Earbuds Rant

[Guest Kakugo]

I am presently on my fourth set of Sennheiser earbuds in the past three years.

The first ceased functioning just outside warranty.

The second I returned it under warranty after two months because the left bud had stopped working.

The third still works but not as well as it used to and has been demoted to gardening.

The fourth is three months old and I am already dealing with erratic sound from an earbud.

Yes, I'll return it under warranty but knowing the Sennheiser customer service, I won't hear from them for three months and then they'll just give me a brand new set.

 

Great sound, they fit my ears just right but durability is appalling to say the least.

Given what I've spent so far on their products in such a short time, I've decided to pull the plug and buy something better.

 

After a bit of online searching I narrowed it down to two brands: Shure and Etymotic. I am sure there are many other great brands out there but these two seem to be the best at noise isolation, which is what I am really after.

However I am having second thoughts about both brands.

Etymotic doesn't seem to be particularly durable. They look every bit as flimsy as Sennheiser.

Shure looks like the proverbial brick latrine but I am not so sure ( ... no? ) they would fit in my weirdly shaped ears. For obvious reasons shops won't let you try in-ear monitors and the like so it's "buy as is".

 

Any feedback from the community?

Please avoid weirdly shaped buds as these need to go under my helmet.

Thanks.

[areyouolsen]

I love my Shures. I am on my second pair in 9 years. Customer service replaced a pair that had a cord split on me on my first pair. The buds I'm currently using have had a design change that makes the most fragile part (the cord/plug) replaceable. You just twist the earbud to match up the dots and pull it off the cord. I have a replacement cord just in case, but haven't had problems in 3 years of ownership.

 

To be fair, I haven't tried Etymotic, but Sennheiser treated me the same as you when I had problems with a pair - flippant and suspicious about the whole thing and then 3 months later, poof, a new pair arrives in my mailbox after I've given up and purchased another pair of headphones.

[PadG]

I am presently on my fourth set of Sennheiser earbuds in the past three years.

The first ceased functioning just outside warranty.

The second I returned it under warranty after two months because the left bud had stopped working.

The third still works but not as well as it used to and has been demoted to gardening.

The fourth is three months old and I am already dealing with erratic sound from an earbud.

Yes, I'll return it under warranty but knowing the Sennheiser customer service, I won't hear from them for three months and then they'll just give me a brand new set.

 

Great sound, they fit my ears just right but durability is appalling to say the least.

Given what I've spent so far on their products in such a short time, I've decided to pull the plug and buy something better.

 

After a bit of online searching I narrowed it down to two brands: Shure and Etymotic. I am sure there are many other great brands out there but these two seem to be the best at noise isolation, which is what I am really after.

However I am having second thoughts about both brands.

Etymotic doesn't seem to be particularly durable. They look every bit as flimsy as Sennheiser.

Shure looks like the proverbial brick latrine but I am not so sure ( ... no? ) they would fit in my weirdly shaped ears. For obvious reasons shops won't let you try in-ear monitors and the like so it's "buy as is".

 

Any feedback from the community?

Please avoid weirdly shaped buds as these need to go under my helmet.

Thanks.

I have used all of the brands that you have mentioned, and my favorite is Klipsch, in particular I like their oval insert! Those fits and seals in my ear perfectly, and more important, comfortably for long periods.

Edited October 15, 2015 by PadG

[greiffster]

I assume you are looking for something with active noise cancelling?

[Guest Kakugo]

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

I assume you are looking for something with active noise cancelling?

 

Don't need that as my Walkman has a surprisingly good noise cancelling function. That alone was worth the asking price.

 

Glad to see I am not the only one who found Sennheiser lacking in the customer service department.

 

Sadly Klipsch only sells their speakers here. I'd have to buy in the US and the euro-dollar exchange rate alone doesn't make the operation economically feasible.

[szurszewski]

Before you even got to your question, reading your first couple of lines, my thought was, perhaps he should give up on those and buy a set of Shure buds

 

I can't speak to the ones available now, because I'm still using the set I bought in... hmm...before we moved from AK to OR back in ought seven, so probably 2005 or 2006. I don't know if my ears are weirdly shaped or not, but the buds originally came with a set of three pair of silicone sort of dome shaped inserts as well as three sizes of foam inserts - the middle foam size works great for me, and I've gone through many sets of those over the years. The sound is still amazingly great and allows me to use really low volume on the bike (have to be careful my phone isn't set to high volume before I turn them on, or I get a surprise!).

