Custom earbuds?
Discussion
I'm on my third set now. For me it's the only way to hear music properly on a bike as they provide excellent isolation from wind noise.
My first set were from ACS and were SUPERB, and lasted about 5 years of everyday use before one of the cables gave up. I think they've changed the cabling totally since then.
Following those I've had 2 sets from Ultimateear. I've bought both the Soundear and the Soundear Pro, which have been OK but not as good as the ACS for sound quality.
I've no experience of the sennheiser so can't compare them.
I hope this helps.
My first set were from ACS and were SUPERB, and lasted about 5 years of everyday use before one of the cables gave up. I think they've changed the cabling totally since then.
Following those I've had 2 sets from Ultimateear. I've bought both the Soundear and the Soundear Pro, which have been OK but not as good as the ACS for sound quality.
I've no experience of the sennheiser so can't compare them.
I hope this helps.
archie456 said:
I'm on my third set now. For me it's the only way to hear music properly on a bike as they provide excellent isolation from wind noise.
My first set were from ACS and were SUPERB, and lasted about 5 years of everyday use before one of the cables gave up. I think they've changed the cabling totally since then.
Following those I've had 2 sets from Ultimateear. I've bought both the Soundear and the Soundear Pro, which have been OK but not as good as the ACS for sound quality.
I've no experience of the sennheiser so can't compare them.
I hope this helps.
Thats very helpful thanks.My first set were from ACS and were SUPERB, and lasted about 5 years of everyday use before one of the cables gave up. I think they've changed the cabling totally since then.
Following those I've had 2 sets from Ultimateear. I've bought both the Soundear and the Soundear Pro, which have been OK but not as good as the ACS for sound quality.
I've no experience of the sennheiser so can't compare them.
I hope this helps.
I made my own by pairing some pin lock earbuds and some normal headphones (cheapest, lowest profile in could find), I added a Bluetooth receiver from Amazon ~£10 so I can set my phone up as a nav. really comfy, blocks out wind noise, and music quality and nav sound is good too. As I already had the bits laying around it was free, but if you had to buy all the bits new you could probably do it for under £30 + Bluetooth receiver..
The problem with normal Noise isolation in ear buds is they don’t have a very high db rating hence the modification.
Nb. I also glued them on as they can be a bugger to retrieve from your ear if they come off
The problem with normal Noise isolation in ear buds is they don’t have a very high db rating hence the modification.
Nb. I also glued them on as they can be a bugger to retrieve from your ear if they come off
Edited by MDUBZ on Monday 23 September 13:07
I have a few sets, and they all have their problems, but i wouldn't be without them.
I have some Ultimateear, as mentioned above, which were my first, and some Mercury.
The Ultimateear are quite small and soft, and i found that didnt block wind noise as well as i liked.
They also had to be sent back a number of times for cable repair to an earpiece, which gets expensive.
This set currently only has 1 working earpiece now.
I have 2 sets from Mercury. A wired set, and another set with tiny MMCX connectors that unplug.
Have had same problems where you lose sound from one or both sides.
This can be cable problem, or ear wax problem, or speaker problem, and cost/time to fix is an issue.
These ear plugs are bigger and harder than the Ultimateear ones, and can take a bit of getting used to before they feel comfortable, but i much prefer them now as they do seal much better.
The cable problem happens with any set, no matter how careful you think you are being.
I have some Ultimateear, as mentioned above, which were my first, and some Mercury.
The Ultimateear are quite small and soft, and i found that didnt block wind noise as well as i liked.
They also had to be sent back a number of times for cable repair to an earpiece, which gets expensive.
This set currently only has 1 working earpiece now.
I have 2 sets from Mercury. A wired set, and another set with tiny MMCX connectors that unplug.
Have had same problems where you lose sound from one or both sides.
This can be cable problem, or ear wax problem, or speaker problem, and cost/time to fix is an issue.
These ear plugs are bigger and harder than the Ultimateear ones, and can take a bit of getting used to before they feel comfortable, but i much prefer them now as they do seal much better.
The cable problem happens with any set, no matter how careful you think you are being.
I had custom ear plugs without the speakers built in several years ago, not cheap but do cut out alot of noise. personally could not get on with them when ridign as felt i lost one of the senses so only tried them 3 or 4 times before putting them in a drawer.
Many of my friends all ride with ear plugs but i struggle
Many of my friends all ride with ear plugs but i struggle
https://www.plugfones.com/?srsltid=AfmBOorGd1dWM-4...
I have a set of the Bluetooth Basic Pro. Inexpensive and do what they need to do in terms of protecting hearing. I can also hear audiobooks at *cough* motorway speeds *cough* on a FireBlade.
I have a set of the Bluetooth Basic Pro. Inexpensive and do what they need to do in terms of protecting hearing. I can also hear audiobooks at *cough* motorway speeds *cough* on a FireBlade.
OldGermanHeaps said:
Before i spend the money, is the general consensus that custom is worth it over off the shelf?
Definitely. When I ride on my own I use a bluetooth set paired to my phone for calls, music, radio etc. Really comfortable for all day riding and very clear audio.For group riding I use a set from Ultimate Ear that plug into my Cardo. They offer a short cable option so that you don't have wires everywhere. They also come with an extension cable for use when not on the bike.
Clear audio well into double figures. I think I got one set at the bike show because they were doing a special show price.
I have some ultimate ear non-audio plugs.
Whilst they are certainly comfy, they don't seem to block out much noise.
The disposable cheap foam ones are seemingly far superior, in terms of noise attenuation, but not as comfortable.
I make an assumption that the ultimate ear ones reduce background noise sufficiently to be safe if not as effective as foam?
Whilst they are certainly comfy, they don't seem to block out much noise.
