[rum_runner]

You shouldn't be driving with IEMs in, and people here should stop trying to justify it.

 

[nxnje]

You shouldn't be driving with IEMs in, and people here should stop trying to justify it.

I agree with you. ++

 

[CoiL]

You shouldn't be driving with IEMs in, and people here should stop trying to justify it.

Then throw out Your car stereo, console, GPS(yes it is one very serious distraction) and NEVER use smartphone or smoke in car while driving (even when waiting behind traffic lights) ! Don`t say these are different things - they aren`t ...but very many ppl do those things! Heck, even pets in car are very dangerous and can cause distraction to driver which causes accident (I know such death from real life)!
I`m not justifying my IEM usage (I know what I`m doing and I am AWARE of traffic etc.) and ppl who have problems with concentrating on driving shouldn`t do it (or the other things I mentioned).
But I do it and You may hate me for that... but it doesn`t affect my driving or others safety, rather makes me more concentrated.

 

[rum_runner]

I agree, just because many people do idiotic things while driving, isn't justification. I classify IEM usage in the same category, but hey that's just my opinion, maybe you can hear emergency services and that guy in your blind spot, and the dude running the red light at 150mph with your IEMs in, I can't.

 

[Mellowship]

I Was going to stay quiet on this topic........but naw couldn't do it.

Just to stay on topic of thread.
I just received my KZ USB-C cable, and I will say the SQ is somewhat improved over the standard 3.5 headphone jack.
I think it may have a DAC chip embedded, I have a new Galaxy S9+. I quick tested some tracks from google play music, even tho the over all quality is improved, It bypassess equalizer, upscaled bitrate, and adapt a sound options that are baked into Samsungs phones.
Volume is substantially decreased in my case, and since I don't have a USB-C Amp, I will have to rethink this strategy.

Off Topic, I also live in California, and up until June, either earplugs or iem were underneath my motorcycle helmet.
Driving my old Ford truck, with a stock stereo, (cassette anyone) i do occasionally enjoy whatever iem i picked for the day. If I don't have a bluetooth module to use while driving, I make sure I have a cabled microphone and answer button.

While I agree that there is an opportunity for distraction for some.

I will never believe that any iem, bluetooth, or earphone will personally affect me more than the unacceptable individual that T-Boned my motorcycle on that tuesday morning in june....preoccupied by his....cell phone.

The USB-C cable has indeed a DAC, and improves SQ in most embedded smartphone DACs/amps. I believe this should not be valid for some flagship or music-designed smartphones, but for midrange smartphones such as mine, the difference is notorious. I can get the same amplitude with the KZ cable at 1/3 volume, as the 3.5 standard jack at full volume. As for the quality, the improvement is very satisfying. I could not get the ZS5 (v1) rocking with the standard jack. Sound would get easily congested and dull. With the KZ cable, there is much more detail, better bass extension and control (in fact the bass gets this very satisfying "snappyness"), much better mids and instrument placement. It amounts for a better sonic experience overall. One interesting thing is that I could not get the KZ to play more than 96KHz, although it is featured in the technical details that it goes up to 192.
I also got recently the Hidizs Sonata USB-C dongle, and it is not very different form this KZ. It has a better DAC but with slightly less volume. It is a more hifi/audiophile experience, with even more detail and forward mids, compared to the KZ cable. The Sonata has the option to change firmware (in a PC) to 3 options. One of those options allows you to bypass all system sounds and lock to music only, and it only goes up to 192KHz in this mode using apps that allow to lock a DAC in bit-perfect transfer mode. Another curious thing about the Sonata is that the USB-C plug with the DAC chip in it is metal and it gets hot.
These dongles don't seem to drain more battery from the smartphone than a Bluetooth connection.

Regarding the off-topic driving behaviours, here in Europe using phones, earphones (two-sided) or doing something more than driving is strictly prohibited and law enforcement has a sharp eye on drivers that don't abide. Some years ago (2009), a driver was given a ticket for blowing his nose on a freeway in Portugal. Same thing happened in the UK a year later.

[edited: the case with the driver blowing his nose happened in 2009. You can check it out here: UK - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/glasgow_and_west/8484978.stm ; Portugal (in Portuguese) - https://noticias.automoveis-online.com/multado-por-se-assoar-enquanto-conduzia/ ]

 

[CoiL]

...maybe you can hear emergency services and that guy in your blind spot, and the dude running the red light at 150mph with your IEMs in, I can't.

