Recomendations for Earbuds

[cali_beemer]

So I have another garmin 2730 on order. My last one went with the bike. My new to me 1200RT has a baehr intercom system on it and I got one of the full face helmet headsets with it. I think I am going to take the whole intercom setup off since I have always been happy just using earbuds. I dont think there is anything out there that lets me use earbuds on the baehr. I dont ride with a passenger so I have no use for the intercom unit other than being able to tie a radar detector, phone GPS and XM radio in one which does seem nice. IS there an earbud setup for the baehr intercoms? Also I have usedd the sony earbuds and liked them alot other than a flimsy cord. After 2 years they finally broke. I tried Phillips that I absolutely hate and skull candy that arent wuite as nice as the sony. I see alot on here use the ER6 and ER6i. Any other recomendations? I found the ER6i for 50 bucks but they look very weird and possibly uncomfortable. The ER6 looks better but are more expensive. Without breaking the bank what others so people recomend?

[marcopolo]

A fair number of people on this board have in-ear speakers made by Arizona Al -- he's a board member and if you look him up on the list of members you'll find his e-mail address in his signature line. I have an Autocom and first tried their in-helmet speakers, then ER6i's and finally Arizona Al's. His were the best, hands down. They're also unique in that the sound drivers are not in the buds themselves, but are located down at the Y-junction of the tubes leading to each ear. They're essentially hollow air tubes and the sound travels from the drivers, through the tubes to your ears. They work well. The in-ear pieces are custom-molded, so they fit well and reduce ambient noise like ear plugs

[Unhofliche_Gesundheit]

hey marcopolo - hi in ottawa!

 

for me sound isolation is the priority - then audio 2nd. looking to get the molded plugs.

 

** what are the logistics of getting custom molded ear plugs over the internet? **

 

(unlikely that you mail in your ear along with self address envelop and they mail you back the plug and your ear )

 

 

[bakerzdosen]

Lots of us are completely happy with our er6i's, but if you don't like earbud earphones, they might not be for you. I happen to have listened to my Etymotic er4p's for MANY hours, and sleep with earplugs, so putting the er6i's in my ears isn't a big deal at all.

 

My wife on the other hand can't handle anything in her ears for very long, so they are less effective for her.

 

The $50 Amazon price is the best I've ever seen on the er6i's. I'm thinking of getting another pair on the off chance that Etymotic stops selling them en lieu of the HF5's.

[WestTX RT]

This thread over on AdvRider has some of the best discussion on earbuds I've seen. Enjoy

[bakerzdosen]

This thread over on AdvRider has some of the best discussion on earbuds I've seen. Enjoy

True. There's a pretty high signal to noise ratio, but the info is solid. Tyll and Nate know what they're talking about for sure, but many people here think that that er6i's are too expensive, so the Q-Jay's are definitely out.

 

But FWIW, the Q-Jays are definitely on my list if my (once repaired) er4p's ever bite the dust or Amy decides she'll actually wear headphones on the bike... If I ever find a sub-$150 price for the Q-Jays, I'll really have a hard time resisting.

[heinlein]

I have the ER6s and find them to be very uncomfortable as I appear to have smaller ear canals than they were designed for. Any recommendations for small ear canals?

[greglepore]

Try the "blue" eartips-I got mine from an ebay seller, but they're made by Ety-they solved the problem for me.

[Whip]

I have the ER6s and find them to be very uncomfortable as I appear to have smaller ear canals than they were designed for. Any recommendations for small ear canals?

 

Have ya tried the slimmer foam inserts??????

 

http://earplugstore.stores.yahoo.net/cofotipeco1p.html

 

 

[TDY]

Radio shack ear buds are great good bass and easy on the checkbook.

[tallman]

Used the KOSS/Radio Shak version for years.

Decent, issues with staying in ears, sound quality.

Switched to Er6i's and paid 3x as much.

Got more than my money's worth. :thumbsup:

They work well, excellent sound (weak on bass, compared to sitting in home earbuds of higher cost, but not an issue on the bike for me).

That price, $50, is outstanding.

[marcopolo]

hey marcopolo - hi in ottawa!

 

for me sound isolation is the priority - then audio 2nd. looking to get the molded plugs.

 

** what are the logistics of getting custom molded ear plugs over the internet? **

 

(unlikely that you mail in your ear along with self address envelop and they mail you back the plug and your ear )

 

 

Hi Cameron, what's with "Kanata"; it doesn't exist anymore?

 

I had been used to wearing custom-molded earplugs when I rode, so when I got the Autocom I wanted to make sure I continued to cut out the ambient noise. That's one of the reasons I didn't like the ER6i's. I found them noisy, no matter which of the supplied tips I used. They also came out too easily when I took my helmet off. I think a lot depends on your ear canal, so what works for one person may not work well for another.

 

My only experience buying "long distance" was with Arizona Al. I went to a local hearing aid centre and had them make ear impressions (molds?), which I then shipped to a lab in Colorado (on Al's instructions). The lab made the plugs, cored them and then sent them to Al in Arizona. He completed the job by attaching the drivers/air tubes etc., then shipped them to me. It sounds a lot more complicated than it was in reality, but it was also more expensive than having him do it "on site", like at a Spring Torrey. Last May (in Torrey), I had Al make me a set of regular earplugs, as well as a backup set of cored plugs. He does these while you wait. For my money, they work well.