Sick of ear buds

[TheBigCheese]

Try: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/list/103

Unfortunately, they aren't motorcyclists, and don't pay attention to under helmet fit.

Me, I've tried many earbuds and I finally took the risk with custom.

I like them very much, even all-day use. Of course I never use them on my bike in Massachusetts since even having a speaker in your possession while riding is illegal.

If you care about hearing protection, noise isolation is much better than any of the disposable earplugs. Don't trust the dB rating on store-bought - they list only a peak, vs across a full range.

And with better isolation+superb sound quality, I can listen at lower volume, hear better, and avoid ear damage. I set a comfortable level before I start, and never have to adjust to deal with wind/bike noise.

You can also get plain custom earplugs and use in-helmet speakers, if that's the way you go.

I have Microsonic Music, pros:

- Their cables have connectors at the earpiece, so they are replaceable

- The cable has a couple inches of stiff wire that you can form to exit downward while hugging close - good for helmet on/off and also if you wear glasses

- I got mine with tips made of a temperature sensitive vinyl that softens slightly with warmth - very comfortable for me

- I use them in airplanes, and in quiet settings they are amazing

- Less than half the cost of Sensaphonics, I got mine for $350, which included ear impressions by an audiologist

Cons (shared by many in-ear solutions):

- If you use earbuds, you know there is a certain technique to get helmet on/off. It is much easier with these, but you still have to be careful. Once you've got the helmet on they never move.

- Because of the isolation, you can't hear at a rest stop and have to take them out for any type of conversation (unless over bike-bike radio/cell phone).

- I've gotten better, but sometimes I still forget to put them back in after a stop.

- Some people are a bit disgusted by the whole stick it in your ear thing, dilligaf.

- To lube or not to lube - I normally go dry, but on all-day trips lube feels good. Kind of creepy at first, though.

In ear pic:

Notice forward exit of the cable, designed to wrap up and around the ear. I formed it to go straight down, works very well under the helmet. You can also see the small (and very robust) connector.

Out of ear:

I got them in clear, with color coded tips (red=right; blue= left):

Microsonics are a hearing aid company and use a single driver with wide dynamic range, so it is lower profile than the dual driver sensaphonics. And about half the cost: $350, which includes an ear impression from an audiologist. As long as you are there, maybe pay for a hearing test - see how bad it is. Maybe you can get a prescription for them so they are legal?

http://www.microsonicmusic.com/

You need to talk with them, you can't just order online. These are hand built and they can tweak the process. Explain the motorcycle helmet problem and stress the need for low profile. If you don't like the fit they will try again.

Rock stars use Sensaphonics:

http://sensaphonics.com/

They don't list prices, you can go up to $2,000 if you want. That's with ambient noise mics built in, so between songs they flip a switch and can talk normally to each other. If you want road noise back, mount a mic in a location protected from the wind, and bring it into your audio system (I did that on my old bike). The low end Sensaphonics ($150) are single driver with very limited range, definitely not worth it.

[northernrider]

i have a pair of shure se425 i like them . they have soft memory foam ends that give u all day comfort and block out wind and road noise but i can still hear my engine . i dont ride without them . even if i am not listing to music they keep the noise level way down