Tunes

[Entropyd]

I'm looking for some ideas to get music into my helmet. I have an mp3 player and had helmet speakers from Aerostitch rigged up that I used on two previous trips. It worked okay but wasn't quite loud enough and, mostly, when I propped the speakers enough to get them close enough to my ears to be audible over highway noise, they then became uncomfortable over long distances. When I tried amplifying the mp3 player using one of those battery operated "boostaroo" amps, the sound distorted but still wasn't loud enough unless the speakers were right against my ears (which I didn't have much luck accomplishing). Haven't had any luck with the earbud arrangement. Seems like they would get pulled out or at least out of position every time I removed my helmet or even adjusted it. So, I'm curious what, if any, setups some of you guys are using. Mostly I like having tunes playing when I'm riding to and from trip destinations over long stretches of straight road or Intersstate.

Thanks for the ideas.
Darryl

[IdahoRS]

I did the "headset in the helmet" thing and it's a PITA. So, on the advice of a friend I got a set of these: http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er6.aspx
and one of these: http://www.apple.com/ipod/

and never looked back...

The ER-6 earbuds fit perfectly and sound incredible. I use a Nolan N100E flip face and have no issues with positioning the earbuds or having them shift about. The iPod nano (4GB) slips into my riding jacket pocket and holds more music than I currently can load onto it.

[mesnkc]

Sony makes a wide assortment of earbuds. I buy them direct since you can't always find what you want at the retail stores. Heres one type I currently use http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTE...ia%2e%2fEarbud and I've used these before too http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTE...ia%2e%2fEarbud Good sound quality and they're able to handle quite alot of amps. These seat well into the ear but regardless you have to be careful putting your helmet on and putting sunglasses on. No big deal though. I also wear a silk helmet liner which helps.

As for music, after much trial and error I've got a XM Roady two mounted on my left handlebar instrument cluster and I use a CD player which I put in my tank bag. It's a wireless connection and the player has a remote control that I clip onto the back of the bag and the earbuds plug into that.

No fuss no muss and I get to choose from xm radio, cd's or FM on long trips. Trust me, when you go 2k miles even xm gets repetitive. Don't forget, loudness is proportional to amps so you'll want to find a player that puts out a decent level. Btw, you can get a sweet short antenna for the xm from dallasmotorcycles.com and the mount for the RS from cyclegadget if I remember right. Mounts on the top of the reservoir.

Wouldn't leave home without it.

[Entropyd]

Thanks for the info. Will check out the recommendations. Part of my problem is that my current helmet is a perfect fit...so much so, that there's no wiggle room at all. It's comfortable but there's no room to spare. So, when putting it on or taking it off, or even just adjusting it while riding, it quickly dislodges any but the lowest profile earbuds or even some earplugs. I had been looking at other helmets. I wear glasses so I'm thinking about getting one of the full face helmets where the chin guard can be raised up. I think having that would give me the ability to open the helmet, when putting it on, just enough to not dislodge some low profile earbud type speakers. We'll see.

Darryl

[BMW-K]

I AM the ER6i Pimp.

Have a read here

[mesnkc]

Originally Posted by Entropyd

Thanks for the info. Will check out the recommendations. Part of my problem is that my current helmet is a perfect fit...so much so, that there's no wiggle room at all. It's comfortable but there's no room to spare. So, when putting it on or taking it off, or even just adjusting it while riding, it quickly dislodges any but the lowest profile earbuds or even some earplugs. I had been looking at other helmets. I wear glasses so I'm thinking about getting one of the full face helmets where the chin guard can be raised up. I think having that would give me the ability to open the helmet, when putting it on, just enough to not dislodge some low profile earbud type speakers. We'll see.

Darryl

if your not already, it'll insure the lining of the helmet doesn't hang up on the earbuds. In any case I use a HJC with a flip up visor.

btw meant watts not amps.

