Gonna Need Music...

[Guest Kakugo]

A friend and I are planning a long road trip for next year.

Since we'll have plenty of motorway miles to ride I am considering getting some headset to play music.

Here's the deal: I have an old MP3 player which is still going strong after seven years of almost continuous use. No Bluetooth functionality hence I would need some old fashioned earphones.

They also have to be good at cancelling external noise, since I am used at riding with earplugs all the time. Oh, and they have to fit well under a helmet.

Price is secondary to quality.

Any tip is greatly appreciated.

[Rougarou]

Beats by Dre Phenomenal sound quality and they block everything on the outside. I've been riding with them for over a year and they are great. I only paid around $100 for them.

 

 

[Gnomad]

You might look at S-Plug earbuds. I've been using them for 7 years and think they are great. They do a great job of eliminating outside noises and sound fantastic. The main thing for me is that they don't become dislodged when I put on a tight fitting helmet. They are a little pricey, though.

[rdwalker]

Etymotic has a great line of in-ear earphones. I still use occasionally the ER-6, long discontinued. A riding buddy uses HF-3 and likes them a lot. These are not cheap; both models are in $100 range.

 

A tip: I use "Buff" headware (google that), like a balaclava, when wearing helmet. This absorbs sweat and lowers the "stink factor". Importantly, it allows sliding the helmet on/off without ripping out the earphones.

 

However, I actually found that on a really long trip the earphones become uncomfortable. Ear speakers (earset mounted in helmet) are much less painful.

 

Wired earset kits are available from several manufacturers; my best experience was with J&M (their portable version is the Integratr IV, which will run above $200 for the unit with one helmet headset kit). It offers the loudest volume of any intercom that used ear speakers - something to consider on a long ride with earplugs in.

 

You can also go the wireless route, with a Bluetooth set. I have now a Sena SMH-10; WebBikeWorld rated it as the loudest BT system. It is OK with 28-30dB earplugs, though I could really use it being louder.

 

Your existing MP3 player can be used with a wireless system. There are stereo Bluetooth transmitters around: small dongles that plug into your player and transmit over wireless to the helmet. For a while, I used a TaoTronics-brand transmitter, purchased on eBay for perhaps $25, to pipe music from my player to my Bluetooth helmet set.

 

This worked; a limiting factor was battery charge: the cheap transmitter died after 5-6 hours. That's when the Sena system is useful: the MP3 player can be fed directly into the helmet speakers with a cord. The helmet set works for me for about 8-10 hours of music and navigation - plus, one advantage of the Sena devices is that they can still operate while charging - most Bluetooth devices do not.

 

Of course, if you are a gadget freak, you can go crazy. I am: as an example, I currently use a Sena SR10 hub (in the tank-bag on the GS or in the glovebox of the RT) to combine multiple audio sources and transmit wirelessly to the helmet set. I may have gone overboard: I feed an audio source (Sirius radio or MP3 player) and radar detector that way. I also hacked the GPS output through the hub, although that could be fed anyway through a second Bluetooth stream.

 

 

So, to summarize: there are good (though expensive) in-ear earphones around that will work for you. But, be mindful of long-hours comfort. And, there are many, many choices for other approaches.

 

Happy New Year!

 

[Guest Kakugo]

Thanks to all of you for your suggestions.

Really like the idea of earbuds designed to fit "odd" ear shapes as that would be exactly my case.

You gave me something to chew on and now it's time for shopping.

Oh, and a happy new year to all!

[mig]

I am using the Sena SMH10 and SM10 set up and really like the sound ( althought at 70 mph the base is a little weak ) and ease of the bluetooth. you can plug you MP3 player to the back of the head set with a small cable and put the player in your pocket or use an intermediary bluethooth device. look at the sena site, very cool stuff and you have the capability to talk to your friend as you ride as well.

[Deek]

"..However, I actually found that on a really long trip the earphones become uncomfortable. Ear speakers (earset mounted in helmet) are much less painful.

 

Wired earset kits are available from several manufacturers; my best experience was with J&M (their portable version is the Integratr IV, which will run above $200 for the unit with one helmet headset kit). It offers the loudest volume of any intercom that used ear speakers - something to consider on a long ride with earplugs in.

