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Headphone help

5K views 39 replies 25 participants last post by  MadMel 
#1 ·
I was unfortunately given small ears. I use the newer version of the iPhone headphones, the ones that actually fit in your ear not the round ones.
I find that my right ear headphone always falls out and I obviously have to pull over to fix it. Any suggestion on headphones that stay in?
 
#4 ·
I have a hard time using actual earbuds BC of my small ears. BUT I do use the apple headphones, not the circular ones, the ones that'll come with your iPhone 5 and up. But when I wear them with my helmet they just fall it. Normal wear they're okay. It's basically when I put my helmet on it'll pop out because my ear will bend a little. Have you tried installing some sort of wireless speakers inside the helmet? Is it worth it?
 
#5 ·
I have good experiences with using my Bose in ear headphones. They come with ear pieces ranging from small-large and should fit your ears. They are comfortable for hour long rides, any longer then 1 hour, your ears may start to feel uncomfortable. I bought mine for 100 dollars, but sound quality is pretty darn good.
 
#7 ·
^ you must not like good quality music.
 
#15 ·
Might want to look into it a bit more. The guy that designed Bose noise canceling works for skullcandy now. The aviators were considered one of the best headsets under $300 and they were only $150.

Skullcandy definitely markets to youth and have plenty of cheap headphones but they do make some solid products.
Not all of them by any means, but no one does it all. Remember the Daytona 600?

I use the skullcandy fix with the comply ear tips. Only time they come out when I don't want them to is when I catch the damn cord on something.
 
#11 ·
The EarFuze option is good but the issue is the quality of earbuds. I got some earbuds of my choice, ones that were low profile and wouldn't cause discomfort while in and my helmet on. Then I went to Cabela's and bought their custom earplug kit for $20. Put earbuds in, put mold over earbuds and put helmet on. Wore the helmet until the mold settled and there you go! Custom fit earbuds that won't move when the helmet is on. I had to apply a small amount of superglue where the mold and earbuds came into contact because they slipped out. Something with the mold and it's "greasiness".
 
#12 ·
http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-II...pebp=1435937172136&perid=1KJFXFXZSP6FCRV0A7XM

I love my Sennheiser, you cannot beat the high quality for a low price. amazon has them on sale right now

it supplies 3 separate sizes of earbud itself, for a better fit, and to be honest, the mediums worked great, even better than my friends Bose' earbuds
the sound quality/ noise canceling is great, and i run them off my Sena, and bluetooth to my phone, so i have the headphones connected right to the helmet and tucked in the front of my shirt so as i turn from left to right i dont get the earbuds falling out

sweat is one of the only things that can make these guys slide out, but that isnt too much of an issue at speed

hope that helps. a great option for a great price
( this is my 4th set. i wear them out after about 2 years. - gym, travel, rainstorms,... they arnt invincible, but i have tested them thoroughly)

:thumbup::thumbup:
 
#13 ·
I use Bluetooth Motorola buds. http://costcocouple.com/motorola-buds-hd-bluetooth-stereo-headset/
They are in ear noise isolating type. Easy fit under helmet and have glove friendly controls to pause, skip, change volume or answer a phone call. Phone calls are not so great, as the mic hangs outside your helmet. Strangely callers can hear me at low speeds or at a stoplight.
The battery lasts at least 3 hours, and sound quality is about average. Sweat proof , they have survived many trips to the gym and many hot rides.
 
#14 ·
Helmet speakers, even with earplugs to protect from wind damage, I can still hear music. Never have to pull over when the earbud pops out, don't have to cross your fingers every time you put on your helmet that it won't pull the earbud out...
 
#18 ·
used these for past 4 years. my original pair I got in 2011 still work and get about 4 hours on a battery charge. I used them at work every day, bout 7 hours a day, for most of the 4 years Ive had them. I'd go with the buds if your planning to wear them with a helmet.. the freedoms will work but it will be tight when putting on the lid.....depending what helmet you have ofc. sweatproof guarantee, bluetooth, offer some noise isolation and most importantly... quality sound. They also come with a ton of accessories, they will fit any person any size. The lil mesh wedges you see go into the upper portion of your ear while being mesh they stay very breathable. Ive tried any type of physical activity I could and they just will not fallout. Best Buy generally carries them if ya want to check them out in person.

http://www.jaybirdsport.com/
 
#20 ·
Most comfortable earbuds I've used were the Bose IE2 Sport.

Best sounding are the Yuin PK3 earbuds. Not advertised as waterproof but I've gotten away with sweating in them for quite a while now... and the price is definitely right at $30-40 depending on when you buy them.

With the exception of one of the Sennheisers (at a much higher cost) and a few of the custom 'in-ear monitors" (the ones that fit down into the ear canal that I just can't get along with) that are widely considered to have better sound quality, but the PK3 is about the best someone can do for an "earbud" without having to carry a portable amp to drive them.

Ears are way too varied to produce really objective comparisons, so they may not work for everyone...

I'm going to shut up before people realize how much of a nerd I am and how much time I spent in college nerdily testing and writing nerdy reviews of nerdy shit that will never really truly mean anything in life.
 
