These sounds in my head

[GelStra]

The latest crop of mp3 players are ridiculously small and seem perfect for getting music between my ears. However, I always wear earplugs. Without spending umpteen jillion dollars to get custom audiologist approved ear speakers, is there another way?

I read the thread about helmet speakers. Seems SOOO complicated!

Is it dangerous to have music playing while riding, ie cell phone-like distraction?

Am I just going to have to be satisfied with the last song I heard before I put on the helmet? NOOOO! Not the BARNEY THEME!!

Thanks.

[FIRST_BEEMER]

I know it`s illegal here in Kalhifornia to ride with ear plugs in both ears. I also know laws are meant to be broken.

I have external speakers and don`t use ear plugs because I feel I can`t hear as well with them in. So MP3 ear bud speakers would not work for me. They do make some nice small units that you can fit inside the skid lid with no problem-O`s. I think Koss make some that are low buck and work well.

[Voyager]

read the thread about helmet speakers. Seems SOOO complicated!

 

I bought a used Autocom on ebay. I plug XM radio, MP3 & occasionally my wife's headset into it. Their headset is very easy to put in your helmet, some velcro & wires & five minutes. I tried various ear speakers but they were always a pain when taking off or putting on my helmet. The Autocom plug is clean & i've learned to do it with one hand.

 

Is it dangerous to have music playing while riding, ie cell phone-like distraction?

 

Probably not any more distracting than car audio is. Depends on the song, volume, how "involved" in the music you allow yourself to get, etc.

 

Cell phones are a different story. Conversation requires more attention from me so I manage it much more. When my wife is onboard I tend to limit our conversations to open road & tell her I am always apt to abruptly stop the conversation.

[ednap]

Another option is to use an FM transmitter connected to your MP3 and use the RT's external speakers to do the work for you. The FM transmitters are getting smaller to

[JCBMW]

I used a Sony stereo with the gripping spindle so the CD's can play in any position that the stereo is in. Hooked a mini to RCA cable to the AUX input in the back of the radio for my MP3 player. Now I can listen to the radio, CD's and my MP# player through the onboard bike speakers.

[GelStra]

through the onboard bike speakers

 

Uh, don't have any. Got me a GS, not an RT.

 

My one area of concern is noise. I am very concerned about hearing loss. My feeling is that the music will only mask the wind noise, with no way to protect my ears.

[Voyager]

My one area of concern is noise. I am very concerned about hearing loss. My feeling is that the music will only mask the wind noise, with no way to protect my ears.

 

Yea, with my setup I wouldn't really call it "masking" wind noise. Of the two, I still hear more wind noise than radio. But I am certainly not getting all the hearing protection I could be. I have worn ear plugs with the helmet speakers. It cuts the wind, but my speakers have a hard time punching music through. I may try better earplugs. You might like the ear buds. I think it will accomplish what your looking for in protection and music.

[Brimoon]

My one area of concern is noise. I am very concerned about hearing loss. My feeling is that the music will only mask the wind noise, with no way to protect my ears.

You're right to be concerned and you really should use "isolator" type ear buds or plugs when riding. The Etymotics EB-6i ear buds are a popular off-the-shelf solution - about $80 from Amazon, I think. Custom molded ear plugs with speakers built in are more expensive but may be more comfortable. Either will reduce wind noise about as much as regular ear plugs, so music does not have to play dangerously loud to be heard.

 

I have the ER-6i's. I use them with my iPod on the bike for long rides on the slab and when traveling by air. They do a good job of reducing ambient noise and sound good to me, so I'm satisfied with them. However, if I were riding and listening to music a whole lot I think I'd spring for the custom molded ones.

 

Brian

[russell_bynum]

However, I always wear earplugs. Without spending umpteen jillion dollars to get custom audiologist approved ear speakers, is there another way?

 

Yes, but the results are not as good.

 

Helmet speakers suck. The sound quality isn't very good, and when you wear your earplugs you have to crank the volume up, and the sound quality gets even worse.

 

Cry once...spend the money on the custom earplug speakers and you will not be dissapointed.

[UberXY]

I agree with Russell. My Autocom speakers remind me of the General Electric transistor AM radio my granny bought me in 1961 - no bass, no high frequencies - kind of like listening to music on your telephone, except worse. I'm looking for alternatives

 

However, this is the first time in 28 years of motorcycling that I have had music, and I have to say, it's great, despite the quality. I use XM and may toss my iPod on someday.

[Hermes]

Cry once...spend the money on the custom earplug speakers and you will not be dissapointed.

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I am with Russell, got custom made plugs earphones from AZ Al, great. I was also concerned about the volume of the music coming thru the plugs.. the test, I find, if you are stopped and don't find 'em too louad then, you'r ok.

[SDMike]

I saw some ER-6s at Best Buy when I was in shopping for Christmas presents. I've heard they're 'the best' in a non-custom solution.

