Best headphones for under the helmet?

Cookie Monster

Cookie Monster

noob
After yesterday's rain, I'm pretty sure my Sena 20S fried itself or something, because it doesn't even turn on or charge anymore. The little rubber USB plug thing was in correctly so I'm not sure what happened, but after a bad experience with the SMH-10R and now this I think I'm done with these headsets.

I'm looking for some decent in-ear headphones that will block out enough noise while also being able to fit under the helmet comfortably. I found these Plugfones but reviews say they are very flimsy, and replacement foam tips are $11 for 5 pairs, which seems expensive if they have to be replaced as often as my normal ear plugs do.

I already have some Westone 3's, which fit very well and are comfortable, but they don't block anywhere near enough wind noise to use while riding. I'm not looking for great sound quality, but want something sturdy and comfortable without sacrificing wind noise. I'm really hoping to not have to spend $300+ on custom molded headphones.

What are you all wearing when you ride? Thanks! :ride
 
weasel

weasel

Eradicator
I get cheap Samsung buds without talk for $20 bucks. That little talk switch catches too much wind for my taste. ;)

Can't remember the model but they're slightly angled.
 
danate

danate

#hot4beks
It'll be tough going back to headphones after having a Sena. If you bought it new, they come with a 3 year warranty. Most likely they will replace it for you if you RMA it (it's supposed to be able to get rained on).
 
Not Sure

Not Sure

I like money.
I use Howard Leight Max-1, while listening to my favorite song "I hope the next car doesn't kill me" on repeat :thumbup
 
moto-rama

moto-rama

Well-known member
Man, sorry to hear about your Sena set getting wrecked. I really like my system, the sound is not like good ear buds, but not having a wire is a big plus as far as I'm concerned.
I used Skull Candy ear buds for a long time since they had heavier wires and lasted better than others, but got the Sena set up so I could switch from music to phone. My S7 phone has a built-in FM radio, too so NPR on demand a plus.



I was just wondering if those are water resistant. I have 2 Sm10s and so far haven't gotten soaked while wearing them.

Thanks for the "warning" I'll avoid getting my Sena wet.

As for an alternative, Skull Candy no longer sells the heavy cable/wire earbuds, so it's your choice.
 
Cookie Monster

Cookie Monster

noob
cg_ops said:
Plugfones are my go to. I don't ride without them. 25db nrr rating, decent audio quality, and pretty damn cheap.

https://www.plugfones.com/tech-specs/
Click to expand...

Do you use the foam tips? How long do they last? I generally replace my foam ear plugs every week or so.

danate said:
It'll be tough going back to headphones after having a Sena. If you bought it new, they come with a 3 year warranty. Most likely they will replace it for you if you RMA it (it's supposed to be able to get rained on).
Click to expand...

True, I wouldn't be able to take calls or skip songs, but it's also less weight on the helmet and one less thing to charge.

Sena already replaced a 10R for me. Both systems died in under a year. I don't want to go through the same process every year only to have to buy a new one a year after the warranty runs out.

Not Sure said:
I use Howard Leight Max-1, while listening to my favorite song "I hope the next car doesn't kill me" on repeat :thumbup
Click to expand...

Well then, if I get some good headphones that work you can have my ear plugs. :teeth

moto-rama said:
Man, sorry to hear about your Sena set getting wrecked. I really like my system, the sound is not like good ear buds, but not having a wire is a big plus as far as I'm concerned.
I used Skull Candy ear buds for a long time since they had heavier wires and lasted better than others, but got the Sena set up so I could switch from music to phone. My S7 phone has a built-in FM radio, too so NPR on demand a plus.



I was just wondering if those are water resistant. I have 2 Sm10s and so far haven't gotten soaked while wearing them.

Thanks for the "warning" I'll avoid getting my Sena wet.

As for an alternative, Skull Candy no longer sells the heavy cable/wire earbuds, so it's your choice.
Click to expand...

It does look like a lot of 20S's get fried in the rain. It's supposed to be water resistant, but it's not completely water proof. Another plus for headphones is they can't get wet since they're in your helmet...

I just ordered a replacement cable for my Westone 3 (for $40 :( ) and will try some different tip options to see if I can get those to work first. Otherwise I might just try the Plugfones.
 
ratlab

ratlab

Well-known member
plugfones are great-they have 2 types of tips.i don't use the foam ones-the silicon? ones i use last a couple of months.i have both wireless and plug in type.they are cheap and do sound pretty good.
 
A

ariacode

Well-known member
I have these Shures. I've never gotten them to fit in my ear too well but they work OK. I think I have weird ears 'cause I've always had issues using earbuds.

