[jrthate]

I have a co-worker who I was telling about my recent  purchase beyerdynamic dt770 pro 80's and he mentioned how he was looking for a set of earphones to ride his bike with. I suggested IEM's. He said he tried a couple (non brand specific or quality specific) and felt that they just didn't do well riding. Mainly due to the fact that they didn't fit right inside his ear and kept falling out. I think this is due to a smaller ear canal or just poor design. Probably a little of both but primarily the latter. 
 
I wanted to get some input on what he should get. Something that will fit in there snuggly primarily. But at the same time, I want to introduce him to the world of excellent isolation and audio that can be achieved through IEMs. 
 
I was thinking about suggesting the Etymotic MC5. However, I read that the cable is slightly microphonic. Does anyone have any suggestions? I don't know his price range. My guess is that it will be on the lower end considering his lack of interest in quality sound (or lack of knowledge, but im trying to turn him on to it)...I feel comfortable suggesting something under 60 dollars or so. 
 
Thanks for your time and consideration! 
 

 

[Sylaw]

why don't you suggest him a pair of shure 215... shure knwn to be best for their built quality... + SQ seems to be not bad as well..  but its slightly out of his budget . i guess u'll be able to find one for at least 90$ brand new with warranty...  

 

[Magicman74]

You can also try the Meelectronic M6, they sit flush in my ear without any movement and sound damn good for the price, also they are well built..Can get them on Amazon in the $20 range...Great deal...
 

 

[Mooses9]

 
Quote:

why don't you suggest him a pair of shure 215... shure knwn to be best for their built quality... + SQ seems to be not bad as well..  but its slightly out of his budget . i guess u'll be able to find one for at least 90$ brand new with warranty...  

 
x2, anything shure se line is going to be great for isolation

 

[jrthate]

 
Quote:

why don't you suggest him a pair of shure 215... shure knwn to be best for their built quality... + SQ seems to be not bad as well..  but its slightly out of his budget . i guess u'll be able to find one for at least 90$ brand new with warranty...  

 
 
 
Quote:

 
 
x2, anything shure se line is going to be great for isolation

 
 
I agree and i would probably get those if i was looking for a IEM, however i dont think I will be able to convince him to get the SHURE. Def not going to be able if he gets the meelectronic m6 and is satisfied with the fit and sound... The SHURE is just a little much for someone who doesnt even really consider SQ to be a priority lol. It will be hard to convince i think...will do my best though. THanks alot guys!
 

 

[Dragunov-21]

Speaking from experience, the deep fit of the Ety ER4s was perfect; if he's not that big on audio and just wants *something*, perhaps the HF5s would be worth looking at? (Those are the ones with the same housing as the ER4, yeah?  Or possibly the EtyKids; I don't think those are very expensive...
 
Plus the isolation with foam tips is fantastic, which can be a good or bad thing depending on your riding style and situational awareness.

 

[Dragunov-21]

Here we go... EtyKids, 50 bucks.
 
http://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-Research-EREK-5-BLACK-Safe-Listening-Headset/dp/B005TOV0OM
 
 
Quote:

Speaking from experience, the deep fit of the Ety ER4s was perfect; if he's not that big on audio and just wants *something*, perhaps the HF5s would be worth looking at? (Those are the ones with the same housing as the ER4, yeah?  Or possibly the EtyKids; I don't think those are very expensive...
 
Plus the isolation with foam tips is fantastic, which can be a good or bad thing depending on your riding style and situational awareness.

 
 

 

[gonkulator]

This is my first post - finally something I think can contribute to. I have been on the constant watch for decently sounding and isolating iems for several years. I use a properly fitting full-face helmet, which means whatever iems I use have to be out of the way enough to not get disturbed when I put my helmet on. In other words, they can't stick out at all. I have two at the moment that work pretty well, the Ety ER6i (discontinued AFAIK) and the Monster Lil' Jams. The bodies are small enough that they usually stay out of the way when you put on your helmet (I route the cables over the ears). I use the ER6i's with the triple flange, but with the first flange cut off. Otherwise, they touch my eardrum when I really sink them in there. The other thing with these is that if you aren't careful, you may separate the flange from the body when removing them, thus requiring your buddy to tweezer them out - I did it myself, but it looks really strange doing it. The Lil' Jams work pretty well - they stick out a little more, and don't seal quite as well, but are acceptable. Sometime I alternate between them. I don't care for foam plugs, as I need to wait for them to slowly expand until I know they sealed well - otherwise I end up pulling over to reseal them. I also don't relish the thought of squeezing them with dirty fingers and sticking them in my ear.
 
