Commuting - Sorta O/T: best headphones for riding?

Wasn't quite sure where to put this, but I figured that some of you may use headphones regularly on your commute as well. I have gone through a few pairs of some Philips behind-the-neck style headphones which I love, but the problem I have is that the connection keeps breaking at the plug. They warranty them, but its an annoying process to go through every couple of months.

Does anyone have recommendations for an over-the-ear headphone without noise cancellation and a plug that won't break right away?

This is a highly debatable subject, but from my point of view it's best to not use headphones at all for safetly reasons. I like to have a full awareness of my surroundings when I ride, that includes being able to hear cars or other potential dangers.

No headphones is best.

Not really interested in opinions of headphones vs. no headphones.

You want over the ears? Not in-ears right? Ones with the foam going over the whole ear or open?

the main issue with over the ear headphones is wind noise. ear buds can be better. Those that truly isolate the speaker from outside noise bring up the whole issue of safety.
It sounds to me like a possible wire routing issue - too much extreme bending in isolated locations?

Oh, ibtl. ;)

Sorry, I don't have any experience with over the ear headphones. I use the earphones that came with my iPhone. For biking, they provide loud enough audio, but still allow me to hear traffic around me. I also love that I can control the audio right from the cord. This allows me to turn off the audio if I get to an area that I feel audio would be unsafe.

The racers have a simple piece of tape to keep the ear bud to their team car's radio in their ear..


notable differences #1 its a closed road.. the race is not contending with anything but itself.


and they are not listening to Music.


Me? I whistle or hum or sing , stuff already in my commercial jingle TV contaminated head.

I never liked the behind-the-head type headphones, but if I were to suggest one I'd say try the Koss SportaPros. They have the same drivers as the excellent PortaPros, and are also backed by Koss' lifetime guarantee. I doubt you'll find anything in the lower price range that doesn't break all the time though -- portable headphone plugs are simply not meant to last. If it's breaking at the connection you'll probably have better luck just using some stiff tape to prevent the first inch or so from excessive bending.

Having said that, for safety (and for places where headphone use is straight up illegal) if you must listen to music while riding I'd suggest one of these speaker bags instead. Both put out reasonably good sound and is relatively light, the smaller one has just enough space for an extra snack bar.

www.amazon.com/dp/B003DQE8EM
www.amazon.com/dp/B00439CQKQ

Instead of offering argument on the subject, I will simply state my personal objection to the practice of distracting oneself while riding.

There. With that out of the way, I wholeheartedly recommend the Sennheiser PX100. They're rather more expensive than the Koss, but offer sound quality as good as it gets for less than $100. They're silly good. I *did* manage to break the connector on mine, but only after repeatedly catching it hard on bus seat handles. Two years after purchase.

I don't know if they're compatible with a helmet, but they do clamp well enough to go behind the head instead of above.

Yep, AirDrives. I tried earbuds, but I don't like being that disengaged from my surroundings. I had Koss Sportapros, but they still isolate me too much. AirDrives are different, because they're an over the ear design that places a tiny speaker on the tragus of your ear. The speaker is angled to direct sound into your ear. They work well, and allow enough environmental sound so I am aware of my surroundings.

http://www.airdrives.com/default.asp?contentID=1

You could try "bone conducting" headphone that leave the ears open, like Aftershokz or Audio Bone.

Not really interested in opinions of headphones vs. no headphones.
Then you picked the wrong forum to ask the question. None is best. Not only for your own safety, but for those around you. If you must have music, find a speaker you can carry on the bike.

Then you picked the wrong forum to ask the question. None is best. Not only for your own safety, but for those around you. If you must have music, find a speaker you can carry on the bike.