.."

 

Totally agree. The J&M speakers in my Nolan helmet are terrific, and I can still use whatever ear plugs I want. I can tell when it's time for new ear plugs; can't hear the music too good. I also use an Intergrtr, and think it's a bargain. I have the volume on the MP3 player turned up to about 90%, and the volume on the Integratr turned to about 25%. Sound quality is very good, considering I'm on a motorcycle with the resultant wind noise.

[Downs]

SENA SMH-10 with the MP3 player hooked into the MP3 port on the baseplate.

 

Or pick up the SMH-10 and then the SR-10 bluetooth hub and plug your MP3 player into that. Plus side of the SR-10 hub is the ability to hook in other feeds such as Radar Detector, GPS if yours doesn't do bluetooth, UHF/VHF radios ect.

[Guest Kakugo]

Again thanks for all the replies.

No much need for a hub as I don't own a GPS (and have no intention of buying one) and radar detectors are absolutely forbidden here.

presently I am leaning towards the Beats by Dre earphones, mostly because they seem to be widely available on eBay and hence I can hope to land a bargain but the more I learn on the subject, the better.

[Devil Duc]

I got the bose earphones to use with a new Schuberth. $80 bucks at the PX. Great sound. Can use them when at gym, running, under mickey mouse ear protection in the yard (snow blowing, lawn mower, leaf blower). Were a bit uncomfortable at first on longer drives but I got used to it, and they are getting more comfortable. Maybe the ear holes just need to get used to the new ear buds??? To me it is a small price to pay in discomfort in order to add huge versatility. They don't noise cancel so it might be worth a shot at the Dre's. Reading this thread I am wishing I would have sprung for them.....

[Guest Kakugo]

And this one is settled!

After much soul searching my old (and superb) Sony headset met an untimely end in a bizarre gardening accident.

That sent me scrambling for alternatives and settled on Sennheiser CX300-II.

Unbelievable sound, great sound insulation (almost like wearing earplugs), fit great in my oddly shaped ears and under a helmet.

Still haven't ridden with them, will test them the first time I have some highway ahead of me.

 

As I said my first pick were the Beats by Dre Tour but was put off by a number of issues:

 

1)They are excellent earphones but quite overpriced.

2)Local Monster Beats dealer doesn't carry the in-ear line.

3)They are one of the most heavily copied electronic devices around, hence unless you have a very keen eye to spot subtle differences (like the "b" logo) or buy from an authorized dealer you are basically shooting at random.

[elkroeger]

Incidentally, I bought a new pair the other day. I get them at a local discount place that sells last years junk from the Malls. I pay about $7 - $9. Anyway, there was a teenager there, looking through the headphones with me. The word is Skull Candy is the way to go. I took his advice. Man these things are great! Always take headphone advice from random teenagers. Always. ;-)

[mwood7800]

the best item i bought for the bike this yr

 

http://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-Image-X10-Noise-Isolating-Earphone/dp/B000WAHFBK

[Kathy R]

......

That sent me scrambling for alternatives and settled on Sennheiser CX300-II. .......

 

Last week I saw this and for that price I ordered a pair. They arrived today and I have to say they are outstanding. Well, on the elliptical anyway. I haven't tried them on the bike yet. Thanks for the tip.

[Guest Kakugo]

......

That sent me scrambling for alternatives and settled on Sennheiser CX300-II. .......

 

Last week I saw this and for that price I ordered a pair. They arrived today and I have to say they are outstanding. Well, on the elliptical anyway. I haven't tried them on the bike yet. Thanks for the tip.

 

Weather here is still awful but I gave them a "test ride" by putting them on while using power equipment. Worked in the garden for three hours today with them on and they are so much much better than ear muffs.

[terryofperry]

......

That sent me scrambling for alternatives and settled on Sennheiser CX300-II. .......

 

Last week I saw this and for that price I ordered a pair. They arrived today and I have to say they are outstanding. Well, on the elliptical anyway. I haven't tried them on the bike yet. Thanks for the tip.

 

Weather here is still awful but I gave them a "test ride" by putting them on while using power equipment. Worked in the garden for three hours today with them on and they are so much much better than ear muffs.

