Earbud recommendations

[mikesim]

My contract with Verizon expires next week and it looks as though I'm going to be dragged kicking and screaming into the smartphone arena. I'm thinking of a Motorola Droid Razr M. Since it will connect to my GPS via bluetooth, I'm also considering a set of earbuds so that I can listen to music and the GPS on long trips. Having never used 'em, I'd like the groups recommendations. Wireless or wired? Brand preferences? Other thoughts that I am not considering. Your input is appreciated.

Mike

 

[charlie b]

uclear

bluetooth

they will be my next ones. I have the scala q2 and sena smh10. Both good but uclear is better.

if you want good music quality you need to go to fitted earbuds and a wired connection.

 

[mikesim]

uclear

bluetooth

they will be my next ones. I have the scala q2 and sena smh10. Both good but uclear is better.

if you want good music quality you need to go to fitted earbuds and a wired connection.

I guess I wasn't clear, I already have a Chatterbox communicator. I'm looking for earbuds, either wired or wireless for my new phone.

Mike

 

[charlie b]

the chatterbox does not have bluetooth?
If not sound like time to upgrade. Replace it with a newer headset. Then pair it with the Gps.

If you really want good earbuds for quality music then go to the pro stuff. Around $500 for wired ones last time I checked. Otherwise you'll still get a lot of background noise, and then you might as well stay with a new headset.

 

[Warren]

I use wired ones from Etymotic Research. They also block out the background noise.

 

[mikesim]

the chatterbox does not have bluetooth?
If not sound like time to upgrade. Replace it with a newer headset. Then pair it with the Gps.

If you really want good earbuds for quality music then go to the pro stuff. Around $500 for wired ones last time I checked. Otherwise you'll still get a lot of background noise, and then you might as well stay with a new headset.

Yes, the Chatterbox has bluetooth, but the Chatterbox uses small speakers mounted in pouches in the helmet. I can't hear the music above 40 mph due to wind/road noise, that's why I'm contemplating ear buds.

Mike

 

[charlie b]

If you don't want the hassle of buds then upgrade to a better headset. The volume on the uclear, sena, and scala can be heard fine with earplugs in place.

You will not get quality music from the headsets but I find the hassle (and pain) of ear buds too much to mess with.

But, if you are one of those people who use ear buds all the time then you will probably like them a lot better while riding than a headset.

 

[U20417]

Mike, I am very picky about the quality of my music having been a musician all through school and college.

I strongly suggest wired if you want quality sound. I also suggest that you will want the kind of buds that fit into your ear canal and seal similar to an ear plug. Not the type that just lay in your outer ear cavity. For comfort sake I also suggest getting one of the sets with multiple sizes of ear seals.

After trying several brand I ended up preferring a set of Sony ear buds that came with 3 different sizes of ear seals. Use the smallest size of ear seal that makes and holds a good seal for long rides. After several hours of riding you will still be comfortable versus using a larger size that will begin to become uncomfortable after an several hours.

I got mine off Amazon using the review to make my choice. All under $20 and all rated very high in the reviews. I bought three different sets, all with multiple sizes of seals, but the Sony's had the best quality of sound of the three. All three sets allowed me to listen to my music at 70mph, but still hear passing cars, horns, emergency vehicles, ETC.

Yes you can spend hundreds of dollars to get higher quality ear buds, but you will not be able to hear that extra 3-5% difference on a bike going down the road.

 

[charlie b]

Interesting. I have tried the Sony and Bose and neither worked well for me. Neither really cancelled any noise (even though they advertised it). Yes, I did change to get the right seal in the ear. With all the outside noise the music was just marginally better than with my headsets. I have heard the Etymonic are better but didn't want to spend any more money and still have wires to deal with.

One day will find custom earplugs with bluetooth inserts that will fit under a helmet.

