In-ear headphones

[Das Bone]

Witch in-ear head phones protect your hearing the best?

I would need them to hook up the GPS.

Sound quality is not important but they should keep noise out very well, as I'm having tinnitus already

I just hope they are available in/to Belgium too.

Thanks!

From my "now" extensive testing experience with earbuds :lol: , the two brands that sound isolate the best and are actually helmet friendly(depending on which model) are Shure and Etymotics.

Sound is a very subjective thing so I'm not going to go there especially since you mentioned not caring about that.

Shure makes E2,3,4,5c buds....E2c's were to bulky to work for me in terms of getting the helmet on and off easily without dislodging the buds. The E3c and E4c's are much smaller and stay put with both helmet on and off.

Etymotic has the 6i's that don't have quite the sound isolation the Shure's do, but very close. They are sized between the Shure E2c and E4c

So, if sound is not an important at all......then price and size may be the determining factors for you.

Getting the proper fit is CRUCIAL for sound isolation and good sound.........so you will need to try the different ear tips that each brand includes with their buds to find the set that fit you the best.

[Hobie1dog]

I took some pics of my Koss Porta pro headphones that I transplanted into my Arai cheekpads since I could not find any decent sounding earphones on the market.

The speakers pop right off of the headband easily.

The cheekpads also pop right out.

Pull back the cheekpad cover and the cheekpad already has a recessed place perfectly aligned for the speaker. I added some filler material so that the speaker once recovered has a slight bit of pressure that fits against my ear. The wires are also easily routed out the bottom of the helmet and plug in to my iPod located in the top of the tank bag.

[?art West-VL.]

From my "now" extensive testing experience with earbuds :lol: , the two brands that sound isolate the best and are actually helmet friendly(depending on which model) are Shure and Etymotics.

Sound is a very subjective thing so I'm not going to go there especially since you mentioned not caring about that.

Shure makes E2,3,4,5c buds....E2c's were to bulky to work for me in terms of getting the helmet on and off easily without dislodging the buds. The E3c and E4c's are much smaller and stay put with both helmet on and off.

Etymotic has the 6i's that don't have quite the sound isolation the Shure's do, but very close. They are sized between the Shure E2c and E4c

So, if sound is not an important at all......then price and size may be the determining factors for you.

Getting the proper fit is CRUCIAL for sound isolation and good sound.........so you will need to try the different ear tips that each brand includes with their buds to find the set that fit you the best.

Thank you!

I'll do a bit of searching to see what is available in BE.

?.

edit:

What Shure model would be the best for noise isolation?

[Das Bone]

Thank you!

I'll do a bit of searching to see what is available in BE.

?.

edit:

What Shure model would be the best for noise isolation?

I've tried all three, the E2c,E3c, and E4c and would say that all offer equal noise isolation.....it's really about getting the fit with your particular ears, i.e. finding which tips fit in your ears and seal the best.

For me the E2c's were too large to be able to get my helmet on and off without dislodging them.....but I've also got a friend that uses the E2's and doesn't have those problems so again, it's relly an individual thing.

The E3 and 4c's are much smaller in size so I cant imagine anyone not being able to use them under a helmet(again if fitted properly :P ) so it may come down to price and what you think will work for you.

[?art West-VL.]

I've tried all three, the E2c,E3c, and E4c and would say that all offer equal noise isolation.....it's really about getting the fit with your particular ears, i.e. finding which tips fit in your ears and seal the best.

For me the E2c's were to large to be able to get my helmet on and off without dislodging them.....but I've also got a friend that uses the E2's and doesn't have those problems so again, it's relly an individual thing.

The E3 and 4c's are much smaller in size so I cant imagine anyone not being able to use them under a helmet(again if fitted properly :P ) so it may come down to price and what you think will work for you.

Owkay, I'll try to locate a dealer that has several models, so I can try them out.

I guess that will be kind of hard around here, we'll see.

Thanks!!

[house]

I'm using the Shure E-2cs as well. They work great with a cheap IPOD shuffle I bought on Ebay. The best thing is I can stuff the whole thing in my jacket or shirt. No problems getting an Arai helmet on, but the earplugs tend to pop out when I take my helmet off.

