helmet speakers
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I use the X Sound3 speakers in two of my Arai helmets. I bought a Cardo Freecom4+ setup and ditched the JBL speakers that came with the Cardo for the X Sound 3 speakers. I hear a better bass response than the JBL's provided although its not a huge difference. Tough to get subwoofer response from a helmet speaker.
Speaker placement in the helmet is critical to a good sound whatever the speaker used.
Speaker placement in the helmet is critical to a good sound whatever the speaker used.
wes_van
Active member
I have the X Sound 3 speakers and am quite happy with them. I find they sound better than the JBL's that came with the Cardo, but others may have had different results. The bass response is typical of a helmet speaker which as mophead states it won't sound like a subwoofer. I use a Fiio A1 headphone amp as well and the difference in sound is worth it.
Just curious how you power the Fiio?
2GENAE
Well-known member
Following I have a Cardo Pack Talk Bold JBL.
wes_van
Active member
It has a rechargeable battery & plugs into a USB port to charge.
FJR-Dave
Member
I have the Cardo PackTalk Slim on my GT Air II, upgraded to the larger JBL and they helped. Then I made the jump to In Ear Monitors...what a major difference. Will never go back. Yes, the configuration I chose was about $500, but really improved my riding experience.
Below is the review I wrote and posted on a different forum. https://inearzsport.com/
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I recently picked up my new custom fit, in ear monitor from InEARZ and was floored. I had been using foam ear plugs to cut down the wind noise and a Cardo PackTalk Slim with the larger JBL speakers all in a Shoei GT Air 2. They worked, but at “higher” cruising speeds, the music was hard to hear. I had the Cardo maxed out nearly all the time, in comparison, InEARZ the level is maybe a 2 and is crystal clear at any speed. Two integrated speakers per ear along with 32db reduction of noise I can listen my favorite tunes, still hear my Two Brothers but much less wind noise.
After doing some research and rationalization I settled on InEarz. My rationalization was the investment would help prevent further hearing loss in my 60-year-old ears and I already have significant tinnitus. Blue Cross does not cover them which is a bummer. There were several other companies I considered, but the InEarz is also a top hearing aid manufacturer and best of all is local to me.
I set up a time to visit and get impressions made there on site. While talking with Martin and Pam, I changed my mind on which product combination to go with and settled on the UH-2 Stereo in Acrylic, with a 24” cord. In retrospect, I would get a longer cord and have the plug be straight vs. 90 degrees. The impression process was quick, easy, and painless.
Pam called me after a week or so to let me know they were ready, and we set up a time for me to come in and try them out. I took my helmet along to make sure everything would go well.
The fit was perfect and so easy to put in place. I plugged them directly into my iPhone to give them a listen before putting on my helmet. WOW, I was floored, but had to pull the plug quickly. The volume had been set to loud. I lowered the volume, and the sound was amazing, better than my Bose QuietComfort earbuds I had used when flying.
Plugged them into my Cardo and put on my Shoei GT Air 2. The helmet slid on without an issue and the sound was fantastic. I could not wait to take them for a ride.
Again, the good folks at their facility could not have been better. I am sure the experience would be the same even if ordering from across the country.
Saturday came and time for a ride…they did not disappoint. Again, no issue putting them in, but it was a bit awkward when plugging them into the Cardo. While the shorter cord meant less under my collar, I would recommend going with the longer option. Also, a straight plug would match up better with the Cardo wiring than the 90 degree that came with them.
After about 1k miles of riding with the InEARZ I continue to be more than happy. Would I buy them again, absolutely. In fact, I would place them #2 in adding to my riding enjoyment on my FJR. Above windshield upgrade, seat upgrade, even my Two Brothers. Only behind the ECU flash from Ivan.
As I re-read the above, it sounds more like a promotional piece than a rider review, but it is not. I ride between 12-15k a year on my 2007 FJR 1300 here in sunny central Florida often with a great group of guys, Central Florida Sport Touring Group.
Below is the review I wrote and posted on a different forum. https://inearzsport.com/
-----
I recently picked up my new custom fit, in ear monitor from InEARZ and was floored. I had been using foam ear plugs to cut down the wind noise and a Cardo PackTalk Slim with the larger JBL speakers all in a Shoei GT Air 2. They worked, but at “higher” cruising speeds, the music was hard to hear. I had the Cardo maxed out nearly all the time, in comparison, InEARZ the level is maybe a 2 and is crystal clear at any speed. Two integrated speakers per ear along with 32db reduction of noise I can listen my favorite tunes, still hear my Two Brothers but much less wind noise.
After doing some research and rationalization I settled on InEarz. My rationalization was the investment would help prevent further hearing loss in my 60-year-old ears and I already have significant tinnitus. Blue Cross does not cover them which is a bummer. There were several other companies I considered, but the InEarz is also a top hearing aid manufacturer and best of all is local to me.
