I use the Bose ..... Not too bad, but still can hear the wind...but then i don't use any type of helmet....which probably will work much better...you can try them for a month if you don't like them you can return them.

 

Yes, speaker placement is key. I have a SMH5 and I get good bass cause those things are right on my ear. It took a while to adjust them to how I like but you need those puppies as close to your ears as possible.

 

Its a never ending struggle for me, I hate having anything in my ears even the soft ear plugs. I to have the sena with the earplug set up and have a set that wraps around you hears with the speaker at the ear canal, but not in it. Its ok, but could be better.

I was in Best Buy the other day and put on a set of the noise canceling Bose ear muffs and thought how awesome would that be and have awesome sounding music playing if i could fit it under a half helmet. I did ride home this past winter after leaving the gun range with my shooting ear muffs on under the half helmet and it was nice and quite and my ears stayed warm, but the band is very slim where as the ones for music are thick. And then there's the gobber factor, but I'm almost at the age I can get away with it. Then again it may fit right in with the helibars and the day-long seat.

 

Bose earphones are all that I ever use. I've spent 200 days a year travelling, with at least 100 flights a year. I listen to music constantly, and use them when talking on my iPhone. I have the standard SoundTrue model for just listening to things, I have the SoundSport model that I use with my iOS devices since they have a mic and buttons on them, and I have the QuietComfort 20i that have active noise cancelling when I'm on flights. They all fit the same way, and come with interchangeable tips to best match your ear size. VERY comfy over long periods of time, and hold up well. Check them out at http://www.bose.com/controller?url=/...ones/index.jsp

 

I had always used Shure ear buds on my Nomad, They sound Great.


check out these:


http://www.shure.com/americas/produc...ting-earphones

 

Have you tried adjusting the speakers to fit directly in the ear canal? Even being slightly off can make a big difference in sound quality, with the helmet on, try rotating the helmet and see if the sound improves or degrades.


Our comm gear has the plug-in for ear buds (I wanted to be able to use them if the sound quality was not what I was looking for) but having the proper speaker placement, there is no need for ear buds for us...


For ear buds you might purchase from Best Buy or Walmart, since both have good return policy...

 

I use In Ear Moniters (IEM's) made by Westone that were the result of custom molds that my audiologist did for me. I am sure that mkguitar will know well the brand that I am using, being a musician.

No matter the brand, custom molded IEM's are the answer, for me anyway. They work for noise attenuation when not listening to music, and they work underneath a full face helmet perfectly. They also stay in my ears, where buds did not; they stuck out too far, and I couldn't get a perfect fit for long term wear. Like others have said....not cheap, but worth every penny.

Good luck in your search for something that works for you.

 

Also, some sites like http://www.averysound.com/as.pilot.html will make custom molded tips for your favorite earphones. Might be an option.

 

Well, this has been an interesting thread. I thought my $129.00 Eytemotic Research were expensive...

Ride Safe

David

 

I think my Shure E4C earphones were in the ~$350 range. Earphones and personal audio gear is as addictive as Harley parts for me.