BT, satellite radio, etc

[TXFJR]

After living with an iPod on my 2011 for a couple of years, I am pretty tired of the same songs (although I do have a lot!). So, I am looking to add a satellite radio to complement the iPod.

I don't see a need for a GPS for a long time, until I retire and can actually take regular long trips on the bike. So, I have ruled out the GPS/Satellite Radio/Mp3 devices.

FIRST QUESTION: I am tentatively looking at the XM Onyx EZ radio, does anyone have this particular radio on their bike? If so, what are your opinions on it? I assume the output is via 3.5mm cables? Any mounting ideas?

The other question I have is about BT. This will probably make me sound very anti-social: I don't think I need a BT controller due to the fact that:

1. I DON'T want to have phone conversations while riding, that's why I ride, to get away from people.

2. I ride solo, so no need to communicate with a passenger

3. I don't do group rides, so no need to communicate with other riders

4. I don't use a radar detector

I was almost considering adding the BT kit to my Shark Evoline 2 helmet (because is seemed "cool" LOL!), but I just don't see the need.

SECOND QUESTION: Am I missing something that BT is for, other than the above reasons?

I currently use earplugs connected to my iPod. They work, but I have to say they bug the crap out of me.

LAST QUESTION: Can anyone recommend GOOD helmet speakers?. I have seen a few, but also heard so many negative comments about the sound quality (low volume/muffled etc)

 

[Wlfman]

I don't take phone calls, nor do I ride 2-up, and 95% of the people I ride with dont have BT comm units, and I don't use a radar detector on the bike. I do however have a BT helmet set for GPS and music. I use Pandora via my phone for music. I like the BT unit so I don't have wires running from my helmet to the phone/ipod. It's also easier to change the volume if I want to via the BT unit as opposed to trying to change the volume on the phone/ipod with gloves fingers.

When you factor in the initial cost of the Sat Radio and then the monthly fees, you'd be better off in the long run buying a BT unit and continuing to use your iPod or a smart phone with Pandora/Spotify.

 

[tcfjr]

SECOND QUESTION: Am I missing something that BT is for, other than the above reasons?
I currently use earplugs connected to my iPod. They work, but I have to say they bug the crap out of me.

The right Bluetooth setup will let you listen to either your new XM radio, or to your phone, depending on your mood. When you have cell coverage, you can listen to Pandora/Spotify on your phone, or to the MP3s stored on your phone, but the XM will also give you tunes/sports/comedy/whatever when you're miles from the nearest cell tower. Bluetooth also lets you get off the bike at a gas stop without worrying about wires and such. (I have a Sena SMH10 mounted to my helmet, with my earphones plugged into that unit, and a Sena SM10 to send audio to the headset.)

Like you, I have never had luck with helmet speakers. I always use some form of hearing protection, and could never get enough volume or sound quality to make helmet speakers work for me with earplugs in place. And I also was annoyed with the comfort of standard earphones, and the hassles of keeping them in place under the helmet.

A few years back, I got a pair of custom molded stereo earphones, and now I would never consider anything else. They give me all-day comfort, great sound isolation, and excellent sound quality. While sound isolation seems like a safety issue, in my experience it's as safe as having no hearing protection, but saves your ears from long-term damage -- you can either not hear adjacent sounds because of ear plugs, or not hear because of the drone of engine and wind noise. Either way, you're not hearing it, so (for me) it's best to protect my hearing. I turn off my audio in heavy traffic, twisty roads, or any other situation where strict attention to riding is necessary.

 

[moto2wheelin]

I didn't like satellite radio due to losing signal all the time riding the areas I prefer to ride such as mtns, country roads, etc... That was aggravating, I still have the little roady 2, just ran across it the other day! I use J&M electronics,; it does not get any better and you can hear them with ear plugs. My Dad is damn near deaf and uses the same equipment with no issues. Go to their site or Sierra Electronics and you will find people that will help you get what you need/want. They are both very good to deal with.

 

[TXFJR]

Another option that I found, was the lynx Bluetooth satellite radio. It would appear that I can pair that to a helmet Bluetooth device. I would like to get some opinions about the chatterbox Bluetooth device, I am planning on getting a HJC helmet which is ready for a chatterbox Bluetooth. In addition, I can install a Bluetooth adapter for my iPod to be able to listen to that as well thru the Bluetooth device in the helmet. You guys are convincing me about the Bluetooth thing!

I currently have a shark evoline 2 helmet, and although I love the features, it just doesn't fit my head very well

 

[bwv]

I have a Sena SMH5 that i bought the large speakers for.. it sounds pretty good (not amazing... but I am a little picky)

I rarely talk on the phone, and pretty much only use it with my ipod touch.

