Wind noise

[kiltman]

I will endorse the adjustable windshield extension mod for cutting down wind noise. I got mine off of eBay for under $25 Cad. free shipping. World of difference, super quiet. It’s adjustable both in height and angle.

 

[Upt' North]

You can have made to measure ear plugs made with a filter built into them to allow required frequencies through. I've got a couple of pairs still that were made by our NHS service in the UK when riding job bikes. These were designed to allow the dispatcher to be heard and viccy verca.
Private companies make them too but whoever makes them they will be expensive and guaranteed to fall down a grid hole when you take your helmet off .
The last ones I had made were probably about 15 years ago and were over £100.00 a pair then. And that was at a discounted service to service price. Your ears will also change shape over time, don't know why, they just do, so even if you don't drop them down a grid hole first time out they won't last forever.
Upt'North.

 

[T_C]

You can have made to measure ear plugs made with a filter built into them to allow required frequencies through.

There are some fairly neutral frequency drop sound attenuating custom fit earplugs you can get too. Think about $149 a pair, check Westone, I think CR49 they are called. I have a pair I use frequently for work with power tools around the house and when I attend concerts. Wearing those are less tiring to the ears and mind through day then the foam or silicone ones that block the noise on a non-linear curve and you hear more internal sounds.

 

[T_C]

Thanks. I was thinking of getting custom earbuds.

Chjeck with a local audioligist. You might be able to get part of the purchase with your health insurance. At the very least, you can use FSA/HSA money to buy them with non-taxed money. I did both concert plugs and custom monitors that way a few years back to use up extras FSA funds before I lost them.

 

[AJMeister]

So what combines the best wind noise isolation with the best sound quality for music? Passive ear buds i.e. foam plugs, active noise canceling ear buds like the Bose QuitComfort 20 or custom ear plugs with built in little speakers? I don’t like the helmet speakers that came with my Sena Evo 20 kit.

 

[ST Gui]

...with the best sound quality for music?

I'd say that alone rules out all basic ear plugs. Custom molded ear plugs around a high quality set of buds would be my vote for potentially the best sound quality for music.

Second place might go to active noise cancelling headphones but they only work on steady state sounds so they might not be all that effective on other noises. But they'd probably be best for hearing conversation. I'd consider them somewhat of a compromise in any case when listening to music.

Someone had active helmet noise isolation with inflatable pads in the helmet. These along with good 'buds might work though pressure on the ears and buds could impose limitations.

Another member got some third-party helmet speakers that he said were a big inmprovement over the Sena kit– at $100. But they're still helmet speakers and that may not work for you. Whatever you do– music on a motorcycle requires compromise. IMNSHO.

 

[larryg]

So what combines the best wind noise isolation with the best sound quality for music?

The Shure's, mentioned above, have good sound quality. And they have good noise isolation also.
Wear them under a thin helmet liner, or you won't be happy. (see my post above)

 

[Shuey]

I've tried several solutions over the years and found the best solution to cut out road and wind noise while enjoying stereo music and telephone calls with the sound turned DOWN nearly 50% over what was needed using in-helmet speakers is custom molded in-ear stereo ear plugs.

www.earplugstore.com
"Challenger Custom Molded Isolation Earphones, Model M" with Premium Dual Drivers.
They come standard with a comfortably long cord that will plug into most phones or GPSs. I order mine with a shorter 18" cord that plugs into my Sena 20S mounted on the side of my helmet allowing BlueTooth connectivity with my iPhone and Garmin GPSs . . . no additional wires needed.

Expensive? You bet, but . . . how much is your hearing worth? I'm trying to keep what I have left.
They'll send you a kit to make custom ear molds which you mail back to them and they use to make your earplugs. Once you put them in, you'll forget they're there.

Regardless of what solution you choose, choose something. Hearing loss is an insidiously slow process that once gone is . . . unrecoverable.

Shuey

 

[ST1100Y]

Methinks there is no universal sollution...
The "problem" roots in too many variables of rider's stance/seat height, type/design of helmet, type/size of windscreen, overall speed, (cross) wind direction, etc...
An often documented source of noise is the helmet rim, some MFGs offer dedicated 'air curtain' inserts/clip-ons, some riders just add an adhesive foam/velcro strip on just the right spot there for improvement...
My Shoei's (Multitec and Neotec) are significantly more silent with the face shield open/up, then with all hatches down in bad weather mode...
At 6'2" and the Secdem screen wind noise is bearable till about 80mph, hitting 100mph on longer motorway stretches calls for soft/foam earplugs...

 

[ST Gui]

Regardless of what solution you choose, choose something. Hearing loss is an insidiously slow process that once gone is . . . unrecoverable.

+1 I'd go so far as to say that almost any speed and certainly with any helmet we should all be wearing earplugs regardless of whether or not music is in question. If we planted mics in our ears we could possibly plot some speed/time graphs where riding without ear protection didn't put hearing at risk. We all know a few loud concussive sounds can damage our hearing. But prolonged exposure to far less loud sounds can also damage it. Permanent damage is accumulative.

I am trying to wear foam ear plugs on a regular basis but they do interfere with conversation. This is probably due to attending many rock concerts back when and standing in front of stacked Marshalls. Even Jack Bruce stuffed cotton in his ears. That shoulda told me something! So I try to live up to the tenant there's no such thing as a quiet helmet and CA law notwithstanding- ear protection should be worn allatime.

Anybody hear that high pitched ringing sound or is it just me.