You can try or borrow them if you'd like; I never really use them.
 
Moto Beck

Moto Beck

The Longest Title Allowed
https://www.amazon.com/MEE-audio-Un...e=UTF8&qid=1481915682&sr=8-1&keywords=m6+pros

used thse for awhile but they get uncomfortable on really long rides. The wires disconnect from the ear monitors under enough pressure so just in case it got snagged on something it wouldnt rip the wire out - just the connection. They are more monitor focused (i actually use them now playing bass) so the sound is more neutral but it's pretty decent for a music/comm set up in helmet. They come with multiple tips but the foam ones isolate the most noise.

Switched back to 20s speakers + ear plugs personally - good enough but not as loud as i'd like.
 
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cg_ops

cg_ops

1-Armed Bandit
Cookie Monster said:
Do you use the foam tips? How long do they last? I generally replace my foam ear plugs every week or so.
Click to expand...

I started with the rubber tips b/c I knew they'd last forever. The noise reduction sucked and the audio was crap. For the first few months, I wasn't impressed with them. Then I decided to try the foam tips... night and day difference. They worked nearly as well as regular plugs and I could listen to music at a much lower volume than I had been... it also sounded much better, more bass, clearer highs, etc.

The foam tips last me a couple weeks if I ride 3-5 days a week. They start to fall apart quickly, but it's probably no faster than how fast they'd be getting gross.
 
Toast

Toast

Well-known member
Contact Sena, I accidentally fried my old SMH-10 when I plugged it in after riding in the rain with the USB flap open. They told me to mail it to them (they're local) and sent me a brand new one.
 
madsen203

madsen203

Undetermined
Similar threads around if you search...

When I searched previously I found these on amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/MEE-audio-Sp..._2?ie=UTF8&qid=1481920051&sr=8-2&keywords=mee

Great for noise isolation. I use one (cut the other off) and use one ear plug. Best of both worlds and follows CVC for reasonable usage. Oh...and $13. I ended up replacing mine because I lost them after 8 months of use. The "Memory wire" helps with putting on the helmet and comes with 6 sizes to get best fit--though I could never get it to fit right in one ear and thus why I cut that ear bud off and use an ear plug.
 
B

born2lse

Well-known member
I have a pair of sennheiser m-55i (I think that's the model) and just removed the rubber plugs, cut the tips off a pair of regular foam ear plugs, heated up a paper clip, burned a hole through the tips, ran a coffee straw through the hole, Jammed the sennheisers into the foam plug, and trimmed the straw. Now I have amazing sound quality with pretty damn good noise cancelation.
 
Cookie Monster

Cookie Monster

noob
I've had several pairs of the Meelectronics M6 and they are great headphones for the price but they don't fit that well for me. I think I'll play with some different tips on my Westone 3's and see if I can find a pair that works better. If not, I'll give the plugfones a try.

ariacode said:
I have these Shures. I've never gotten them to fit in my ear too well but they work OK. I think I have weird ears 'cause I've always had issues using earbuds.

You can try or borrow them if you'd like; I never really use them.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the offer! :)

I've actually had 3 pairs of SE215's. All 3 of them started cutting out at the joint where the ear piece and wire meet. :nchantr

Toast said:
Contact Sena, I accidentally fried my old SMH-10 when I plugged it in after riding in the rain with the USB flap open. They told me to mail it to them (they're local) and sent me a brand new one.
Click to expand...

I have. Hopefully they can send a new unit, but after I sold my 10R to a friend the same thing happened to her (except it wasn't even used in the rain), so I don't really trust them at this point.

squidworth said:
Regardless of your choice of earbuds, I love adding these on:
http://www.complyfoam.com/
Click to expand...

Comply is nice but they're so expensive.
 
Gawernator

Gawernator

Watchdog Armory
SENA should replace it. Plugfones are pretty good but won't be as nice as the SENA. They also made my ears hurt after a while and it's easy to get them snagged and pulled out. YMMV
 
senpai71

senpai71

Professional troublemaker
My main gripe about earbud headphones is that they always catch on the helmet as I'm putting it on.

After lots of messing around, I now use 'flat disk' earphones in the helmet, paired with regular ol' cheap squishy earplugs. I think it's the best of both worlds - maximum noise reduction, whilst still being able to listen to music.

I think these are the ones I have right now:

https://www.amazon.com/Motorcycle-Helmet-Headset-Earphone-Speakers/dp/B01I50ZAH4/ref=sr_1_15

but if you search Amazon for "helmet earphones", you'll find a bunch of them...
 
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