#21 ·
After switching to my SENA bluetooth system, I'll never go back to wearing ear plugs. Spend the money (It's about $150) and call it good. Plus then you can get directions and take phone calls if you want to. Wearing ear buds is vastly more uncomfortable.
 
#22 ·
+1

No going back. I had the SMH10R and it was ok, but now have the 20S and I can't see ever going back to earplugs. Music, make/receive calls, FM radio - and with modern smartphone I can dictate text messages/emails and have them read to me when they come in (I can do this with Siri, I assume Android has equivalent).
 
#26 ·
"I have the spacers in and upgraded to the largest speakers Sena makes. Still not impressed with the volume or quality."

I agree wholeheartedly. But the same can be said for earphones. Also, the helmet itself plays a role. A friend of mine has a modular helmet, and 20S, and was really unhappy with it. We went on a road trip recently and I let him use my Arai RX-Q with my 20S and he said it was night and day. Apparently his helmet has a lot of wind noise and he said mine, by comparison was very silent.

But I hear you, no high quality speakers to be found anywhere really - either external or in earbuds (but my Shure SE535s aren't bad, just very expensive, and not really worth it just to get quality sound on a ride).

-Neil
 
#27 · (Edited)
Any quality IEM or earphone that Comply makes foam tips for. I like my Westone ADV earphones, and have also used their IEMs in the past. Lots of other good ones out there, like Shure and Bose.

The Comply website will list buds and IEMs that work with their tips. They work great for blocking wind noise, allowing you to rock at a reasonable volume. Different sizes available. My ADVs came with a variety pack of Westone's version of Comply tips, allowing me to find the best size.

http://www.complyfoam.com

Edit: just saw wildtwins said the same thing at the start of the thread. Best answer to the OP, right there.
 
#28 ·
SMH10 has good enough quality for me, I don't expect a hi-fi studio quality sound out of them, I just want a little background music and intercom so I can coach my friend who is a relatively new rider. I usually can just barely hear the music over the wind and exhaust with earplugs in, i'll turn it up for a good song, but mostly would rather hear my triple sing.
 
#29 ·
The problem I had with the Sena 10's having no bass and sounding terrible were remedied when I moved them inside the helmet to actually line up with my ears. Not where the cutouts are located in my helmet. Moving them forward a bit made all the difference in the world.

Now they're plenty loud over ear plugs and the low end response is decent.

Interestingly, in my old Scorpion helmet the cutouts lined up perfectly. My NEXX has the cutouts located where only a bat could enjoy.
 
#30 ·
#34 ·
Wound up purchasing the SENA 20s from TJ over at riders discount. My father uses it as well as my brother so I figured if they both enjoy it and have no complaints I might as well give it a shot. Have to say besides the lack of quality in the speakers they provide, I love it. It's easy to use and extremely convenient.
 
#35 ·
Interesting little exchange above about the "must not be an audiophile" and "peasantry" and "holy ears." I was wondering when a thread on here would bring that up--especially when we ride Triumphs when I'm sure much more common bike would be good enough.

For headphones, there are solutions that work and solutions some people are going to like more than others. I spent some time and money in college (that I'll never get back) looking for the most accurate sound I could find, and ended up realizing that Bose, Beats by Dre, Monster, Skullcandy, and others got some things right and some things wrong, but none provided a flat frequency response and accurate sound...

I finally stumbled upon a set of headphones with a very neutral excursion curve, a notably clean pre-amp and amp, a collection of lossless-compressed audio files, and sat down to bathe my ears in audiophile glory. I expected the heavens to open and choirs of angels.

Instead, I heard my music sound exceptionally clean, and that's about all I could say about it. The songs that really got my foot tapping to the music were the same songs that I noticed also got my foot tapping when heard over FM radio from a fuzzy radio station. Some songs were great, but some songs sounded better to me on much less expensive gear. I sold my gear and used it for more important things like cases of ramen noodle, or Dr Pepper, or gasoline... And when I finally got out of college and got a job and my first paycheck that could cover more than my bills and a bit of caffeine, I didn't spend very much on a headphone setup after that.

Don't get me wrong, there are some cases where there are bad products out there commanding a following due to brand prestige alone. The first few generations of Beats by Dre were like that--a wave of people buying $50 Audio Technica ATH-M50 headphones ended up converting nearly all the Beats-owning members when they realized they were paying a premium for lower quality sound...
On the other hand, a lot of Beats guys

Essentially, it boils down to what works for you and what you like. Which is what most of this thread has been about (and has resulted in me checking out some Sena products...). Some people will swear that a Bose set is the best sound you can ever get, and while it may sound best to them, it's not going to reproduce the original recording perfectly. I personally think my wife's Bose IE2 Sport earbuds stays in my ear much better than anything else I've ever tried, but I wouldn't pay that much for them or the sound...and that's just me.

It's a forum...people are going to argue. But this is one situation where there's no right or wrong answer for everyone but plenty of useful ideas to share.

But **** peasantry--I could have bought that $2800 F4i off Craigslist, but instead I chose to keep eating like a broke college student because I felt that my holy buttocks deserve can keep a Triumph under them, dammit.
 
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