 

This was the first really nice set of earbuds I ever had, so maybe others are even better, but I heard things wearing these - on the snowmachine then (much louder than the bike - think two stroke with really no emissions restrictions) and bike now - that I have to try hard to pick up with even my multi hundred dollar pro-sumer earphones.

 

Most of the time I just use the Sena helmet speakers around town/short rides as I don't like messing with cords unless I know I won't have to mess with them again for a couple/few hours, but when I do put in the buds it's a night/day difference (even though the Sena *seems* fine without the direct comparison).

 

Gee - that was a lot of words. I guess I like them.

[lawnchairboy]

My ER6i etymotic buds are years old. Recently Whip turned me on to "comply" disposable earbud covers, kind of like a foamy throw away earplug but with a hole for your earbud speakers. The combination of the two work great for me.

[greiffster]

Lots of higher end stuff spoke of here. Am I the only cheap-a$$ wearing iFrogz from Walmart? They seem to block out as much noise as regular foam earplugs and fit fine under my helmet. 10 bucks.

 

Without active noise cancelling, are the higher end buds better considering the background road and wind noise coming through anyway?

[realshelby]

Well, just for the record, I went through two sets of Shure earbuds. Each lasted a couple years. Bought a set of Westone, which I like at least as well and were a lot cheaper. I don't use earbuds much anymore so I cannot say how durable the Westone brand is.

[rodantking]

I have both of them. I'm on my second pair of er6, lost the first. Had them for years. I don't use my shures. Sound is good they just set further out of my ear and rubs on my helmet. Not sure witch ones they are and I'm sure that doesn't happen to everyone.

[Guest Kakugo]

Lots of higher end stuff spoke of here. Am I the only cheap-a$$ wearing iFrogz from Walmart? They seem to block out as much noise as regular foam earplugs and fit fine under my helmet. 10 bucks.

 

Without active noise cancelling, are the higher end buds better considering the background road and wind noise coming through anyway?

 

I had a set of Skullcandy. Bought for less than 10€ before they became a household name and tripled their prices.

For the price they were OK, but sound quality was really poor, as you'd expect from low budget earphones/buds. I surely wouldn't pay what they are asking for exactly the same model right now.

And I won't spoil the horrible music I usually listen to with poor earbuds.

 

 

[TripleThreat]

I had a custom set of ear monitors made by FitEar at the Indianapolis MotoGP a few years ago. They are incredible. They are pretty expensive, but just like a custom molded ear plug, they completely eliminate wind noise. As a result, music volume can be significantly lower than with helmet speakers, or with non-custom ear buds.

 

http://www.fit-ear.com/store/c3/Motorcycle_.html

 

I have a set of the M-2XB model

 

http://www.fit-ear.com/store/p26/M-2XB_Dual_With_Extra_Bass.html

 

The cabling is very durable as these are specifically made for musicians and motorcyclists. Can't say enough about the quality...

 

I use them with my computer, iPhone, iPad and with my SENA SMH10 Helmet Communication System.

 

Listened to music for 9 1/2 hours on my way home from the Barber Vintage Motorcycle Festival last weekend and they performed flawlessly.

 

[Skywagon]

3T. tell me how you use them with the Sena...do you have the Sena mount that allows you to plug in corded earbuds....if so how does that work, especially with all the extra cord. I'm interested because I just order that mount to go along with the traditional Sena 10 mount.

 

[elkroeger]

Lots of higher end stuff spoke of here. Am I the only cheap-a$$ wearing iFrogz from Walmart? They seem to block out as much noise as regular foam earplugs and fit fine under my helmet. 10 bucks.

 

Without active noise cancelling, are the higher end buds better considering the background road and wind noise coming through anyway?