 

Do you have an Indoor Garden?

 

Terry

[Kathy R]

......

That sent me scrambling for alternatives and settled on Sennheiser CX300-II. .......

 

Last week I saw this and for that price I ordered a pair. They arrived today and I have to say they are outstanding. Well, on the elliptical anyway. I haven't tried them on the bike yet. Thanks for the tip.

 

Weather here is still awful but I gave them a "test ride" by putting them on while using power equipment. Worked in the garden for three hours today with them on and they are so much much better than ear muffs.

 

I'll give them a try when I vacuum

 

[Guest Kakugo]

......

That sent me scrambling for alternatives and settled on Sennheiser CX300-II. .......

 

Last week I saw this and for that price I ordered a pair. They arrived today and I have to say they are outstanding. Well, on the elliptical anyway. I haven't tried them on the bike yet. Thanks for the tip.

 

Weather here is still awful but I gave them a "test ride" by putting them on while using power equipment. Worked in the garden for three hours today with them on and they are so much much better than ear muffs.

 

Do you have an Indoor Garden?

 

Terry

 

No, I am just plain old crazy.

[Bob_Minor]

I've always used in-helmet speakers. While I know they are a huge compromise in sound quality they have 3 features I like:

 

1. I have the option of still wearing earplugs to minimize wind noise.

2. The don't become dislodged when I put on my helmet.

3. They're comfortable for many hours on the bike.

 

Will any of the earbuds mentioned take care of all three? I have a hunch that any earbuds that are as effective as foam earplugs at killing wind noise probably won't be that comfortable.

 

 

 

[Rougarou]

I've always used in-helmet speakers. While I know they are a huge compromise in sound quality they have 3 features I like:

 

1. I have the option of still wearing earplugs to minimize wind noise.

2. The don't become dislodged when I put on my helmet.

3. They're comfortable for many hours on the bike.

 

Will any of the earbuds mentioned take care of all three? I have a hunch that any earbuds that are as effective as foam earplugs at killing wind noise probably won't be that comfortable.

 

 

 

My beats do all three. I've worn them for nine hour rides with no uncomfortable feeling. They do block all wind noise and I can get my helmet on with no problems.

[dirtrider]

Afternoon Bob

 

I seldom listen to a radio or music while riding so am not the best person to give you advice. (will just give you my personal experience)

 

Over the years I have tried many different ear buds & in-helmet speakers with a definite dislike of ear buds & not much better with in-helmet speakers.

 

In fact I have box full of ear buds from rather expensive to pretty cheap.

 

My personal problem with ear buds is the volume needed at riding speeds due to wind noise & other motorcycle noises. To hear much I need to keep turning the volume up while riding at speed. That sort of makes them usable but when I slow down or stop they are usually WAY too loud. Well if too loud standing still they are still that same DB when riding only I don't notice it. That also means I am damaging my hearing while riding at speed but don't realize it.

My hearing is already not the best from early years of racing loud 2 cycles & loud booms when in the service so I really don't want to do more damage with deep-in-ear loud music.

 

In-helmet speakers are a little better but somewhat the same as the clarity is not as good with a lot of wind noise without ear plugs & if I use ear plugs then pretty bad clarity. I still need them way too loud & I'm sure well above the point of damaging my remaining hearing. The other problem with in-helmet speakers is the need to have (& keep them) perfectly centered on the ears. They don't have to off the ear canal center very far to go from usable to just an unusable garble noise in the helmet.

 

What I have on my Harley that works OK at lower speeds for me is a combination of up-level in-cowling speakers that have been shimmed to point directly at the rider. I then have the radio rear channels filtered & sent to a set of in-helmet speakers. This way I set the in-helmet volume to be OK at standstill then supplement that with the cowl mounted speakers. Even so, at speeds over 60 or so not very good unless I jack the in-helmet volume way up.

 

[albury]

Bose, on ear, noise canceling headphones. Strip off the headband. Shim just right with foam (takes some fiddling and velcro).

Downside... $350. And you need a helmet with a good size ear pocket. (Arai in my case)

Rechargeable battery is good all day. Blocks out no more noise than earplugs.

Luxury!