 

I've got two pairs of the Sony speakers that look similar. $50-ish for the fance bass-boosting set and $30-ish for the other. The second pair I got with an MP3 player I bought used, and haven't tried them to see if there IS a difference.

 

I rode ~150mi around SE Sandy Eggo Co. yesterday. The Sony earbuds in the whole time. They do an adequate job of reducing outside noise so I can hear the sound of the MP3 player.

 

I set the volume so that its comfy when sitting still then don't move it. That way, I don't constantly ratchet up the volume level and damage my hearing.

 

HTH,

 

M

[Spinner]

I use the ER6's, and find them to isolate noise as much as my custom ear plugs. The audio is rich and full when inserted properly. There's no interference with the helmet. Turn the music off and you've got a set of good performing earplugs. If you only have a single audio source, there's no need for an autocomm or mixer.

 

Don't waste money on other earplugs. I found nothing that isolates noise and provide full-range audio as well as the ER6's.

[GelStra]

got custom made plugs earphones from AZ Al

 

I went to his website once. Now, I can't remember where it is. Help?

 

Amazon has the ER-6's for $95 and a good review. May have narrowed this down considerably.

Thanks, folks.

[Bobmws]

I believe the ER-6's are the only generic in ear monitor with an actual Noise Reduction Rating.

[JR356]

Hi,

 

California law recently changed,you can now legally ride with earplugs.

 

JR356

[Jim VonBaden]

I use the foam ear plugs from Radio Shack. $20, and they work great. They block the noise, but let the music in. I replace the foam with Hearos ear plugs that I make a small hole in with a heated paper clip.

 

Like these.

 

I use them often, and they are comfortable and cheap.

 

Jim

[GelStra]

Jim,

Pictures avail. of the actual units?

 

They look like they'd stick too far out and interfere w/the helmet. I like the price, though.

[UberXY]

Jim: when you wear these Koss's under your helmet, do they stay in your ears OK? I ask because I race cars, and whenever I use ear buds for the radio I have always put a small piece of duct tape across my ears to hold smaller canal type buds in securely. I know it sounds gross, but if it's a long stint in an endurance race, I absolutely have to be in touch with my crew about the fuel status, and there is no stopping to readjust the ear buds if they back out of the canal.

[velomoto]

Is it dangerous to have music playing while riding, ie cell phone-like distraction?

 

On a bicycle one can definitely use one's hearing to anticipate vehicles, but on a motorcycle there's just sooo much wind noise I for one don't find a difference in what I can hear while using earplugs to protect my hearing and not. Put another way, the earplugs simply reduce the volume level of everything coming into my ears. If I would've heard something over the wind without earplugs, then I feel that I certainly would hear it with the earplugs. IMHO earplugs definitely help protect from hearing loss.

 

Playing music with noise reducing earplugs will mask over outside noise, so yes there is some loss of safety. How much depends upon how loud you play your music and how much you use your hearing for driving. As others pointed out, using headsets or speakers on a motorcycle is no different than when doing the same in a car. The penalty for making a mistake on a bike tends to be much greater than when operating a car.

 

Greg

[Jim VonBaden]

Jim: when you wear these Koss's under your helmet, do they stay in your ears OK? I ask because I race cars, and whenever I use ear buds for the radio I have always put a small piece of duct tape across my ears to hold smaller canal type buds in securely. I know it sounds gross, but if it's a long stint in an endurance race, I absolutely have to be in touch with my crew about the fuel status, and there is no stopping to readjust the ear buds if they back out of the canal.

 

I have no problem putting them on and then putting on my helmet, but I use a Slik or Balaclava, depending on the temps, and that helps the helmet glide over them.

 

They don't stick out far at all, and stay in place just fine. YMMV, but I have used them for thousands of miles, and replace the foam often with new Hearos ear plugs. Just hat a paper clip with a lighter and burn a hole through them, I also cut about 3/16" off the flat end to compensate for the size of the ear buds. I'll get a picture of them tonight if I can.

 

Jim

 

PS Even with sound going, at only about half level, I can hear traffic noises enough to react to them, hear the music at any speed, and overall hear my surroundings better than when I am in a decent car with the stereo turned on.

[Bill_Walker]

Don't waste money on other earplugs. I found nothing that isolates noise and provide full-range audio as well as the ER6's.

 

But note that these may or may not work for you. I got a set (primarily for radar and comms, I haven't tried music on the bike yet. I did use them for music in the garage, and though they sounded very good). I found that I couldn't get a consistent "seal" on my right ear. It'd be fine when I first put it in, but would always work loose. And they weren't comfortable for long periods. Arizona Al was at DV, and I had him make me a set of custom-molded earspeakers. Much better. I rode with them for about 11 hours yesterday with no problems. Their fidelity seems great for 2-way radio, but I still haven't tried 'em with music.