* I do hear emergency services well with my IEMs. I don`t listen that loud and sirens are quite easy to hear.
* I know well my car/mirrors blind spot.
* We don`t even have roads here for such high-speed driving and usually on roads like that - there are no open-crossways for pedestrians anyway

And btw... if dude steps in front of Your car (You cauldn`t react so fast) with red light(for him), then he is responsible. That`s the law. Sorry for him but that`s the way it is.
There are so much stupid pedestrians hypnotized by smartphones & listening to music that THEY should not be allowed to use those devices on street! This is reality.

 

[SSandDigital]

Well luckily for me, in my state wearing headphones or IEM while driving is a primary offense.

It's also in the category of stupidity.

 

[nxnje]

Well luckily for me, in my state wearing headphones or IEM while driving is a primary offense.

It's also in the category of stupidity.

I agree again, here too.
I would personally slap someone's face if i see people driving with iems listening to music.
I personally don't justify, but that's my opinion.

But hey guys, we should speak about earphones and not driving

 

[CoiL]

I would personally slap someone's face if i see people driving with iems listening to music.

And that is attitude to help ppl? Do IEMs slap You in the face? You watch through car windows for ppl ears while driving? That`s irresponsible driving! Not nice, twice.
Or do we come to conclusion that head-fiers are just "IEM radars" and thus dangerous to traffic because main thing they look while driving are IEMs/headphones? LOL! ;D

 

[nxnje]

And that is attitude to help ppl? Do IEMs slap You in the face? You watch through car windows for ppl ears while driving? That`s irresponsible driving! Not nice, twice.
Or do we come to conclusion that head-fiers are just "IEM radars" and thus dangerous to traffic because main thing they look while driving are IEMs/headphones? LOL! ;D

I didn't say if i personally see someone while i'm driving.
That would be that case if i'm walking on the street and watching around i see someone in the car listening to music with earphones.
Then stop speaking around this bad behavior for 2 reasons:
1. It's irresponsible, i use your words as this is a perfect word to describe this kind of behavior.
2. This is not the topic where we should discuss about how people drive.

Close this off topic now guys, we've said enough.

 

[CoiL]

All I wanted was argumented discussion. All You guys say is that it is irresponsible but don`t explain why.
I already answered 3 claims that I personally don`t find problem using IEM while driving.
I also mentioned other aspecs that I personally consider much more dangerous and irresponsible - to what, somewhy no comments (I bet many here reflected to that behaviour).
One thing is law - it is forbidden in my country to use smartphone while driving - but almost every 2nd person does it and don`t try to tell me that in Your country ppl don`t do it, lol.
I was not trying to justify my IEM usage and also told that ppl who have problems concentrating while driving (or are just dumb-drivers) should not use any distraction, including IEMs nor stereo system.
It`s all about awareness. I`m aware of potential dangers of using IEMs while driving. Are most drivers aware of their behaviour and doings while driving? I bet that with all those gadgets ppl have (other than IEM and also integrated car gadgets) that percent of unawareness is much higher than ppl aware what they are doing
My point (law excluded) - there is much more dangerous behaviour happening constantly in nowdays traffic than using IEMs!

End of my offtopic. I hope I made some ppl think at least

 

[Slater]

B9, what’s the scoop on the BA10? You’re keeping us in suspense!

And in other news....BOOM!

 

[Devodonaldson]

I agree, just because many people do idiotic things while driving, isn't justification. I classify IEM usage in the same category, but hey that's just my opinion, maybe you can hear emergency services and that guy in your blind spot, and the dude running the red light at 150mph with your IEMs in, I can't.

Your post is focused on hearing. I see that as the problem. People focus less on their other senses. Working with deaf individuals, I learned the necessity of being more tuned into one's other senses as well. Toad vibrations from heavy fast moving vehicles, kdepike head on a swivel, scanning mirrors, blind spots, etc regularly. Things we really should all focus on.

 

[antdroid]

Should be getting a ba10 delivered today. I’m mostly curious on how they will fit. They look really odd.

 

[antdroid]

B9, what’s the scoop on the BA10? You’re keeping us in suspense!

And in other news....BOOM!

How many KZ products have come out this year alone?

Hopefully they lean up the bass and treble on these.