That, in a nutshell, describes a LOT of what's wrong with society. The OP asked a question about which headphones are best. The only people who SHOULD respond are those with information which answers the question. But no, busybody safety Nazis feel the need to chime in. Yet nobody seems to realize that it's not illegal for the hearing impaired to ride bikes, that motorcyclists are totally deaf when they're riding due to helmets and wind noise, and that modern automobiles are so soundproof that drivers can't hear what's going on outside their cars. But OMG IF YOU WEAR HEADPHONES YOU'RE GOING TO CAUSE CATASTROPHES!!! Seriously, relax.

If the question is "which headphones are better?" and you don't like to wear headphones when you ride, then DON'T CHIME IN. Your opinion does not matter.

IMO anything that stays in my ear and that is NOT noise isolating/cancelling is fine. Perhaps not headphones, since they don't fit well under a helmet.


Then you picked the wrong forum to ask the question. None is best. Not only for your own safety, but for those around you. If you must have music, find a speaker you can carry on the bike.
What's the difference between riding with a speaker and riding with non-noise-isolating headphones?

Seely, know you asked about over the ear ones, but I'd thought I'd tell you what I use when I commute.
Have had a set of Bose in ear buds for over 6 years and they are still going strong.
For me, the fact that the plug is still connected to the wires is a big plus, and I have used and abused them doing every type of activity.
Hope you find a set that works for you and enjoy your rides, because they are your rides...
As the hiking forum I visit like to say, " HYOH". (Hike your own Hike)

Back in the day :50: I had a hour long rural commute.. at supper time I had the road to myself,

so i played books-on-tape through the earbuds..Thought the micro FM radio receiver,

that I got, then, + the short distance transmitter Radio Shack sold

to play the portable players through the car radio,

Would be a wireless headset to let me get 'off the bike', suddenly,

without pulling the earbuds out of my ears,or breaking the wires ..

performance of the 2 parts of the scheme were not up to the ideal,

but it seemed like a good idea at the time..

I use generic earbuds. I've had 3 pairs of iPod/iPhone earbuds die within a year of use, so I don't recommend them. I currently use cheap Sony earbuds that cost around $10 at Walmart. These have been the most durable by far. Due to wind and traffic noise, it doesn't make sense to get the highest quality earbuds for commuting. There's too much sound pollution to really appreciate them. Something cheap with thick cables that can stand getting a little wet works best, IMO.

I wear hearing aids so as a blue tooth I use a external speaker which clips on my handle bar.

Anything skull candy makes is great.

I second anything made by Skullcandy. I know Walgreens carries their inexpensive brand, though I can't remember what it's called. It'll have 'made by Skullcandy' somewhere on the package. I got mine from a military base commissary for fifteen bucks. Would still be going strong if it weren't for a friend's puppy getting a hold of them. Now I use some fairly expensive Sony earbuds I got as a present.

I use ONE in-ear, noise blocking plug. If I use an open air earbud, there's so much wind noise that I have to crank the volume up extremely loud to be able to hear it at all, which damages my hearing and is so distracting that I feel it harms my ability to hear my surroundings. With a noise blocking plug, I can have the volume down fairly low and hear it just fine, and I can hear the surroundings perfectly out of my other ear. With this setup I can hear cars quite a long time before they get to me, usually well before I can see them on the 50 MPH roads I ride.

As far as brand, whatever's cheap. You're not going to get any decent fidelity on a bike with the wind noise anyway. I usually find a decent one at Deal Extreme and buy half a dozen of them, they're usually about $3 each. Right now I have a fist full of Koss phones that I got from Woot.com.

They die in a few months from stress on the wires anyway so there's not much point in buying very nice ones.

You can prevent wire stress, though. Something as simple as a backpack with a low pouch where your pocket would be when walking; it's looser than any pocket, so it lets the wire swing naturally, instead of straining against the plug. Even some kind of handlebar mount would help with this.

Does anyone know of some bluetooth headphones like either the Airdrives or the various bone conducting models? I really like the idea of being able to hear while I listen to the news or whatever, but hate wires.

that, in a nutshell, describes a lot of what's wrong with society [...]

if the question is "which headphones are better?" and you don't like to wear headphones when you ride, then don't chime in. Your opinion does not matter.

ty!

