Noise cancelling ear buds?

[Quinn]

I find that I really enjoy listening to my MP3 player while riding, but feel that I'm probably damaging my remaining hearing trying to overcome the wind noise. I realize that my best bet is to spring big bucks for the custom molded, in the ear, type for $200 or more. Then I starting reading about the noise cancelling earphones and ear buds. Wonder what they'd do for the wind noise?

 

Have you tried any of the noise cancelling ear buds? What was your experience? Do they work? How's the fit under a helmet? Recommended brands? Will I still be able to sing- a-long with Linda Rhonstat?

[bakerzdosen]

I'm a big Etymotic fan. I really like my er6i's. If you can handle having something stuck in your ear (like earplugs for example), I think they're a very good option. My er-4p's sound better, but stick out too far for helmet use.

 

As with most earplugs in this style, there are various tips you can use. Most people seem to think that the foam tips are the most comfy and block out slightly more noise.

[Membler]

I'm a big fan of Eytomic ear buds too. I have a set of Er-4ps that they rebuilt for me one time. Great customer service and a fantastic product. I can listen to my ipod at hiway speeds like I'm sitting in my living room.

[texasaggie97]

ArizonaAl is the man to talk to about ear phones. I have a set of his ear phones and I can listen to my I Pod at any volume and hear the music because I can not hear much of the wind noise. Look Al up on the site and he will give you the 411 (info) .

[TonyT607]

Etymotic ER-6i's (in black).

 

You wouldn't believe how they eliminate fatigue.

[MattP]

Etymotic ER-6i's (in black).

 

You wouldn't believe how they eliminate fatigue.

 

+1 but mine are white. Picked them up on eBay for about $60. Thought I should kick my own @$$ for spending that kind of money on ear buds. Worth EVERY PENNY. I don't know how, but without being looked up to my iPod they cut out more noice than regular foam shooting ear plugs. On the bike at 80MPH, I can have my Nano volume up about 15% on the little bar graph and hear great. Can't believe I used to have the Apple earbuds cranked all the way up.

[awagnon]

Then I starting reading about the noise cancelling earphones and ear buds.

 

I agree with the posts on Etymotic ER-6i's. They work great, especially with "Otoease" lubricant to help insert and seal them. However, none of the ear buds mentioned are truly noise canceling, to the best of my knowledge.

[ShovelStrokeEd]

ER6i's are not noise canceling, they just block external noise. They do a darn good job of it. Comfort can be difficult for some, my ears get a little tender when I wear them for very long periods, we're talking a 12 hour day in the saddle here. While Oto-ease seems to work pretty well, I have found that a little NeoSporin lip balm does the same thing. I also have a little problem when dealing with large changes in elevation as the ear canal is almost completely sealed and the pressure change when descending out of the mountains can be uncomfortable. They seem to burp themselves when going up although you do notice. Yawning helps. I use the triple flange ear pieces on mine, the gray ones, and they are just a bit large for my ears and just a bit firmer than I would like. All the whining aside, I like them better than anything else for sound quality.

[eddd]

Another vote for the ER6i's. I also use the triple flange. As far as comfort goes, I've ridden 1100 miles in one day with them in the entire time, you just kind of forget about them after awhile. I enjoy them so much, and count on them to be able to listen to my XM and mp3 to the point I bought an extra set before my summer trip. I wouldn't want to be without them for any distance.

[awagnon]

While Oto-ease seems to work pretty well, I have found that a little NeoSporin lip balm does the same thing.

 

Good idea. Warning. Some people are allergic or sensitive to NeoSporin. So if your ear starts to hurt, itch, or get red, STOP using it.

 

I've use the three-flange tips with the largest flange cut off with good luck, but the two flange works better for really small ear canals. Also, in order to really get good base effect, they need to be sealed pretty well.

[marcopolo]

I tried Er6i's, but found that they did not reduce the ambient noise as well as my regular custom-molded ear plugs. For that reason, I found using them on the bike to be annoying. I also did not find them particularly comfortable, no matter what ear tips I used.

 

Like someone mentioned above, I also switched to Arizona Al's in-ear plugs this summer just before a five-week ride to California. They worked extremely well, both in terms of sound quality, and ability to cut out ambient noise. They're also comfortable to use for extended periods, which is a key factor when riding. I plug them into my Autocom to hear: 1) my wife; 2) my GPS; and 3) my iPod.

[bimmers]

So no one has used noise cancelling ones?

I am using them on the plane all the time but they have a tendency to amplify some noise when touched in a certain way. I ownder if the helmet would also cause that?

HOw is it then with normal helmet "speakers" or bluetoots ones, any reduction in windnoise or is it just on top of it?

Would love to get it all phone and ipod etc through my Zumo.

 

h

[Mike O]

So no one has used noise cancelling ones?

I am using them on the plane all the time but they have a tendency to amplify some noise when touched in a certain way. I ownder if the helmet would also cause that?

HOw is it then with normal helmet "speakers" or bluetoots ones, any reduction in windnoise or is it just on top of it?

Would love to get it all phone and ipod etc through my Zumo.