[Doug_Baliko]

I'm a little bit of a nut about audio quality while I ride. When I'm on the road on my bike I like nice quality music. I have tried many brands of in the helmet speakers without getting anything close to good quality audio. I have also tried several brands of earbuds that either sound ok but kill my ears comfort wise after a days riding, and become unbearable on a ten day trip, or the sound just sucks.

So after a little investigating I went with custom molded ear buds made by Ultimate Ears. They make custom molded ear buds for musicians in several price points from expensive to ridiculous. I went with a pair that cost $400. http://ultimateears.logitech.com/en-us/home/4-Pro . In addition to the cost of the ear buds I had to go to a local audiologist and have molds of my ears made and send them to Ultimate Ears for them to make the custom molded ear buds. That cost an additional $50.

I can honestly say that these ear buds are fantastic. The audio quality is great, and they block out a lot of the outside noises while still letting you hear whats going on around you.They are unbelievably comfortable, and I can ride all day, day after day with no pain. I know that it's a high price point for ear buds. But if you like good quality music while you ride I highly recommend them.

 

Doug

 

[Selden]

Kakugo : If quality is more important than price, it's hard to beat Doug's suggestion.

 

At a lower price point, consider Klipsch S4 earbuds. They have an oval profile, and after sticking them in, when I rotate them, eventually they reach a position where they match the shape of my ear canal, and they "lock" in place. When properly seated, very little ambient noise leaks through (I use them mostly when mowing the lawn). Klipsch earbuds are available at a wide range of price points, from $25 to $300, but as far as I am aware, all have the oval profile.

[Guest Kakugo]

......

That sent me scrambling for alternatives and settled on Sennheiser CX300-II. .......

 

Last week I saw this and for that price I ordered a pair. They arrived today and I have to say they are outstanding. Well, on the elliptical anyway. I haven't tried them on the bike yet. Thanks for the tip.

 

Managed to finally test them.

They do an excellent job with windshield in the lowest position up to 110 km/h. At legal highway speeds (120-130 km/h) they need a tad more volume than usual (18 on my venerable iRiver MP3 player). Otherwise just raise the windshield.

 

I wore them for about an hour under the helmet and had no problem whatsoever.

 

I tested them with both my helmets (Arai Corsair and OGK FF5V) and worked fine with both.

[Pbrokaw]

I also give another thumbs up for the skull candy ear buds. Good bang for the buck. Considering the abuse the buds and the cord takes on a bike and with the helmet. They sound decent for the $25 I have invested in them. I have them in my coat pocket as a backup to the setup I use now.

Scala rider G9

Apple iPod touch blue toothed to the Scala

The Bluetooth audio is not a good as a wired direct connection ,but I got to the point where I hated the cords flopping in the wind. If I sat back in the saddle on the RT the cord would lift and fly up in the wind. I was using the Scala with my android smartphone and the audio was really good. In fact it sounded better than the iPod does. But it was a chore to load with music from my Mac . And I like having ALL of my music (8000 ) songs+ at my disposal. And the Bluetooth control works a lot smoother using the iPod so for the slightly less audio quality I will take the better controlling aspect of it.

 

Whatever ear buds you get,don't buy the brands with the semi hard silicon rubber ear bud on them. I had a set that after about a half day the ears would start to burning from the buds. I ending up tossing them on a trip because it just drove me nuts.

 

Good luck in the search

Perry

 

 

[Claudio]

They also have to be good at cancelling external noise, since I am used at riding with earplugs all the time.

 

I've use the self-moulding pugs from Earfuze.com on two trips . The price was right (~$45) and the noise cancelling was fantastic.

 

On the last trip, the wire became frayed near the stereo jack. I reinforced my new pair with shrink tube and recommend you do the same if you pick up a pair to avoid this problem.

[Guest Kakugo]

They also have to be good at cancelling external noise, since I am used at riding with earplugs all the time.

 

I've use the self-moulding pugs from Earfuze.com on two trips . The price was right (~$45) and the noise cancelling was fantastic.

 

On the last trip, the wire became frayed near the stereo jack. I reinforced my new pair with shrink tube and recommend you do the same if you pick up a pair to avoid this problem.

 

Cheers, thanks for the tip!