[Ed Miller]

I've always gone for the low tech approach. I just sing

[Entropyd]

Originally Posted by BMW-K

I AM the ER6i Pimp.

Have a read here

What is the difference between the ER6 and ER6i?

[BMW-K]

Actually, there is quite a bit of difference between the ER6 and 6i's. Some of it you may actually notice, most of it you prolly won't care about...

1. For the same given volume setting the 6i's will be louder than the 6's.

2. The 6's are much more precise sounding - the audio drivers simply sound like they react quicker and faster. Listening to something like Mel Torme or Dean Martin and you might not hear the difference. Listen to rock or pop and you sure will. The 6i's actually sound muddy by comparison.

Point of note: I said the 6i's sound a bit muddy compared to the 6's. PLEASE do NOT think this means that the 6i's sound muddy compared to any standard earbud! Koss, Sony, Panasonic - NONE of them have ANYTHING that comes CLOSE to the quality of sound that come out of the 6i's or the 6's. To be honest, I have an honest $6,000 stereo at home ($3k speakers, $1k sub, $1k amp, $1k in CD & surrounds) and I kid you not, the ER6's are very serious competition for sound quality. It's not a boast: It's just plain scary that a $70 set of headphones can actually give a mutli-thousand dollar stereo a run for the money.

The ER6's were designed for "Cheap" audiophiles. Guys who want the absolute highest quality sound possible at the lowest price. The ER6i's were designed for the same type of Cheap audiophile - except that the 6i's were specially tuned to work better with Ipods and the like.

3. The 6i's have more bass. Plain and simple, they produce more bass than the 6's. That's not to say the 6's don't produce bass (they do) it's just that you hear more bass with the 6i's. If you like bass more than precision, just plain stop reading and get the 6i's.

4. The 6i's have a 3-flange ear design that blocks marginally more external noise than the 6's. With the silicone tips in place on both the 6's and 6i's, I'd rate the 6's as having around 26db of noise reduction vs. around 28db on the 6i's.

With the foam tips in place, the 6's are around 29db noise reduction while the 6i's are really around 33db. (please note that the DB estimates are based on my ears comparisons against Howard Leight Max Lite earplugs - the pink/yellow ones - that are rated at 32 db of noise reduction. Yes, the 6i's do appear to block more noise.)

All I can say is "Trust me. The 6/6i's are exactly what you are looking for."

Alternatives do exist:

Etymotic ER4's - $175. Same great sound blocking, but even more fidelity. Ety's top of the line.

Shure e2c - $110 msrp (street price, $70)
Shure e3c - $199 msrp (street price, $150ish)
Shure e4c - $320 msrp (street price, ???)
Shure e5c - $550 msrp (street price, I've seen $360 best price). Dear God, I want these things...TWO drivers per earbud...crossovered...increadible sound.

Anyways, bang for the buck, get the Ety's. Just realize that if you get the 6's your first comment is "Damn! where is all the bass!". Your next comment, after listening to them for a couple hours and then switching back to your normal earbuds will be "Holy Crap! These things sound horrible compared to the 6's!"

If you want precision: ER6
Ifyou want more bass for an Ipod: ER6i's.

I like the 6's.

The wife likes the 6i's.

Hope that helps!

[Entropyd]

>>Hope that helps!<<

Yes, it does, thanks! Since you seem to know these things inside out, I have one other question that reading the specs raised. I'm not sure it even matters but while I'm getting all this info, let me check. The impedence on one was 48 ohms, 16 on the other. I have no idea what the impedence is on the phone jack on my current mp3 player (an Ipod is probably in my near future). How should I interpret these values. What do they mean to me (if anything)? I remember my dad (quite the electriconics wiz in his time, which was some time ago, saying that a significant impedence mismatch could be a problem for a number of reasons (don't remember the reasons though). I thought he even said that a certain type of mismatch could result in damage to the output circuits of the device (can't swear I'm remembering this correctly). Any thoughts or comments before I go ahead and order my earphones?