Recommend in-ear replacement headphones?

DJM

DJM

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Well, after 8 years of continuous use my awesome Etymotic ER-6i's have finally bit the dust.

I see that there's a plethora of headphones out there and it's a bit daunting to go through all the specs so can someone recommend a decent set that isolates noise and gives a decent fit and sound in a full-face helmet?

I can see spending $200-300 if necessary.
 
Amazing that your Etymotics lasted this long - mine usually bit the dust every 2-3 years at most.

Shure makes some great sounding ones at that price point so I would suggest you check out their product line, but for much cheaper, I have been now using Ultimate Ears 350i which only cost me about $30 and have an inline control. Not as great as the Etymotics for the fullness of sound, but perfect for that fact that the wires are usually the first thing to go.

My next pair will likely be to try out a pair of Shure's again - I did have the E5's many years ago, but had trouble keeping them in when putting on my helmet. They were the most amazing sounding in-ear monitors, but I think they were around $500.
 
I bought a Sena 10S. I put ear plugs in and you can still hear it fine! Sound quality is good too! Plus you've got the added bonus of no cords because it's Bluetooth.

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk
 
Westone adv beta can be had for $39 when on blow out , klipsch s4i series 1 or 2 ,
90% fail at the jack or right at the ear bud with daily use.

All better quality units sell replaceable headphone cables for that reason. Sennheiser ie 80, etc, westone,

http://www.head-fi.org/ to learn

I have a brand new pair of 6is you can buy off me with packaging
BB
 
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I've gone through a few sets of Shure SE 530's over the years. I am not that impressed with the sound, but the customer service is very good (I smashed one set in a car door and they let me buy a replacement set for ~1/2 price).
 
Xrsman said:
I bought a Sena 10S. I put ear plugs in and you can still hear it fine! Sound quality is good too! Plus you've got the added bonus of no cords because it's Bluetooth.

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk
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This is what I have with a Sena 20S. Zero issues hearing music with earplugs in and the speakers placed properly. Once you cut the cord you won't go back. Added bonus is answering phone and voice control.
 
jc100 said:
This is what I have with a Sena 20S. Zero issues hearing music with earplugs in and the speakers placed properly. Once you cut the cord you won't go back. Added bonus is answering phone and voice control.
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I do the same with my Scala + you can get GPS voice prompts if you want. I use a wired connection from my I Pod because Bluetooth seems to draw more power and Scala would not last for a full day's ride (10 - 12 hours).
 
i never liked the er6is but sony makes some cheap $30 and i think you should try them out. for riding they are decent.
 
I used to have a pair by Centrios - passive noise cancelling headphones that were amazing. The cable began to crack this year, after 8 years, and now I've switched to the plugphones. Centrios as a brand is no where to be found :(

Plugphones have a nice and small driver (to fit in the ear well), but I needed to use replacement tips from www.complyfoam.com/ to make them work for me. The driver in the plugphones is less-than-desireable. Distorts easily, and more inefficient than standard iPhone headphones.

If I had to do it again, I'd get the best headphones that have replaceable tips, then get the tips at Comply foam's website.
 
I used to use UltimateEars but they did tend to fall apart,

Now using Shure 215s and love the fit and sound once I put Westone tips. The Shures are low profile - easy - to get hlmets on and off.
Biggest factor for me was the construction ....all bits are replaceable.

Had a pair of Klipsch fail ...no repair available - just a marginal discount on a new pair ....basically $250 throwaway. -

Get the Shures.....
 
MacDoc said:
I used to use UltimateEars but they did tend to fall apart,

Now using Shure 215s and love the fit and sound once I put Westone tips. The Shures are low profile - easy - to get hlmets on and off.
Biggest factor for me was the construction ....all bits are replaceable.

Had a pair of Klipsch fail ...no repair available - just a marginal discount on a new pair ....basically $250 throwaway. -

Get the Shures.....
Click to expand...

+1 for the shure 215.
 
+ Shure...