 

h

I use ER6i's as well.

 

I'm not aware of any company manufacturing "active" noise canceling equipment of any kind that fits inside a motorcycle helmet. You'll note I said "active". I have a set of Bose Noise Canceling headphones I use on the plane as well. From the Bose web site:

 

"Microphones in the earcups actively monitor what you hear, including unwanted outside sound. The difference between the unwanted sound and the desired sound is then electronically processed, creating a correction signal that acts to negate the unwanted noise. The speaker within each earcup is then fed the correction signal."

 

The 'electronic processed' is the 'active' reduction of noise. This is very different from (as others noted) from suppressing outside noise by inserting foam or rubber into your ear canal.

 

Mike O

[Little Joe]

So no one has used noise cancelling ones?

Try this web site: HeadRoom

 

Apparently a quality custom-fitted ear-canal-headphone will provide better isolation than one with active noise-canceling circuitry can provide.

[rondob4]

Apparently a quality custom-fitted ear-canal-headphone will provide better isolation than one with active noise-canceling circuitry can provide.

 

You don't need to go to the trouble or expense of custom fitted gear. Try a set of Westone UM1 ($109) or UM2 ($299) musician's monitors. I play with these on stage and use them on my bike, and they are fantastic! I have a set of both; the UM2s have better bass response (dual drivers), but I don't think improvement justifies the 300% price difference.

 

Riding with the UMs, sans music, is as good as using well-fitting foam earplugs. Add tunes, and you have a concert in your helmet. I've heard instrumental parts for the first time in some songs I've listened to a hundred times before...they're that good. I travel on planes a lot (~100 flights per year) and used to wear Bose headphones - no more - Westones are much better.

 

As an added bonus, you can significantly decrease the volume on your music source, saving your eardrums and battery life.

 

You can buy these off eBay - Westone sets the price, so you won't find any great deals on them.

[jaytee]

I have been using the same pair of ER6i's now for a few years. I find for comfort the foam tips are the best. Do yourself a favor and buy a bag of replacement tips, though.

 

They work very well as an earplug (noise blocking) and the sound quality is very good for an in-ear unit.

 

JT

[bakerzdosen]

So no one has used noise cancelling ones?

I am using them on the plane all the time but they have a tendency to amplify some noise when touched in a certain way. I ownder if the helmet would also cause that?

HOw is it then with normal helmet "speakers" or bluetoots ones, any reduction in windnoise or is it just on top of it?

Would love to get it all phone and ipod etc through my Zumo.

Well, I come to this from the same angle. I fly a lot and my Etymotic er-4p's work wonders on airplanes. To me, the Bose ones are just junk. They work well at reducing some consistent noises (such as the engine noise), but actually make random noises (such as crying babies) more obvious and therefore annoying. The other major problem is that they spend so much time and effort on the noise reduction that they forget the main reason you're using headphones: to hear music. They don't do very well at reproducing music at all (if you have somewhat of a discerning ear.)

 

And unlike isolation headphones, you can't legally use them on take-off and landing - the time you're exposed to the most noise during a flight.

 

So, obviously I'm not a fan of noise cancellation headphones.

 

With that said, they could potentially work on a bike. The noises that you encounter are rather consistent and low frequency. Nonetheless, I'd still recommend isolation earplugs over the noise canceling variety (assuming there are some that would work under a helmet.) I just think that they're more consistent and less finicky than trying to deal with the noise cancelation type.

[BarOne]

I am with Bakerzdosen on this one. The etymotic 4p's are great -- owned 3 sets and would get another if I ran over the present ones with the garden tractor again!

 

I am a fan of high end audio so quality of sound is important -- as important as noise reduction. The etymotic 6's are good and less costly but the sound quality is significantly lower. I fly 2 x a week and ride as often as I can -- the 4's are great. I use the foam inserts and they work much better at sound cancellation, in my opinion.

[Rocket_Cowboy]

Based on the feedback from ya'll, I picked up a set of er-6i's for use on the bike, and a set of er-4p's for use on the plane. I'll use the 4p's on the bike too if I can fit them under my helmet.

[bakerzdosen]

Based on the feedback from ya'll, I picked up a set of er-6i's for use on the bike, and a set of er-4p's for use on the plane. I'll use the 4p's on the bike too if I can fit them under my helmet.

I use the 4p's on my bike, but honestly, after a while, they hurt. There's just enough touching to annoy me. I really like the fit of the foam tips on the 4p's, but they stick out even farther than the rubber flanged ones. Soooo... I found out the hard way one time that I couldn't get my helmet off without pulling the plugs out first - and that's not easy. I bought the 6i's for my wife, but she has a hard time with them any time we change elevation. So, I'll probably buy some for just for me unless I find a better solution for her.

[Nevets]

Looks like you all clobbered this subject pretty well, but a big plus for the Etymotic ER6i. You can pick them up for $64.99 (with free shipping) at www.buy.com if you use the google checkout. No affiliation.

 

These things are great, for me anyway.

[RSL]

Nobody seems to have answered the original question about NOISE CANCELING ear buds.