The disposable cheap foam ones are seemingly far superior, in terms of noise attenuation, but not as comfortable.
I make an assumption that the ultimate ear ones reduce background noise sufficiently to be safe if not as effective as foam?
I had a bad experience with Fuze Bluetooth ones. After postage from the US they were £66. The Bluetooth receiver had somehow got crushed in the packet, cheap brittle plastic casing in shards, circuit board damaged. Emailed them and was ignored, tried to phone and never answered.
I followed the instructions to mould the earplugs, I have used them on some long journeys. They don't block noise nearly as well as usual earplugs, I may have moulded them wrong, but I followed the instructions and videos quite carefully so not to waste the putty. Sound quality of the speakers is just ok, have to turn it up quite a bit to hear podcasts over wind on the motorway, which actually seems detrimental but that's why I bought them.
I use them by attaching a 3.5mm extension to my phone in my pocket, I can just about turn the volume up and down through my pocket but obviously can't stop and start, next track or anything. Which is annoying because the Bluetooth thing it came with had these buttons, and would have been attached to the headphones under my chin somewhere.
They are just about good enough for the odd time I'm doing a long motorway journey, or I will use them when I want a bit more noise in my ear than earplugs will block. If I bought again I'd spend a bit more for proper custom made, with someone who knows what they're doing moulding them.
I followed the instructions to mould the earplugs, I have used them on some long journeys. They don't block noise nearly as well as usual earplugs, I may have moulded them wrong, but I followed the instructions and videos quite carefully so not to waste the putty. Sound quality of the speakers is just ok, have to turn it up quite a bit to hear podcasts over wind on the motorway, which actually seems detrimental but that's why I bought them.
I use them by attaching a 3.5mm extension to my phone in my pocket, I can just about turn the volume up and down through my pocket but obviously can't stop and start, next track or anything. Which is annoying because the Bluetooth thing it came with had these buttons, and would have been attached to the headphones under my chin somewhere.
They are just about good enough for the odd time I'm doing a long motorway journey, or I will use them when I want a bit more noise in my ear than earplugs will block. If I bought again I'd spend a bit more for proper custom made, with someone who knows what they're doing moulding them.
I am very happy with the performance of the decibullz.
For volume, track and call control this is a great gadget
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/186657467642?mkcid=16&a...
Gives decent control in easy reach of my left thumb and muscle memory kicks in.
For volume, track and call control this is a great gadget
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/186657467642?mkcid=16&a...
Gives decent control in easy reach of my left thumb and muscle memory kicks in.
OldGermanHeaps said:
I am very happy with the performance of the decibullz.
For volume, track and call control this is a great gadget
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/186657467642?mkcid=16&a...
Gives decent control in easy reach of my left thumb and muscle memory kicks in.
I was looking at these today, glad to know they are decent, might get one.For volume, track and call control this is a great gadget
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/186657467642?mkcid=16&a...
Gives decent control in easy reach of my left thumb and muscle memory kicks in.
Battery lasts ages, takes 5s to pair when you first get on the bike, and has withstood some mental rain.
The only thing I would change is if there was some way to have it automatically wake up when you get on the bike. If you forget to wake it and thr phone rings you need to wake it, wait for it to pair, then press again to answer the call. You can miss a call if the caller is impatient .
The only thing I would change is if there was some way to have it automatically wake up when you get on the bike. If you forget to wake it and thr phone rings you need to wake it, wait for it to pair, then press again to answer the call. You can miss a call if the caller is impatient .
Had a set of Ultimateear and the they are comfy and best way to listen to music or GPS. BUT the quality of the music is not great and after a while they don't reduce the wind noise much compared to foam plugs
But only my view. and I have had mine for some 7 years so they may have got better sound wise
But only my view. and I have had mine for some 7 years so they may have got better sound wise
I feel well placed to comment here, having tried most things over the years (a number of times)
I've tried the basic squidgy things and then earpeace and then finally got some ultimateear ones made. I have 3 pairs of those now, filtered basic ones, and two pairs of the headphone ones (the sort with a wire that I can plug into my Sena). I ride with a Scorpion flip face helmet.
I don't think that anything is perfect and at >= 0.75 leptons, you'll still get a little noise, but I think that the moulded ones are the best at keeping out noise and are the most comfortable. Especially if you want to have intercom or radio while you are riding, I think the moulded plugs are really really good. When you get the mouldings done, and they squirt the stuff in your ears, its properly silent. When you actually get the ear plugs delivered its not quite that good, but still better than disposable ones.
Finally,I think one other important aspect is that they are less sensitive to being put in properly. Before I had the moulded ones, It was quite a frequent occurance that one of the squidgy ones would either slightly waggle loose, or I would put it in slightly imperfectly, and then get buzzing 5 miles down the motorway, forcing me to pull over and adjust. This basically never happens with the custom ones.
I've tried the basic squidgy things and then earpeace and then finally got some ultimateear ones made. I have 3 pairs of those now, filtered basic ones, and two pairs of the headphone ones (the sort with a wire that I can plug into my Sena). I ride with a Scorpion flip face helmet.
I don't think that anything is perfect and at >= 0.75 leptons, you'll still get a little noise, but I think that the moulded ones are the best at keeping out noise and are the most comfortable. Especially if you want to have intercom or radio while you are riding, I think the moulded plugs are really really good. When you get the mouldings done, and they squirt the stuff in your ears, its properly silent. When you actually get the ear plugs delivered its not quite that good, but still better than disposable ones.
Finally,I think one other important aspect is that they are less sensitive to being put in properly. Before I had the moulded ones, It was quite a frequent occurance that one of the squidgy ones would either slightly waggle loose, or I would put it in slightly imperfectly, and then get buzzing 5 miles down the motorway, forcing me to pull over and adjust. This basically never happens with the custom ones.
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