[Cruiseman]

Why doesn't J&M or Bose, or ANYBODY make noise cancelling headsets for helmets (like the headphones for airplane use)?

 

[dchance]

I once asked that question to Ed at Ed-sets and he said they would have to be very large. He gave me all the engineering reasons why, but that was out of my expertise.

 

[Cruiseman]

I once asked that question to Ed at Ed-sets and he said they would have to be very large. He gave me all the engineering reasons why, but that was out of my expertise.

I don't know if that is true anymore. I have seen noise-cancelling ear plugs!

 

[Nestor]

I once asked that question to Ed at Ed-sets and he said they would have to be very large. He gave me all the engineering reasons why, but that was out of my expertise.

I don't know if that is true anymore. I have seen noise-cancelling ear plugs!

I have seen those as well. You would think they could be incorporated into the helmet design with the noise pic-ups part of the outer shell.

Hmmm, something to think about ....

 

[Cruiseman]

Actually seems like someone would design a helmet from the ground up with headphones in might. There could be a system with actual headphones built into the helmet with a lever on the back of the helmet that would "snug" the earphones to your ears.

 

[azjerry]

Actually seems like someone would design a helmet from the ground up with headphones in might. There could be a system with actual headphones built into the helmet with a lever on the back of the helmet that would "snug" the earphones to your ears.

I've wondered that also. Probably not a real big market among all motorcycle helmets sold but I think whoever develops one would sell out.

 

[Fred H.]

I have contacted every major headset and intercom manufacture I know of and asked them this question and they all give me a million reasons why this can't be done yet not a one of them has ever actually tried.

I bought a cheap set of NCT noise cancelling headsets and put them into a helmet, and it worked just fine, and made a huge reduction in ambient noise.

So it is indeed feasible, I know cause I have done it. It is just that none of the manufactures have even TRIED. They all give a thousand reasons why it won't work, but not a one has even experimented with it.

Sooner or later someone will make a set of noise cancelling headsets, and when they do, they will run away with the market and leave all the rest in the dust.

 

[Cruiseman]

They already make them for military helicopter pilot helmets, I think.

 

[cavuseeker]

I'm thinking they might not be legal. Wearing earbuds with music, at least here in Washington, are illegal on bikes, and I know they are in cars. Basically, the don't want you to wear something that would prevent you hearing other cars, horns, emergency sirens, etc.

Headsets in helmets are explicitly legal here. But you would have to have a head set that fits tightly over the ear, which would require something different than most helmet headsets. The other poster was right, they don't have to be heavy, although most of the less expensive ones rely on the passive blocking. I have some shooting phones that work this way, and my Dave Clarks that I used to use when flying my Bonanza. The more expensive ones can be light, like the Boze I've seen in small aircraft. They weigh a few ounces, but require ship power to drive the active noise canceling.

But the technology is getting cheaper, so it could happen soon.

 

[daddysbike]

Riding sportbikes the last few years I wore my trusty $30 Sony Earbuds

These work great with my mp3 player and actually block ambient noise quite a bit. I then listened to others and spent $100 for noise cancelling Etymotic E6i earphones. They sounded good but were very uncomfortable. I used them for a year ('05) before they stopped working and I went back to my trusty and comfortable Sony Earbuds which actually sound good. When I got my '05 wing I connected the rear speakers but couldn't stand all the ambient wind noise, I got used to the quiet on my sportbikes so I got the Edsets connetcor and now use my Sony's connected to the wing and am happy. This kind of relates to what you asked I guess and it works well.

Steve

 

[Son of Thunder]

I would think that noise-cancelling headsets on a bike would be a safety issue. The Bose set that I once used on an international flight were awesome! But there are noises that you need to be able to hear when you're riding a motorcycle.

 

[AgFox]

The Challenger model (M) is an earbud custom molder it provides 26dB reduction in noise and provides me exceptional hearing of my XM, Navi, and wife. google challenger earplugs and go to the earplug store. Aquote from the challenger info "This great set of earphones works with all portable music players, providing powerful base and crisp clear music across the audible spectrum, with 25+ dB of isolation that lets you escape into a world of your own music." The wife and I swear by them

 

[Guest]

They already make them for military helicopter pilot helmets, I think.

You'd have to have one hellva good seal against outside noise.

 

[FUSE]

IBasically, the don't want you to wear something that would prevent you hearing other cars, horns, emergency sirens, etc.

Actually wearing noise cancelling headphones, or ANR - Active Noice Reducing Headphones do the exact opposite. Theywould allow you to hear other cars, horns, and emergency sirens even better. ANR can only cancel out very repetive sounds. For example. When wearing my ANR Headsets in the helicopters it does a very good job at getting rid of the rotor noise and engine noise. Now that that noise is gone when an alarm goes off or there is some noise out of the ordinary I can hear it very well.

In a motorcycle helmet it could cancel out the wind noise if the noise was consistant enough, it would cancel out the engine noise. So when a horn is honked at ya you would actually be able to hear it better.

 

[FUSE]

They already make them for military helicopter pilot helmets, I think.

They do, for civilian use as well but flight helmets are totally different than motorcycle helmets. The fit is totally different. It would not really be possible to make a motorcycle helmet to use the type of ANR avionics that a flight helmet uses. A motorcycle helmet is made to fit pretty tight, but a flight helmet does not. It's sort of like a large shell, the ear cups are about an inch or so thick. Sort of hard to explain.

 

[FUSE]

The Challenger model (M) is an earbud custom molder it provides 26dB reduction in noise and provides me exceptional hearing of my XM, Navi, and wife. google challenger earplugs and go to the earplug store. Aquote from the challenger info "This great set of earphones works with all portable music players, providing powerful base and crisp clear music across the audible spectrum, with 25+ dB of isolation that lets you escape into a world of your own music." The wife and I swear by them

I have a set as well, I love my challenger custom molded earphones. Best sound I have ever heard. Wish I could have afforded the Ultimate Ears custom molded ones, but for a couple hundred less, the challenger ones are great.

 

[David M.]

Long story short, I solved that problem with Shure earbuds. Excellent wind noise reduction in a new helmet that was *extremely* loud with wind noise. Since I have to use the intercom functions for bike-to-bike radios, I get to hear outside traffic noise, albeit at a subdued level.

Outside of taking about an extra minute to put back on after a stop, they are about the perfect solution.

Lastly, the sound quality is on par with high dollar home stereo headphones. Not up to electrostatic headphones but very close to the best dynamic headphones I could find...

David M.

 

[RoadKingNK]

Ear buds with Ed Sets?

Hi,

Has anyone switched the speakers that are standard with the Ed Sets and put Ear Buds in their place??

Thanks

 

[Daver]

Roadking,

I haven't, but that is my plan by next season. EdSets sells an 'adaptor' that is specificly(sp) for that!

 

[Pigeon Roost]

In regard to safe operation of vehicles while usings devices that either attenuate, eliminate, or cover-up outside noises; safety is only an issue if you are relying upon hearing of such outside noises to avoid dangerous situations -- which is likely a poor startegy in the first place. You can train yourself to be a safe driver without relying upon hearing. I have many hearing impaired and deaf patients who are excellent and safe drivers of trucks, cages, and cycles. I very frequently ride with insert ear phones that have noise attenuating cuffs of about an NRR of 21 in my ears plus moderate volume of piped through music. Once you become appropriately visually alert, there is no saftey issue, plus your hearing is preserved (so long as you don't get too carried away with the music) by having defeated the at speed wind baffle. It is possible, I suppose, that some drivers would be unable to cope with learning to become appropriately visually alert - we all have our various limitations; so procede at your own responsibility.

prs