Motorcycle helmet sound system

[thebrainn]

I stumbled on this forum while searching for info about headphone amplifiers and the wealth of information here is incredible. I am yet to find a solution though to the problem that got me searching. I tour on a motorcycle with a full face helmet for long distances. I currently have an RCA Lyra with the stock clip style headphones and a Radio Shack headphone booster (just a notch above useless) wired into the helmet to provide music for my rides. The speakers fit into a sort of pocket in each of the recessed ear pockets on the hekmet and the wiring runs under the removable liner. I use a coiled extension cable to span the distance from my tank bag (like a backpack for a gas tank) to the helmet where it attaches to the plug from the headphones.

The problem I have is that the sound quality is garbage and the volume is marginal if that when competing with road, wind and exhaust noise. I would like to find an alternative which would allow me good quality sound and amplification of the signal from my Lyra. The amplification would have to be battery powered. The speakers would have to be as slim as possible but could reach dimensions of 1/2" deep x 2" diameter. I am not out for audiophile quality but I need something that will sound clear and full while competing with the aforementioned road noise, exhaust noise and 70mph wind buffetting.

If anyone has suggestions on how to piece together this system I would appreciate the help.

 

[Bolt San]

How much is your price range?
In my opinion, you won't need an amp if you're using canalphones, but I'm not sure about how much power the lyra outputs.

 

[LobsterSan]

Canalphones in a car seems dangerous.

Canalphones on a motorcycle seems suicidal.

My guess would be that part of the problem with your current setup is that the earclips don't actually fit very well against your ear. Is this the case? The only thing I can think of that would cancel out engine noise is some kind of canalphone, but again, it just seems dangerous to me to do it that way. Canalphones would also secure a snug fit into your ear, so you don't lose volume due to distance from your ear.

While I admire your devotion to music and headphone usage, please take care when touring! Perhaps if you used a semi-isolating canalphone setup only when you were on long stretches of desert freeway where you can see everything that might be coming in a 2 mile radius... it might be OK.

 

[gpalmer]

I would also think that using them while riding would be dangerous, but one of my friends told me he first found out about the Etymotics from ads in biker mags...

 

[thebrainn]

Etymotics are actually sold by quite a few motorcycle catalog companies and online. If I have to, I will go to canalphones, but I would rather have actual speakers in the helmet. This would allow me to increase the volume sufficiently to hear my music with some definition while still allowing some of the ambient noise in. I am also concerned about canalphones becasue of the snugness of the helmet while being donned. although there is a definate cavity open around my ears once the helmet in on my head, the fit while putting it on is tight enough to knock out just about anything that might be in my ears at the time. Putting the canalphones in once the helmet is on would border on impossible.

There are a few companies out there that make helmet speakers such as I described but they are all for communications systems and aside from integrating a boom microphone, they are not very well suited to music reproduction.

Edit added: I would be willing to spend $200.00 or maybe a little more on a complete solution.

 

[gsferrari]

I also tend to believe it would be dangerous but not in the USA at least...On US roads nobody honks and everybody really spends more time with their windows up anyway...makes no difference if you can hear whats going on or not.

The sense of sight is more important IMO

When you are blasting an Adire Bramha in your car at 100 plus db im pretty sure you cannot hear anything from outside.

Besides - you may be able to protect your hearing by using canalphones instead of normal headphones (you would have to really crank up normal headphones to be able to hear them over the sound of the engine).

The problem with canal phones is occlusion. You "might" be overwhelmed by vibration noises (with canalphones, footsteps become very annoying...you get used to it slowly but hey...a bike engine is something else).

I say give some cheap canalphones a try and if you like what they do for you keep them OR return them and get the higher end versions.

Cheers!

 

[zoot2boot]

Cannal phones are just fine on a motorcycle... you can't hear anything other than engine noise anyway... seriously, even honking horns are difficult to hear. most riders i know ride with earplugs in anyway.

I ride with a pair of shure e2c which are great, combining an earplug with headphones, blocks out almost all windnoise and engine noise is just a quiet whine in the background, makes long rides a lot more handleable... occlusion isn't a problem, at least with the e2. nope, im fully in favour of cannal phones even when commuting because as gsferrari says, sight is far more important. the only drawback is if you're used to riding on engine note for speed/fast shifting when cornering it takes a little bit of getting used to, but theres nothing in engine note that vibrations don't tell you anyway.

oh, the other problem is ripping yourself a new ear cannal when you take the helmet off, just remember they're in there and take it off slowly. getting the helmet on isn't a problem though.

