telephone calls are routed through the airplane's audio panel. Two in-ear headset makers-Clarity Aloft and Quiet Technologies-have staked out their positions in the GA market during the last decade. Clarity Aloft ($525 to $795) is at the top of the inear price scale with a metal band and excellent strength, durability, optional Bluetooth-and some models have technical standard orders that allow corporate and airline pilots to use them on the job. The Halo headset by Quiet Technologies is less costly ($379) and is extremely compact and reliable. (Faro ($380) also has begun offering an in-ear model.) The CQ Headset ($425 to $675) doesn't have a TSO, and it's priced at the low end to middle of the range depending on whether it includes Bluetooth. The Bluetooth battery takes about 30 minutes to charge via a USB-C adaptor, and it lasts 15 hours or more with constant streaming. " We set out to produce a premium product, " said Tanya Card of Card Machine Works, which manufactures the CQ Headset in Texas. " We wanted to make the very best headset we could and offer it at a good value. " After the demo flights, I can see promoting the CQ Headset and making it primary for all but the loudest cockpits. dave.hirschman@aopa.org In-ear advantages: Incredibly light, comfortable. No external power required. Slim profile fits easily into flight bags. Much less expensive than top-of-the-line ANR headsets. Easy to wear with one earpiece in and one out during preflight. Can't easily be shared. Clarity Aloft: $525 to $795 clarityaloft.com CQ: $425 to $675 cqheadset.com Halo: $379 quiettechnologies.com Faro: $380 faroaviation.com 91 In-ear disadvantages: Can't easily be shared. Any tug on the wires pulls on your ears. Not as much noise protection as over-ear headsets with ANR. Can compete with sunglasses and some hats for over-ear real estate. cqheadset.comhttp://www.clarityaloft.com http://www.cqheadset.com http://www.cqheadset.com http://www.quiettechnologies.com http://www.faroaviation.com http://ps-engineering.com