 

A poster on AdventureRider got a Sony MP3 player that's about the size & shape of a Bic butane cigarette lighter and which comes with actual noise canceling ear buds. He had very favorable impression both as to music quality and in noise canceling mode. It also has an FM radio. He said that operating it with his m/c gloves on was not a problem. Depending on which model Sony you get, it has differing amounts of memory, for hundreds of songs to thousands. As I recall, the cheapest model he found was ~$50ish, and went up from there.

 

I don't know how these Sony units work in music download procedure, or if you have to have some special Sony setup, or what. That would be good to know before purchase.

 

I cannot recall the Sony model number, but have seen these on eBay, found by keywords "Sony noise canceling." They come in pink, blue, and maybe black.

 

As for conventional non-noise canceling earbuds, some folks have used good ear plugs, poked a hole through them with a hot nail, and fit the earbud thingy into that.

 

Heard solely in ear plug mode, I doubt that most ear buds would do nearly as well as even cheapo ear plugs.

[Quinn]

Maybe I should have said active electronic noise cancelling ear buds. Sony, JVS, and a couple of others are for sale at Circuit City, Best Buys, etc in the $100 range. Riding an RT, with the windscreen down, and a flip-up helment, I get a lot of wind noise. I have to turn the volume on the MP3 player up to a high setting to hear it at speed; stopped it is too loud. It doesn't get quieter at speed and I figure I'm doing damage to my hearing over a long period of time. The foam seals on the earbuds I'm using don't really seem that effective.

 

I figured there were enough gadget guys here to find one who had tried them. I don't know how effective they'd be and also don't know if the earpieces would fit flush enough for helmet wear. Just hate to throw $100 and not fix the problem and then have to turn around and shell out $200 for molded buds

[Rocket_Cowboy]

I have a set of Sony active noise cancelling ear buds.

 

They work really well, and I usually travel with them on the plane. They are a bit too big to be comfortable under a helmet though. By design, they tend to hang down out of the ear. For the helmet, I have to flip them over (so they point up) so that they don't interfere with the cheek and ear pads in the helmet. Problem then is getting them to stay put while putting the helmet on, and comfort when trying to take the helmet off. The weight of the "outside the ear" component causes the ear piece to work it's way out while in the helmet even, so it doesn't work well for long durations.

 

I really like the sound quality, but they (the Sony's) just haven't worked out long term on the cycle.

[bimmers]

I just bought a set of 6i and used the Google check out. That added shipping to the purchase which was free on buy.com so difference became only a couple of dollars (1/2G of gas= 25 silent miles)

Let's see how they work

h

[elkroeger]

I had a pair of noise cancelling earbuds once. Got 'em at Fred Meyer for maybe $40 or $50. I couldn't tell that they really did much. The best I got out of 'em was they sorta made it sound like my ears were plugged up on an airplane. You know - that change in sound you get when your ears finally "pop". I used them for a while and wasn't very impressed. The solution I'm using now is a regular pair of $19 sony buds that came with the mushroom tops that slide into your ear canal. I tossed the rubber mushrooms and installed my own foam plugs. Here's how: Using a sharpened metal tube out of a ballpoint pen, take a core out of the center of the plug. You have to flatten the plug into a little pancake and then tap your home-made core tool with a hammer or something. The core tool doesn't have to be more'n 2 or 3mm in diameter. When the plug expands, the hole will pretty much fill back in again. Then superglue the foam plug onto the earbud. It'll stretch over the little shaft where the mushroom thing mounts. I'm going on 2 years of regular use (almost daily), and I'm still tickled with them. I thought the superglue would crap out, but it hasn't. Sound quality gets a little muffled, but I don't need studio quality - just something to get that "I wish I were an oscar meyer wiener" song out of my head. Logically the wind-noise reduction has probably suffered but honestly, I can't tell. They also stay put in my ears quite well. It might be worthwhile to try this with the noise-cancelling earbuds. by the way, I also had those koss buds that come with the foam plug attached: they went in the garbage after a couple days.

 

Lemme know how they turn out.

[questrider]

I have been using the same pair of ER6i's now for a few years. I find for comfort the foam tips are the best. Do yourself a favor and buy a bag of replacement tips, though.

+1

 

The foam eartips are definitely the most comfortable fit for my ears. I used the three-flange ones for the first week, having to use a bit of lubricant to get them to seal, but they hurt my ears and would come unsealed easily. Halfway through a trip during week one, I switched to the foam eartips and couldn't believe how much more soft and comfortable they were, in addition to once they expand after being pinch-rolled and inserted into your ears for a minute or so, they block almost all ambient noise such as wind on your helmet.

 

As far as buying a bag of replacement tips, I concur. I will clean the foam buds a few times with soap and water and let them air dry over night, but after a while they begin to detach from the plastic cone they are adhered to and then you'll leave a piece of foam in your ear when you remove them, causing a panic on the road if you don't have a first-aid kit with tweezers!

 

I can't and will not ride without these wonderful earbuds and my iPod ever again. I even find them invaluable when mowing the lawn for keeping the loud and monotonous sound of the mower from permeating my sound field. They are, as the kids used to say, "the bomb."