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earplug earphone recommendations?


KER

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Im getting ready to start a new job which means I plan on commuting on my bike, should be about 100miles round trip 5 days a week. I always listen podcasts when Im riding but Im usually not on the bike that long. I am in the need for some earplug earphones, does anyone have any recommendations on something decent that fits under a helmet (currently a Shoei neotec)? Looks like there is some cheap $15 foam headphones and some really expensive $300 noise cancelling earphones. If anyone has some first hand knowledge that would be helpful, Thanks!

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Personally, I prefer to focus on all the sounds and not have distractions from music, phone calls, or text messages. Besides I like hard rock music and to me it's just an invitation to ride harder and do something stupid. So I have stayed away from earphones for 30 years now. YMMV.

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szurszewski

In would have Arizona al, a member here, make me some. My family members all wear custom earplugs made by al and they are great. We don't have it, but he does a version that pipes music into the custom plug.

 

I think, if you are not lucky enough to catch up with him at a rally, you can make your own custom plugs with a DIY kit and he will add the sound system.

 

I'm sure there is a thread here about it - I will see if I can find it a little later (on my laptop instead of phone) and also add his contact info.

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Since Etymotic Research stop making the er6i earphones I have gone to these. I have the single drive version and I'm very please with everything about them. The sound quality is not as good as the er6i, but considering where you are using them, it isn't a real issue. The wires are robust, and the buds fit into your ear canal so there is no interference with any helmet. They block out noise better than any earbuds I have used.

 

For those riders that don't want to block out all noise they sell a single side earphone that combines both sides of a stereo signal. That one is about a third less than the regular earbuds.

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Hey, KER,

 

I have the Neotec, too, and tried several types of earphones. The best (all-around) earphones I've found are Panasonic HJE12. Amazon for $9: HJE12

 

Different colors, unique offset earplugs (very comfortable), three sizes of silicone seals, angled 3.5mm plug, inexpensive, very low profile speakers so as to not contact the helmet liner. I found the silicone "bell" shaped seals fit my ears best, minimize outside noise, and are comfortable for hours. I use it with my Cardo G9x instead of the in-helmet speakers because of the excellent road noise elimination. I'm NOT an audiophile, but they sound really good to me. I'd bet they put out better sound than I can hear.

 

If you are commuting that much you might consider a comm unit (Cardo or Sena) so that you can use your cell phone, MP3, FM radio, or SiriusXM radio.

 

Lowndes

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I should clarify a little. I currently am just running wired apple earbuds and they work fine. I only commuting a short ways now on my bike so I haven't been terrible concerned about blocking out noise. NOw that I will be riding for longer distances I am specifically looking for earplugs that have speakers in them. I also don't listen to music, almost exclusively talk radio podcasts, so audio quality isn't super high on the list. While checking another forum I came across these, anyone ever use them before? https://www.amazon.com/Shure-SE215-K-Isolating-Earphones-MicroDriver/dp/B004PNZFZ8

Edited by KER
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I've been quite happy with the skullcandy earbuds that I've purchased. Just the typical mushroom head earbuds every teenager has - they're reasonably durable, and not terribly expensive. Some models fit better than others under the helmet (also neotec).

 

I've got the "smokin' buds 2 wireless", and they're getting old. When they finally die, I think I'll try the "ink'd wireless". The bluetooth is a worthwhile upgrade, and I've used them occasionally to answer phone calls while riding. It works well for that, if you're not travelling at freeway speeds.

 

LINK

 

 

I would add that with those little mushroom head buds, I always pop them off, and superglue the mushroom to the speaker. I lost a bunch of them before I figured that trick out....

Edited by elkroeger
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These are the ones that I highly recommend. I also first heard about them from webbikeworld.com. They come with a stupid blue cord between them but I just cut the cord before use. They are the most comfortable and greatest noise suppression I have found. So greatly outshine the other foam based ones, I bought a pack of 200 and give out samples to fellow riders.

 

3M E-A-Rsoft Grippers

 

Edited by Sonor
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Perhaps I have oddly shaped ear canals, but I simply cannot use earbuds with a circular cross section. Klipsch earbuds have an oval cross section, so I slip them in, and rotate until they "lock" in place. Comfortable, excellent acoustic seal, good sound quality, and the pair that I have is probably 8 years old, still going strong.

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OK- Earplugs are fine, but have you considered the alternative?

 

I had the same issue but I went with bluetoothed Helmet speakers.... Volume is quite sufficient and I wear Arizona Al- custom Earplugs- and can still hear well. I listen to music all the time and or switch over to the Radio /Sirius on long trips for news etc. I mention the Music because the fidelity is still quite good.

 

I use the Sena SMH-10 headset but the newer versions- I hear (no pun intended) are even better.

