[Rock&Roll Ninja]

Since riding season is nearly here (around the first week of April 'round here) I figured it was a good time to ask.

*Lots of wind noise, I normally have to wear HEAROs Xtreme plugs (the blue ones) 100% of time while riding.

Any canal phones offer that much ambient noise protection so i could use the iPod on those 6 hour rides?

Thanks in advance.

 

[GravY]

im thinking earcanal headphones would not be a good Idea while riding a motorcycle.. am I crazy?

 

[darkninja67]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GravY im thinking earcanal headphones would not be a good Idea while riding a motorcycle.. am I crazy?

Not crazy at all. What kept me alive in 20 years of riding was the ability to be observant to one's surrounding. IEMs will definitely take away from this aspect.

 

[labrat]

Deleted.

 

[lowmagnet]

Um, isn't this illegal in most areas?

Also, the noise goes away if you don't put glass packs and other noismakers on your bike. Your hearing would thank you.

 

[sxr71]

Firstly, I wouldn't recommend using IEMs on a motorcycle.

Secondly, even if it isn't any more risky using IEMs on a motorcycle than in a car (which I could agree with), I wouldn't use IEMs while driving a car either. Aural clues can be very important on the road, such as sounds your engine is making, horns, and skidding sounds. Those are the aural cues that could save your life, more so on a motorcycle where you have no protection.

 

[Andy80F]

Look for custom moulded earpieces from companies such as Ultimate Ear. They give good hearing protection and music/news/gps directions etc can be piped in at fairly low volumes. Expensive but they should last a few years.

For a couple of years i used Sony EX70's but they would occasionally fall out of my ear, especially when first putting the helmet on and I ended up putting speakers, from starcom, in the helmet and also wearing disposable earplugs which cut out the worst of the wind and road noise but still allow music to be heard.


Andy

 

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lowmagnet Um, isn't this illegal in most areas?

Some places, but not here. As long as it is a "hands free" device. (This is from the cell-phone lobbyists).

Quote:

Also, the noise goes away if you don't put glass packs and other noismakers on your bike. Your hearing would thank you.

At highway speeds the windnoise can easily exceed 90-100Db all the time as one long uninterupted blast of noise (measured via passenger w/ RS SPLmeter). Even if I had "glasspacks", which I don't, I couldn't hear them anyway above 55mph. And I already have a helmet that covers my ears and a windscreen + the aformentioned HEAROs earplugs.

 

[LedZeppelin]

is it illegal in your state to wear headphone on driving

edit: i see the answer..
is there a lot vibration generated while riding.. with microphonics in IEM, the result might like using IEM while chewing...

UE or shure might be better choice than Etymortic..with less microphonics..

 

[luckybaer]

What kind of music does your motorcycle usually listen to? That will determine the types of 'phones he or she will want to try out.

 

[jSatch]

R&R N,

Earplugs, as you mentioned using, are not exactly the same as listening to music with an IEM. The plugs will attenuate all sound 20-30 decibels, but not block it out. The music will. With plugs you can still hear car noises, etc- with music playing through an IEM you wil be completely detached from hearing what is going on around you.

OK, with that cautionary message out of the way, I would say it would be nice to be driving on a deserted road listening to tunes. You could use your IEMs in traffic areas as earplugs (they are the same construction as earplugs) without tunes, and them turn them on in deserted areas where the driving gets to be more fun.

A problem you will find is microphonics from the wind making noise. I have a pair of Altec iM716s (an Etymotics clone) and the microphonics are very high. I don’t know which phones are best in this area, but this is something you may need to consider. Perhaps someone else can chime in on this.

My 2 cents are over.

Good luck.

 

[grawk]

SR003 + gilmore portable electrostatic amp...

That way you can still hear the road.

 

[kingsqueak]

I've ridden with my E2c's before...I didn't like it much.

I always ride with ear plugs in, but with the music, it was far too isolated. Too easy to get lost in the music and on a bike, that's the last thing you need is a distraction.

If you do ride with IEM's on, you had better 'use your head' and by that I mean on a swivel. If you are a relaxed sort of rider, you had better change your habits and constantly scan your mirrors and look all around you.

It might be fantastic for long haul rides in light traffic areas, but I personally found it far too risky in actual traffic...though I am a pretty paranoid rider.

My old portapros got mangled by a gorilla (step-son) who snapped them off perfectly on each side rather than try to figure out how to properly unfold them. I'm pondering putting the elements into my helmet. A few guys on rider boards have done this and swear by it. Earphones plus earplugs, you can hear the music but can still hear the ambient noises as well.

 

[BrookR1]

I rode with phones for about 3 weeks until I researched how much noise actually enters your ears while riding at freeway speeds. I developed what I thought was vertigo during that time. Basically, when riding with earplugs, you're just drowning out 110 dBs of wind noise with MORE noise. 45 minutes at this exposure is all it takes to damage your hearing. Now I ride with earplugs...all of the time.

 

[imported_farmer_rob]

Illegal in MOST states is true.. what darkninja67 said is true as well-
having dumped a big harley and several dirtbikes- in ear phones is a BAD idea

enjoy the wind in yer face AND ears, listen when you get home