I use these, because they let me hear what's going on around me (they don't enter the ear), they let me skip tracks, adjust volume, mute, answer the phone and -because of the way the earpieces hook on my ears - don't tangle.

http://www.rei.com/product/794109/airdrives-fit-earphones-for-iphone

These work great. No wires so you can put the player anywhere (in a waterproof bag, for example, if it could start raining) and they let all outside noises through very well and fit great with a helmet on due to the neck headband.

Motorola S305 Bluetooth Stereo Headset w/ Microphone (Black)[Retail Packaging]: Cell Phones & Accessories: http://amzn.com/B002BH3I9U

I recently tried the One Good Earbud - very nice
Its a single ear bud or over the ear....right or left...of course I use right so my left is open.
And it mixes the sound so you hear both channels...
And no extra bud dangling
http://farendgear.com/

These work great. No wires so you can put the player anywhere (in a waterproof bag, for example, if it could start raining) and they let all outside noises through very well and fit great with a helmet on due to the neck headband.

Motorola S305 Bluetooth Stereo Headset w/ Microphone (Black)[Retail Packaging]: Cell Phones & Accessories: http://amzn.com/B002BH3I9U

I may check those out -- I was wary of most of those headsets since many of them seem to use batteries. I charge everything else on my bike via USB, why not my headphones, too?

Wasn't quite sure where to put this, but I figured that some of you may use headphones regularly on your commute as well. I have gone through a few pairs of some Philips behind-the-neck style headphones which I love, but the problem I have is that the connection keeps breaking at the plug. They warranty them, but its an annoying process to go through every couple of months.

Does anyone have recommendations for an over-the-ear headphone without noise cancellation and a plug that won't break right away?

The inability to get a straight answer on the BF is stunning.

The Sony Sport headphones [clip over the ear] work very well, and they let in ambient noise. I bend the clip to give them a nug fit. They are rugged, I've used them for running and biking for years. They also do a good job of cutting wind noise. That said, my favorite is the Scan Sound single (stereo) earbud, I can wear it all day.

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR-J11G-h-ear-Sports-Headphones/dp/B0001M2FZK
http://www.scansound.com/earphones/single-ear-stereo-earphones-1/single-stereo-earphone-with-eartips.html

I have found that a piece of electrical tape on the first inch and a half of wire greatly extends the life of my headphones. Start ON the plug and spiral around the wire.

Thought about the tape and was thinking of upping the ante with some electrical shrink wrap tubing. I'm wondering if its worth one last $13 pair of headphones to try the experiment.

By the way, I do recommend noise canceling head phones. Decreases wind noise and you will be able to hear more from the surrounding areas.

Does anyone know of some bluetooth headphones like either the Airdrives or the various bone conducting models? I really like the idea of being able to hear while I listen to the news or whatever, but hate wires.

Motorola Roadster it is a external speaker and when you are in your car you can use the FM mode when someone calls you it comes through your car speakers I love mine. I clip it on my handlebars and turn on my music and I am on the road

Portapro, Sennheiser PX100, skull candy earbuds, Apple earbuds...I've tried a few and they are all better than riding with no music at all.

btw, riding/driving is a visual skill, not auditory. You better get visual confirmation on everything. I can't imagine making a decision based on what I hear. I'd like somebody to give me an example where hearing will actually matter. I've yet to have a car go by me that I didn't see first.