It also helps to put on a beanie over the iems so the helmet has less of a chance to disrupt things.
 
I spotted some UE700s on Headroom, which look small enough to work, so they are on order to arrive tomorrow.
 
I also have a couple of Shures, E2c, and E500, but neither of them fit flush enough to work. I also tried some from Klipsch, Sony, JVC, ... I also have some UE customs which I bought before thinking about putting them under a helmet. They stick out way too far. Otherwise, they would be perfect.

 

[shigzeo]

There is an american company called Fit Ear (I know I know) that make custom earphones about 2-3mm slimmer than traditional customs. They are made for motorcycle helmets. You can also try tiny earphones such as the Audio Technica CK10, Fischer DBA-2 MKII, q-Jays. They will not poke out much if at all depending on your ear canal size.

 

[H20Fidelity]

Head-fi gets a few members asking questions about IEM's for bike riders frquently  

I see a lot of members decide on the SoundMAGIC E30 or SoundMAGIC PL50 for a few reasons. It's small, worn over the ear, within a nice price range has, ear guides and sounds great. Considering your friend doesn't want to spend a whole amount of $$$ the E30 would be a perfect contender for this application.

Both are around the $40 - 60 mark.

Middle: E30

Far right: PL50

 

 

 

[jeckyll]

I've ridden with my SE215's and they worked very well with a full face.  The fact that they are over the ear helps when putting on the helmet. 
 
 

 

[gonkulator]

Quote:

This is my first post - finally something I think can contribute to. I have been on the constant watch for decently sounding and isolating iems for several years. I use a properly fitting full-face helmet, which means whatever iems I use have to be out of the way enough to not get disturbed when I put my helmet on. In other words, they can't stick out at all. I have two at the moment that work pretty well, the Ety ER6i (discontinued AFAIK) and the Monster Lil' Jams. The bodies are small enough that they usually stay out of the way when you put on your helmet (I route the cables over the ears). I use the ER6i's with the triple flange, but with the first flange cut off. Otherwise, they touch my eardrum when I really sink them in there. The other thing with these is that if you aren't careful, you may separate the flange from the body when removing them, thus requiring your buddy to tweezer them out - I did it myself, but it looks really strange doing it. The Lil' Jams work pretty well - they stick out a little more, and don't seal quite as well, but are acceptable. Sometime I alternate between them. I don't care for foam plugs, as I need to wait for them to slowly expand until I know they sealed well - otherwise I end up pulling over to reseal them. I also don't relish the thought of squeezing them with dirty fingers and sticking them in my ear.
 
It also helps to put on a beanie over the iems so the helmet has less of a chance to disrupt things.
 
I spotted some UE700s on Headroom, which look small enough to work, so they are on order to arrive tomorrow.
 
I also have a couple of Shures, E2c, and E500, but neither of them fit flush enough to work. I also tried some from Klipsch, Sony, JVC, ... I also have some UE customs which I bought before thinking about putting them under a helmet. They stick out way too far. Otherwise, they would be perfect.

I used the UE700s above on a recent week-long trip to California and back. The UE700s were a disappointment compared to the ER6i. The UEs sound quite good, and they fit well out of the way, but they don't isolate nearly as well as the ER6i,. They also tend to slip around, meaning I would lose the seal and have to refit. Oh well, they sound way better than the ER6i in normal listening, so they do have some value for me. If I can find a double flange for them like I have for the ER6i, they should be a lot better. Of course, I may just go for those low profile Westone customs, but I don't know how good they sound.

 

[boomhaur]

May be worth trying to get him to get different types of tips if he finds something that fits with his helmet. I imagine spending the extra $10-15 on different types to find the kind that provide the best comfort and isolation while riding would go a long way. That is assuming he doesn't find something that doesn't provide that with whatever IEM he buys.

 

[Chris J]

Should anybody be wearing IEMs if they are on a motorcycle?
Just wonderin', that's all.

 

[stevenlongs]

I'd think it would make the road seem quite detached...maybe not a good thing lol