Earmuff style helmet speakers

[BMWSTeve]

A question for a non-computer friend of mine.

 

Is there an earmuff style headphone/speaker designed to be installed in a helmet? My friend hates sticking things in his ear and would prefer an earmuff style that surrounds his ears and blocks out the wind noise with a speakers inside. He claims that fighter pilot helmets are designed this way. I have know idea and have not found anything online.

 

Anybody here got any ideas.

 

Thanks,

 

 

Steve

[jimswms]

I'd love one of these as well. I'm convinced that if someone designed one right, noone would use earbuds. I don't know of any on the market currently, but, it's only a matter of time..

[milesandmiles]

Schuberths have an integral earcup in the padding, and recesses inside the helmet shell for speakers.

[DonB]

I think there is a law in the US that prohibits wearing anything "over" your ears. Seems to me that with the active noise cancellation technology, an earcup style covering like fighter pilots wear would be the way to go.

[USAF1]

Several years ago I did just what your friend is looking for. Buuuuuuuuuuuuuut, I did it myself. Went to Radio Shack bought a good set of headphones....took them apart....carved some of the styrofoam out of the way, siliconed them in place.....ran the wires under the liner and out the back left corner. Worked beautiful!!

 

Now....the only thing that I couldn't get around was how the REALLY THIN wires eventually broke.........probably because of being snapped around in the wind I'd guess.

Maybe if I'd used the straight wires instead of the coiled stuff it would have worked out a bit better.....hmmmmmmmm!

 

I have the AutoCom setup now, and the speakers that came with it, are pretty darned good. (Not like headphone speakers, but if you get them in the "sweet spot" they're very very good)

 

Pat

[TyTass]

A bit of research on the subject of "headphones" indicates that (not surprisingly) the laws vary from state to state. I found a couple sites online for a few lawyers who have a search engine to find motorcycle laws in all the states.

 

I don't know how regularly these sites reflect changes but here's what I found for a few states close to yours/mine:

 

OH - Prohibited in both ears simultaneously, except helmets with speakers

IN - Not Prohibited

MI - Not Prohibited

KY - Not Prohibited

WV - Not Prohibited

PA - Prohibited except for communication

VA - Prohibited in both ears simultaneously, except helmets with speakers

MD - Prohibited in both ears simultaneously

 

If you are a BMWMOA member, this same data is available in the back of your "Anonymous" booklet. I believe that booklet also gives ruling for several other countries (I don't have the book available at the moment).

 

So, it would seem that some states find a difference between headphones and helment-mounted speakers. Perhaps an LEO or lawyer on BMWRT could shed some light on definitions of headphones and helmet-mounted speakers.

 

Sorry for hijack

[Martyn]

I hope these links works, especially if you enlarge the image

 

A Peltor rally drivers helmet; helicopter crew helmets are similar.

http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/products/ProductDetail.asp?cls=MSPORT&pcode=INTPROCARBONHANS-L

 

And a Sparco

 

http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/products/ProductDetail.asp?cls=MSPORT&pcode=SPA336LBLK