[CQ-Contest] Ultra Comfy GLASSES / PHONES

[K7bv at aol.com]

I, too, have had to live with post-contest bruised ears because I have worn 
glassed since the 2nd grade of elementary school.

Although my Heil gear still serves as primary equipment for my contest and 
DXpedition operating, I now switch to Starline Electronics Int'l 
http://www.gis.net/~starline/  Headphones (no mic) for long CW-only operating sessions. 

I first used them in the 2003 CW SS and then again a few weeks ago for 45 
hours (one 3 hour break) as VP5M.  Frankly, I was stunned when both contests were 
over and I realized that I felt absolutely no ear discomfort. I initially 
found that the ear cushions were a bit nontraditional in appearance and feel. 
But, I found that design cut out nearly all background room noise and, although 
feeling "firm," they readily formed around the wire frame leading to my ear.

I am not a techie kinda guy but I understand that each earpiece has a 
separate woofer and tweeter. Their website says this means that the 'phones employ a 
"coaxial twin-speaker system."  As a plug and play operator, I can only say 
that with the lowered background distraction and speaker design they use, I do 
hear the sigs down in and near the noise threshold quite nicely.

I expect to still use my Heil headset/mic for the majority of my operating 
but these Starline jewels will now travel with me as well.

73,
Dennis K7BV/1