New style in-ear speakers

[WestTX RT]

A while back I posted that I was in the process of ordering a new pair of in-ear speakers from EarInc. called OTS Monitors. These speakers are made to be made On-The-Spot (hence OTS) by a dealer like Arizona Al.

I had the competition sports monitors like many of the rest of you did and had lots of problems with the speakers going bad, which they normally did on a longer trip. I loved the monitors and the people at EarInc. are fantastic to deal with, so I hated to give them up but was very frustrated with them. These new style monitors have the speakers (transducers) in line in the headset cord and feed the audio through tubes in the custom fitted earplugs.

Since there's not a local dealer, I sent my original moldings back to the lab to have the OTS made. Doing it this way, I had to pay an extra lab fee. The best way to go at this is find someone local to fit you, well, on the spot.

They came in this afternoon, and so far I'm pleasantly suprised. I was afraid the sound quality would be less with the sound moving through tubes. They sound as good as the original montitors. You can fit the tube over the ear, like an IFB for a TV personality or let them drop from the earplug like the old style. In checking them out with a helmet, I think I'll like the over the ear because it keeps the tubes toward the back of your neck, out of the way of the chinstrap. I haven't ridden with them under the helmet, but I think they'll be comfortable because the earplugs are smaller because the speakers aren't in them.

I'll try and post again after I've had a chance to wear them for a long period.

[sgendler]

You'll find a fiar number of us already using these from Arizona Al, who started making them at Torrey. Reactions have been mixed, for one simple reason. The volume is not quite as high as the older style,m and some folks who are using a passive mixer to combine the audio output from a radar detector and mp3 player are finding that the volume loss from the mixer is just a bit too much with the new style plugs. Personally, I seem to do OK, but only just. The mp3 player has to be at absolute maximum when used with the mixer, whereas with my old plugs, it was only at about 2/3 of full volume. However, if you DON'T use a passive mixer in your audio signal chain, you should have NO problems with the new style plugs. It is only the amplitude reduction caused by the mixer which creates a problem.

 

The big advantage, as far as I am concerned, is that the attenuation of the OTS plugs is MUCH better than the attenuation offered by my old plugs. Sure, I have even less chance of hearing a siren, but I have long since adjusted my awareness routines to account for the fact that I probably won't hear the cues a rider without earplugs would hear. Personally, I'll trade reduced risk of hearing loss for the increased risk of an accident, since I can mitigate one with increased awareness, but not the other. I have been very pleased with mine.

 

One thing to note - you really do need to protect the air columns from wind noise and contact with other surfaces, otherwise, you get all kinds of noise channeling up the air column to your ears. The cord is longer, so I just run the cord down the sleeve of my jacket or out the bottom of my jacket (depending upon where the audio device is mounted), but I imagine a windsock of some kind could be constructed out of neoprene or similar. Letting the cable flap in the wind was definitely a problem at high speeds or on long trips.

 

--sam

[KDeline]

 

One thing to note - you really do need to protect the air columns from wind noise and contact with other surfaces, otherwise, you get all kinds of noise channeling up the air column to your ears. The cord is longer, so I just run the cord down the sleeve of my jacket or out the bottom of my jacket (depending upon where the audio device is mounted), but I imagine a windsock of some kind could be constructed out of neoprene or similar. Letting the cable flap in the wind was definitely a problem at high speeds or on long trips.

 

--sam

 

This was the exact problem I had, I find the design unusable for me. Bummer as I think they might last longer.

[WestTX RT]

sam-

I'm running the headset to a part 27 on my Autocom, so I have to find a way to wrap it up and get it out of the way, anyway. I normally zip the whole headset wire, and part 27 up in my jacket. I did notice the thumping you were talking about when the tubes would hit something hard. Hopefully running the tubes behind my ears will help that. I'll see what kind of volume output I get from the Autocom if I get a chance to ride this weekend.

[sgendler]

If you are using the autocom as a mixer, you'll have no trouble whatsoever. The Autocom is an active mixer, meaning it applies amplification to the signal after it has been mixed, so it will be plenty loud.

 

--sam