Ear Protection - opinion. | GTAMotorcycle.com

Ear Protection - opinion.

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short2ride

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I have been looking for options to reduce wind noise. I bought these based on DB reduction. I haven't seen anyone talking about these so here it goes. Also all of these will allow you to listen to voices/music etc at a reduced volume. All of them reduces a certain amount of DB of wind noise/other noise. The extent of DB reduction may differ. They all have claimed reduction. I cannot confirm they are true or not. I am basing on generic ear plugs(Canadian tire) as a control comparison(used the same helmet at various speed). these are definitely better options than generic ear plugs.

Active Noise cancelling option; (claimed 38 DB reduction)

dyplay Ultra Wide Band Active Noise Cancellation Headphones​

dyplay Ultra Wide Band Active Noise Cancellation Headphones ANC Wireless Neckband Bluetooth Headsets with Magnets IPX5 Waterproof 15 Hour Playtime - Sports Earphones with Inline Mic Strong Bass : Amazon.ca: Electronics

dyplay Ultra Wide Band Active Noise Cancellation Headphones ANC Wireless Neckband Bluetooth Headsets with Magnets IPX5 Waterproof 15 Hour Playtime - Sports Earphones with Inline Mic Strong Bass : Amazon.ca: Electronics
www.amazon.ca

This options seems to reduce noise significantly and gives you less fatigue on the ear. Depending on the helmet, it will move around your ears. Also taking off the helmet will definitely hurt your ears. Also Bluetooth function works very well and high fidelity sound for its price. ANC is mediocre(compared to BOSE) but seems to be better than earplugs. For its money, I say its pretty good. If you dont have a perfect fit, the wind noise leaks in, the headphone still work ok with the light leak.

Ear plug options

High Fidelity Earplug, Reusable Silicone Noise Canceling Sound Blocking Reduction Earplugs (Reduce 35dB) ​


GROUNDSHAKER® High Fidelity Earplug, Reusable Silicone Noise Canceling Sound Blocking Reduction Earplugs (Reduce 35dB) for Musicians, DJ, Snoring, Concerts, Gym, Shooting, Airplanes, Musicians, Racing, Motorcycle, GREY : Amazon.ca: Health & Personal

GROUNDSHAKER® High Fidelity Earplug, Reusable Silicone Noise Canceling Sound Blocking Reduction Earplugs (Reduce 35dB) for Musicians, DJ, Snoring, Concerts, Gym, Shooting, Airplanes, Musicians, Racing, Motorcycle, GREY : Amazon.ca: Health & Personal Care
www.amazon.ca

Comfortable, Conforms around the ear very well. least intrusive. Price point, expensive for 1. 1 pair

Anti-Noise Earplugs, Reusable Silicone Noise-Cancelling Sleep Earplugs (NRR 40dB)​


Anti-Noise Earplugs, Reusable Silicone Noise-Cancelling Sleep Earplugs (NRR 40dB), Can Provide Comfortable Hearing Protection for Shooting, Travel, Swimming, Work, Sleep and Concerts. (Red) : Amazon.ca: Everything Else

Anti-Noise Earplugs, Reusable Silicone Noise-Cancelling Sleep Earplugs (NRR 40dB), Can Provide Comfortable Hearing Protection for Shooting, Travel, Swimming, Work, Sleep and Concerts. (Red) : Amazon.ca: Everything Else
www.amazon.ca

This seems to be the almost the same as high fidelity or slightly better, but there is problem with the fatigue on your ear due to its shape regardless how soft the silicone is. Also there is a chance that you may lose the inner plastic part if you are not careful. Price expensive but it does come with multiple inner cores. 1 pair

Ear Plugs for Sleeping, 100 Pairs SNR 38dB High Noise Cancelling Ear Plug​


Ear Plugs for Sleeping, 100 Pairs SNR 38dB High Noise Cancelling Ear Plugs, Soft Foam Comfortable Ear Plugs for Snoring, Studying, Travel, Concerts, Loud Noise : Amazon.ca: Health & Personal Care

Ear Plugs for Sleeping, 100 Pairs SNR 38dB High Noise Cancelling Ear Plugs, Soft Foam Comfortable Ear Plugs for Snoring, Studying, Travel, Concerts, Loud Noise : Amazon.ca: Health & Personal Care
www.amazon.ca

This slightly is better than Canadian Tire one. I use these as back up in case I lose the other expensive ones.

Hope this helps.
 
