headphone/earplug question


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CrazyCawi

New Member
Ok so you have a normal amount of noise when riding without ear plugs...now you put plugs in it reduces that amount of noise by what ever percent and much better for your ears....

here is my question

If you put in headphones and listen to music while riding, is that doubling the noise volume as there is nothing cancelling the outside noise you just turn the music up to over power it, or is it safe for your ears to have the music playing? would noise cancelling earphones help?

I tried searching and I couldnt find anything on this specific question
 
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bigguybbr

New Member
The big killer with noise on a bike is always the wind noise. Anything that blocks the wind is going to help to save your hearing. That being said, if your headphones don't seal completely and don't insulate from latent wind noise, you are going to be playing music probably at a higher level than the wind noise was in the first place. I saw the figure that wind noise above 30mph on a motorcycle measures about 103 decibels. How loud is that?



So one solution is to buy custom molded ear bud headphones to help insulate from wind noise and help you not have to blast your music. Personally, I'm not very keen on ear bud headphones while riding, as I find it drives out all ambient noise, like people honking their horn at me which can be really dangerous! I also personally like to hear the engine rpm so I don't have to look at my gauges except when I pass a speed limit sign (to make sure I'm not riding like a complete d-bag, but also to keep my eyes on the road and surroundings).

I personally ride with foam earplugs. I ride with the ones with an NRR (Noise reduction rating) of 33. Basically, if you were in NY with street traffic around 80db, and you were wearing 33NRR ear plugs, it would redice what your ears are subject to down to 47db, or about normal indoor noise levels.

I also have a communication system in my helmet that had earphones velcro'd in. I can hear enough out of the headphones to be able to hold conversations, hear turn by turn directions from my GPS, and be able to listen to music at probably FM quality. It works, and it fits in with my need for safety, but it's by no means great musical sound quality.
 
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the_cr

New Member
The earbuds i'm using now wrap around my ear to stay on but do not seal within my ear. I will switch them for the in-ear ear buds as soon as i can.

I find regular earbuds fall out as soon as I put my helmet on and it is a matter of playing my music louder than the wind. I don't listen to music every time I ride but I have noticed some discomfort after rides. With the in-ear earbuds I won't have to play my music so loud.

They do offer very good noise reduction, on par with ear plugs. I just haven't bought any since my last pair crapped out
 
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Uno979

Thuper Moderator
Premium Member
First thing first:

people have said that with speakers in the helmet(Cardio Head set Q2-G4) PLUS ear plugs works incredibly well as long as you just loosely fit the ear plugs.


Second thing I want to put to rest these ear plug, omg save my hearing threads. YOUR GOING TO LOOSE IT ANYWAYS! So might as well check this out:

Click me so you wont miss what I'm saying... what? OMG.. did you say coconuts are like boobs? Oh! You mean Mocha Drinks are so good.. Gotcha

:ban:

:Flip:

:admin:

Just playing..
 
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CrazyCawi

New Member
sorry. I wasnt asking how to save my hearing I was specifically asking if it would be doubling the impact on your ears having headphones in or would it mimic the benefit of having ear plugs in. Not what I should use or anything....
 
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raybob

New Member
To hear the music (or whatever you have blaring out your earbuds, such as a CB radio), you'll have to create a differential sound pressure level. Depending upon the dynamic range of what you are listening to (say, a compressed 30db FM radio signal, not the 96db theoretic range of a CD), and assuming the 103db estimate of wind noise above is accurate (it depends upon a lot of things) then you'll be enduring sound pressure levels of 103db to 133db. Just to hear the music. Note the decibel scale is logarithmic, not linear.

Will it double the impact on your hearing? Doubt you'd be so lucky. My guess is that your hearing would be fairly well whacked in a few months. For the rest of your life.

Let me know how it works for ya.

Bob Ray

p.s. I buy these:

Direct Safety Safe Soundz Conical Earplugs: Uncorded, NRR 32dB, 200 Pair/Box
 
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Ich

New Member
you should really check your states laws for audio streams entering your ears. in CA you can plug your ears but audio can only enter one.
 
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Uno979

Thuper Moderator
Premium Member
Cautious_Corner said:
sorry. I wasnt asking how to save my hearing I was specifically asking if it would be doubling the impact on your ears having headphones in or would it mimic the benefit of having ear plugs in. Not what I should use or anything....
Click to expand...
I was just goofing but the main point of that post was to show you an awesome product that works extremely well. It'll keep the DB's down.
 
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raybob

New Member
Sorry Cautious Corner. I think I blathered on and didn't directly answer your question. Need to go back to lurking. Soon.

If you are talking about the $20 Koss (or similar) ear buds, with foam surround, that insert in the ear canal, I think those are about a 10db sound reduction and even that may be frequency specific (i.e. 10db at 1kHz).

I've heard the iron butt guys rave about the etymotic (sp?) custom molded things ($300 and up), but they are almost all short guys behind big windscreens (think 5'6" on goldwing). No offense if you happen to be 5'6", just stating the facts (and I've learned to ask how tall, how heavy, what's your inseam, kinda questions the hard way). Sport bikes are a whole 'nuther ballgame.

I propose a test for you. If you have a digital music player with a sound pressure level limit option (95db) like my little sony has (a current limit obviously, as they cannot know the efficiency of my headphones, just the wretched buggers they shipped with it), put in your in-ear speakers, ensure the SPL limit is enabled, and go for a 30 minute ride on an interstate near you.

If your ears hurt when you get back, you'll have your answer.

If they don't hurt, I'd guess is you probably couldn't hear the music very well.

But, that's what the Wing/FJR/Concours is for...

Bob
 
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masternate43

New Member
i use a custom fit ear plug. im a welder and work in a loud environment so that is y i have them but my point is they r expensive around 50 dollars depending where u go to get them but they work great! and u can still hear alittle.
 
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RedDeadRaven

New Member
I can't wear the earbuds like the style that come with an iPod. They don't stay in my ears, they just fall out. So I use these:
Marshmallow Mic and Remote Inner Ear Headphones - HA-FR50
They're a foam material that you squeeze and they fill your ear like an ear plug. They block out just enough wind and engine noise that you can hear your music without cranking the volume, but you can still hear your engine revs and even traffic around you. They're comfortable to wear with the helmet and its easy to put the helmet on over them (though I find I have to pull them out before I pull off the helmet.) The model in the link has iPod controls, mine doesn't, and they were only $20 at Best Buy. I've tried lots of different in-ear headphones like these and these are my favorites. I'm a little bit of an audiophile, and while these won't win any awards for their sound quality, they aren't too shabby. Way better than "stock" iPod/iPhone earbuds.
Good luck. :thumbup:
 

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bigddy263

Member
Just my 2 cents, I bought a pair of shure brand in-ear earbuds for listening while running and around the house. I didn't like them for riding at first, then I realized that the normal listening volume is just too loud when on the bike. Btw they come with several types and sizes of cushion and seal out sound really well (comparable to foamies that I use around jet engines at work). I've since then ridden with the volume of music just above a whisper, and I like it. I can hear ambient sounds, my engine, sirens etc, but I still have the benefit of reduced wind noise. I don't recommend turning up the music to drown out the wind noise with an open air type earbud or over the ear headphone type speaker. Again, just my 2 cents.
 
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