I can't speak to the XM.. but i can say that if you use it with a BT audio device, it is nice to be able to control the volume, ffwd, and rwd with the control knob.

(I know you said no phone.. but.. I will add that the phone audio is very good, both out and in)

 

[TXFJR]

I'm also looking at a Schubert C3 pro modular helmet with the inter grated Cardo BT system (pricey). Combined with the BT lynx radio, BT adapter for my iPod, and the built in FM receiver in the Cardo BT, should about cover me music-wise!

 

[builderwill]

I have the Sena SMH5-FM, also with the upgraded speakers. I love it and the fm comes in as good as my car. I did not think I would ever use the phone, but it is just so easy with voice command. Sound is fine to me.

 

[Fred W]

To the OP, before you commit to a contract with XM/Sirius satellite radio, have you ever used it before?

I got a 6 month trial subscription for Sirius in my most recent company car, which I really do not really spend all that much time in these days. But even with the limited use I gave it I found that the handful of "stations" that played the kind of music I was interested in listening to were very redundant on their play loops. You would think that they would intentionally vary the music a lot since that is what the subscribers would want, but I did not find that to be the case.

I suppose that if you are a talk radio fan and want to listen to Howard Stern all day, or something like that, then the Sat radio might be a good fit. For me, personally, I wouldn't want to pay for that service. I can always mix up my MP3's and end up with more variety than what I was getting on XM.

YMMV

 

[bwv]

Fred has nailed it for sure...

And then there's the commercials... lots of em... on radio you pay for... it made me angry... they always seemed to have a 10 minute commercial break on my 7 minute ride to work.

I had it.. i canceled.. they lowered the price... i canceled again...they asked what they could do to keep me as a customer... i said less commercials, they said no can do... i said goodbye.

I now spend the $8 a month i was spending with them on MP3 Music from Amazon.com (an album.. or 8 songs...i dont do iTunes to buy...i like to be able to use the music i buy on any device I choose )

I buy a LOT of standup comedy... it's a nice break once in a while from the tunes when you shuffle.

 

[rbentnail]

I've gone a more traditionalist way for my music- a good ol' mp3 player with a micro sd slot and earbuds. It'll hold 20 gb of tunes. Since I have never had a passenger and rarely want to talk to anyone when riding this works just fine for me. Plus the earbuds can be plugged in directly to my gps in more urban areas.

I also tried a few youtube converters and settled on this one. It works fine. If the music or video can be found on youtube then the audio can be downloaded to your computer (then copied to my mp3 card) in whatever format you want/need. My mp3 plays wma too but my gps plays only mp3 format so it's important to know. The best thing about this converter? It's completely free: no subscriptions, no dead spots, no paying for music at all. And it's fast. It typically takes about 25 seconds to convert, download and save a song. I take a quick look at Wiki and get a band's album list, search it on youtube and bingo! d-u-n done. Nothing like having Van Halen/Hagar's complete studio album set in less than an hour for free. And Pearl Jam. And... And... And...

Of course YMMV but I found this to be the best way to get whatever tunes I want when I want. My library is now in excess of 20,000 songs. At least 70% of them have cost $0.00. I just routinely deleted older off the mp3 and put new-to-me on.

 

[TXFJR]

Looking back now, I wish I had never gone the iPod route. I love the device, but at the time I guess I never realized how proprietary iTunes was! Since that time, I have downloaded LOTS of music from iTunes but I am currently looking at some web info that indicates I can convert/transfer at least some of them to MP3 format. Until that time, I guess I am stuck in "iPod jail"!

I have a company vehicle, so I don't have to drive my truck (2011 Avalanche) too often. I have the XM radio activated in the truck, although most people would agree that I am not getting a great "bang for the buck" since I drive it probably less than 1,000 miles/year. However, I have to say that despite the commercials (for some reason I don't notice them…probably because there is a lot of "blah blah blah" going on in the truck usually on longer trips), I REALLY like it!

Whether it's an iPod or MP3 player, I tend to switch to FM or XM because I can almost predict the next song (I listen to it A LOT). So, since I was able to find a satellite radio that is wi-fi, and BT ready (the Lynx) and very portable (can take it camping, to the office, etc) I will probably try it for a year or so. I am still trying to decide if I want to stay with my ancient ear buds, or move up?? to a BT system. The earbuds tend to bother me on a long ride, and I am concerned about hearing damage. The wire doesn't bother me that much, but I don't know that I am totally sold on the BT headset idea….yet.

I initially was looking at the Schubert C3 pro modular helmet, and although I was VERY tempted by the Cardo G4 integrated BT system, the price ($700+$00) is a bit out of my price range. Besides, I didn't want to get a BT system that was part of the helmet and it would force me to replace the helmet with another Schubert, AND take the chance that by the time I needed to replace it they wouldn't make one that was compatible with the current BT system.