[Guest]

I am the Design Director for an iPod accessory company. We go through lots of headphones. When I got my bike I ran through a bunch of different styles and settled upon the Sure EC3s. Used with the foam adapters they provide earplug-like noise isolation which allows for lower Db volume levels. They fit well in my helmet and are comfortable for long rides. I even use them sometimes with no iPod attached as earplugs. My only complaint is the Sure's are biased towards the middle of the frequency range. Highs and lows seem to get drowned out pretty quickly at speed.

IMO you shouldn't listen to music at high volume levels on the bike. The music can drown out any number of life threatening sounds (tire going flat, siren, horn, squealing tires, engine coming apart, dog barking, etc.). Also, the extra volume required to drown out the high ambient noise inside a bike helmet can cause serious long-term hearing damage. That's why I only recommend high quality isolating earplug-style headphones for motorcycling.

[dude]

Ok after reading this thread i'm more confused than ever :goofy: :goofy:

[Hobie1dog]

Ok after reading this thread i'm more confused than ever :goofy: :goofy:

The best thing for you to do is find someplace that has a good return policy and buy 4 or 5 models to try for fit and sound quality in YOUR ears.

Everyone has different physical shapes of ear canals so it's all about how they fit you and how they sound to you.

Try em, you may find the ones you like the first time.

[Guest moto gp fan]

Ok after reading this thread i'm more confused than ever :pissed: :goofy:

The best thing for you to do is find someplace that has a good return policy and buy 4 or 5 models to try for fit and sound quality in YOUR ears.

Everyone has different physical shapes of ear canals so it's all about how they fit you and how they sound to you.

Try em, you may find the ones you like the first time.

Amazon has the best price I found ,ER6 for $70,Sony@$30 and a good returh policy.I have no idea which why to go after this thread.

Regards,

Mike

[Guest]

I use the Sony high performance earbuds. Seem to work OK. Way better than the iPod ones, but I guess that isn't saying much.

Anyways, they fit very well and provide a complete seal, so I don't find myself having to play at a very loud volume.

I also like the cable. The cable for the right earbud goes behind your neck where it joins at a Y with the left earbud on the right side of your body. My JR Reactor jacket has a built in audio port on the left side, so there is no cable to snag in front of you whatsoever, and I can control my iPod through the jacket with it in the audio device pocket.

Those Shure headphones seems sweet, but by the looks of them, it seems as if they would stick out of my ears too much. I dunno though.

[Guest]

Gotta add a new one to the mix - FS-1 from Extreme Mac http://www.xtrememac.com/audio/earphones_r...s/fs1_specs.php (actually they are made by Future Sonics: http://www.futuresonics.com/ ). They are high end and work great w/ all sound ranges.

Future Sonics builds ear monitors for the tv music industry.........)

As many have stated - I've tried many.....got a drawer full to show for my trials - I'm stickin with these.....contemplating getting ear molds to further the comfort!

[Hobie1dog]

Gotta add a new one to the mix - FS-1 from Extreme Mac http://www.xtrememac.com/audio/earphones_r...s/fs1_specs.php (actually they are made by Future Sonics: http://www.futuresonics.com/ ). They are high end and work great w/ all sound ranges.

Future Sonics builds ear monitors for the tv music industry.........)

As many have stated - I've tried many.....got a drawer full to show for my trials - I'm stickin with these.....contemplating getting ear molds to further the comfort!

How is the bottom end of the sound spectrum? Can you give us some comparisons to the previously mentioned earphones?

