StromTrooper banner

Ear buds has anyone used them?

2K views 13 replies 13 participants last post by  GL_Vstrom 
#1 ·
Hi
I am using a Scala G4 I saw a post on converting to take ear buds I was wondering if anyone has used them. When I use ear plugs I find the Scala is not load enough at cruising speed.
So has anyone used ear buds do they act as ear plugs by keeping the noise down with good communication.
The down side is not quite so easy to put the helmet on.
Thanks
Nick
 
#5 ·
+1 on Skullcandy. I use them too, both on and off the bike. I use the Skull candy Ink'd on the bike. They aren't as good as the Etymotic 6i's (which have been discontinued) but for the price they are pretty good and you don't have to worry about damaging them.
 
#3 ·
I don't have comm system ( yet ), but I do have a pair of Etymotic er6i's isolators. They are very low profile which makes it very easy to put on and take off the helmet with them. They also seal very well. You won't hear any sirens until they are less than 1/4 mile from you.

I use them with an mp3 player. Just to give you an idea of how well they seal, my mp3 player has a volume range of 0 to 25. I usually keep it on 3-5 and can hear the music very clearly.

The er6i's aren't cheap, I think I paid $120 for them back in 2005. Anyway, they still work great but I don't think they make them anymore. The replacement is called the mc3, but it is a very different design. They are a fair bit larger...large enough to make me think that it would be painful to remove your helmet with them in your ears.

Anyway, search google for the er6i and take a look at them. I would suggest you find something of a very similar size.

S-Plugs are also very popular with motorcyclist. They are smaller than the er6i's, but they also cost more. I'm not sure what you budget is.
Amazon.com: S Plug Ear Canal Phones: Clothing

Good luck on your search.
 
#4 ·
Yes, the ear buds are a very good compromise when using a communicator/music/gps device! I find that a good set of ear buds ( you want something that fits into the ear cavity and won't stick out enough to touch the helmet as that WILL make your ear sore after a while ) not only acts about as good at cancelling noise as foam plugs but the sound quality is night and day better than using helmet speakers.
 
#7 ·
The problem might be your helmet, Nick. My wife and I use the Scala without a volume problem, and I always wear foamy ear plugs. Maybe at 80+ it's a little hard to hear, but I don't usually go that fast with her onboard. I use a Scorpion full-face. With my AFX dual-sport helmet I'm not so sure how well the Scala will work.
 
#8 ·
Another +1 for Skull Candy buds. They have replaced my foam plugs, I can keep the music (or voice from other peripherals) lower and still hear what I feel I need to hear. Works far better than my old in-helmet speakers. Pretty comfortable once fitted correctly - even for long rides.:thumbup:
 
#10 ·
I just bought a pair of S Plug (Since it's impossible to find the ER6i's that everyone recommends anymore) in ear silicone buds.

They cut out noise very well and the sound reproduction is good, but I have an issue with my Galaxy S3 not letting the plug in far enough to get stereo. I have to really push it in and hold it, so I have resigned myself to mono. That's not necessarily a bad thing. I asked S plug to look into it (for their own sake as well as mine) and they are of course sure it's my fault. All of my other headphone plugs work fine.

You can find them at: In Ear Speakers, Custom Earplugs and Bluetooth Molds for Jawbone, Plantronics, iPhone in ear speaker- PlugUp.com

They have a claimed NRR of 27dB

 
#11 ·
Earbuds



I have found acceptable result with the following, listed in order of sound quality. I won't pay more than $40 for earbuds:

Klipsch Image S-3 with stock silicone tips. Good isolation and sound great. These are what I use every day.

Q-Electronics (Amazon.com) with Comply foam tips. The tips cost as much as the earbuds, but the isolation is a lot better with them. These are very cheap, have great isolation with the foam tips, but the cans do come apart and need to be fixed with super glue ocaasionally. I keep lots of these laying around in the garage, the house and at work. Lots of bass, but a little muddy. Quality of these is not that consistent, but I like the way they sound, so I buy several pair and keep the worse ones as emergency backups. Personally, I think these are the best value out there.

Skullcandy Ink'd with Comply foam tips. Good isolation and decent sound. I think I would use these if using as part of cummunications, as the mid-range is louder and would make voices more clear. They have quite a bit of bass, but it is not as good as the Q-Electronics or Klipsch.

If you are after sound quality (as in music,) get the Klipsch. If you want a little better isolation, get the Q-Electronics and buy Comply foam tips.

All of these are in-ear models, and depending on your helmet, you may have trouble keeping them in when you slide the helmet down. Often, after the helmet is on, you can spread the helmet on one side with the chin-strap and get your finger in there to re-seat them. Sometimes, you just have to pull them out, and the helmet off, and start all over. I use a Shoei Qwest helmet.

Here is a link in head-fi.org that has a great comparison:

Multi-IEM Review - 274 IEMs compared (HiFiMan RE-400 Added 03/14/13 p.650)
 
#14 ·
I have a pair of Klipsch S4 headphones with Comply Foam Tx-100 tips on them. They work great at keeping the wind noise out and allow me to hear the music.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top