 

Nope, I buy cheapies. Never had the nerve (or extra dough) to get the high end units. While they may be nice, sadly, my ears aren't what they used to be, so I don't need or want concert hall performance, especially on the bike where there's ton's of extra noise around. I might understand it if you're listening in a quiet environment, or you're a professional musician, but in my opinion, those high dollar units are wasted on the bike because of all the road noise. But then that's just me, and I might have different expectations.

 

Usually I just turn the volume up just barely enough to surpass the road noise. I'm not rocking out by any stretch. That level also turns out to also be a reasonable volume when I'm stopped at a light or something.

 

One day a few years ago, I was perusing the earbud rack at a local store. A 13 year old was standing next to me, so I asked him - what brand do I get? His one word reply, without hesitation: "Skullcandy". I took his advice and never looked back. Good sound, durable, and relatively cheap. With regard to earbuds - teenagers are experts. Take their advice.

[Guest Kakugo]

I had a custom set of ear monitors made by FitEar at the Indianapolis MotoGP a few years ago. They are incredible. They are pretty expensive, but just like a custom molded ear plug, they completely eliminate wind noise. As a result, music volume can be significantly lower than with helmet speakers, or with non-custom ear buds.

 

http://www.fit-ear.com/store/c3/Motorcycle_.html

 

I have a set of the M-2XB model

 

http://www.fit-ear.com/store/p26/M-2XB_Dual_With_Extra_Bass.html

 

The cabling is very durable as these are specifically made for musicians and motorcyclists. Can't say enough about the quality...

 

I use them with my computer, iPhone, iPad and with my SENA SMH10 Helmet Communication System.

 

Listened to music for 9 1/2 hours on my way home from the Barber Vintage Motorcycle Festival last weekend and they performed flawlessly.

 

Thanks but custom stuff is completely off the book. If I wanted ridiculously overpriced junk, I'd buy Beats.

[tallman]

Etymotic 6Ri (?) too.

Years and years.

Both of us use(d) them.

Beth now has Arizona Al's custom and loves them.

I'm using up the ER6's but the keep going and going.

Do wear a helmet liner/doo rag that covers my external auditory meatus and the earbuds keeping them covered and in place so no issues w/helmet off/on.

So wrt your 2 brands and questions, Etymotic has done well by us.

[TripleThreat]

I can understand the reservations about spending that much money on a set of custom in-ear monitors. They are not cheap at all. However, if you've ever worn a set of custom molded ear plugs, just to block out sound... The kind that they actually mold in your ears, you would be impressed with the level of comfort and the reduction of the noise levels created by wind and road for just those passive plugs. Take that level of noise reduction and couple it with a high end speaker system built into the plug and you have an incredible combination. They are awesome on public transportation, great in a library, great when mowing the yard, great at home when trying to work on on-line classes when there is other activity going on in the house (they were awesome when I was working on my doctorate degree coursework), and they just simply can't be beat on the motorcycle. They are not for everyone, but if you ride long distances in a day (spending 8 to 9 hours on the bike at a time), then comfort becomes a huge priority, and these deliver. I did an 1800 mile off-road tour of Utah on a KTM 640 Adventure where I was on the bike in rugged terrain for 7 days, all day every day and they never bothered my ears after 7 straight days of wear. They are made so that nothing sticks out past your ear.

 

Skywagon, Yes, I use the SENA mount that doesn't have speakers, only a 3.5mm jack and microphone. It works perfectly. The extra cord just tucks inside my riding jacket before I zip up just laying down my chest and stomach. If riding off road, I just tuck it down the front of my offroad riding jersey between it and the body armor I wear. For several years I used the SENA mount that has speakers that you mount in the helmet in conjunction with the molded plain earplugs. That was the first level of improvement in being able to eliminate wind and road noise while still being able to hear the music at reasonable sound levels. The move to the custom made in-ear monitors blew me away and I've never regretted the cost. I use them all the time.

 

I have a Zumo 660 and have my music on a Micro SD card in the unit. I pair my iPhone to the GPS and my GPS to the SENA. I can take or make phone calls without taking off my gloves or getting my phone out of my pocket. I use the music on the GPS. My two daughters and my wife ride with me and have a helmet with the standard SENA mount with speakers built into the helmet (they don't ride with me often enough to justify the cost of the in-ear monitors). I can communicate with them through the intercom feature and can also share my music with them or they can pair their own device to their SENA and listen to their own playlists.