Like:

ER4- very lean bass

Koss Sparkplug- boomy bass

[dude]

Just picked up a pair of these smokin buds and they sound great to my ears. I have never had anything more than the crappy buds that came with my iriver mp3 but there is a marked improvement in sound quality for sure . Being that its winter hear in ontario i did put my helmet on to see how they fit with the lid. Major pain to keep them in position while getting the helmet on but over all i think i'm going to like these :thumbsup: Oh the price? 30 cdn very reasonable :thumbsup: Might look into the Etyomic tips too

I have been using the skull candy smoking buds with the Etyomic tips found on Ebay for about 3 months now. These are my first in ear phones, so I don?t have any comparison (other than my kid?s $5 hard plastic freebies). I use them with a Roady2 XM radio. For fitment, they are slightly difficult to get in, but once you have them set, they are a good firm fit. Sometimes they do get shifted when putting on my helmet (HJC CL-14 with a Quiet Rider). I haven?t made any long trips with them, so I don?t know about extended comfort, but I don?t have a comfort problem using them so far. You have to be careful with the tips. They can slide off the earbuds. The tip attaches to the earbud with a small tube that was made to fit. Loose it and you?ll have to use the skullcandy tips. I wasn?t impressed with the skullcandy tips as compared to the Etyomic 3 flange tips. The sound quality is very good and the isolation is also very good. I have my XM output turned all the way up, so the music quality is hurting. An amplifier would be nice and in the plans. (Check out the AmpliRider). I?m impressed overall with these, but have a couple cons. The cord length is way too short. If you caught it on your tank bag or sit up too far, you can rip the buds out of your ear (OUCH). I have them plugged in to the XM radio that is mounted by RAM mounts to the top tank mount. The cord is also offset when it splits. The left side is about half as long as the right. Not a big deal, but kinda odd. There is an inline volume slider that I thought would be useful because my XM doesn?t have one. I find that I just set the volume and leave it, so it isn?t really an added feature for me. In fact, the slider is located at the top of the cord just before it splits. So if it gets turned down, you are searching for the slider located just under the helmet, about shoulder level trying to turn it back up. Doing this with some decent winter gloves is a pain.

I recently added a radar detector and tried to combine the audio to the XM with a simple Y cable. For some reason, they didn?t work out together and the left earbud got fried. So I am looking for a replacement. The smoking buds are still on my list and I will probably end up getting another pair. I may try the Koss for comparison.

[turtlecreek]

not to revive and old thread, but......

i have been looking for something good for noise reduction AND avg sound quality AND CHEAP!!

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5151010

i found these at best buy and bought them.

they worked GREAT!!!

hope this saves someone some cash.

Happy :music:

[Hobie1dog]

not to revive and old thread, but......

i have been looking for something good for noise reduction AND avg sound quality AND CHEAP!!

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5151010

i found these at best buy and bought them.

they worked GREAT!!!

hope this saves someone some cash.

Have you compared them to any other earbuds?

Reviving old threads is quite fun. I'm still wondering which ones to try next myself ....I like the size of the plugs 8.5 mm as the last two that I bought

had 20mm diameter speakers, and they simply are tooo big for my ears....keep falling out and hurt too.

[turtlecreek]

not to revive and old thread, but......

i have been looking for something good for noise reduction AND avg sound quality AND CHEAP!!

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5151010

i found these at best buy and bought them.

they worked GREAT!!!

hope this saves someone some cash.

Have you compared them to any other earbuds?

Reviving old threads is quite fun. I'm still wondering which ones to try next myself ....I like the size of the plugs 8.5 mm as the last two that I bought

had 20mm diameter speakers, and they simply are tooo big for my ears....keep falling out and hurt too.

compared to normal earbuds (hard plastic piece with thin foam cover) they work great. i never really could hear the music with all the wind noise and had to crank it up way to loud for minimal tone. with new marshmallows, you eliminate the noise (as good as plain ear plugs) and the music is piped in directly so you can keep the volume down to normal levels. i have NOT compared them to any of the other high dollar versions. i am sure they are better at noise reduction/sound quality/comfort or something, but the marshmallows worked well enough for my needs so that i will not pay the up charge. from past experience, i am pretty hard on the ear phones and replace them 2-3 times a year, so i could not possibly afford hi dollar ones!!

[Guest]

i use the Phillips in ear buds and i love them (20-25 bucks at target). i get some road sound but not much at all. I have the ipod hooked up and the radar detector split in. if i turn the music up too loud i might need a shift light because I cant heard anything but music. And the music is clear even at the loudest setting. i dont turn it up because i like a slight engine and road sound for safety.

i'll get high dollar headphones when i get free cash.