 

I say- ditch the wires... you will appreciate it...

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I am a big fan of Klipsch earbuds! They are not cheap, but their patented oval tips are wonderful in that it fits my ears perfectly, and very comfortably. With that kind of fit, they also seals out the wind noise very well, while still allowing other noises to get through fairly well. I had no problems riding 300+ miles at a time with these under my Neotec.

 

Nowadays, I have the Neotec 2 with the SRL, and so I am back to wearing the NoNoise earplugs under the set-up.

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In would have Arizona al, a member here, make me some. My family members all wear custom earplugs made by al and they are great. We don't have it, but he does a version that pipes music into the custom plug.

 

I think, if you are not lucky enough to catch up with him at a rally, you can make your own custom plugs with a DIY kit and he will add the sound system.

 

I'm sure there is a thread here about it - I will see if I can find it a little later (on my laptop instead of phone) and also add his contact info.

 

I have a wired earplug from Arizona Al and it works great, is comfortable and the sound is great even though I suffer from hearing loss.

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szurszewski
In would have Arizona al, a member here, make me some. My family members all wear custom earplugs made by al and they are great. We don't have it, but he does a version that pipes music into the custom plug.

 

I think, if you are not lucky enough to catch up with him at a rally, you can make your own custom plugs with a DIY kit and he will add the sound system.

 

I'm sure there is a thread here about it - I will see if I can find it a little later (on my laptop instead of phone) and also add his contact info.

 

I have a wired earplug from Arizona Al and it works great, is comfortable and the sound is great even though I suffer from hearing loss.

 

What?

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I've been using these for years. Decent sound (as good as apple ear buds), and reasonable cost as well.

You can even get them with bluetooth, though I have not tried those.

 

Ear Fuze

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In would have Arizona al, a member here, make me some. My family members all wear custom earplugs made by al and they are great. We don't have it, but he does a version that pipes music into the custom plug.

 

I think, if you are not lucky enough to catch up with him at a rally, you can make your own custom plugs with a DIY kit and he will add the sound system.

 

I'm sure there is a thread here about it - I will see if I can find it a little later (on my laptop instead of phone) and also add his contact info.

 

I have a wired earplug from Arizona Al and it works great, is comfortable and the sound is great even though I suffer from hearing loss.

 

What?

 

 

SPEAK INTO THE FUNNEL SONNY!

 

oortrompet-2.jpg

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RecentConvert

Normally I where earplugs to keep the wind noise at bay, but sometimes, and for long days on the road, music is required! I've tried three brands of speakers connected to my Scala Packtalk and while they are good for intercom and phone calls, they all suck for listening to music.

 

I am currently using Shure SE215 in canal earbuds. They sound awesome since they are made for music. They are also a pain in the ass to get in my ears and under the helmet. But when only the best will do...........

 

They are actually good earplugs when I shut the music off, like when in traffic and need the external noise input. They definitely aren't for short trips when the helmet goes on and off frequently!

 

Here is a question for the Sirius XM users. My SiriusXM sounds tinny and cheap when routed through the Scala. Anyone else with this issue?

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It seems like I get enough wind noise through my helmet that would negate the acoustics of higher end ear buds. YMMV. I opt for the cheapies you can get anywhere. I can't seem to get the plastic mushroom style tips to stay in my ear. So, I bought a couple packs of those Comply Isolation foam earbud tips. They seem to seal in my ears much better.

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szurszewski
It seems like I get enough wind noise through my helmet that would negate the acoustics of higher end ear buds. YMMV. I opt for the cheapies you can get anywhere. I can't seem to get the plastic mushroom style tips to stay in my ear. So, I bought a couple packs of those Comply Isolation foam earbud tips. They seem to seal in my ears much better.

 

I also like the foam tips.

 

I do find that my Sure studio monitors (low end of their studio line) do sound much better than similar shaped $20 buds even using the same type of tips. ...but I'm lazy so I usually just wear my Arizona al earplugs and crank up the sena.

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It seems like I get enough wind noise through my helmet that would negate the acoustics of higher end ear buds....

 

+1. I generally have the volume set at a pretty low level. Just enough to hear the tunes over the road noise, but not so loud that it becomes annoying at stoplights, or in a conversation. I think this reduces the need for high end earbuds, and also keeps me from having to monkey with the volume controls all the time. I do avoid the super cheap stuff, tho. They last about a week.

 

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szurszewski
For me, part of the attraction of long distance riding is the utter lack of distraction from music.

 

I get that, and there are definitely riding times I don't want to listen to music. On the other hand riding is one of my favorite listening times, and I often “hear” things I've never before noticed in a song both aurally and metaphorically.

