Thinking of buying a pair of Bose A20s, this article reviews my experience using the Bose A20 aviation headset.
The Bose A20 is the premium pilot headset. Whilst primarily designed for the general aviation segment, its lightweight and comfortable construction makes it easy to wear on long flights and has been adopted by a number of airlines and military flying squadrons – and there are now variants specifically tailored to airline pilots.
The Good
- Lightweight and comfortable feel
- Bluetooth compatible
- Around 20% cheaper than the new Bose A30
- Great background noise reduction
- 45 hours of battery life from AA batteries
- Solid warranty and customer support
- Many quality features, as listed below
The Bad
- It has now been surpassed by the new Bose A30
- It is still a bit pricey for an older-generation headset
- As they are scheduled to be discontinued in the future, it is unknown how long repairs will be supported
Verdict: The Bose A20 aviation headset is still a premium aviation headset. Whilst it has now been surpassed by the Bose A30, its lower price point makes it an attractive option for those looking to save some money while still buying quality.
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Introduction to Bose A20 review
My review of the Bose A20 aviation headset is based on over 10 years of flying with it. I first purchased my pair of Bose A20’s while studying at college. I was learning to fly and I was sick of the uncomfortable and unhygienic loaner sets on offer at the flying school. I knew I needed my own pair, and set out to find the best and cheapest available. After several weeks of searching and indecision, something happened that made up my mind instantly…
A local pilot from the town I was flying in offered to take me up for a quick joy flight to show off his new crop-dusting aircraft. Being a keen student, with an excited grin I took him up on the offer and within minutes we were walking airside toward the aircraft. When we got in the cockpit I realized In my excitement I had left my loaner pair in the school on the rack and turned bright red – not to worry as Ian comforted me as he offered me his wifes pair of Bose A20’s for the flight.
When I picked them up the first thing I noticed was how light they were, and putting them on they were very comfortable. We flew for just over an hour, and in comparative silence and crystal clear comms due to Boses Active Noise Reduction noise-canceling technology, despite Ian letting his IO-720 piston engine roar as we blasted down the coast low level at close to full power, in a vibrating agricultural aircraft and turbulence due to strong winds.
Strangely, After the flight, I noticed I didn’t have my usual sore ears and dull headache. I was sold and ordered my pair that night spending $1600 including express delivery. I still have my original set, which has now accumulated over 2000 flying hours over ten years of aviation!
Whilst I have since also acquired a trusty pair of David Clark H10s for my infrequent passengers, and always wear my Gallet LH350 flight helmet for warbird and aerobatic flying, I always reach for my A20s during regular flights. Once you’ve flown with a high-quality noise-cancelling aviation headset like the Bose A20, it’s hard to go back. The comfort, noise attenuation, and lightweight reduce my fatigue on long flights allowing me to focus on my core job of flying and aircraft safety.
Bose also has excellent after-sales support and product warranty. Rather foolishly, one day I managed to slam the headset adaptor cord in the door of the aircraft very hard, crushing the cable and one of the ear cups stopped working. One quick phone call to my local pilot shop who was an authorized Bose agent, and I had a plan in minutes.
I dropped the headset off later that day to the shop and they mailed the broken headset to customer care, despite my actions causing the damage this was all covered under warranty and I had them back within the week, total cost of $14 worth of postage. The customer care team had also taken the care to replace the earcup and head padding at no extra cost, and extended the warranty of their work!
Many pilots that I meet use the Bose A20 headset and once you have tried a pair it is hard to go back to the cheaper brands!
- 30% greater active noise reduction than conventional aviation...
- 30% less clamping force than conventional aviation headsets. The...
- Clear audio with active equalization. Simple, intuitive headset...
Features of the Bose A20 headset
The Bose A20 has many features, and these are some of my favorite;
- Insanely good noise reduction – tested to be 30% better noise reduction than industry standard ANR
- Active equalization of audio – the headset automatically processes your audio to make it clearer
- Audio prioritisation: You can listen to music, phone calls etc, and when an ATC radio call comes in, it will mute everything except Air traffic
- Very comfy to wear for long time periods – 30% less clamping force than industry standard headsets
- Bluetooth to connect your phone etc
- Extremely long battery life – over 45 hours from one pair of AA batteries.
- Customizable – Can switch which side the Mic is on.
- Extremely light weight – 340g
- Fantastic through life support and maintenance – easy to get spares and any dealer can have it sent to a repair facility and back to you in no time! (mine was returned within a week)
“The A20 headset offers an unmatched combination of clear audio, noise reduction and comfort, combined with the advanced features that pilots value, such as Bluetooth audio streaming, customisable audio prioritisation, auto-on (selected models) and smart shutoff. Bose was the first company to introduce commercially available, active noise reduction headsets to the market and has over 25 years of experience providing headsets for critical communications globally, with 16 service centres worldwide.”
Bose.com
Where to buy a pair of Bose A20 headsets
The best place to get a brand new pair of Bose A20 Headsets is on Amazon
- 30% greater active noise reduction than conventional aviation...
- 30% less clamping force than conventional aviation headsets. The...
- Clear audio with active equalization. Simple, intuitive headset...
Bose A20 Review Conclusion
The Bose A20, renowned as the premium pilot headset, has long been a staple in the aviation world. Its lightweight and comfortable design, originally crafted with the general aviation segment in mind, make it ideal for extended flights. Remarkably, this headset has found favor not only among private pilots but also within various airlines and military flying squadrons. However, it’s worth noting that in the same way the Bose A20 replaced the Bose Aviation X, it too will soon be superseded by the Bose A30, and production will cease.
Despite this transition, the A20 remains available and presents a cost-effective alternative compared to the A30. So, if you have the chance, I highly recommend test flying a pair of Bose A20s soon—you won’t regret it! In an industry like aviation, where fatigue can significantly affect decision-making, investing in quality headsets like the A20’s is a wise choice for safety and performance.
If you are still undecided, check out our review of the best aviation headsets at the moment for some more inspiration.
- 30% greater active noise reduction than conventional aviation...
- 30% less clamping force than conventional aviation headsets. The...
- Clear audio with active equalization. Simple, intuitive headset...