[Hobie1dog]

I need to go to Walmart as they are supposed to have some ear mold silicone that you can put around your favorite earbuds to provide a good seal, maybe that way I could try some different earbuds knowing that they are sealing up good before I pay for custom earmolds.

[Guest jmalkames]

I was looking for the post that was talking about the walmart stuff. Do you have the item # to have them order it in for me? I looked at the local walmart tonight with no luck.

EDIT: I found some at cabela's

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/template...requestid=68366

[Guest]

I've used the Shure ones, and I can tell you that if you manage to get your helmet on, you'll never want to take it off. I couldn't stand having them in. Great to listen to at home but not for the bike. Seinhauser (Or something) make a nice little set of ear bugs, easy on the ear, blocks sound and don't hurt in the helmet.

[Hobie1dog]

I've used the Shure ones, and I can tell you that if you manage to get your helmet on, you'll never want to take it off. I couldn't stand having them in. Great to listen to at home but not for the bike. Seinhauser (Or something) make a nice little set of ear bugs, easy on the ear, blocks sound and don't hurt in the helmet.

Sennheiser.......would it be the C300 series? They are really small, but I've not had the chance to hear them yet. They are inexpensive too.

[Guest cseger1]

Shure Brothers in ears were developed for stage performers to hear themselves sing. The vocal range in their drivers were emphasized to assist them. With a PA system full of giant double 18 subwoofers thumping nearby there is no reason to extend the bass response. They are not the sweetest sounding buds I have ever heard but the vocals stick out nice.

A driver that fits inside your ear is not going to produce sub 80 Hz. sounds. A sound wave relies on comression and rarefaction of air molecules. The volume of air between the bud and your eardrum just ain't enough. One way to get LF sound to a person wearing buds is bone induction. Basically you can use the hard parts of your body as the medium instead of air. The earmolds I used at my last job (monitor engineer for a country singer) are made of a pretty hard plastic and custom molded to my ear canal. If they are not properlyseated with a little pressure against my skull the LF rolls off around 100Hz. with the correct contact they go lower but probably not down to 80. They are great in my helmet for about 100 miles. After that the hardness gets unbearable. I am a little scared of crashing with wads of hard plastic stuffed in my head. I think retail they're $750. Ultimate Ears UE7.

Another way musicians get the lows through bone induction is toi use "shakers" Basically its the magnet part of a speaker hooked to acounter weight rather than a cone. Hooked up to an amplifier with a low pass filter and it'll shake the s#$t out of your chair and your skeleton transmits the sound to your ears. Its pretty amazing how realistically it mimics actual sound. If you had one of these hooked up to your non rubber foot pegs it would probably work. the vibes of the bike would probably blow the effect though. And you'd need a pretty big amp.

The best cheapo's I ever heard were from Futuresonics, I forget what the model was. $99. great LF for a bud, but did not fit in the helmet very well.

[SLO97VFR]

not to revive and old thread, but......

i have been looking for something good for noise reduction AND avg sound quality AND CHEAP!!

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5151010

i found these at best buy and bought them.

they worked GREAT!!!

hope this saves someone some cash.

Happy :music:

I got a set of these and if the are pressed in too far Helmet against it) the sound will be cut off...Everyones ear is different but Im not so happy with the JVC brand...

[Guest]

There's some great info in this thread, I've used a number of different ear plugs and ear buds and the problem I have is they all without exception do not fit far enough down in my ear canals to stay in place after I pull on my helmet or log some miles, they all shift out over time, some faster than others. I wear a pair of construction soft plastic plugs that are awesome, they cut the wind noise in the helmet and stay in place. So I've come to the conclusion that if I want to listen to music/radar detector and GPS I'm going to have to invest in a pair of custom moulded plugs. Thanks to you guys who posted links to some of those sites, it gives me a good starting point.

Now here's my big question, any of you guys figured out how to rig all these farkles up wirelessly, I'd love to cut the cord to the tank bag. :thumbsup:

PG