I've been using the Shure SE 315 for the last few years, the sound is full and rich, and the best thing about them is the cables detach from the plugs, so when your wires go bad (and they will every few years) all you do is replace the wires. The cables that come with it don't have the remote buttons but you can buy the cables that have the remote feature that way you can pause and play the music. On an iphone you can also take calls and the calls are clear, most of the time the person on the other line cannot even tell I'm on my bike, and I got load pipes.

I use mine with a beanie helmet and these babies block my load exhaust and stay in my ear perfectly even on the highway and through storms, I absolutely love these babies. I've rode with them for hours from Toronto to Harrisburg PA and Toronto to NYC. Never a problem nor will they hurt your ears even after having them in your ears for hours for long rides. You can also buy the different size and style plugs for them, I personally love the white soft silicone sleeves that have the ribbed edges.

The customer service for Shure is also top notch, they have replaced my wires a few times when they have prematurely ripped.

Here below are the links to the headset, Sleeves, and Cables.

SHURE SE 315

White Sleeves

Remote Cable
 
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Great info, thanks. I'm leaning towards the Sure models.

As an aside, although I managed 8 years out of them, my Etymotic's weigh almost twice what they did new just from the glue and silicone holding them together...
 
If I had to do it again, I'd get the best headphones that have replaceable tips, then get the tips at Comply foam's website.
Click to expand...

Try Westone tips instead .....better sound, last longer, better value for money than the Comply I used to use.
Just be careful to get the tips that fit your earphone.
 
I just bought the Shure 215 but find it extremely difficult to remove the full helmet without putting a strain on the wires. It's only a matter of time until the wires tear apart. Do you guys have a technique?
 
Yes - an Oxford thin balaclava....
Alss tilt the helmet so one ear goes in ( or out ) first then the other ...getting the Shures flat is a trick ...when in correctly there should be nothing outside the shell of the ear.

You are looping the wire over the ear I assume.

INsertd correctly they will sit inside the ear like this

t10i-in-ear.png


You have to insert and twist them into place then run the cables.

Balaclava makes it far easier and keeping your helmet clean
 
I never liked riding with IEM's in. When you are listening to music, you are way too isolated from the world around you for my tastes. For those riding with IEM's and music, how do you hear anything (horns, sirens, etc.)?

For riding, I typically use ear plugs without music, or on the rare occasion where I really feel the need for music, I use earbuds so I can still hear what's happening around me.
 
GreyGhost said:
I never liked riding with IEM's in. When you are listening to music, you are way too isolated from the world around you for my tastes. For those riding with IEM's and music, how do you hear anything (horns, sirens, etc.)?

For riding, I typically use ear plugs without music, or on the rare occasion where I really feel the need for music, I use earbuds so I can still hear what's happening around me.
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My Shure 315 SE headphones have 2 purposes:

1) Save my hearing from my load pipes
2) Rocking music.

On local roads I mostly keep the music off. If I do have the music on on local roads I keep it very low, too hear sirens and horns.
On the highway is where I rock the music as you don't need to worry about going through an intersection and I can still hear a load siren coming from behind from emergency vehicles. That's why you need to get the remote cables so you can play, pause, stop the music when you merge onto the highway and coming off it.

On some occasions I won't turn the music on at all, when I want to hear the sweeet rumble of my engine. :)

Love music + Love riding = Riding with Rocking Tunes = Ethereal Ride :)
 
GreyGhost said:
I never liked riding with IEM's in. When you are listening to music, you are way too isolated from the world around you for my tastes. For those riding with IEM's and music, how do you hear anything (horns, sirens, etc.)?

For riding, I typically use ear plugs without music, or on the rare occasion where I really feel the need for music, I use earbuds so I can still hear what's happening around me.
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Mine go in every single time I'm on the bike and expecting to be moving at 100km/hr or more - which is almost every ride. For short errands close to the house, then no need. I can still hear horns and sirens when they are in, albeit any outside sounds are muted. I've been riding like this for a long time and have never felt any lack or perception of the outside world. I feel more perceptive and the music is just in the background.

A few weeks ago I accidentally left my IEM's packed away and so I rode with just earplugs for the entire day of about 800km. It was actually a nice experience and I did like it, because I was able to hear the bike and feel the bike. That said, I still like my music better.
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