Last edited:
i use these;


they have inserts you can swap out to reduce more or less noise, it also comes in a smaller fit version. comes with a carrying case with 1 spare in the bottom.

Price has doubled since i bought them...
 
I will try that too. it says 26 db reduction. The ones I mentioned have claimed 30+ db reduction.
 
There's a lot of scammers in the 'noise cancelling' earbud business right now. To start with noise cancelling and noise reducing are two very different things. Noise cancelling earbuds will use sonic waves to cancel out noise (ANC), but there are sellers, mostly Chinese, throwing around the term 'noise cancelling' for simple earplugs. Noise reducing just block your ears.

No plug can block past around 33db, and I have yet to experience earbuds that cancel noise effectively enough to preserve your hearing. I currently have the Bose buds and they're effective to about 80km/h only if covered. Any higher speed and wind noise defeats them.

Effective ear protection doesn't exist for motorcycles the way it does for aircraft pilots, who use noise cancelling ear mugs. There was a fellow trying to get backing for a helmet that integrated ear mugs with aircraft grade noise cancelling, but I don't think he got enough interest. No current helmet and earplugs will save your hearing. You will suffer hearing damage riding motorcycles, and the more you ride the more damage you'll incur. It's one of those things the industry hasn't addressed properly.
 
I hope someone/manufacturer makes one of these noise cancelling helmet. Although Sena does have one called Sena Momentum INC. I will be buying it next season and test out and let you know.
 
I use custom molded ear plugs. I'm not sure that their dB reduction is but they're good for all day comfort.
 
Evoex said:
i use these;


they have inserts you can swap out to reduce more or less noise, it also comes in a smaller fit version. comes with a carrying case with 1 spare in the bottom.

Price has doubled since i bought them...
Click to expand...
I've been using those too. Maybe 2 years? I recall they were around 24 bucks.

They block enough wind noise but still allows music to be heard via BT speaker unit (at full volume).

The only thing I don't like is, sometimes they can go in a little deeper in your ear canals and hard to get them out if your fingernails are short.

Sent from my M2007J20CG using Tapatalk
 
Evoex said:
i use these;


they have inserts you can swap out to reduce more or less noise, it also comes in a smaller fit version. comes with a carrying case with 1 spare in the bottom.

Price has doubled since i bought them...
Click to expand...
I have these as well, work pretty good. Way better than foamies, got them way back when cheaper tho.
 
Howard Leigh are the pros in noise supression and their -33db is believable. Cheap and effective. I reuse mine and a box of 200 for $37 last years

They are also useful for supressing "in helmet" resonance in the speaker cavities.

It's pretty much impossible for any IEM to get below -26 db in noise supression. That's adequate with a good seal and dense foam tips like Weston or Comply that provide noise supression and the seal you need.

Silcon tips and plugs are pretty much useless unless multi-barrier. They don't wear out as the foam ones do although whatever Shure is doing on the SE215 tips is both dense and long wearing.
Comply really wear fast.

Noise cancelling works best on constant noise like in an aircraft or a tractor but does little to supress random helmet noise. They do however make speech a bit more intelligible. They are subject to crackling from wind impacting the mike that supplies the waveform - also not very weather resistant.
The category is improving but far from silent.

I've been trying a 3mm neoprene scuba band that seals the iem and does good job of noise supression in addition to the Shures -26.
61KtoKXMt9L._AC_SL1200_.jpg
 
FYI, if you find that foam earplugs aren't very effective, then it is likely that they are the wrong size or are installed incorrectly. They need to be all the way in the ear canal. A too large plug can be really difficult to get inserted all the way, and a too small plug won't seal right. After you get them inserted and let them expand, cover your ears with your hands to test whether they're inserted correctly - you shouldn't notice a significant reduction in ambient sound by covering with your hands.

Ear-Plugs-How-To-Use-Ear-Plugs-1024x576.jpg


www.cdc.gov

CDC - Mining - How To Wear Soft Foam Earplugs - NIOSH

Instructions on how to get the best protection from soft foam earplugs.
www.cdc.gov www.cdc.gov

These days I use the custom molded silicone ones that you can get at the bike shows. They're not as effective as the foam plugs, but they're way more convenient and easier to use.
 
short2ride said:
I hope someone/manufacturer makes one of these noise cancelling helmet. Although Sena does have one called Sena Momentum INC. I will be buying it next season and test out and let you know.
Click to expand...

