Radiosport headset for Flex 6k? OEM or copy?

Steve G1XOW

Guys,

I like the look of the Radiosport headset so starting shopping around for one.

I then stumbled on these on ebay for £74 instead of the normal retail price in the UK of around £179.  Having looked very hard I can see almost no differences from the RS ones, except a very significant saving of around 140USD !

I know I will have to remake the connector but no great shakes there.

I am going to give it a go, anybody else tried one?

73 de Steve G1XOW

Jim Jerzycke

eBay link, please....

73, Jim

Steve G1XOW

ebay item # 300913170609

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300913170609

Jim Jerzycke

Thanks for the link.

I have one of the Radiosport headset/boom mic units, and it's absolutely the best headset I've ever owned.

Excellent isolation, comfort, and audio.

EA4GLI

They look alike but I am sure they are not the same.



If you want to save money and get something that has very good performance I recommend the Yamaha CM500 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Yamaha-CM500-Headphones-with-Built-In-Microphone-headset-with-built-in-mic-/370942106461?hash=item565ddf5b5d:m:m5SpUjK1RwNlfuUUZ7hHQlw

Now I understand you appreciate the look and if you are willing to be the guinea pig with the eBay ones I would love to hear your reports. However, quality of materials and comfort go a long way on these headset (in my opinion). I had Heil ProSet4 that I sold, Heil BM-10 which Mic sounds hollow and I have a Sennheiser HD 280 Pro, which sounds great but I cannot stand them for more than 1 to 2 hours. I wear glasses so I need headphones that are comfortable with them on. I pretty much gave up on headsets until I tried the Yamaha CM500. Bought them in the US for $50 through Amazon.

I don't like the fact that the padding is not replaceable , the inside of the headset inaccessible and there are cables at both sides of the heads set so the cable gets a bit tangled.

I like how comfy they are, excellent sound, superb electret capsule MIC, very long cable, in line BIAS accessory that works with a battery (not needed with the flex) and the price.

Barry N1EU

My experience is that they're great for communications audio but they're not hifi headsets.

[Deleted User]

Tell you what . . . I've had the Yamaha, the Heil and now the RadioSport. It is the best one out there. I run it with the M-350 adjustable electret element and always get "what are you running the audio is unbelievable". There is no comparison. 

No I do not work for the company. They are a bit expensive but you get what you pay for.

EA4GLI

What about the other aspects? They look heavy and a bit unwieldy, and I am afraid of spending the money and not using them because I dislike them.

Having had the Yamaha.... how do they compare? Are they lighter or heavier? Can you use them with glasses on? Length of cable and materials will probably be par with the price.

Anything that it is absolutely better than the CM500?

Jim Jerzycke

True, but they're not meant to be for HiFi....

[Deleted User]

They are a little heavier but they are very comfortable. No sweaty ears, audio is excellent cable is at least 6' long. I wear glasses and there is no issue with glasses on. They don't bother the ear piece of the glasses at all and they don't make them dig into my head.

EA4GLI

Great info Steven. And when comparing them to the Yamaha? As a user of both... advantages of the Radiosports? I really would like to be able to go somewhere and just try them out. 

KY6LA_Howard

The EBay ones do not specify MIKE Element OR CABLE. NOR DO YOU HVAE ANY IDEA OF THE QUALITY IF THE SPEAKERS IN THE EAR PIECES. when we took apart a Heil Proset 7 at the Dx convention last year and compared it to the radio sport, on the surface it looked almost identical to the radio sport. However, internal construction of Heil what's much flower quality and the speakers was visibly cheaper. I suspect eBay version is The version that Heil sells under its label. @Sal. ' we have been using radio sport headsets for contesting for years. Really comfortable for long periods of heavy use

[Deleted User]

You want Hi Fi go listen to commercial FM. I did not know that amateur radio SSB was Hi Fi. Do you listen to SSB with a bandwidth of 50-15khz wifi I think not

Steve G1XOW

Curiosity dictates, so I have gone and ordered a set. I will report back here after I have dissected them and studied the internals awhile. Coming from HK so will take a week or two.

Already have a very good Qpad QH-90 headset and a CM-500 here, so will be an interesting comparison.

73 de Steve G1XOW

butch alline

And if you want really cheap ($20) try these:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Brand-New-SONIC-HP-259-headset-Ear-cup-Binaural-/281145373773?hash=item417...

They work fine for me.

Steve K9ZW

An observation: clones even when they exhibit reasonableness similar initial performance end fading in performance or outright crapping out over time. Another observation: clones often are unserviceable never having been designed for repairs. Third observation: clone buyers seem to end up acquiring, either used or new, the high quality original, and discarding their clone purchases. Often they end up spending more while suffering with rubbish until they make the rightful acquisition. At least that is how it has worked for me, 73 Steve K9ZW

Jim Jerzycke

I agree 100% with Steve.

I wish I had all the money back that I've thrown away over the years buying stuff that was advertised as being "Just As Good As Brand X!".

73, Jim

Stefano - W2WTZ

I had Heil Proset Elite and sent back the day after arrival, very unconfortable on ears on long contests. I don't wear glasses. Now AKG HSD271. Dynamic mic doesn't get environment noise. Circumaural very wide. Direct balanced connection to Flex 6500.
Reccomended, but you need initial sacrifice with higher cost.

Gene - K3GC

Ya gets what ya pays for.
I have had my RS60 headset for over 4 years and i wold not trade them for anything.  They still look and perform as well as when they are new.