 

The whole setup is really slick. I started my in-helmet communication stuff back in about 2002 with a StarCom1 wired unit and moved to a StarCom1 Advanced. the SENA stuff is superior and much more convenient and once I coupled it with custom in-ear monitors I finally hit on a winning combination.

 

In my life of riding motorcycles and motorcycle camping, I've found that I have seldom been disappointed when I have a specific need I want fulfilled, I research the best possible solution and ultimately decide to invest the money in that solution. This is certainly no exception, and in fact has been one of my all-time favorite decisions.

 

I am not connected to Fit-Ear in any way, do not receive any referral bonuses or special treatment as a result of my endorsement of their product. I'm just an incredibly satisfied rider...

 

Jeff

[Guest Kakugo]

Sorry for overreacting TT.

The big problem is I had custom made audio equipment in the past and I was far far from satified with it, especially when I found cheaper, commercially available products did a better job and were more reliable and durable to boot. Guess I am still pretty mad at the whole charade.

I am sure there are many custom manufacturers out there doing a great job, but I have no locally available ones (60 miles radius) and I am not going to travel hundreds of miles for earphones.

 

Having said that, what is the modern replacement for the Etymotic Er6i? They appear to have gone out of production...

[Skywagon]

Sadly the ER 6i's are gone....I've had mine since around 2004 and they are still going strong. Never a problem. I use them all the time on airlines as well.

 

I've sent several request to Etymotic to bring them back...but no luck. Maybe we should start a write in campaign for them.

[Edgar]

Try etomotic HF-5's. They now offer custom ear molds through Etomotic. The ear buds are about the same price point, but the molds do make a difference.

[eddd]

 

I still have a pair of the er6i, but I've also been using S Plug earbuds as well. Link

 

I have the S Plug Canal Earbuds with the single driver. The sound quality is not as good as the ER6i but it is decent. The noise isolation is excellent, and since they fit in the ear itself there is no interference with the helmet, even when sliding the helmet on.

[Guest Kakugo]

By poking a bit around the Internet it seems Etymotic offers no direct replacement for the ER6i. They have a slightly cheaper model (MC5) and a more expensive one (HF5) to fill the gap.

Neither appears to get the universal praise the ER6i got.

 

At this point Shure looks more and more likely as the best option.

 

Any other brands? The more the better.

[Peter K]

I have had the ER 6i for at least 3 years. Great sound and fit all the way in the ear canal. It would be nice to have SOME road sound however....I can't hear my own motor when I use them. And after a few hours my ears become irritated. And they do stick out a bit since I just got a set of flanged ear buds to work with them. Now I just installed the Sena S20 in my helmet with the speaker setup. I like the idea of a jack for an in the ear headset, but now will need something very low profile, since the speakers are right up against my ears. Custom molds might be the set-up, but first will try what I have on my 7 day ride next week and report back.

[Groanup]

Have you tried FUZE?

Make your own custom ear buds. I use them and they work very well for me. I'm no audiophile, but they sound every bit as good as any other ear bud I've tried.

[Guest Kakugo]

Have you tried FUZE?

Make your own custom ear buds. I use them and they work very well for me. I'm no audiophile, but they sound every bit as good as any other ear bud I've tried.

 

Those look like truly reasonably priced custom-fit earbuds.

[eddd]

Have you tried FUZE?

Make your own custom ear buds. I use them and they work very well for me. I'm no audiophile, but they sound every bit as good as any other ear bud I've tried.

 

Those look like truly reasonably priced custom-fit earbuds.

 

I tried them, and for me they were a total disappointment. They let way too much engine and road noise get through.

[Guest Kakugo]

Have you tried FUZE?

Make your own custom ear buds. I use them and they work very well for me. I'm no audiophile, but they sound every bit as good as any other ear bud I've tried.

 

Those look like truly reasonably priced custom-fit earbuds.

 

I tried them, and for me they were a total disappointment. They let way too much engine and road noise get through.

 

But thanks for saving me the trouble of finding it out.