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Normally I where earplugs to keep the wind noise at bay, but sometimes, and for long days on the road, music is required! I've tried three brands of speakers connected to my Scala Packtalk and while they are good for intercom and phone calls, they all suck for listening to music.

 

I am currently using Shure SE215 in canal earbuds. They sound awesome since they are made for music. They are also a pain in the ass to get in my ears and under the helmet. But when only the best will do...........

 

They are actually good earplugs when I shut the music off, like when in traffic and need the external noise input. They definitely aren't for short trips when the helmet goes on and off frequently!

 

Here is a question for the Sirius XM users. My SiriusXM sounds tinny and cheap when routed through the Scala. Anyone else with this issue?

 

Hey, Recent,

 

I have the Packtalk too, and a Delphi Roady, wondered about the losses involved in running it thru the Packtalk, but have not tried that yet. I'm just barely smart enough to get the intercom to work. Sometimes. What about just going direct to earbuds from the Roady and let the Packtalk go thru the helmet speakers?? Some people wear earplugs with helmet speakers.

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In would have Arizona al, a member here, make me some. My family members all wear custom earplugs made by al and they are great. We don't have it, but he does a version that pipes music into the custom plug.

 

I think, if you are not lucky enough to catch up with him at a rally, you can make your own custom plugs with a DIY kit and he will add the sound system.

 

I'm sure there is a thread here about it - I will see if I can find it a little later (on my laptop instead of phone) and also add his contact info.

 

+1 for Al's custom molded ear plugs. I am still using the same ones he made for me in 2001. I did have to send them back to the manufacturer once to get the monitors replaced about 10 years ago as one stopped working, but as long as you don't pull on the wire and treat them well they should last a very long time. I also use them for my long plane flights ro Asia for watching movies and music...

 

Just went and found the box... The company that does the monitors is EARinc.com. The receipt shows I got them replaced in 2007 so six years of heavy use then $55 to get the monitors replaced and I'm still using them...

Edited by Luky
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I did a bit of a review on several earbuds over HEAR ;)

 

Bottom line - The Klipsch ear buds with foam ear tips take the cake for me under the helmet and while mowing. At some point I wite it up here, complete with photos and circles and arrows.

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Lone_RT_rider

Since Etymotic Research stop making the er6i earphones I have gone to these.

 

Ed,

 

I picked up a set of these and I like the simplicity of them. I purchased the 22 inch cord which has made life a bit easier when it comes to cord management. On thing I am not sure of though. In order to get them to stay in my ears when I put on the helmet, I have to put a good bit of pressure when inserting them. I'm not sure how this will feel after a full day in the saddle. Do these things take a set? Do they relax a bit after some time in your ears?

 

Shawn

 

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I've got about 25000 miles on a set. I wear a helmet liner so I have no issues with putting on my helmet. No issues with all day, multi day rides

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Since Etymotic Research stop making the er6i earphones I have gone to these.

 

Ed,

 

I picked up a set of these and I like the simplicity of them. I purchased the 22 inch cord which has made life a bit easier when it comes to cord management. On thing I am not sure of though. In order to get them to stay in my ears when I put on the helmet, I have to put a good bit of pressure when inserting them. I'm not sure how this will feel after a full day in the saddle. Do these things take a set? Do they relax a bit after some time in your ears?

 

Shawn

 

I've been using the S-Plugs for more than a year now and the standard baffle plug was comfortable but not as comfortable as a molded plug. My solution was to insert the drivers into a set of Al's molded ear plugs. Perfection.

 

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Rob Nowell

I have found bluetooth sound to be quite sub-par. I still use a pair of PYLE swimmer's earbuds which provide good sound while keeping wind noise to a minimum. Plus, they don't cost an arm and a leg! Check Amazon.

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Since Etymotic Research stop making the er6i earphones I have gone to these.

 

Ed,

 

I picked up a set of these and I like the simplicity of them. I purchased the 22 inch cord which has made life a bit easier when it comes to cord management. On thing I am not sure of though. In order to get them to stay in my ears when I put on the helmet, I have to put a good bit of pressure when inserting them. I'm not sure how this will feel after a full day in the saddle. Do these things take a set? Do they relax a bit after some time in your ears?

 

Shawn

 

I follow their directions for inserting the plugs and find that I can ride all day, and for multiple days, without issue. I find that it doesn't take a lot of pressure to get them into place, but you can't just "pop" them in. Pulling the ear back and pushing the earbud forward lets it slide into the ear canal which is where it belongs.

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beemer chuck

I have been using active noise canceling ear buds from audio technica. The model is an-23 and cost about $40 per set. With or without music, the noise reduction in my Neotec is profound. About 25 hours from a single aaa battery.

 

 

 

Edited by beemer chuck
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