Will the USB2GA or USB2Lemo work with my aviation headset?

Short answer: Almost certainly, if it's a modern general aviation headset with GA dual plugs (USB2GA) or a 6-pin Lemo plug (USB2Lemo). We test against a wide range of GA headsets — old and new, ANR and passive — including the Bose A20, Lightspeed Delta Zulu, Lightspeed Zulu 3, and 1990s-era FlightCom headsets. Military headsets have very different specifications and are untested.

Headsets we’ve tested

We test our adapters against a wide variety of GA headsets — old and new, ANR and passive. Pete uses his Bose A20 and Lightspeed Delta Zulu with the USB2GA daily, and we’ve also tested with Lightspeed Zulu 3 headsets and a set of FlightCom headsets from the late 1990s. Whether your headset has ANR or not, the adapter is safe and compatible.

Speakers

Just like in the plane, you may need to adjust the volume depending on the headset. Speaker impedance can differ from one manufacturer or model to another, though we’ve found many GA headsets are around 300 ohms. The audio chip in the adapter handles a wide range, which gives us confidence that any modern general aviation headset will work properly.

Microphones

Microphones vary more between manufacturers. Some are 150 ohms, others 30 or 300, and we’ve even come across 2,200-ohm mics, so we focus our testing on microphones and buy and test as many variations as we can. The adapter supplies +12V phantom power (mic bias) from the USB port; general aviation mics tend to accept 8–16V, so they should all be compatible. (Why aviation mics need this power.)

Military headsets

We’ve heard military headsets have much lower impedances — roughly 19 ohms for the speakers and 5 ohms for the mics. That can cause a significant increase in current flow (Ohm’s law), and we have not tested them. We’re open to testing in a controlled environment if we can get our hands on some.

Not sure about yours?

Contact us and we’ll research your model specifically. If we can, we may buy one for testing and then donate it to an EAA Young Eagles or Ninety-Nines program.

Applies to: USB2GA, USB2Lemo