I like to listen music while riding specially on longer trips where roads are not so technical it is nice to turn on some beats from Spotify or then listen your favourite podcast or what ever that makes you feel good.
I have tested quite many different approach and wanted to share those here. Maybe it helps someone who is thinking what kind of speakers are best for me.
So lets start.
Noise cancelling earplugs
I have tried three different models.
- Samsung Galaxy earbuds x (some older model)
- Samsung Galaxy buds pro
- TECHNICS EAH-AZ70WE-K
From The three I would go with Galaxy buds pro. It comes less out from ear and thus it does no press on the ear canal so much when used with helmet.
Samsung buds pro had decent capability to reduce winter and engine / Intake noise, but if there is loud noises and wind noises it starts to pop. Meaning that you get annoying noises as earbuds cannot handle that level of noise coming to it. If you bike is not too noisy these will do. One thing that I noticed was that when keeping these in ear several hours it started to feel painful and when I took helmet off those were always dropping off. (Actually I lost one when I took helmet off so I haven’t used these after that)
Technics Earbuds are not good for motorbiking. I was looking plenty of reviews etc before I bought those, as many sites were saying they have absolute amazing noise cancelling and those will stay in ear easily etc. Well for me those are not possible to use at all with helmet. Earbuds are staying too much out from ear so when you try to get helmet on those will drop. Or if you get helmet on those are pressing ear canals so that tears will come. So I cannot tell how good those are in there road, but I can warn you that those are coming quite much out so be careful before buying these for motorbiking.
Helmet Headset Bone Conduction Bluetooth
Next thing that I was thinking was headset that is outside of helmet and uses helmet to create bone conduction way music inside the helmet. These kind of headsets are sold in aliexpress and the one that I refer in this article can be found here.
Once I received it first issue was to find good slot for it in helmet. As I use Airoh commander helmet it does not have too many straight surfaces where speaker could be attached. Finally got it in place and went out for testing it. It needs to be basically as loud as it can be set that you hear something in speed around 60-70km/h If you go 80 or more you don’t anymore hear it at all.
Other downside is that everyone else will hear what music you are listening as it also echoes sounds to outside pretty clearly.
So I used this maybe 5 times and after that it has been sitting unused in somewhere. ( I was trying to find it but seems that it is in very good safe place at the moment)
Phone sets
I wonder why I didn’t go to these right away. Maybe I was thinking that I need just speaker and I don’t need to speak anything so lets try other options first. Anyway Year ago I bought my first motorbike phone set that was Snell E1 from XL Moto. It was in big sale If I remember right it was something like 50e after all coupons etc.
While riding I use Alpine Motosafe pro earplugs and those are absolute amazing, I can use those whole day without any issues. So I installed Snell handsfree system to my helmet and went out. Right away I noticed that this is the setup that I want to have. No pressure in ears or anything. Only downside was audio quality that Snell e1 provides. It is like coming from empty tin canister and is not too pleasant to listen. Anyway it was tolerable so I was using it whole last summer.
Currently Snell E1 is replaced with Sena 20S Evo intercom system and sound quality is so much better. Sena was in great deal of 99,90e so it was quite nice update in that price
Here is Music and podcast sample when using Snell speakers
As you can hear sound is quite metallic it comes up even more in Podcasts.
Here is music and podcast sample when using Sena 20s Evo speakers.
So as we can hear Sena is way better in all areas. Im sure I will have nice time with it next summer.
Below are some images of each system:
Snell has all needed accessories to install it to helmet
Sena has 3 different microphones and way more accessories to install it to different helmets.
Summary
My recommendation is intercom system as even cheap models are better than some outside speakers and you can protect your hearing with proper plugs. Noise cancelling earbuds are ok, but be sure that those are fitting under your helmet.
