I am going to give you all of my thoughts on this $850 headset. For some background, I am a CFI with roughly 1500 hours, flying C172s and PA-44s. Virtually all of those 1500 hours were flown with my first, inexpensive headset: a Pilot USA 1171T with passive noise reduction. A few of my comments on the Lightspeed will be in comparison to my old Pilot USA, which should be similar in quality to the basic David Clarks. So here's my review of the Lightspeed Zulu 3 aviation headset:Build Quality:This headset has a solid build quality but it is not necessarily something that is going to blow you away. Yes, there is a fare amount of metal but there is also plenty of plastic. However, this is expected as an ALL metal headset would undoubtedly add to the weight. Compared to my old headset, the weight is similar which is a plus given this headset's added capabilities (such as active noise cancelling). Adjustments are done by simply pulling the earcups down and settling into pre-set notches. This is a little less desirable compared to my old headset which used a tightening knob and sliding rail (no preset notches which allowed perfect precision of your setting).Fit & Comfort:I find this headset very comfortable. The earcups are soft and form nicely around your ears. They create a fairly good seal and maintain a decent seal even with thin framed sunglasses on. Given it's light weight, I've worn this for hours on end without fatigue. I am a bit skeptical on the longevity of the ear cups and head cushion as they feel as though they are thinly covered with a fabric like material. I think Lightspeed states they view these as wearable aspects of the headset and recommend replacement every year or so. I certainly hope they last longer than a year. In my opinion, anything less than 3+ years is unacceptable. My previous headset's earcups and head cushion are in mint condition after 7+ years and 1500 hours...and those were also very comfortable and good quality. Time will tell.Audio & MicrophoneThe quality of the microphone and audio is...average at best. This is one of the most surprising parts of this headset. When I say this I am referring to my own audible voice as detected by the microphone (and heard in my ears) and the audio quality of others in the cockpit/over the radios (again, as heard in my ears). To me, this headset does not produce better sounding audio than my $125 old Pilot USA headset. To clarify, the ambient nose is greatly reduced in this headset compared to my older, passive headset. That is because this headset utilizes Active Noise Reduction (ANR). However, ambient noise aside, the actual quality of the sound produced by the earcups is just OK. It's more than good enough for what it's needed for, but I was disappointed that it was no better (and perhaps slightly worse) than my cheap headset. Perhaps this is not so much an insult to Lightspeed but a massive compliment to Pilot USA. I don't know. Also, concerning ANR, you should know this headset is terrible the moment ANR is disengaged (via the inline control module). The ambient noise is terrible and the audio quality sounds significantly worse. My old headset was ONLY passive and did excellent in this area. The Zulu 3 is terrible as a passive headset. Of course, this is probably due to the fact the headset was designed to utilize active noise cancelation, so I suppose the amount of passive sound deadening could be significantly less in this headset than in my old. Nonetheless, it's still surprised me that my $125 headset could wipe the floor with this headset the moment the ANR was turned off.Microphone Boom:This is actually my single biggest complaint about this headset. As other reviews have noted, the microphone boom is a flexible arm that has no extending ability. It is as long as it is and will not get longer. This makes it difficult for the mic to reach all the way around your head/cheek and be positioned in front of your mouth. The best I seem to achieve is to reach in front of the left third of my mouth. If I'm ok with the mic being pressed firmly to my lips I can just barely make it reach the middle of my mouth, but that is far too uncomfortable and makes for poor audio pickup. Make no mistake, I do not have a big head...at 5' 7" and 150lb, my head is average. But I find myself fiddling with the mic constantly, searching for a sweet spot. My previous headset (and MANY headsets) have a microphone boom that can extend to various lengths. I am still slowly becoming accustomed to this headset, so perhaps I will find the sweet spot. I have also adjusted the mic gain (under the foam mic piece there is a plastic cap covering the gain adjustment) which seems to help the situation.The Inline Control Module:I feel that the control module is large, larger than it needs to be. Not only can this be cumbersome in the cockpit, it can be difficult when it comes time to store the headset away after a flight (more on that below with the case). Practically speaking, there is no reason the module cannot be designed to be roughly 25% smaller. The volume adjustment bars also move extremely easily, making accidental volume adjustments very possible. The module does include additional settings but these are made in the battery compartment with tiny "dip" switches. This isn't as big a deal as these setting are not ones you'll be adjusting all the time. Be sure to check them though, as by default one of mine was set to mono audio, when the audio panels in the aircraft I fly are stereo.The Case:The included case is simply too small to properly this the headset. This, or the control module and the cable protruding from the earcup need to be redesigned. Check the attached pictures and you'll see fitting the module is awkward, as any place you put it places stress on the cables on one end or the other. Similar stress is placed on the cable protruding from the left earcup. With pressure on these points, a failure is much more likely. The case is very sturdy and otherwise great.So those are my thoughts. Despite its shortcomings, I am keeping the headset. I got a good deal on it. However, if I had the money I would most certainly spring for the Bose. But with time I suspect I will become fully accustomed to this headset. Overall it's a good headset....I just feel the price should be something closer to $600.