Which earbuds?

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Capt CF

Capt CF

Joined
Nov 4, 2012
Messages
2,118
Location
Northern Virginia
I wasn't getting enough traffic buried in the scala and music threads so I started a separate earbud thread. I am looking for a good set of earbuds to use with my Sena for listening to music. Ideally something that sounds good, cuts the wind noise out and doesn't easily get out of position under the helmet. So far people have recommended the Monster Miles Davis earbuds and the Ultimate Ears Custom 4.

Anybody else have anything they like that works well? Both of the above solutions are $300 and up, which I don't mind paying, but I want to get it right the first time and not have to play earbud mambo trying to figure out what works.

Thanks all!
 
if you dont want to spend on the ultimate ear customs (2 drivers per headphone) you may want to try these with one driver per headphone. sound quality not as good as ultimate ears but still better then ear buds cause they are custom and they were designed to be worn inside the helmet

CR1 Recreational Earphone
 
once you go custom you will never go back to anything else. on the plane they are spectacular you dont even need music on you can wear them as earplugs. no wind noise they create a seal. Trust me you will not be making a mistake with custom
 
I went back to other earbuds after using custom ones Mark. Had them made the same way for when I was competitive shooting. I thought they were a very expensive waste of money (actually they were done free) Can you explain this please? hehehehe
 
Gunny Fitz said:
I went back to other earbuds after using custom ones Mark. Had them made the same way for when I was competitive shooting. I thought they were a very expensive waste of money (actually they were done free) Can you explain this please? hehehehe
Click to expand...

no idea all i can say is every single ear bud i try to use drives me crazy. as a matter of fact the only time i use an earbud is when i travel to work cause the custom headphones do not have a microphone so you cant use them with a phone. So i use ultimate ears triple fi pro. 3 drivers per headphone and a mic but alas as i went on the ultimate ears sight for this post the custom ones now have a mic (50 option) so once i get that earbuds never again.
 
I have a set of CR1 customs, we sell them in our store and everyone who has gone with the customs has been very happy with them. The only thing I DON'T like about them is for around-town riding they're too quiet for me, I like to hear more of my surroundings when in traffic, but for the highway they're awesome. Also on airplanes as noted above! For a cheaper/non-custom alternative the universal fit Westones are actually pretty decent, they have replaceable foam "plugs" so they still work to block much of the wind noise out, and Westone's audio quality is better than any of the basic "earbuds" you find in Best Buy etc. We have the Westone1's for $119:
http://www.motospecialties.com/store.asp?store=ducatiomaha&level=category&type=In Helmet Audio-Comm&type1=In Helmet Audio-Comm&type2=In Helmet Audio-Comm&category=In Helmet Audio-Comm&ItemNum=westone1
 
jarelj said:
I have a set of CR1 customs, we sell them in our store and everyone who has gone with the customs has been very happy with them. The only thing I DON'T like about them is for around-town riding they're too quiet for me, I like to hear more of my surroundings when in traffic, but for the highway they're awesome. Also on airplanes as noted above! For a cheaper/non-custom alternative the universal fit Westones are actually pretty decent, they have replaceable foam "plugs" so they still work to block much of the wind noise out, and Westone's audio quality is better than any of the basic "earbuds" you find in Best Buy etc. We have the Westone1's for $119:
http://www.motospecialties.com/store.asp?store=ducatiomaha&level=category&type=In Helmet Audio-Comm&type1=In Helmet Audio-Comm&type2=In Helmet Audio-Comm&category=In Helmet Audio-Comm&ItemNum=westone1
Click to expand...

I'm not an audiophile so I don't need crisp highs, stunning midrange and deep bass, etc. I just want to be able to hear my music without them falling out or getting dislodged every time I change lanes. Do you find the Westone's stay put pretty well under a helmet?

