Buffeting – problem solved

[talreli]

Went for a ride today with my QC20i BOSE echo cancelation earbuds. Had them connected to the
MP3 player integrated with the NUVI GPS.

No ear-plugs, helmet or windshield I have tried so far can even come close to suppressing the buffeting
to practically nothing as these earbuds did. They fit perfectly in the helmet, didn’t have to customize anything.

One can still hear the engine revs, and the MP3 music was concert hall quality. Just wanted to pass the word around….. ::008::

 

[TXTenere]

Went for a ride today with my QC20i BOSE echo cancelation earbuds. Had them connected to the
MP3 player integrated with the NUVI GPS.

No ear-plugs, helmet or windshield I have tried so far can even come close to suppressing the buffeting
to practically nothing as these earbuds did. They fit perfectly in the helmet, didn’t have to customize anything.

One can still hear the engine revs, and the MP3 music was concert hall quality. Just wanted to pass the word around….. ::008::

I'd be a little hesitant to use Bose earbuds on a motorcycle until I verified that I could still hear car horns & sirens with them in my ears. Bose nose canceling products are phenomenal .. sometimes too much so! Any idea if they cancel our horns and/or sirens?

 

[talreli]

I'd be a little hesitant to use Bose earbuds on a motorcycle until I verified that I could still hear car horns & sirens with them in my ears. Bose nose canceling products are phenomenal .. sometimes too much so! Any idea if they cancel our horns and/or sirens?

I was concerned about the same. However, one can still hear the surroundings very well, including the engine, horn, and traffic. They do a great job in cancelling monotonic background noises (wind buffeting, airplane jet engine), but will not do the same for distinct sounds.

 

[nwrider]

Will these work without any other input? I don't like to listen to anything but the motor when I'm riding, so if I had one of these units connected to my Sansa MP3 with the volume turned off, would the Bose units still work? I'm assuming that they also draw their power from the MP3 player --- how much power to they draw? Might have to have a 5v - 12v adapter plugged into a 12v socket?

 

[MojoToot]

My idea of "buffeting" is wind that knocks your head around, not noise.

So ear buds wouldn't help that.

I use silicon disposable type earplugs. Pull off a small ball and works great.

I was in NY City & the gas co. works in the middle of the night, due to light traffic, to prepare a new line. They were using jackhammer & heavy equipment all night. I called the desk & asked to be moved to the other side of the building but no vacancies. The desk offered to send a staffer across the street & get me earplugs from CVS....I had my doubts but they DID THE JOB!

Been using them on the bike ever since. I can hear what I need to hear without the wind noise.
I can hear music BT from my phone (when desired) via Uclear intercom @ 80mph.

There are multiple brands available.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000067NMJ?pc_redir=1400899556&robot_redir=1#immersive_view?1401115916827
The trick is to use enough so you can easily get it back out of your ears. Too much will be uncomfortable.

 

[talreli]

Will these work without any other input? I don't like to listen to anything but the motor when I'm riding, so if I had one of these units connected to my Sansa MP3 with the volume turned off, would the Bose units still work? I'm assuming that they also draw their power from the MP3 player --- how much power to they draw? Might have to have a 5v - 12v adapter plugged into a 12v socket?

They come with their own built in rechargeable battery, so one doesn't have to connect them to a power source or MP3 player - spec is up to 16 hours. Also, they have an in-line control for easy enable/disable the echo cancellation if you choose to do so while riding. See full description at http://www.bose.com/controller?url=/shop_online/headphones/noise_cancelling_headphones/quietcomfort_20/index.jsp&Variant=qc20i

They are not el-cheapo though......

 

[nwrider]

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[jaeger22]

A big THANK YOU to DarkKnight for posting about this. I would not have spent the big bucks if not for this write up. That caused me to do more research and I found that these are the highest rated noise canceling ear buds out there. They are stupid expensive but worth it. Are they perfect? No, but far better than anything else I have tried. I just rode from Orlando to Albuquerque in three long days and I was able to listen to audio books all the way and hear every word. I do get some strange popping when I get in the turbulence behind a truck. Like the noise canceling gets overwhelmed by the buffeting, but even then I can still hear the words because it is in only one side at a time.
I have done a LOT of experimenting to get something that works for me. I have a Sena and it works great with it. Music is nice and will work with almost any Sena set up. But audio books are much harder because you have to hear and understand every word to enjoy the book. I do a lot of long distance runs (on my 5th coast to coast and back now) and I really enjoy listening to books on these long days on the road. But I need to reduce the wind noise to save what hearing I have left. So I first used Sena SMH10 with speakers and wore ear plugs. With the volume all the way up, I could just hear and understand the audio books over the plugs but sometimes the angle of the wind made it louder and I missed words. Music was fine as it doesn't matter as much if you miss a bit. So I tried an ear plug base for the Sena and noise isolation ear buds. Better audio but not enough wind noise reduction. Just before this trip I broke down and got a set of these Bose noise cancellation ear buds and plugged them.
Haven! ::012::
They reduce the wind and background to about what you hear in a car. You can still hear everything just not loud. And the audio is Cristal clear. ::008::
So Thanks DarkKnight! ::012::

 

[rbernie]

I've been using Challenger earplugs for about fifteen years now. I love 'em.

http://www.earplugco.com/prod01.htm

 

[Zepfan]

I use a C Baily WIND SCREEN for "buffeting."
:question:

 

[20valves]

...QC20i BOSE echo cancelation earbuds.

