[turbo]

Boat Rs. 300 wired in ear headsets, under your helmet.

Just keep the volume sensible.

Countless delhi-amritsar highway runs, Z-E-R-O problems.

[swiftnfurious]

I dont have an audiophile level device, but I use my JBL / Samsung Bluetooth / Samsung Buds+ in-ear phones for riding. Not sure whats all this 'world cut out of your senses' type of statements I see above - all one needs to do is to keep the volume reasonable so "the ears dont hurt" more than anything else - there will be enough ambiant noise filter thru. I have run atleast 15K kms with ear phones but had no issues. I got a Sena 50s, but yet to install it.

The other problem is with the windnoise in a helmet, how much quality can you derive? I personally hate ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) as it almost drives me nuts with the silence.

[Sarvodaya]

Originally Posted by nutcracker

It's been several months since I have tried multiple solutions.
What is a solution for me if I don't really want a communication device with intercom features, I just want something that can allow me to listen to music while riding. Being able to take phone calls would be a bonus, but it isnt necessary.
While I can somewhat accept the Sena 50s (₹ 25,500), it is a compromise, and what I'm really paying for is the communication and intercom features which are of no use for me.

I am using a juggad solution. Using it for the past few months.
JBL Endurance Sprint Waterproof Wireless in-Ear Sport Headphones. Quality is good. Getting 6 Hours battery backup.
Keeping volume at 45%. Also cuts out wind noise to some extent.
Snug fit without hurting your ear. Easy to take and put on helmet.

[Red Liner]

A review of the airpods pro under the helmet. I am intrigued and i think this deserves a shot.

https://beta.hooshmand.net/using-air...n-motorcycles/

[gthang]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

A review of the airpods pro under the helmet. I am intrigued and i think this deserves a shot.

https://beta.hooshmand.net/using-air...n-motorcycles/

Summary from the above mentioned review:

"Overall, using AirPods Pro inside a motorcycle helmet is roughly equivalent to using the best earplugs — in my personal experience 3M yellow foam rated at -31 db."

Added benefit of no telephony.

Reinventing the wheel seems to be the trend.

Cheers

Ride Safe.

[GTO]

On offroad trips in my Jeep, sound feedback from the machine / engine / tyres / nature is very important. But equally, I love my music and don't spend a waking hour without it. Solution = plug the earphone only in one ear (preferably the left in a RHD car) and not too loud. That way, I enjoy my music and still have all the aural feedback I need.

Try the above, bud. On a motorcycle - more than anything - you really have to watch out for other idiots on the road. Plus, just the fact that you are asking this question means you are an audiophile. Music can transport our kind to a "different" zone. I learnt it the hard way when I was once walking back to my house and listening to loud music on my Jabra. Even a guy like me (am not known to be careless) missed a cab when crossing the road. Almost lost it there, lesson learnt.

[rajivr1612]

Has anyone tried Skullcandy Vert? It says that it is purely for outdoor use, has ambient sounds feature, and has controls which can be used with gloves.

[JoeTheWanderer]

I love listening to music and I've tried both the solutions suggested in this thread.

I've used the ASG SG02 Bluetooth device for nearly 3 years now. While I haven't had any problems with the device itself - the audio quality was severely lacking. The speakers are not loud enough under any conditions (stopped on the side of the road or travelling 90+ Km/h on a highway).

After I got my new helmet a few weeks ago I finally had to ditch the ASG (wouldn't fit the new helmet). This is when I used my CROSSBEATS Torq for the first time with a helmet. Some observations based on my experience so far.

• The audio quality is much better now. Wind noise is very well controlled.
• Audio quality on calls has improved quite a bit.
• These earbuds feel pretty loud to me and whenever they are connected, I always have the media volume on my Note 10 set to the lowest. That said, in traffic, I could hear my bike clearly*, noises from the vehicles around me were certainly reduced but not eliminated completely.
• If you stop and chat with someone, the other person's voice isn't clear - they have to be a little loud. I guess this may be an issue with most earbuds that have some sort of noise cancellation.
• Wearing the helmet and taking it off can be a fiddly affair unless you wear a balaclava.
• There is a small chance that you may lose one (or both) of the earbuds if you're not careful when they're out of their charging case. Especially when you've just stopped and removed your helmet - unless you're wearing a balaclava, chances are they may fall on the ground.
• You're dependent on the phone for controlling the media (which means you need to halt on the side of the road to play, pause or skip songs). With the ASG, I could just use the buttons for this. Then again, if you have a curated playlist you don't really need to skip any songs.

I already had the earbuds with me so I probably ended up saving at least 10,000 which will be diverted to the gear upgrade fund.