Momentum INC Pro Noise Canceling Motorcycle Helmet with Built-In Camera | Sena

This smart motorcycle helmet includes advanced Bluetooth connectivity for music, GPS and rider communication, a camera on the center of the helmet for photos and video recording, and an intelligent noise control system with dynamic control settings that cuts down on wind and environment noise.
www.sena.com www.sena.com

I sure hope that Senna is a success. Notice that Sena doesn't provide specific information on noise reduction on their site about that helmet? Their claim is that noise above 100db causes hearing damage, but they don't tell you exactly how much the Momentum helmet cuts that down. You get a graph, but no numbers, which makes me suspicious of whether they really know how effective their helmet is. The reality for motorcycles is not just how loud, but how long you're exposed to the noise. Even with ear plugs that reduce noise by 30db, you're going to do damage. I have noticed while commuting that quite apart from wind noise the noise from the heavy traffic around me on the highway is also a factor. Earplugs an expensive Schuberth helmet and a dead silent bike, have helped, but have not stopped my ears from ringing on a 1-hour commute at 100-120km/h.

hearing-loss-decibel-time-graph.png
 
For me the best solution has been a quiet helmet. I bought a c3 last year, not specifically for quietness, but it certainly is the quietist I’ve ever experienced.

Way quieter than my previous Scorpion and Shoei helmets.
 
Roadghost said:

Momentum INC Pro Noise Canceling Motorcycle Helmet with Built-In Camera | Sena

This smart motorcycle helmet includes advanced Bluetooth connectivity for music, GPS and rider communication, a camera on the center of the helmet for photos and video recording, and an intelligent noise control system with dynamic control settings that cuts down on wind and environment noise.
www.sena.com www.sena.com

I sure hope that Senna is a success. Notice that Sena doesn't provide specific information on noise reduction on their site about that helmet? Their claim is that noise above 100db causes hearing damage, but they don't tell you exactly how much the Momentum helmet cuts that down. You get a graph, but no numbers, which makes me suspicious of whether they really know how effective their helmet is. The reality for motorcycles is not just how loud, but how long you're exposed to the noise. Even with ear plugs that reduce noise by 30db, you're going to do damage. I have noticed while commuting that quite apart from wind noise the noise from the heavy traffic around me on the highway is also a factor. Earplugs an expensive Schuberth helmet and a dead silent bike, have helped, but have not stopped my ears from ringing on a 1-hour commute at 100-120km/h.

hearing-loss-decibel-time-graph.png
Click to expand...
That's a great image.
As someone who DJ'd in very loud clubs and parties for decades, I'm surprised at how good my hearing still is. For years, it was the louder the better and I never wore earplugs. I'm sure it will catch up with me at some point.

When riding, the windshield I use makes a really big difference. With the shorty screen it's like a naked bike and I find it quite loud, enough that I can barely hear my music when riding at highway speeds. With the taller windshield, I can hear the music really well at the same speeds and same music volume. Occasionally when I have done some work on the bike and I take it for a short test ride without earplugs, I am amazed at how loud it is on the bike and especially the sounds of other vehicles - the big trucks are the worst. I can't believe I rode for years without any hearing protection at all - often wearing a half helmet and blasting up the 400.

Currently I'm using the Howard Leight Max Corded Earplugs with a full face Shoei GTAir2 helmet. I used these earplugs for years working with power tools and find them to do a really good job of blocking out wind noise - they are comfortable for 12 hr days on the bike.
229335.jpg
 
short2ride said:
I have been looking for options to reduce wind noise. I bought these based on DB reduction. I haven't seen anyone talking about these so here it goes. Also all of these will allow you to listen to voices/music etc at a reduced volume. All of them reduces a certain amount of DB of wind noise/other noise. The extent of DB reduction may differ. They all have claimed reduction. I cannot confirm they are true or not. I am basing on generic ear plugs(Canadian tire) as a control comparison(used the same helmet at various speed). these are definitely better options than generic ear plugs.

Active Noise cancelling option; (claimed 38 DB reduction)

dyplay Ultra Wide Band Active Noise Cancellation Headphones​

dyplay Ultra Wide Band Active Noise Cancellation Headphones ANC Wireless Neckband Bluetooth Headsets with Magnets IPX5 Waterproof 15 Hour Playtime - Sports Earphones with Inline Mic Strong Bass : Amazon.ca: Electronics

dyplay Ultra Wide Band Active Noise Cancellation Headphones ANC Wireless Neckband Bluetooth Headsets with Magnets IPX5 Waterproof 15 Hour Playtime - Sports Earphones with Inline Mic Strong Bass : Amazon.ca: Electronics
www.amazon.ca

This options seems to reduce noise significantly and gives you less fatigue on the ear. Depending on the helmet, it will move around your ears. Also taking off the helmet will definitely hurt your ears. Also Bluetooth function works very well and high fidelity sound for its price. ANC is mediocre(compared to BOSE) but seems to be better than earplugs. For its money, I say its pretty good. If you dont have a perfect fit, the wind noise leaks in, the headphone still work ok with the light leak.

