This is an optional step in a design process which ensures that a part or appliance complies with a minimum performance standard.
Is the Avee Aviation Microphone TSO/ETSO approved ?
The complete headset solution with the Avee Aviation Microphone is not TSO or ETSO approved.
The reason for this is simple: as a manufacturer of the microphone part of the solution only, we do not have full control of the production line of the headsets we are adapting to (Bose & Sony) and hence: we can not obtain a TSO/ETSO approval.
The Avee microphone add-on itself is designed in compliance with TSO standards , while the Bose & Sony headsets most likely are designed according to different standards than the TSO.
This fact does however not mean that the quality of headset from Bose & Sony is higher – or lower – than headsets manufactured according to the TSO standards.
Their design standard is simply not TSO.
It is a fact that the quantity of high quality headset products coming out from Bose & Sony are far superior to the quantity of aviation headsets being produced.
Making low quality products would not be a good business model for sure, and the quality of Bose & Sony headsets is simply excellent
Our competitors TSO approval
We do know that some of our competitors state their products are TSO compliant โ or even have a TSO approval.
This might be correct for part of the product , but will unfortunately not apply for the complete headset solution with a Bose or Sony (non TSO) headset.
The complete system as ONE UNIT has to be approved ย – from cable to ear cushions. This is not possible for mixed systems like the Avee system.
Who require the TSO approval
It is important to know that the request for a TSO approved headset is an airline request, and not a FAA request.
Headsets used by the pilots in aircraft do not need a TSO or ETSO approval.
We estimate we sell around 90% of our products to commercial pilots, but we do see that the TSO requirement from airlines in the US is far more common than in airlines in the rest of the world.
Read more here
https://www.easa.europa.eu/faq/19442