Listening To Music

[Guest Nealyweely]

I regularly pop my headphones in under my helmet to

a) stop me going deaf, good headphones are as good as earplugs.

B) something to keep me sane on long motorway journeys with nothing but the M6 for company.

What is people's opinion on the safety factor, and listening to engine, etc

[jeremy556]

I have to wear earbuds or earplugs. The music gives me something to listen to other than my own breathing and the wind noise - I can't hear the engine at speed with staintunes. Without the background music, I end up getting bored, not paying attention to the road, and making stupid mistakes.

[CitizenOfDreams]

What is people's opinion on the safety factor, and listening to engine, etc

I rode in earphones a few times, and I would say it's bad for safety. A lot of road information is obtained through hearing. Sounds of cars approaching you, police/ambulance sirens, or, heaven forbid, screeching tires behind you - missing any of those can cost you dearly.

Now, most of my riding is city traffic. Long highway trips - and I assume M6 is a highway, or whatever you Brits call that type of roads - could probably justify use of earphones.

[spud786]

I regularly pop my headphones in under my helmet to

a) stop me going deaf, good headphones are as good as earplugs.

B) something to keep me sane on long motorway journeys with nothing but the M6 for company.

What is people's opinion on the safety factor, and listening to engine, etc

33db ear plugs are the quietest on the market, but once your sound is up to hear well above 70 mph, it as bad or worse than no ear protection.

But I agree the music is nice, till ya get tired of it

[AussieinUSA]

I always wear plugs, I can't ride without. Never done the music thing as I think the same as C.O.D. The plugs still allow me to hear the important things but really help wind noise and hopefully my hearing. Each to there own though and I could imagine rockin out to music, my problem would be agressive music = agressive riding so therefore I abstain. We'll see what the future holds.

[Stéphane]

What is people's opinion on the safety factor, and listening to engine, etc

I rode in earphones a few times, and I would say it's bad for safety. A lot of road information is obtained through hearing. Sounds of cars approaching you, police/ambulance sirens, or, heaven forbid, screeching tires behind you - missing any of those can cost you dearly.

Now, most of my riding is city traffic. Long highway trips - and I assume M6 is a highway, or whatever you Brits call that type of roads - could probably justify use of earphones.

Don't think so. I go hiking every morning with my dog and listen to my iPod at the same time. I can easily hear the giggle of his tags, and even cars coming behind me. I say it's safe!

[backonabike]

I sometimes listen to an Ipod with amplified earbud headphones, But it gets kind of annoying because it is loud... So mostly I just enjoy the V4 Music.

[VFR4Lee]

my problem would be agressive music = agressive riding so therefore I abstain.

Exactly. I can't even control my walking speed listening to music. :rolleyes:

I listen to the V4 music. :thumbsup:

[melvis]

I listen to the voices in my head <_<

I tried to go mountain biking once with earplugs and augured myself into a tree from not paying attention. I can't imagine the consequences of my inability to do something else while listening to music - hell, I can hardly type while listening - I give myself over to the aural experience so fully that no good would come of it.

If you can do it - go for it. I sure can't... :rolleyes: However, I'm deft (or daft) enough that I can usually play back whatever fits the road/mood in pretty damn good detail, which is good enough for me.

[AB-Oz]

I use 33db earplugs while commuting and most of the time in the twisties. I can still hear what the bike is doing, I have a cute earing you know , and want to keep it that way.

For music on the highway superslab, I listen to music via my Garmin Zumo, using Etymotic Er6i noise cancelling in-canal earbuds. I sometimes leave the music on in the twisites too, if its a good song. If not, I turn the music off, and the buds are almost as good as my earplugs. I can still hear what the bike is doing.

Sometimes for short commutes I dont wear earplugs, but I dont enjoy it as its all too noisy above 80km/h, and doesn't get to the quiet envelope zone until about 140km/h, which of course is illegal

Lid is a Shoei X-11 Kiyonari rep.

[scottdash]

In the city I like to everything around me (it has saved me a time or two). On the highway I have used my mp3 player to help me pass the time

[HiDesertMLB]

I think that earplugs are bad for my personal riding safety. I depend on my hearing as an extra guide when I ride. Besides, gear-driven cams are music my ears :thumbsup:

[Guest]

Combine the best of both worlds and use earplug headphones:

I got these $10 Koss headphones at RadioShack (rebranded). Although they come with 3 different tubular foam ear modules with a straight sound path directly into your ear, you can set aside the stock foam, and instead use real earplugs. Heat up a paperclip or nail, and melt a little hole halfway into the earplug. Then, slide the earplug onto the black rubber tube, and there you go. Notice there is no sound path directly through the earplugs? But they still sound great. The plugs function just like stock earplugs, and yet you get really nice sound with deep bass notes and incredibly super noise isolation. I filed down the plastic base so it would fit comfortably inside my ear flaps/cartilage things.

I used these going back and forth between Los Angeles, CA and either San Francisco, CA or Las Vegas, NV. They worked great! It's so nice because you can use a volume level that is soothing when standing still, and you will hear it clearly at highway speeds because the rushing air is silenced. You don't have to blast the sound into your ear to overcome the noise. Even over 100 mph with head up in the windstream.