I set up a time to visit and get impressions made there on site. While talking with Martin and Pam, I changed my mind on which product combination to go with and settled on the UH-2 Stereo in Acrylic, with a 24” cord. In retrospect, I would get a longer cord and have the plug be straight vs. 90 degrees. The impression process was quick, easy, and painless.
Pam called me after a week or so to let me know they were ready, and we set up a time for me to come in and try them out. I took my helmet along to make sure everything would go well.
The fit was perfect and so easy to put in place. I plugged them directly into my iPhone to give them a listen before putting on my helmet. WOW, I was floored, but had to pull the plug quickly. The volume had been set to loud. I lowered the volume, and the sound was amazing, better than my Bose QuietComfort earbuds I had used when flying.
Plugged them into my Cardo and put on my Shoei GT Air 2. The helmet slid on without an issue and the sound was fantastic. I could not wait to take them for a ride.
Again, the good folks at their facility could not have been better. I am sure the experience would be the same even if ordering from across the country.
Saturday came and time for a ride…they did not disappoint. Again, no issue putting them in, but it was a bit awkward when plugging them into the Cardo. While the shorter cord meant less under my collar, I would recommend going with the longer option. Also, a straight plug would match up better with the Cardo wiring than the 90 degree that came with them.
After about 1k miles of riding with the InEARZ I continue to be more than happy. Would I buy them again, absolutely. In fact, I would place them #2 in adding to my riding enjoyment on my FJR. Above windshield upgrade, seat upgrade, even my Two Brothers. Only behind the ECU flash from Ivan.
As I re-read the above, it sounds more like a promotional piece than a rider review, but it is not. I ride between 12-15k a year on my 2007 FJR 1300 here in sunny central Florida often with a great group of guys, Central Florida Sport Touring Group.
After trying various sets of helmet speakers readily available in the market, I felt that none really worked well. Having spent years in the automotive high end audio field I thought there had to be a better way. After all, a helmet is an excellent sound enclosure. I researched and I found some articles by 2 or 3 people who had already done some of the custom experiment work and decided to give it a try. Since then I have been building my own sound into helmets for at least that last 10~12yrs. It's fairly easy and with some patience you end up with a much better sound than anything available on the market - my helmet sounds like a high end headset, but a fraction of the cost.
The most important of all, even with the readily available sets, is the custom exact location of the speaker in ref to you ear, and the distance of the speaker from your ear while still being comfortable. And this takes some patience to pinpoint, but it's very doable.
For my speakers I found a good sounding over the head headset - this is going to vary because it's different for everyone, but they are fairly cheap and even if you buy 2 or 3 to test before you comit to one, you are still ahead of the helmet specific sets. Most of these headsets run on 16ohms, even the most expensive ones.That's the first item to find.
Once you find the sound you like, this will be your donor set for the speakers.
You carefully (or not) disassemble the headset to remove the speakers.
The you will need some 18~20ga wire and 2 sets mini connectors (m+f) which are readily available at RC hobby stores, plus whatever you decide to use to connect to your source.
Then you need to decide ether you want to use BT or hardwire to your music source as this will determine what you will need for those connections. I prefer hardwire to my SiriusXM unit or the headphone jack on my phone - I have found it to sounds much better with a direct connection, and batteries for the BT don't die out on long trips. For the connection between the tank bag I use a coiled cable so it gives plenty of flexibility. If you feel you can get good sound out of the bluetooth, then it makes it for a bit easier and you can connect it right to the unit at your helmet using that Bluetooth unit's existing speaker output.
You should have your speakers already wired one way or the other, and ready to be connected to your source so you can test as you locate them in the helmet.
In order to mount these better speakers it will require to do some carving out of the Styrofoam in the helmet to locate the speakers and the correct location. Most of the pre-cut locations for speakers in the helmets hardly ever align with your ears because people's ears are not all in the same place. While helmet manufacturers have good intentions for this, it's not real life.
To test it correct location of your speakers in the helmet, at least as a baseline, use a popsicle stick slid into the side of the helmet between your ear and the helmet.
Once you find a close enough location for that speaker, then it becomes a matter of a bit of trial and error to get it into the exact location.
Doe some carving out and you can use velcro to mount the speakers to the helmet so you can locate them and move them around slightly to get them into the final location.
In order to adjust the distance between your ear and the speaker you can use some foam backing.
Once you have found that ideal location, the rest is a matter of how you want to wire and connect to your source. There are a number of options.
I can guarantee with a high degree of certainty that your helmet sound will be better than anything you're going to find in an aftermarket set. Yours will be customized to your ear and your helmet.
Last edited:
Tenmilsocket
Member
Dave, I think I read your review on the other forum and have been giving this product some thought. One question I have is if you are able to hear any thing going on around you like sirens, brakes screeching or even how high the bike is revving. I would love really clear audio but on the other hand I wouldn't want to be completely isolated.
