Music Confusion

[NorthernBoy]

I like to have some music on when I ride, but, on my latest GS, it is starting to cause problems.

My simple route to listening, previously, was a good set of in-ear headphones, and, well, that was it. Around town, this method is still fine, but out on the faster roads I need the volume up loud enough that it is going to be doing soe harm.

My first thought was to get a quiet helmet (and I think that I am edging towards a Schunberth S1, or C3 on that front), but then I thought "why not get speakers in the helmet, and wear proper ear plugs". Smashing, I thought, that'll do it. Sound quality might not be great, but I'll no longer be damaging my hearing, and the speakers can live in the helmet. I found a set of cheapish in-helmet speakers made by IMC, and was good to go, when the next search turned up Autocom...

And then, after that, I noticed that Tomtom rider has a bluetoooth headset with it, and I coudl get a bluetoth adaptor for the iPod.

Bugger. Utter confusion has set in. At the moment, I don't really want to be able to speak to the wife on the back, I just want a good solution for my music. Should I just get the speakers, or is there an advantage to putting it through the autocom (the most basic model)? If I get the Tomtom rider, is the headset on that, along with a bluetooth adaptor for the iPod, a better way to go?

I had thought that I was struggling with helmet choice, but this is getting ridiculous now. Any and all advice gratefully accepted.

 

[beemerboy9]

If you can stand the wires, then go for an Autocom, which will act as hub for all current and future music, GPS, pillion and bike to bike communications. Invest in one of the newly released 2009 products.
Comparison tests over the years have proved wired systems to have superior sound quality and Autocom is arguably the best. I say arguably, because the obvious competition decline to submit their products for comparison when there is an Autocom in the field. So Autocom always "walk it".
Having said that there are many, many very happy users of the competetive products on this board - and they have my respect.

 

[NorthernBoy]

I looked over Autocom's site, and can't actually work out exactly what their "pro" system does. To be honest, it appears that if I buy their headset that I can plug in my iPod directly to that, and get what I want. Other than the future upgradeability, am I gaining anything else by feeding the music through the Autocom box first?

 

[beemerboy9]

Let's say you want to wear very effective earplugs - so your are effectively deafening yourself and hearing the music without much change in ambient noise levels. An Autocom, Starcom etc contains an amplifier which will boost the sound of the iPod to cope with speeds of up to 160mph on an unfaired bike. The new Logic unit would be ideal for this.
An iPod might work just on it's own - I don't know because I've never tried.
If you don't want to wear earplugs, then you will be subject to an enormous volume range of ambient noise inside the helmet. This is where the Super Pro Automatic comes in. It puts a Background Noise Sensor into the helmet, whose purpose is the adjust the volume of music according to ambient noise levels.
After that one is adding in features that may be of no use to you at all, but are widely valued by many riders here. Rider-to-pillion intercom, muting the music when the GPS gives instructions, muting the music when making a mobile call ,talking to other riders on bike-to-bike radio etc, using sophisticated mixing and control of the various audio sources.

 

[NorthernBoy]

Thanks, that's very helpful (I always worry that it seems sarcastic when I write that. Is there a "this is not sarcastic" smiley?)

I do want to switch to wearing proper earplugs, and so it is likely that I will need more output volume than I will get from the iPod, so it is possibly the way to go.

Although a boosteroo also might help....

I suppose that I just need to have a think about whether I am going to want to have pillion communication later.

Is there any way to get them to work with Tomtom Rider? I have no interest in Garmin any more, and want to go the Tomtom route.

 

[thauma]

I have a set of ultimate ear monitors (although I believe Green Leopard are as good). They fit well, and you don't need the music too loud as it is piped directly into your ear. So there is no messing around with getting speakers correctly fitted into your helmet so the sound is correctly positioned and directed to your ears. Also the sound protection from theses should be much better than your standard ipod (etc) earbuds

Ipod can then be directly connected to the in-ear monitors. It's not perfect as the wind noise is bad on a GS, but it is OK.