IF I jump to BT, I am probably going with the Sena SMH10-11 and the SM10 controller for my non-BT iPod (or MP3 if I change over) and any other gadget that is not BT capable.

 

[TomInPA]

With the only need being in-helmet music, I agree with using ear-buds. A BT device is a hassle and will never have the fidelity and sound isolation of a good set of ear buds. Hook it to a MP3, iPod or XM device and life is just that much less complex.

With that, I'll confess I use an Autocom system with inputs from GPS/XM/iPhone, radar, bike to bike radio (kenwood), aux input, and intercom with sound through speakers or earbuds and built in microphone. I figure there might be up to 20 riders in the entire country I can actually talk to and most of them are in California, and I'm not.

 

[BigOgre]

For sometime all I wanted to hear was my XM and did so through an old Delphi unit in a vehicle cradle mounted on the clutch side via a Ram ball. Reception issues minimal with the use of this antenna. Sound came through an extension cable ran around/under the tank and out from under the seat. Happy with my PlugUp earbuds both for sound and comfort but someday I might try some custom molds. (She's usually at most shows every year.) Also got a clear cover for the unit but don't remember where from. That's nice not only for the protection but it also secures it to the cradle in case of some bumpy roads e.g. Rte. 17 upstate which helped me learn you can find plenty of used replacement units on eBay.

Recently I went to riding with a GPS unit and was in a similar position you find yourself in now. Wanting to also listen to the turn-by-turns, I considered several options then settled on a Mix-It sitting in my tankbag. Now both units run through that and I still have open ports should I want to add my phone or other MP3 devices. Volume on all is easily controlled by the Mix-It's single knob and it's still just one connection getting on or off the bike.

If you see yourself growing into some form of communication device, e.g. with other riders, phone calls, etc., then this set-up would limit you. But for what you described, it might suit your needs.

 

[TXFJR]

I looked at the mix-it, I really like it!

 

[Fred W]

It is not difficult to convert iTunes to mp3. I've owned an iPod and several different mp3 players over the years. On the bike I just use an 8GB SD card in the zumo with 1000 tunes on it. When I get tired of listening to them I just shut the music off and listen to the voices in my head.

 

[AVGeek]

Yep, iTunes no longer has DRM on their songs, so they can be converted. I, however, drank the Apple Kool-Aid a long time ago, so am staying in that environment. Also, if you have/get MP3s (say from Amazon), your iPod will play them no problem (I ripped my CDs into MP3 format).

I also agree on custom earbuds. They are worth every penny (there's a reason musicians use custom earbuds for monitoring during perfomrances!), and because of when I was shopping, steered me to the Sena SMH-10 (it was the only unit on the market at the time that offered an earbud clamp). Sena now also offers a combo earbud/speaker clamp, so you could have the best of both worlds (speakers for short in-town hops, and earbuds for longer trips).

 

[timk]

Has anyone shrtened a xm radio wire. How hard is it for a guy one step up from a novice?

 

[TXFJR]

Well, I'm still anxiously awaiting for all my "goodies" to be delivered by Fed Ex, UPS, USPS. After much research, and the AWESOME advice from you guys, I think I came up with my game plan. I'm sticking with my Ipod Nano G4, went with the Lynx XM satellite radio, and a "Mix-it" box that I will run the ipod and radio through. I decided against BT (for now) since all I am looking for is music, no voice comm at this time.

I got these helmet speakers:

https://www.uniqcyclesounds.com/helmet-speakers/xsound2-motorcycle-helmet-speakers.html

and after a brief test run, they actually seem very good! And that's BEFORE running them from the Mix-it that has a built in amp! If it turns out to not be loud/clear enough, I can always go back to my earbuds.

I'm doing a bunch of mods all at once, so the bike will be out of commission for a while, which is ok, considering the weather is VERY cold right now. I plan on installing:

The MV Raiser (for hopefully a better more comfortable riding position)

FZ-1 fuse block (ordered it with their wiring package)

Mix-it (mounted on the 1" ball on the MV Raiser)

Satellite radio (waiting on the RAM mounts and associated parts for the radio and mix it box) power plug directly to FZ1

installing a couple of 3.5 mm jacks on the rear MC guards, and then running a coiled 3.5mm cable to the helmet with a quick disconnect

adding a dual cigarette lighter socket (wired thru the FZ-1 in the switched power mode) for the mix it and ipod

Ordered a corbin front saddle with material removed and a "nose job" to help me get more flat-footed

I already love this bike, but I have a feeling that with all these mods, I will feel even more comfortable and actually ride it!

Eventually, I probably will go with a Sena SMH10, but for now I think Im good with being wired to the bike.