ear buds or in helmet bluetooth

[SkooterG]

+1 for Big Ear's. I've had mine for 15+ years (first a set of BE-1C's with a single transducer and currently a set of BE-2's with dual transducers) and nothing beats a custom molded earspeaker for comfort and a fit that's flush with your ears for easy helmet donning and removal. Good seal, noise reduction, and sound. I also have a pair of their custom molded ear pugs.

As mentioned above, apparently there is not one universal solution. I tried the Big Ear's 15 years ago and found them to be highly uncomfortable and they wouldn't seal out the wind noise as they are supposed to. I even had them re-made and tried a second time. S-plugs work for me.

 

[HyperPete]

I went with the in ear buds. I think I even posted about them earlier. They cost me about $110. I thought they were pretty good, but after just short of a year they stopped working in one ear. I returned them and they were repaired under warranty. I vowed that I would be more careful about removing them, and I was, BUT, after about a year, they stopped working in 1 ear again.

I decided to search online for options. I went to ebay, and I found some in-ear ear buds. Two different brands. One was $14.99, and the other was $19.99. I ordered both. I have been using the Elgin Ruckus, first. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Ruckus-Earplug-Earbuds-OSHA-Compliant-Noise-Reduction-in-Ear-Headphones-I/323853245380

The rubber plugs stick out a bit, but not enough to be an issue so far. It might prove to be uncomfortable on long trips, but for my daily commute, so far , so good. This was the $20 set.

They sound MUCH BETTER than the expensive ones - much better bass response, trebles are not as distorted, and they are rated at 25 db for noise reduction. So far, so good.

The second set are called Plugphones. They have 2 different cushion options. I have not tried them out yet. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Plugfones-Yellow-Ear-Plug-Earbuds/123637973849

I wish I could hear the speakers that came with my Sena 20s. I know placement is important, but I could not make them work for me in my RF-1200, so it's earbuds for the future, I guess.

 

[Fred W]

I have observed an interesting phenomenon in regards to hearing helmet speakers with foam ear plugs: It seems to me that the better the seal, and the more complete the attenuation is, the better I can hear the music and gps prompts from the helmet speakers. If the seal is imperfect, or if I try to use less attenuating plugs, all I hear is wind noise regardless of how loud it is cranked up. It seems that by lowering the background noise enough the music is then easier to discriminate.

I have large ear canals, so finding plugs large enough to seal them well was key. I use the E-A-R soft Grippers, which unfortunately only come in the corded version these days. I just snip the plastic cords off as I dont like having it dangling outside the helmet. They are the only earplugs I have found that reliably give me a perfect seal, and are NRR rated at 31dB Bought a box of 200 pairs several years ago and am probably half way through them.

I am convinced that using highly attenuating earplugs is safer to whats left of your hearing than in-ear monitors. The actual Sound Pressure Levels your eardrums are exposed to will be considerably lower with 30+ dB plugs when properly inserted no matter how loud the speakers are blaring. NRR of 30 dB means they attenuate all sound more than 100:1.

No, the music will not sound as good as with in ear monitors, you lose fidelity as the sound passes through the foam. But thats a trade-off Im willing to make for better hearing protection.

 

[HyperPete]

Thanks, Fred W. Maybe I will give that a shot, assuming I can find the speakers. I think that part of my problem is that I had a very loud car stereo system in my youth, bi-amplified, high wattage, and I loved to play it LOUD! So, my hearing is not great to start with. I assumed that this was the issue because my girlfriend can hear hers well, and we have the same helmets, but I seem to recall not being able to hear it well just standing in my garage with the helmet on. I thought about modifying the Sena 20s with an external battery pack and some better speakers, but I think I will wait until the batteries start to fail down the road, hopefully several years from now, at least!

This weekend I start to clean out my old home so that my neighbor's son can move in. He'll be buying it soon, I would rather someone live there than leave it vacant. (I guess that also means I have to pickup the rest of my motorcycles!) Maybe I'll find them this weekend and I can try again, this time with earplugs in place.