This is what I have now and the sound would be ok, but they just won't stay in my ears reliably with the helmet on - http://www.amazon.com/V-MODA-In-Ear-Stereo-Headphone-Steel/dp/B000F075LC
 
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I didn't spend that kind of money. With all the ambient noise on a motorcycle, I just couldnt justify it. My biggest concern was the ear peices staying in my ear so I tried these Phillips earbuds with a behind the neck band. Stays on perfectly and sounds great! SHQ4017GY/28 at best buy
 
These ones work really well for me with the Scala G4:

go-travel-q-zone.jpg


Design Go Travel Quiet Zone Ear Plugs - Packyourbags Travel Store

They released a new version which in my opinion aren't as comfortable. They may even have gone back to the version above.

Al.
 
Capt CF said:
Do you find the Westone's stay put pretty well under a helmet?
Click to expand...

Yes, they stay in place because the foam expands inside your ear canal when you put them in and it holds them in place. The external driver is small so it fits tight against the ear and doesn't present much of a problem when putting the helmet on.
 
Thanks, all. I definitely need to get something else. On the ride home today I couldn't hear Siri at all and only got lucky getting a playlist going because I knew roughly how long she'd pause before expecting a voice command. If I listened really hard I could tell what song was playing, but that was about it and the volume on the Sena was full. I realized when I got home the iPhone wasn't at full volume so I can test that again, but I definitely think I need something else. I'll try BestBuy and see if anything works and may try the Westone's as well.
 
Um, you can drop a load of cash or...

I usually roll with $300+, but may I recommend something like this?

Klipsch Image S4i Rugged Red In-Ear Headphones

I velcro the oversized control onto my jacket and it makes life so much easier with my shuffle. You're also bound to destroy them at some point taking your helmet off lol. That's why I bought these, I destroyed my last set I used for riding.
 
Hmm.. So what's involved in these custom ones? I did the dealer locator so I guess I make an appt and pay for that and then I can order the custom ones with the measurements they give me? I don't know why someone doesn't make an earbud like my SureFire earplugs. Those things never come out or work loose and they don't cost hundreds of dollars either.
 
Capt CF said:
Hmm.. So what's involved in these custom ones? I did the dealer locator so I guess I make an appt and pay for that and then I can order the custom ones with the measurements they give me? I don't know why someone doesn't make an earbud like my SureFire earplugs. Those things never come out or work loose and they don't cost hundreds of dollars either.
Click to expand...

They put a lightly expanding foam in your ear and make a mold. They keep your mold on file so you can use for different applications. You can get them wired for High quality sound or just for ear protection. I had mine done with sound so I could plug into my Sena comms when riding with my wife.

The sound quality is far better than any standard speakers with a comms system and they are also comparable to some higher end music specific ear buds. They are not the best but I think they are a great all around solution.

I also use them on the track (without sound :) ) and the protection is great.

takes about a week or 2 to get them back from the shop but well worth it. I actual had them done at the last Pikes Peak race. They had the Westone booth and they take impressions right on site.
 
Hey guys,

All great comments and I am in dire need of something beyond my normal ear buds. I wanted to see if anyone had heard/used the Fit Ear M-1 plugs? I saw a demo at the Long Beach motorcycle show and was pretty impressed....I think these use Kevlar for the actual cords which may explain the cost.

M-1 Single Driver « Fit-Ear

Getting the ear molds done tomorrow and then need to pull the trigger on these or the CR1 before I go deaf!
 
LArider said:
Hey guys,

All great comments and I am in dire need of something beyond my normal ear buds. I wanted to see if anyone had heard/used the Fit Ear M-1 plugs? I saw a demo at the Long Beach motorcycle show and was pretty impressed....I think these use Kevlar for the actual cords which may explain the cost.

M-1 Single Driver « Fit-Ear

Getting the ear molds done tomorrow and then need to pull the trigger on these or the CR1 before I go deaf!
Click to expand...

LA - I never used that brand but I do have the CR1's - they fit very comfortably under my helmet and sound quality is great. Plus they keep your molds for future use if needed. just more business for them ;)
 

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