I strongly recommend these....

http://i.imgur.com/aEj0K.jpg

Shure SE535. Sound isolating, not canceling, the sound quality is fantastic, they sit in your ears so there is little wind noise, cables are replaceable, but they are a tad expensive.

z

Check Out the head-Fi forum for tips on earbuds and headphones. I recall there was a thread on waterproof earbuds for runningg and biking. You can probably do a search for it. Just be careful and hold your wallet tight otherwise you'll have no money left for biking....

http://www.head-fi.org/

Yeah, the head-fi motto is, "Sorry about your wallet".

z

Motorola MOTOROKR S305 bluetooth headphones are pretty handy. No wires to worry about.

http://www.motorola.com/Consumers/US-EN/Consumer-Product-and-Services/Mobile+Phone+Accessories/Headsets/Bluetooth-Stereo-Music-Headphones/MOTOROKR-S305-Wireless-Stereo-Headphones-US-EN

As far as brand, whatever's cheap. You're not going to get any decent fidelity on a bike with the wind noise anyway. I usually find a decent one at Deal Extreme and buy half a dozen of them, they're usually about $3 each. Right now I have a fist full of Koss phones that I got from Woot.com.

They die in a few months from stress on the wires anyway so there's not much point in buying very nice ones.

A lot of newer athletic jackets have routing ports for headphone wires. Some of these (I have a Marmot jacket with a particularly good setup, as well as a handful of Mountain Hardwear jackets with an oK setup) are quite nice & keep most of the stress off the headphone connectors. It's not worth buying a new jackets to save your headphones, but if you're in the market for a new jacket, it might be worth looking into one with a headphone routing system.

Yeah, the head-fi motto is, "Sorry about your wallet".

z

:lol:

Bluetooth is very handy indeed. I would recommend actually getting good bluetooth headset (such as Jawbone) which streams the music. Reason is... it keeps the other ear ready to hear road condition, etc (safety reason).

Some of the Sony headphones that go over the top of the head and in the ears are good. Sony makes these in Sports model(s) also. Earbuds will not stay in my ears so I use this type, they will not fall out and dangle.

I recently tried the One Good Earbud - very nice
Its a single ear bud or over the ear....right or left...of course I use right so my left is open.
And it mixes the sound so you hear both channels...
And no extra bud dangling
http://farendgear.com/

Far End Gear is giving away up to 200 earbuds in a few weeks. http://farendgear.com/giveaway.php?cid=FAREND1&rnd=5
Like their Facebook page to enter.

I was tired of cords, not only with riding, but also driving/working.

Two weeks ago I got a Jabra Street 2 bluetooth headset adapter. Awesome. I use it along with Ultimate Ears TF10s (which I've had for quite some time), that have Comply tips on them, all via BT to my iPhone 4 (in my pocket).

The neat thing with the Jabra Street 2 is that you can use the supplied headphones (which aren't all bad), or you can plug in your own headphones. There is also a mic on the dogtag so that you can answer calls.

All the functions of the dogtag work (pause/play/answer/ff/rw/vol up/vol down) with the iPhone.

Between visiting here and head-fi.....my wallet is non existent!

HTH.

Wasn't quite sure where to put this, but I figured that some of you may use headphones regularly on your commute as well. I have gone through a few pairs of some Philips behind-the-neck style headphones which I love, but the problem I have is that the connection keeps breaking at the plug. They warranty them, but its an annoying process to go through every couple of months.

Does anyone have recommendations for an over-the-ear headphone without noise cancellation and a plug that won't break right away?

wearing headphones while riding with traffic is like begging to be road kill! about the only place you can get away with that is on a bike trail.

wearing headphones while riding with traffic is like begging to be road kill! about the only place you can get away with that is on a bike trail.

Bull****. I have ridden 16,000 km in the last 3 years in traffic, most of it with headphones.

z

wearing headphones while riding with traffic is like begging to be road kill! about the only place you can get away with that is on a bike trail.

I'm willing to concede that not everyone may be able to ride with headphones safely, but a dozen years later and thousands of miles, I've been fine.

I suppose that most people with headphones will not be run over but I also know that they don't seem to hear my bell or voice when I try to pass them. They are lost in their own little world and that makes their entertainment my safety problem. So, while I'm happy if you find the perfect headphones, you are asking in the commuter forum and that gives me the right to an opinion on your plan. And my opinion is that you shouldn't wear headphones when commuting.

I use skullcandy earbud but onlym one in the right ear, i leave the left ear free to be aware of my surrouding.