 

Anybody seen any leftover ER6i for sale? I could not find anything. Otherwise I am ordering Shure this week.

[szurszewski]

There are some ER6s on ebay, but I don't see any ER6i anywhere.

[Jake]

Without intending to give any recommendations as to use on the bike (as I go wireless, musicless, and phoneless) the RHA-MA750's are easily the most well-built pair of in-ear speakers that I have ever seen. Highly reviewed by audiophile types and can take a wide range of tips.

 

These things are built like tanks, and sound great.

 

[Guest Kakugo]

Without intending to give any recommendations as to use on the bike (as I go wireless, musicless, and phoneless) the RHA-MA750's are easily the most well-built pair of in-ear speakers that I have ever seen. Highly reviewed by audiophile types and can take a wide range of tips.

 

These things are built like tanks, and sound great.

 

 

Damn it, that's a great tip!

Cheaper than Shure and higher rated. Really impressive.

 

I wonder how they'll go with the horrible music I usually listen to.

[randy]

I have used the fuze and I found them acceptable for the price. I use them as my daily driver ear plugs. Keep my 250.00 custom molded units for weekend rides. For daily commuting, I really like the Fuze units.

[Jake]

I wonder how they'll go with the horrible music I usually listen to.

 

I'm sure they won't make it worse! In terms of sonic quality (doesn't matter much on a bike) the RHAs run fairly neutral with great detail. Below they are pictured with my Hippo VBs which are for bass-heads. The RHAs are more balanced. You can easily see the difference in the build quality. The Hippos have a typical build and are comparable to most everything else out there. The RHAs are a whole 'nother level. I use the Comply tips discussed earlier in this thread, though silicon tips might hold better under a helmet. The RHA wires are shaped for over-the ear wear, so they stay put pretty well.

 

[Guest Kakugo]

That cable and connectors look just like the opposite of Sennheiser, Yamaha, AKG and other brands.

 

Only problem: I wear prescription glasses so I am not 100% on the over the ear wire thing...

[Jake]

Only problem: I wear prescription glasses so I am not 100% on the over the ear wire thing...

 

Hence my hesitation to recommend them for bike use. I've tried them while riding, and it is a delicate dance for me to pull the helmet on with out folding my ears over thus pulling down on the wires. Custom molded monitors are more secure in this regard, but just don't seem to hold up to much wire abuse.

 

Foam plugs, no wires, and voices in my head for entertainment is much better! I save the jams for the hotel.

[Stan Walker]

voices in my head

 

My voices told me to buy a new bike, so I did.

 

What do your voices tell you? Do you listen and obey?

 

 

Stan

[Ride200mi]

So a couple of interesting comments….. First one; how do the ear buds sound? This to me is a bit of a oxy moron. Because there is so much more one should be concentrating on. Studio sound ear buds will not give the effect that I would expect for the amount of money one has to dish out for them. I have a 2015 1200RTW and the wind noise is not that much when you adjust the windscreen just right, so buying a basic ear bud would suit me just fine. Other factors for me are can I hear what is going on around me while riding? Does it keep what little wind noise down so I don't have ringing in my ears at the end of the day..?? And of course can I hear my music. I and my wife are a pretty basic listening people and find that custom ear phones/buds seem to work great. And at under $60 don't feel bad if they get damaged. The Etymotic do sound wonderful but are to pricey when it comes to longevity. We haven't be able to make them last a year. And you always seem to have to change out the little filters in no time. Which is another issue if you drop one of the filters. Good luck finding them on the floor. The Fuze seem to last the longest (the current ones we have now, we have had going on 3 years). With them being under $60 (even the Bluetooth version) we find are well worth the money.

[Mark1]

These are fan freaking tastic earbuds. Pricey, yes. But I love them. I have had them at least 4 years so far. I did have one repair done that I paid for, but service was good. I use them on the bike, mowing the lawn, at work in a noisy environment, etc.