 

[RedNigel]

I use wired ones from Etymotic Research. They also block out the background

+1 on Etymotics
I have an old pair Rick gave me and they are amazing

 

[CommuterNT]

I have the Droid Razr phone and a Sena SMH5 headset with the smaller speakers in a HJC Cl-16 Helmet. I always wear earplugs too. I have no trouble hear my music even at freeway speeds. Now keep in mind at freeway speeds it is usually at almost full volume on the headset if I want to be "jamming" to the music and of course the sound quality is less the desirable but honestly that is not exactly what I'm looking for. I find if the music is too clear and in "front" of my audio perceptions my brain tends to start focusing on the music more then the road which of course is not good. I like it for some background noise and when a good song comes on to give me that good mood feel.

Like others have said if you want good audio quality then earplugs are the way to go. If you want some background music so you don't have to listen to the howl of the wind all the time then speakers should be fine. I would try a different type of speaker and see if it makes any difference. I know Sena has a bigger set of speakers that are supposed to help with sound output. Also as I side not I just switched to a different type of earplug (upgraded from the cheap yellow tube plugs to a much better quality tapper plug) and it made a really big difference in sound quality.

Other side note: with a smart phone you can listen to streaming music instead of what is loaded on your phone. I listen to Pandora most of the time and surprisingly it relatively doesn't use that much data.

 

[windsinthehills]

I have the Sena 5. The helmet I had used pockets to place the speakers in and sounded very weak making music impracticable at anything over 30 MPH. After rereading the directions I used the enclosed Velcro pads to locate them closer to my ears and was pleased with the difference. I can now hear music at freeway speeds.

 

[CommuterNT]

I have the Sena 5. The helmet I had used pockets to place the speakers in and sounded very weak making music impracticable at anything over 30 MPH. After rereading the directions I used the enclosed Velcro pads to locate them closer to my ears and was pleased with the difference. I can now hear music at freeway speeds.

+1 on that. Speaker placement makes a HUGE difference. It took several attempts to get it right, but once I did it was remarkably better.

 

[bclyde]

if you care - in some states two ear buds are illegal.

 

[T-Weeder Guy]

I use these Sennheiser buds: http://www.razordogaudio.com/collections/sennheiser/products/sennheiser-cx-680i-adidas-sport-headphones-w-mic-for-iphone

Not sure if they work for your phone, but For $79 they fit into the ear canal and help hear the music. They also have volume control and song selection ability on the little tab that hangs just below your chin. The tab also has a mic, so you can answer calls while riding too. On the phone I can hear the caller just fine, but if I'm going over 50mph they have some trouble understanding me. But it works in a pinch.

 

[Pdmasterson77]

I use "beats" earbuds. they give a good seal and great sound . Also easy to turn off in case you need or want to in heavy traffic. A little pricey but well worth the $$

 

[NoVa Chris]

I recently began using Audio Technica ANC23 active noise cancelling earbuds and I recommend them highly, with following observations. You can get them for under $60 off the web. Mine work best with Comply T-400 Isolation foam tips. The noise cancelling function can be used with or without an MP3 player or other device. Turn the noise cancelling function on and I estimate that it removes about 80 percent of engine and other background noise. Audio Technica claims the AAA battery will last for about 15 hours, but I think I have more than 15 hours on my set and have not yet needed to replace the battery. I think music sounds very good through them, recognizing that riding a bike is not an ideal listening environment. The downside is that they are less effective at removing wind noise. So whereas I was happy with my windscreen before using the earbuds, in that I was not experiencing buffeting, by process of subtraction, wind noise appeared to become more pronounced with the earbuds. This has sent me on a further quest for a true "cone of silence" with the earbuds. I have fitted a Laminar Lip to my stock NT screen, and my initial reaction was very good. But I have not been able to test this combination fully to be sure. I hope to post results once the heat wave passes and I get out and ride more.

 

[Husker]

Skull candy at target. I have a pair that help to cancel the noise enough that I can use them to mow the yard and not hear the mower. Their mid priced with some of the best sound quality I"'ve heard. The ones I have fit into the ear and are comfy.