I think one concern is the shape of the cannal phones you get, ones that stick out of your ear like etys might get jammed further and further in from contacting with your helmet.

 

[Factor]

Whatever you do, don't simply buy an amp so that you can crank up the volume to levels so high that they mask the engine noise. Guaranteed hearing loss.

If I had to pick a set of headphones I'd go with canalphones, but I'd probably rather just settle with the radio built into the bike (if there is one). Motorcycles are dangerous enough as is -- no need to compound that by taking away your ability to respond to audible warnings of danger.

 

[chillysalsa]

I would recommend Ety's, I think the unmodded ER-4's would not fit very well with a helmet on though, they stick out too much.

The ER-6 may fit better, and still provide the isolation you need.

In my experience, all you can hear is engine, and by the time someone is honking at you, it's too late for you to do anything about it anyway! It's always safer to rely on your eyes and be aware of situations before they come. Wind noise at high speed around a helmet can cause deafness, which is why many riders use earplugs, so using Ety's would be perfect for those who would like to listen so something while they're out.

 

[thebrainn]

Thanks for all the advice. I am going to start looking around for a pair of Shure e2c or Ety's. If I cant get a hold of some locally, I will likely order the Shure's online.

 

[puppet]

ecost sells then for $80

 

[vranswer]

Both the Etys and Shure E5s have been lifesavers for me on my motorcycle. I have brushes with disaster on a regular basis, but not because of isolation from canalphones but rather from others simply not seeing me. No addition of sound would make any difference in literally any of the near-misses. My eyes and attention need to be at a high enough level - that is all. My iso earphones are a godsend because they protect my hearing! The Etys especially cut out all of the horrible wind noise that over time probably would threaten my hearing. I already suffer from slight tinnitus and fear it could become much worse were it not for my Etys and Shures. I listen to the music at moderate levels..a luxury afforded me by these fine products.

 

[thebrainn]

Well I bought the Shure E2's this afternoon. I found them locally at a musicians supply for 79.99. That was also the best price I found online for them so I was happy to avoid shipping and get them in my hot little hands today. I sat in the parking lot of the store for about 20 minutes, running the e2's through every different type of music I could muster (18 gig mp3 player). They performed better than I had expected on everything from classical to metal to techno to vocals. My honest reaction was 'wow.' I was really floored when I heard bass from them. Granted, it's not the kind of bass I get out of my 2000 watt car system, but these things fit inside my ear and reproduced bass better than my normal headphones did with a speaker the size of a half dollar!!!

The true test came about 2 hours later when I fit them into my ears, donned my helmet and went for a 30 minute ride. 4 hours later I was still saying 'wow.' I esecially appreciate the decrease in ambient noise, particularly wind noise, at high speed. An average motorcycle helmet at 70 mph can easily create an interior noise level exceeding 110 db. With the e2's in that was easily decresed by...well...I have no idea how much but lets put it this way: I had my mp3 player at half volume or less the entire time and heard the music clearly. This is actually lower than I listened off the motorcycle (with the same MP3 player) with normal headphones and I only adjusted it 5% over the level I had the e2's at with the bike turned off. I also reaped the added benefit of greatly decreasing the wind noise from the helmet. On breaks between songs I could hear the wind noise and my motorcycle's exhaust but it was greatly decreased. I hit my horn just to see if I could hear it with the e2's in. Yes at lower than enjoyable music volume or lulls in the songs and maybe or no at higher levels depending on the type of music.

I am going to hypothesize that I will do less damage to my ears with the e2's in than without them. The decrease in helmet noise will only benefit my long term ear health and the addition of music is not only enjoyable but much less a risk to my safety than the fatigue caused by extended turing at high ambient db.

Thanks again so much for the great help I got from the members of this forum. I don't know how much time I will spend here as a contributer, but as far as research goes, you are all the answer men/women on this issue. The wealth of knowledge here is staggering to a non-audiophile like myself. Not only am I overjoyed with the earphones recommended but I also saved the money on an amplifier for helmet speakers. Now I just have to avoid spending the money I saved on trading up to the higher level ety's

 

[Bolt San]

Hey, that's great to know.
The e2cs don't even isolate that much as far as canalphones go, and for them to help that much is awesome.

 

[Joe Bloggs]

*deletes completely obsolete reply about what a bad idea using loudspeakers are*