 

http://www.plugup.com/best_and_most_comfortable_canal_stereo_earbuds_p/s%2022-3.5-4.5.htm

 

If you want less expensive look at plugfones. I found them on eBay for $20. Bought them for the girlfriend when we had a long flight to watch movies on the ipad with a splitter. Didn't want to jack up the volume so she could hear with less noise reducing phones. She liked them. Don't know about longevity. I don't think she has used them much since.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Plugfones-Silicone-Earplug-Headphones-Motorcycles-under-helmet-music-blocks-wind-/190899173327?var=&hash=item2c727a37cf:m:m1XLMOCLnG5CbUsk6v3VdCA

 

Mark

 

[walton66]

I use these with my Sena unit and really like them. Purchased from RKA.

[Guest Kakugo]

The new earbuds were delivered this evening.

Shure SE215 won out in the end, chefly due to the appeal of the replaceable cable. Not cheap but beats a new set any day.

 

They fit fine under my OGK helmet: still haven't tried them with the Arai. Zero problems putting them on.

I'll report about them after the run-in period and testing them on the bike at highway speeds.

[Guest Kakugo]

After a little less than a week, I can report back on the Shure earbuds.

 

I can honestly say I expected sound quality to be... different. But I am used to Sennheiser so it will probably take some time to get used to the completely different sound balance.

However they win absolutely hand down on noise isolation: they are better than any earplug I've ever had.

I can keep the volume at factory setting (which is quite low on the Walkman) and clearly hear any song up to 130km/h. Truly remarkable.

 

By the way... if you think anything we've seen on this pages is expensive, you've seen nothing.

[Skywagon]

how do they fit under helmet?

[bendbill]

Another vote for Arizona Al. I've had the same pair for 6+ years and 40K. Comfy and great sound [ to me] . He used to do custom fittings at Torrey and some other rallies.

[Guest Kakugo]

how do they fit under helmet?

 

Under the OGK they fit without a problem. Absolutely zero issues.

 

To fit them under the Arai... you need quite a bit of practice.

[graydude]

Lots of higher end stuff spoke of here. Am I the only cheap-a$$ wearing iFrogz from Walmart? They seem to block out as much noise as regular foam earplugs and fit fine under my helmet. 10 bucks.

 

Without active noise cancelling, are the higher end buds better considering the background road and wind noise coming through anyway?

+1 I have a $10 ear bud I bought at Target in Utah two years ago. Work perfect with my Autocomm and XM radio

[Lone_RT_rider]

Without intending to give any recommendations as to use on the bike (as I go wireless, musicless, and phoneless) the RHA-MA750's are easily the most well-built pair of in-ear speakers that I have ever seen. Highly reviewed by audiophile types and can take a wide range of tips.

 

These things are built like tanks, and sound great.

 

 

Damn it, that's a great tip!

Cheaper than Shure and higher rated. Really impressive.

 

I wonder how they'll go with the horrible music I usually listen to.

 

Jake....or anyone for that matter,

 

What's the difference between the 750 and the 750i. And please don't tell me this one goes to 11.

 

Shawn

[Bernie]

Without intending to give any recommendations as to use on the bike (as I go wireless, musicless, and phoneless) the RHA-MA750's are easily the most well-built pair of in-ear speakers that I have ever seen. Highly reviewed by audiophile types and can take a wide range of tips.

 

These things are built like tanks, and sound great.

 

 

Damn it, that's a great tip!

Cheaper than Shure and higher rated. Really impressive.

 

I wonder how they'll go with the horrible music I usually listen to.

 

Jake....or anyone for that matter,

 

What's the difference between the 750 and the 750i. And please don't tell me this one goes to 11.

 

Shawn

 

This is the description from Amazon.com :

 

RHA MA750i Noise Isolating Premium In-Ear Headphone with Remote and Microphone.

 

[GreatDaysAhead]

Arizona Al's the way to go. He has been awesome.

 

[powwow]

Fellas...thank you for all of this great input regarding in-ear monitors. I'm in the process of determining which style I'm interested in, but have a question as they relate to use with my BMW Bluetooth communication system in my Schuberth C3 Pro.

 

As I understand it, the Sena system has a separate jack to plug the monitors into, but my BMW system doesn't have that. Has anyone added a jack to a bluetooth communication system that doesn't currently have one in order to plug in a set of monitors? Ideally, I would like to have the option of using either the monitors or the existing speakers in my helmet.

 

Any input would be much appreciated. Thanks!