 

[Versatek6]

A little late to the post, but I'll throw in my $0.02.

My preference is for speakers + earplugs. We use the Cardo Freecom 4+ with the JBL speakers.

Our helmets are relatively quiet. Mine is a Nolan N100-5, and my wife's is a Scorpion GT3000.

For earplugs, I've been using the Surefire EP-4, and my wife the EP-3. These are all-silicone, and have variable dampers of -11dB or -24dB of reduction - we use them at -24dB. They come in three sizes to fit you outer ear. These do an excellent job with wind and road noise while still allowing clearly hearing the environment and output from the speakers. Before these, we used the yellow foamies (EAR?), but had no communication system then.

I have stage experience with good in-ear monitors (Westone UM Pro 20) and prefer using the Surefires when riding.

 

[Toter]

+1 On the Surefire Sonic Defender plugs. I use them with a Cardo Packtalk Bold unit with the JBL speakers in my Shoei Neotec helmet. They seal well and the sound from the helmet speakers comes through very well. I leave the filter plugs in as without them you hear too much wind noise.

 

[mattster344]

I like the earbuds.......dual purpose noise suppression when the battery runs out  

 

[graler]

^^^ I wear these now, too, dzane. Plugs come in a slick aluminum tube that attaches to the FJR key ring, so plugs are always available and convenient when mounting up!

I bought some of these as well. They do come in a nice aluminum tube storage case - holds 3 buds. If you leave for a ride from lets say Austin to Birmingham and you leave them on your desk at home .....   DAMHIK

Still haven't used them. I did move them to the glove box on the bike at least they will be with me next time.

 

[Bounce]

I used to use helmet speakers until the first set of in-ear, custom-molded ear monitors. Never will go back. The sound quality is better while the volume can be lower (safer) at all riding speeds.

Buy the earbuds. $230.00 so now you're committed. Choose the right size insert for your ear canal, it comes with 3.

For those prices you could get in-ear monitors, custom-molded and with blutooth included... have no fitment issues... and have change coming back.

 

[Bill Lumberg]

I used to use helmet speakers until the first set of in-ear, custom-molded ear monitors. Never will go back. The sound quality is better while the volume can be lower (safer) at all riding speeds.

For those prices you could get in-ear monitors, custom-molded and with blutooth included... have no fitment issues... and have change coming back.

I still love my shure 215k monitors. But I’d like to try custom molded ones. Do you have a recommended source/product?

 

[Bounce]

My last pair was done at the Grand Opening of the gun range I'm a member of. Made while I waited and included blu-tooth support so, while wired together, they don't wire to an audio source.

Sheena Snow

[email protected]

214-864-0121

 

[ElectricFJR]

I still love my shure 215k monitors. But I’d like to try custom molded ones. Do you have a recommended source/product?

Big Ear.  I have the BE-2 (dual transducer) model.

 

[jalingo]

Mee audio M6 pro 

they have a hook that holds around the Top of the ear, they stay in place and isolate pretty good , correct sound quality 

 

[Bounce]

For me those rub sores in the top of my ears after a few 12+ hour days.

 

[rbentnail]

I'm an ear bud guy.  I use an obsolete Etymotic wired set, replacing the cone shaped bud tips with squishy ones.

https://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-Research-ER38-14F-Replacement-Eartips/dp/B0078JXDRI/ref=sr_1_1?crid=EBAJDWG489A2&keywords=er38-14f&qid=1581719712&sprefix=er38-%2Caps%2C175&sr=8-1

 

[rbentnail]

Actually.....

I've found my old Etymotics have given up.  No worries, I've had them for 6 or 7 yrs.  I've gone with Etymotic's MK5.  They'll still use the squishy replacement earbuds I linked above.  $64. 

https://www.cnet.com/news/listening-test-etymotic-mk5-isolator-in-ear-headphones/