Dave, how are the inearz as to putting your helmet on and keeping them in place? Maybe its me but I have a difficult time keeping molded plugs in place when putting the helmet on.
+1 on these questions
Got a detailed hearing test last week for both wife and I. She's getting hearing aids (as anyone around he for the past 10 years already knew). Me? Can't help. All high freq loss and most starts right above speaking freq (affecting S and TH type sounds). They went ahead and programmed a pair and let me walk around the place for about 20 minutes to try. My wife came back with a YES. Me? Lots of shopping cart wheel noises and such that made for a "too shiny" experience (so they were right).
But it did make me consider TV and such. I looked around the house and, with the computer and bike crap accumulated over the years, I had a little Blu-tooth transmitter that has a 3.5mm jack for audio input. So output from the receiver is covered (plug it into the headphone jack with a 1/4" to 3.5mm adapter). The next part was "receiving". I have a couple of pairs of in-ear monitors and 1 of them is BT. Tried and and it works a treat but isolated ambient sounds too much for this application. Cheap (non-isolating and non-inserting) BT ear buds that rest over the ears. Works well and I don't have to turn up the TV and disturb others.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09SFZ7JZ8?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
Interestingly (but not unsurprising) is the greater loss in the left ear and knowing exactly how it happened. 1 moment of bad judgement back in the mid-80s when, on the way home from getting my new-to-me Redhawk in 44mag, I HAD to shoot it and stopped at the pond before going by the house. NO HEARING PROTECTION and my cross-dominate stance had my left ear facing almost forward. A moment of bad judgement and a lifetime and repercussions. But it also explains my gradual withdrawal from public events (I simply can't understand a word with a lot of background noise).
Get hearing protection and use it at every opportunity kids!
But it did make me consider TV and such. I looked around the house and, with the computer and bike crap accumulated over the years, I had a little Blu-tooth transmitter that has a 3.5mm jack for audio input. So output from the receiver is covered (plug it into the headphone jack with a 1/4" to 3.5mm adapter). The next part was "receiving". I have a couple of pairs of in-ear monitors and 1 of them is BT. Tried and and it works a treat but isolated ambient sounds too much for this application. Cheap (non-isolating and non-inserting) BT ear buds that rest over the ears. Works well and I don't have to turn up the TV and disturb others.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09SFZ7JZ8?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
Interestingly (but not unsurprising) is the greater loss in the left ear and knowing exactly how it happened. 1 moment of bad judgement back in the mid-80s when, on the way home from getting my new-to-me Redhawk in 44mag, I HAD to shoot it and stopped at the pond before going by the house. NO HEARING PROTECTION and my cross-dominate stance had my left ear facing almost forward. A moment of bad judgement and a lifetime and repercussions. But it also explains my gradual withdrawal from public events (I simply can't understand a word with a lot of background noise).
Get hearing protection and use it at every opportunity kids!
Attachments
FJR-Dave
Member
It is rare that I have to take my helmet back off and re-try due to the InEarz. When it does happens, tends to be my left; no idea why. They lay flat in the ear, better than traditional foam plugs in my opinion.
FJR-Dave
Member
It is not a problem hearing what is going on around me. They are between 28-32 db so not dissimilar to good ear plugs. The big improvement is the 'piped' in sound goes directly into your ear and does not compete with the wind noise.
I've found that ear monitors let me turn down the volume to nearly off. With ear plugs and speakers, I tend to have to crank up the volume to get through the plugs... not good IMHO.
You just answered my two major concerns, I will be ordering Inearz as soon as I can get molds made. The audiology school in town will do that very reasonably. Thanks for the info.
I've been using ear monitors for something around 200K miles. As far as I'm concerned, they are the ONLY solution to comms on motorcycles. But heed Bounce's advice: I have destroyed my hearing. Severe hearing loss. Not from wind or road noise, but from a thousand hours of loud rock music.
Put on a windshield that moves the flow or air over your helmet and keep the volume of your tunes low.
Thank you all for the assistance..
I bought the Iasus x3s. And in modifying my cardo g4s , messed up the connectors on the unit. When i had them working they sounded great..
However due to my breaking the g4s I devised on cardo pactalk black with the jbl speakers.. (cycle gear has them for 233)
My test starts tomorrow leaving buffalo for a two week ride down in Florida..
I'll let you know my thoughts..
Thanks again
Sal
user 90243
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I wonder if anyone else thinks about not hearing the road environment with that kind of custom fitted ear gadget. Is that risky? I use the Etymotic ER20. Cuts a lot of the noise, but I am still keenly in touch with my environment. At age 72 I have lost the upper range of my hearing playing the drums in rock bands. Live concerts have also taken their toll. All of it worth it! Always take ear plugs wherever I go.
My ear monitors didn't block any more noise than ear plugs; about 25 db. I always turned the music down in town where I felt I needed to hear my environment. At freeway speeds its hard to hear over the wind anyway.
