Earplugs?

[CraigF]

I use these. ER6i. Alone they are good ear plugs. Get a sample pack of the ends to find out what works best in your ear. When you do want music a low volume can be herd quite clear. I use them every day commuting.



[url=http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er6i-acc.aspx]http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er6i-acc.aspx]
[url]http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er6i-acc.aspx]http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er6i-acc.aspx]http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er6i-acc.aspx]
[url]http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er6i-acc.aspx[/url]

I'd have to wire those into my SK4000.  Hmm, maybe I'll wire a jack into the SK4000 so I can use any earplugs or in-helmet speakers I want, and interchange at will.

[CraigF]

I rode to work today wearing some generic foam earplugs.  Wow, what a difference.   Of course, the music from the SK4000 speakers was quite low, but I really appreciated the lack of wind noise and road noise.

I just ordered the Etymotic Er6i earbuds.  I'm going to remove the speakers from my SK4000 and put on a 3.5mm jack.     

[LOKi]

I have a mounting plate on the handlebars with Velcro and Velcro stuck to the back of my MP3 player. I got tired of the wire getting in the way so I ran an extension wire under the tank. So I plug into the system in my lap. I decided to do this after accidentally catching the wire ripping the MP3 player off it's mount. 'What happen to the music? What was that black thing?' Bounce, bounce, crunch under a truck tire. 

I replaced the MP3 player (same one...the Sansa Fuse) and moved the mount in a bit. I noticed that when the headphones where plugged in the wind would whip the wire back and forth. Didn't think this was good for it but didn't realize that that whipping would eventually break the wire. After getting my new headphones (not cheep like the player) I ran the patch wire under the tank. I have sense discovered that fixing the headphone wire is actually quite easy.

[dbracing]

Having been in the music business for more years than I care to admit to, and after suffering from ear pain and terrible headaches, I went to a hearing aid store and had a set of custom molded earplugs made. My health insurance company was willing to pay for them because of the possibility of hearing loss. They are cool because I can change the pads on them to attenuate the amount of outside noise I wish to cut out. I have 15db, 20db, and 25db pads. With them in, I can carry on a normal conversation.

I would encourage anyone who is in a profession who might be able to wrangle a set to look in to it. Otherwise, they cost between $75 - 100. A small price to pay to assure good ears for years to come.

[FocusPlayer]

Cool thing about my blue Joe-Rocket Honda jacket...  Mp3 player pocket... and rubber gromet for the ear-plug wires on the collar. 

[LOKi]

I too have an MP3 pocket but I like being able to change songs or pause or increase/decrease volume. All that's a little harder when the thing is in your pocket.

[9c1]

Okay, for those that listen to music in those earbuds while riding, isn't the music piped directly into your ear just as bad as the ambient noise?  Or are those Etymotic earbuds so good at canceling the ambient noise that you can listen to the music at a safe level while riding?

Except for my 3 mile ride to work each day, I always wear the foam ear plugs.  Huge difference in comfort and knowing that I'm protecting my hearing versus not using them.  For those that don't wear ear protection, try it out and see.

[FocusPlayer]

First,  It depends on how much noise your helmet lets in.   I know mine is far from quiet.

Ear buds.... those flat things that sit in front of the ear canal - would do you no good.   You'd have to run the music OVER the wind noise.

Ear "plug" type headphones seal out enough sound that you have a chance of listening to music at a lower DB level than road noise....however...  not all headphones are created = .   I'm using some pretty good Sonys  and they are just bairly good enough....  As a musician,  I'm a picky sound-snob.  And I know I've got my music cranked up louder than I like it.
I'll be looking at better noise-canceling for an upgrade.

[LOKi]

Those ER6i ear plugs work great. I was sold on them when my roommate let me use his one day. Standing next to the bike I set it on a comfortable low level. Got on the bike and road to work on the HWY. 80mph and didn't have to touch the volume once. Nice and clear the whole time. The difference is if you look at the very tip of that thing there is a little hole. This hole is REALLY close to your ear drum when inserted all the way. It doesn't take much volume for your ear drum to pick up the sound coming from something so close to it.

[CraigF]

I made the mod to my Parrot SK4000 to remove the in-helmet speakers with a 3.5mm jack. 

I haven't gone for a ride with the ER6i connected, but the tests I did in the house with the helmet look very promising.   I had the radio on and volume at setting 2 and could hear quite well.   

And to expand on what Loki said, the ER6is with no music playing serve the purpose of earplugs almost as well as the foam ones I bought last week.   That should allow me to have the volume very low but still be able to hear it while riding.

Hopefully the weather cooperates and I'll confirm this tomorrow.


*Note:  there was an extra unterminated wire going to the right speaker of the SK4000.  I didn't know it existed until I cut the wire short.  I'm pretty sure this is the FM Antenna.  I'll have to see how badly I've affected reception and I'll probably have to put it back.

[LOKi]

What do you mean by "extra wire". I recently had to replace the male end of the headphone wire. Broke off the end that plugs into the MP3 player. The replacement end had 3 wires and the head phones only had 4....or was it the other way around. In the end I found that headphones can share a common ground. Maybe the extra wire is just a ground. Or it has something to do with the communication system.

[CraigF]

What do you mean by "extra wire". I recently had to replace the male end of the headphone wire. Broke off the end that plugs into the MP3 player. The replacement end had 3 wires and the head phones only had 4....or was it the other way around. In the end I found that headphones can share a common ground. Maybe the extra wire is just a ground. Or it has something to do with the communication system.

The extra wire was part of the Parrot SK4000.   Both speakers had red & black wires terminated to the speaker, but the right also had a white wire in the bundle.     I'm pretty sure this white wire is the FM Antenna.  Now my antenna is only about 4 inches long--it was about 20".

[FocusPlayer]

Those do look good..
I like that my sony set has a glove friendly volume right at the neck grmmet.