Whoa, not cheap but really good stuff rarely is. Do they stay in place while pulling your helmet on and off?

I've been using the Etymotic (ER 6 I think) for years and they do a very good job but they're passive. They also take a bit of getting used to for ear tenderness. If these Bose units stay in place well, I might have to bust out the old piggy bank.

 

[Karson]

Whoa, not cheap but really good stuff rarely is. Do they stay in place while pulling your helmet on and off?

I've been using the Etymotic (ER 6 I think) for years and they do a very good job but they're passive. They also take a bit of getting used to for ear tenderness. If these Bose units stay in place well, I might have to bust out the old piggy bank.

I've got the Bose QC15 over the ear that have noise cancellation, and Bose IE2 in ear without. From my research and experience with the QC15, noise cancellation from Bose is top tier. I'm interested to hear how the work when you pull the helmet off.

For everything else, like home audio, BOSE = buy other sound equipment.

 

[jaeger22]

I forgot to mention that one of the major benefits for the Bose 20i is that the ear buds have this hook on the back that locks them in place. They are the first ones I have had that don't fall out. You do have to be more careful putting on and taking off the helmet but not a lot more than other ear plugs.

They do stick out just a tad more so I have to take extra care to get them aligned just right or they can cause pressure and then pain on a long ride. But if I align the wire with the slot at the bottom of my ear then they are fine for hours.
Also the build in battery charges in about 15 to 30 minutes from USB and lasts a claimed 16 hours. I have never had it go dead even on 12 hour riding days.
You can switch the noise canceling on and off and hear the difference. My first experience with doing this left me saying WOW!!! Nice. I still hear the motor and some wind noise, road noise, horns and so on. Just WAY softer. Like from inside a car.

As I said above, they are not perfect but they are the best I have found yet by far. Now if they just weren't so darn expensive. . . .

 

[Gen2S10]

I have been using EARFUZE with a set of in-ear buds for a few years now. www.earfuze.com They fit to the ear helix, and are flush to the ear. They do not stick out, or fall out.

I believe that these BOSE ear buds together with the Earfuze product could produce optimal results. Naturally YMMV.

-Lee-

 

[talreli]

A big THANK YOU to DarkKnight for posting about this. I would not have spent the big bucks if not for this write up. That caused me to do more research and I found that these are the highest rated noise canceling ear buds out there. They are stupid expensive but worth it. Are they perfect? No, but far better than anything else I have tried. I just rode from Orlando to Albuquerque in three long days and I was able to listen to audio books all the way and hear every word. I do get some strange popping when I get in the turbulence behind a truck. Like the noise canceling gets overwhelmed by the buffeting, but even then I can still hear the words because it is in only one side at a time.
I have done a LOT of experimenting to get something that works for me. I have a Sena and it works great with it. Music is nice and will work with almost any Sena set up. But audio books are much harder because you have to hear and understand every word to enjoy the book. I do a lot of long distance runs (on my 5th coast to coast and back now) and I really enjoy listening to books on these long days on the road. But I need to reduce the wind noise to save what hearing I have left. So I first used Sena SMH10 with speakers and wore ear plugs. With the volume all the way up, I could just hear and understand the audio books over the plugs but sometimes the angle of the wind made it louder and I missed words. Music was fine as it doesn't matter as much if you miss a bit. So I tried an ear plug base for the Sena and noise isolation ear buds. Better audio but not enough wind noise reduction. Just before this trip I broke down and got a set of these Bose noise cancellation ear buds and plugged them.
Haven! ::012::
They reduce the wind and background to about what you hear in a car. You can still hear everything just not loud. And the audio is Cristal clear. ::008::
So Thanks DarkKnight! ::012::

You are welcome jaeger22. I just came back from a 3000 miles trip with these BOSE plugged in all the way. Can't even put in words the extra fun these nine days were thanks to them. At 50+, saving my hearing for a few extra years is a consideration as well


----
12 Yamaha Super Tenere
04 Kawasaki Vulcan 750
84 Suzuki DR500

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[Bushyar15]

Dang, I was hoping it was a solution to the real buffeting. I too get this totally bothersome turbulence around my helmet (XD-4). I've got the Madstad windshield "adjuster" and I still can't get rid of the buffeting no matter how I adjust my windshield. It interferes with my vision...

I don't mind the wind noise. Its the buffeting. I stand on my pegs with my head in the wind and it super smooth airflow….

 

[Zepfan]

Dang, I was hoping it was a solution to the real buffeting. I too get this totally bothersome turbulence around my helmet (XD-4). I've got the Madstad windshield "adjuster" and I still can't get rid of the buffeting no matter how I adjust my windshield. It interferes with my vision...

I don't mind the wind noise. Its the buffeting. I stand on my pegs with my head in the wind and it super smooth airflow….

Try the C Baily. I ride w/ a loose fitting ball cap @ 85 - 90 no problem. Nice air slip. $130. @ Rocky Mountain atv/mc. 6' tall, eye level = 8" over top of screen.