Now you could nip down to your local MAPLIN or equivenant store and by a 'volume adjustment unit' (http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=33144). Sorry I don't know what they're actually called, but it will cost around £6 and simply reduces (not boosts) the volume through a slider switch. Velcro this to your handlebars / tankbag etc, plug it into your ipod, and your monitors into it and off you go.

Not a pefrect solution, Not a communication hub (like Autocomm) and so only works for a single sound source but it works for me.

 

[Coolcarbon]

If Music is the main/only consideration, then Custom moulded is the route to go, no question. It protects your hearing which is the most important issue here.

They place the sound source right next to your eardrum so volume levels are kept to a minimum and keep the ambient noises within the Helmet to an acceptable level at any speed.

They are not cheap, but what price your hearing, because sure as eggs is eggs, it will get damaged over time if you simply turn the wick up in an effort to hear the Music...

The Custom moulded units will plug straight into your ipod...no need for any other equipment..

 

[beemerboy9]

Firstly, I agree with the others about custom-moulded plugs - I have a pair myself.
Once you wish to mute the music so that you can hear instructions from the TomTom clearly, then the best approach is an amplifier/mixer such as the Autocom.
You would have a bluetooth connection to the Autocom unit + a wired connection from the iPod and listen to both via the Autocom headset. The rider is an excellent unit - you just dont need the headset.

I'm curious though - if you don't want to talk to your wife while riding, does she feel the same about talking to you? Sarcastic, I know, but most folks here think that adding the pillion communication adds a pleasant extra dimension to the trip. I have my kids linked in, but they are enjoying the ride so much they rarely talk.

Regards,

John

 

[NorthernBoy]

I'm curious though - if you don't want to talk to your wife while riding, does she feel the same about talking to you? Sarcastic, I know, but most folks here think that adding the pillion communication adds a pleasant extra dimension to the trip. I have my kids linked in, but they are enjoying the ride so much they rarely talk.

Regards,

John

I suppose that I should probably ask...

Actually, she is not that concerned. I am not going to be doing any month-long tours of the alps with her (unlike me, she has a job to go to), and she is quite happy wearing her in-ear headphones (decent ones, like mine, that do cut quite a bit of the noise out) on the shorter trips that we do, for her music.

With my AGV, in-ear monitors would not be a solution; the wind noise was just far too loud, so the attenuation that you get with these sort of plugs would not be enough, and I'd still need the music up loud. I just went out today, though, and bought a Schuberth S1, which so far seems very much quieter, so possibly (along with the addition of winglets that I did last week) I am now in a position to take this route.

 

[Coolcarbon]

With my AGV, in-ear monitors would not be a solution; the wind noise was just far too loud, so the attenuation that you get with these sort of plugs would not be enough

Really, have you tried some....

 

[NorthernBoy]

Really, have you tried some....

I've read the statistics on the level of noise reduction, and discussed the issue with my cousin, who is a professional audiologist, and don't think that it is the best solution if the helmet is too loud. The attenuation of even custom-made earplugs (let alone ones compromised by having electronics or cavities for sound in them) is just not as good as I'd want.

If it works for you, that's fine, but the numbers, and advice, don't seem to make sense for me.

 

[Coolcarbon]

I've read the statistics on the level of noise reduction, and discussed the issue with my cousin, who is a professional audiologist, and don't think that it is the best solution if the helmet is too loud. The attenuation of even custom-made earplugs (let alone ones compromised by having electronics or cavities for sound in them) is just not as good as I'd want.

If it works for you, that's fine, but the numbers, and advice, don't seem to make sense for me.

Well, when you find something better, be sure to let us all know...

 

[NorthernBoy]

Well, when you find something better, be sure to let us all know...

As I said above, I've just bought a Schuberth S1, which is hopefully quiet enough that I can go the in-ear phones route, but f not, I'll likely get an Autocom.