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Moulded In-Ear Speakers


Skids

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Has anyone moved from foam in-ear speakers to moulded ones? Did you find the noise reduction significant?

 

I recently had cause to ride with just a pair of foam earplugs without my usual in-ear speakers and noticed a significant reduction in wind noise which now has me a little concerned that my Westone UM10s are not keeping enough noise out.

 

The only other alternative I know of is the moulded type but I don't want to go to the expense without knowing it will be worth it.

 

Only replies from those who have used both types please. :beer:

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AFE-2XB.jpg

AFE-2XB

 

These are custom molded Ear Speakers.

Had them made in May/2017.

They can be made with 1 speaker, speaker+woofer, or speaker + 2 woofers.

The "crossover" just appears to be a few SMD capacitors (cheap, but small).

My unit (speaker + 1 woofer) was $300cdn (3 weeks delivery (made in Vancouver)).

Can cost $200 to $400.

A speaker alone is not enough if you also want to listen to Quality Music (get 1 woofer).

2 woofers would only be needed in Extreme circumstances, like On Stage Musician (LOUD).

Each Woofer is about $90.

Can come with long or short cord (shown is Long, mine was Short)

A local Audiologist did the ear molds and shipped them to Vancouver.

 

My Ear Speakers are plugged into a SENA-10C Helmet Bluetooth Communicator/1080p Camera/FM unit.

The Sena allows me to Bluetooth to the Tank Bag Smart Phone (being charged by the bike).

Plays high quality tunes All Day.

Though "High Quality" is relative,,.. I think for $300 the highs are a little tired,,.. should be sharper.

I compensate by having the VLC Player on the smart phone turn up the Treble.

Can also listen to FM and Answer/Make phone calls (rare, since a lot of my riding is Off the Grid).

I won't make/take phone calls in City Limits,,.. already dangerous enough.

 

Best thing about them is, the Noise Block,,.. Very Quiet.

So much so that I can't hear the bike engine,,.. have to look at the Tach to see if the motor is running.

Taking off in 1st gear needs more concentration.

Wind Noise is almost Gone Completely.

Allows for easier Long Rides cause of less Noise Fatigue ( I get 4hrs out of a tank of gas).

 

No wires between Me & Bike.

Short strong wire plugs into SENA on Helmet (with SENA adapter cord).

Seems silly to turn up the SENA Helmet speakers to near Full Volume and then put in Foam Ear Plugs to take the volume down.

No Speakers installed in my Helmet, but I might do it so communications still work for short/low speed trips.

Or I might install the SENA speakers in my Ski Helmet and move the SENA-10C there for the Winter.

 

Love it, shoulda done that 30 years ago.

They don't hurt and the feel disappears after 5 min.

The Mold fits in your Ear Pocket, tugging on the wires does Not pull the unit out of your Ear Canal.

Yapping to Buddy On the Fly is SO Good, no need to stop and Yell at each other for plans.

 

BUT,,..

they take extra time to put IN/ON (fiddling).

Sometimes need to put Vaseline on them so they slip in/out easy.

Do Not Vaseline the outside, or you can't grab them for removal.

Need to be occasionally cleaned.

Need to warm water flush Ear Canals occasionally.

Helmet Chin Strap occasionally tangle in wires.

Can't hear anything if someone is talking to you (Hack - Set SENA to Mic all sounds to Ear Speakers).

Have to remove Ear Pieces slowly after, so as not to make strong vacuum and damage Ear Drums.

Have to keep them stored Clean & Protected.

Your Ear Canal will change over years and you may need a new Molding.

Molds are kept "on file" for 2 years, if you lose, damage them, or order more speakers.

Not used for short trips (hassle).

 

I was surprised how much Wind Noise was Fatiguing.

Not any more.

But when stopping, I'm more reluctant to remove helmet, cause of the Extra Fiddling.

 

Pros & Cons

 

Spend the $$$, save your hearing, enjoy the ride way more.

Your Experience and Cost may Vary.

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Thanks guys.

 

I currently use Westone UM10s with foam surrounds.

 

geeky-pinas-westone-um-pro10-body-2.png

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I use some Klipsch ear buds, but without the silicone as they hurt after awhile and if it was warm outside my ear canal would perspire and they would slip out or go from sealed (good bass response) to un-sealed (poor bass response and exhaust noise in one or both ears) - very annoying to say the least - I gave up after 10 minutes. The earbuds were awesome when not riding, but horrible in the helmet, and on the bike. I had an epiphany moment one day and cut the tips off of a set of ear plugs and poked a hole through them, and pushed the tip of the earbud through the hole. After the earplug relaxed, I rolled them up and put them in my ears and WOW - awesome bass response (DEEP lows!) and almost no ambient noise! I have to keep the volume down near half otherwise I loose some of my other senses, because there is so much isolation.

 

Here are the pro's and cons from my experience:

 

Pro's:

Use whatever earbuds you like as long as they fit into an earplug......

Amazing sound quality and insane bass response - especially with good earbuds

Cheap at less than $1 per pair once you get good at making them for your earbuds

When they get dirty, just put a new set on

 

Con's:

Can be too much isolation, can get lost in the music/loose focus - especially if you like loud music

Sometimes the earplug comes off as you are pulling them out - takes some finesse if they are well seated - slight learning curve 

Cumbersome - adds an extra cord as opposed to in helmet speakers - but the sound quality makes up for it

Can't hear anyone talk without using ambient button on Sena, or turning off music - even then, you still have earplugs in.......

Learning curve on modifying earplugs - after 10 sets you will be an expert! 

 

I buy the 50 packs of earplugs at Home Depot, and modify about half of them. After two years of wearing them, I now usually only listen on long solo rides, as short rides are more performance oriented, and I really need to hear/feel what the bike is doing, so I just wear plain earplugs. When group riding, I cannot communicate with others as they are so isolating, that I just wear earplugs, as I can listen to music anytime, but only get to do group rides once in a while.

 

Hope this helps......

 

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RC1237V - that's an idea. I already have a large bag of Sparkplug ear plugs (-36db). I suppose I could cut the end off and try to make a hole through them. Worth a try. How did you make the hole through the middle big enough for the sound tunnel-thingy?

 

Other than that, has anyone tried Bose QC20 noise cancelling earphones under a helmet? The reason I currently use the Westone UM series in-ear speakers is that they lie flat in the ear and so don't impinge on the helmet and are therefore pain-free, unlike some previous types I tried. The QC20s look like they stick out a bit and may hurt after a while. They're on 30-day risk free trial over here from Bose so I may give them a go unless someone else has already tried them.

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  • 4 weeks later...
Has anyone moved from foam in-ear speakers to moulded ones? Did you find the noise reduction significant?
 
I recently had cause to ride with just a pair of foam earplugs without my usual in-ear speakers and noticed a significant reduction in wind noise which now has me a little concerned that my Westone UM10s are not keeping enough noise out.
 
The only other alternative I know of is the moulded type but I don't want to go to the expense without knowing it will be worth it.
 
Only replies from those who have used both types please.
Hi, I switched to molded with built-in speakers (by Ear inc.) about 4 years ago because I could not tolerate foam for more than about 6 hours. From my experience they do not offer as much sound reduction but for me that is more than offset by the increased comfort.
Bp


Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

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