Ear plug options

High Fidelity Earplug, Reusable Silicone Noise Canceling Sound Blocking Reduction Earplugs (Reduce 35dB) ​


GROUNDSHAKER® High Fidelity Earplug, Reusable Silicone Noise Canceling Sound Blocking Reduction Earplugs (Reduce 35dB) for Musicians, DJ, Snoring, Concerts, Gym, Shooting, Airplanes, Musicians, Racing, Motorcycle, GREY : Amazon.ca: Health & Personal

GROUNDSHAKER® High Fidelity Earplug, Reusable Silicone Noise Canceling Sound Blocking Reduction Earplugs (Reduce 35dB) for Musicians, DJ, Snoring, Concerts, Gym, Shooting, Airplanes, Musicians, Racing, Motorcycle, GREY : Amazon.ca: Health & Personal Care
www.amazon.ca

Comfortable, Conforms around the ear very well. least intrusive. Price point, expensive for 1. 1 pair

Anti-Noise Earplugs, Reusable Silicone Noise-Cancelling Sleep Earplugs (NRR 40dB)​


Anti-Noise Earplugs, Reusable Silicone Noise-Cancelling Sleep Earplugs (NRR 40dB), Can Provide Comfortable Hearing Protection for Shooting, Travel, Swimming, Work, Sleep and Concerts. (Red) : Amazon.ca: Everything Else

Anti-Noise Earplugs, Reusable Silicone Noise-Cancelling Sleep Earplugs (NRR 40dB), Can Provide Comfortable Hearing Protection for Shooting, Travel, Swimming, Work, Sleep and Concerts. (Red) : Amazon.ca: Everything Else
www.amazon.ca

This seems to be the almost the same as high fidelity or slightly better, but there is problem with the fatigue on your ear due to its shape regardless how soft the silicone is. Also there is a chance that you may lose the inner plastic part if you are not careful. Price expensive but it does come with multiple inner cores. 1 pair

Ear Plugs for Sleeping, 100 Pairs SNR 38dB High Noise Cancelling Ear Plug​


Ear Plugs for Sleeping, 100 Pairs SNR 38dB High Noise Cancelling Ear Plugs, Soft Foam Comfortable Ear Plugs for Snoring, Studying, Travel, Concerts, Loud Noise : Amazon.ca: Health & Personal Care

Ear Plugs for Sleeping, 100 Pairs SNR 38dB High Noise Cancelling Ear Plugs, Soft Foam Comfortable Ear Plugs for Snoring, Studying, Travel, Concerts, Loud Noise : Amazon.ca: Health & Personal Care
www.amazon.ca

This slightly is better than Canadian Tire one. I use these as back up in case I lose the other expensive ones.

Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
What about eliminating the bulk of the problem in the first place by using a taller windscreen?
 
Evoex said:
i use these;


they have inserts you can swap out to reduce more or less noise, it also comes in a smaller fit version. comes with a carrying case with 1 spare in the bottom.

Price has doubled since i bought them...
Click to expand...

Very effective and comfortable but have lost one of the plugs (3 in package) and the filters keep falling out and now using the “reds”

The asphalt colour does not help.

My other plugs are custom moulded which are ok but get uncomfortable on all day rides.

The price increase is hopefully temporary and will hopefully return once supply is normalized.
 
+1 for disposable foam earplugs.

Comfortable, dirt cheap and hygienic since you just toss them after each ride.

I have found there can be a big difference between brands though. The cheap walmart ones bounced back too fast making them hard to put in, and weren't as dense. I bought a massive pack of 3M ones from Amazon that should last me several years, and they work perfectly.
 
Evoex said:
i use these;


they have inserts you can swap out to reduce more or less noise, it also comes in a smaller fit version. comes with a carrying case with 1 spare in the bottom.

Price has doubled since i bought them...
Click to expand...
Pinlock sells a similar set. Two sizes, 2 sets of red inserts. 'bout half the price.
I've been using them all year.
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