* I ride a bullet, which isn't the quietest bike around. If you have a bike that's already quiet, then chances are you may barely hear it while wearing the earbuds.

[neil.jericho]

My suggestion - use 3M ear plugs (cost Rs 15 a pair) while on your bike to save your long term hearing and then enjoy all your audiophile quality music everywhere else.

[nutcracker]

Originally Posted by ach1lles

One answer: Apple AirPods Pro.

This sounds like a reasonable solution. I have one doubt, will it still maintain seal once I put on the helmet. And the torturous thing about using earphones is when you're removing the helmet. At time, the removal process unseats the earphones and it goes scraping through your skin as you remove the helmet.

Originally Posted by Deeps

Try wearing a balaclava under the helmet. Thats what'll solve the problem with earphones getting displaced while putting on or removing the helmet. It'll also be beneficial to absorb dust and grime. I was never able to use a helmet without a balaclava once i started using one.

Thanks for this! This is a very good suggestion. I'm gonna get myself a balaclava and try one. Any recommendations? I do have a balaclava but it is fully synthetic and I can't bear it for more than 10 minutes.

I just purchased a new helmet yesterday, an SMK. It feels really tight for now. I dont know how I'm gonna manage using earphones with it.

[ach1lles]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

I am really keen on using the AirPods Pro, but I love my pixel

Wish I could get one to try on inside my helmet and see how it all works out...as opposed to blowing the money on a set and seeing it doesn’t work as I like it. This whole wearing ear blocks, and then having those speakers inside maxed out for music is getting old.

I was in two minds too, specially since I already had the regular AirPods, which for me are the comfiest earphones ever built. But while reading on beginner-advice articles, many veteran riders mentioned wind noise as the biggest cause for long term hearing issues for riders, and I absolutely abhor the passive in-ear feel of isolation and drumbeat sounds my footsteps make while wearing regular in-ears or plugs. Soln: Active noise cancellation.
Then I read a few experiences of people who’ve used the AirPods Pro for riding and got one set. They’re great.
They’ll fall off while removing the helmet so I remove it in two steps:
1. Lift it till just below the ears normally,
2. Bend over and take off so the helmet is upside down, with the visor closed, so the pods fall within.
No issue if you’re wearing a balaclava.

Originally Posted by nutcracker

This sounds like a reasonable solution. I have one doubt, will it still maintain seal once I put on the helmet

They mostly do. Balaclava will help.

[Kosfactor]

Just do not do it, its not worth it please.

Perhaps better to use a purpose build helmet system for phone conversations only. It is dangerous to use any type of noise cancellation system during a bike ride. There are massive trucks and buses with questionable brakes and faint horns because the administration asked them not to use loud horns or simply the boss did not pay for the repair. You need whatever sensory input you can get while riding - be it in city or highways.

I`m alarmed at the increasing number of gentlemen playing loud music on fast roads ,having no sense of their surroundings and slowly veering into the fast lane for no reason.

Their only saving grace is the alertness of whoever is about to crash into them.

[Deeps]

Originally Posted by nutcracker

Thanks for this! This is a very good suggestion. I'm gonna get myself a balaclava and try one. Any recommendations? I do have a balaclava but it is fully synthetic and I can't bear it for more than 10 minutes.

The best, from my experience, has been the fake Alpinestar ones for Rs. 100-150 in Karol Bagh

[vishwasvr]

I almost (for the lack of a better word) unknowingly/subconsciously crashed into a car ahead of me, at roughly 15kmph at a traffic light. I was wearing the first gen AirPods on both ears and listening to music. Nothing out of the ordinary I thought until I realised AirPods (at least, in this case) cuts off external noise to a very large extent that you don't realise what is happening around you. I felt so stupid when I braked at the last minute. Thankfully nothing happened. That was the last I wore an in-ear device while driving.

While riding, I prefer to use a Sena but by and large wind noise takes over (post 90kmph) and makes no sense in investing in expensive gadgets to listen to music. Also it can be a big distraction.

You need to have presence of mind while riding/driving. Wouldn't recommend you invest in anything fancy to enjoy audiophile quality while on the road (riding especially).

[SnS_12]

I am the kind of person who prefers to listen to music while I am doing no other physical activity for say walking as the reason being a part of your mind is always occupied doing other stuff.

When it comes to riding a motorcycle for me hearing the engine and exhaust sound is very important for the overall riding experience and I will never feel comfortable/safe doing that while listening to music.

Plus the Titanium TBR exhaust produce the best sound/music for me better than any Progressive Trance (my kind off music) track out there