[SLO97VFR]

Im laughing cause for the past several months at VFR world there was this same question asked and Im sure it has been asked before. I do usually wear my ear buds and listen to music. But since last Saturday I have found a new reason that it is safer to have my mp3 with me. It acted as an excellent forearm protector!

And for those that I know will reply with I told you so, I will go ahead and mute your point, I didn't even have my ear plugs in when this happen. I am a bit made as I did just buy a new pair only to have the cables ruined.... but thats fine I have all the skin on my arm thanks to that and my Fieldsheer Glenn Scott jacket. If anyone is interest in the pics of the gear and site I posted it up over at VFR World here: VFR WORLD CRASH PICS LINK

What ever you people do, just be safe! I hope to meet more of you in the future! Brian

[Trace]

Combine the best of both worlds and use earplug headphones:

I got these $10 Koss headphones at RadioShack (rebranded). Although they come with 3 different tubular foam ear modules with a straight sound path directly into your ear, you can set aside the stock foam, and instead use real earplugs. Heat up a paperclip or nail, and melt a little hole halfway into the earplug. Then, slide the earplug onto the black rubber tube, and there you go.

Brilliant!! :thumbsup: :music: :music: :music: :music:

[jstanwood]

Combine the best of both worlds and use earplug headphones:

I got these $10 Koss headphones at RadioShack (rebranded).

I have very similar ones called Koss Spark Plugs. They block enough wind noise that the volume can be kept low.

I listen to XM on long highway trips, but then switch to standard ear plugs for twisties and track time.

On the highway, it's best to concentrate as little as the other drivers do, otherwise it's too frustrating. :rolleyes:

[Rice]

Etymotic Er6i is what I use most of the time. I plug them into either my MP3 player or into my Garmin GPS. Most of the time I am not distructed by the music, but there are times when it throws my concentration. Depends on my mood really. The noise reduction, OTOH, is never bad. I can still hear every sound that should be attracting my attention, as 99% of these sounds are a bit louder than what I normally hear and a bit different as well, which sets them apart from the background.

[Darth Bling]

I think that earplugs are bad for my personal riding safety. I depend on my hearing as an extra guide when I ride. Besides, gear-driven cams are music my ears :thumbsup:

I personally perfer earplugs since it dramatically reduces fatigue and hearing loss. :rolleyes:

[Guest]

I think that earplugs are bad for my personal riding safety. I depend on my hearing as an extra guide when I ride. Besides, gear-driven cams are music my ears :thumbsup:

I personally perfer earplugs since it dramatically reduces fatigue and hearing loss. :rolleyes:

Same here. We have the yellow EAR Classic’s at work and I just grab a pair every couple of days. You can still hear all the traffic and road sounds while wearing them and not have to put up with damaging wind noise.

Action

[Guest]

My ears are too small for the Etymotics..... although I have heard great things about them. I use these and am very happy with them. I either keep my ipod in the inner pocket or in a backpack. I use the griffen remote, velcroed to the clutch reservoir or tank bag...... They give me the hearing protection at speed and allows me to keep the music at a lower level.

ear_buds.JPG

[Guest]

I always ride with either plugs (Aearo's E-A-Rsoft yellow neons) or earphones (Etymotic 6i Isolator). I have ear problems in my family so appreciate the importance of maintaining my hearing.

When I say plugs - I mean that I like it quiet. I sometimes have to use pliers to pull the roll down foam plugs out. Still, I have no problem hearing the bike, traffic, or stoplight discussions with my riding buds.

The Etymotic's have less sound dampening, but still I never have to boost their sound levels over what I would use in my living room. In fact, I keep Sony's AVLS (automatic volume limiter system) engaged while on the bike.

The music adds another dimension and I am often surprised by passages in familiar works that I didn't notice before. I don't have a problem with music while riding.

The points about it being dangerous are interesting. I enjoy music, but have always been able to tune it out when concentrating. So, I have music on (loud) wherever I am and whatever I am doing. My wife and son are exactly opposite. They have to have almost complete quiet when concentrating.

Good luck.

[Guest]

Work great and cost about 8bucks :thumbsup: .. Still lets me hear emergency vhics.

[Jovinski]

I have the Scala Rider with the stereo head phones. The volume goes up and down with wind and road noise, and I never have the volume over three. I can still hear everything I need to hear. The in-the-ear phones never seem to work for me because I oddly shaped ear canals. I sometimes ride without anything and prefer music as I tend to let my mind wander too much when I am left with my own thoughts. <_< I have also found that compared to how I listen to music in my cage, I hear much more when I am on my bike! 400 watts to 2.5 probably has something to do with it! :thumbsup:

[Adam30]

I have Autocom headphones installed in my Shoei. This year, with the new addition of the GPS which has MP3 player built in, i'll be hooking that up to the autocom for my music. Before the GPS i just kept my Samsung MP3 player in the tank bag. Worked very well...until it got wet, that was the end of that.

[dutchinterceptor]

ear_buds.JPG

What's the brand on that set of earbuds?

I was about to purchase a set of THESE

iPod Shuffle + Helmet Speakers + Foam Earplugs = Comfort and music for me even though the earplugs kill some of the sound but it's enough to keep me from "thinking" too much.