Earbuds

[ChrisZRX]

I've read all about the ER6i on this site, but I was still unwilling to fork over 70 bucks.

By chance I just happened to purchase some Koss noise isolating earbuds at Walmart for 24.95.

They are comfortable, isolate noise really well, and sound very good.  I'm sure  the ER6i's are better, but if you want a set of cheap earbuds that work well, the noise isolating Koss's are the cat's meow, IMO.

[sammyseaman]

I've read all about the ER6i on this site, but I was still unwilling to fork over 70 bucks.

By chance I just happened to purchase some Koss noise isolating earbuds at Walmart for 24.95.

They are comfortable, isolate noise really well, and sound very good.  I'm sure  the ER6i's are better, but if you want a set of cheap earbuds that work well, the noise isolating Koss's are the cat's meow, IMO.

Good to know  

[jeepinbanditrider]

I used a set of SHURE earbuds from Best Buy.  They were 60 bucks but the best 60 dollars I've ever spent on personal stereo equipment  I used them for probably 3 years before they finaly fell apart due to me not paying attention and getting the lead stuck in a door jamb  

[Prubert]

I got about 7k on these (in the past 2 months), and they work great!

http://www.webbikeworld.com/r4/meelectronics-m6-earbuds/

Price is good too!!

[Mr. Squidward]

I got about 7k on these (in the past 2 months), and they work great!

http://www.webbikeworld.com/r4/meelectronics-m6-earbuds/

Price is good too!!

That's what I use, comfy, work good and they're cheap too.

[lonekazoo]

I've had good luck with the JVC Marshmallows, sold at Wally World for $19.  The earpiece is made of memory foam, and the audio quality seems more than decent.  They have very good noise isolation and I don't have to turn levels up very high.  Best thing about them is that they are narrow profile and I can get my tight helmet on and off and they stay put.  One drawback is that the cords wiggling around seem to transmit sound up to the earpieces, but I haven't noticed that effect when my helmet is on.

[Major 662]

I got about 7k on these (in the past 2 months), and they work great!

http://www.webbikeworld.com/r4/meelectronics-m6-earbuds/

Price is good too!!

Do you just plug 'em into an MP3 player (iPhone, whatever) in your jacket?  I just ordered a pair of these and was thinking about plugging them into a Zumo 660, but if I got launched from the bike, I'd rather not be attached by a wire from my ears...

[squeezer]

I plug into the zumo. Though I haven't been down while plugged in (knock on wood), I've walked away from the bike while plugged in. No ill effects other than slightly dislodging the ear bud. They unplug so easily, you don't need to worry about it. Heck, the wing guys with their thick, coiled headset wires and multi-pin plugs don't need to worry about it.

Your biggest problem will be figuring out how to keep the wire from whipping around in the wind.

[Mr. Squidward]

Do you just plug 'em into an MP3 player (iPhone, whatever) in your jacket?  I just ordered a pair of these and was thinking about plugging them into a Zumo 660, but if I got launched from the bike, I'd rather not be attached by a wire from my ears...

They come with a clip that you can slide along the cord to adjust to length.  I attach the clip to my belt.
 On the occasions when I forget to disconnect the plug before getting off the bike (happens more then I care to admit) the plug will pull out before the earphones.

[Specter]

Get a 3.5mm extension cable (male-female) about 6 ft long and route it under the tank permanently. Just leave the female end exposed between the seat and tank, and secure an adequate amount of the male end up around the headstock, to plug into the gps.

Then you can run the headphone cable out the bottom of your jacket, into the extension. I've had that setup for over 40k miles on two different motorcycles. Works great.

[HipGnosis]

Do you just plug 'em into an MP3 player (iPhone, whatever) in your jacket?  I just ordered a pair of these and was thinking about plugging them into a Zumo 660, but if I got launched from the bike, I'd rather not be attached by a wire from my ears...

I use to run an audio extension cable from my GPS to the back edge of my tank bag.  I recently got this:
Acoustic Research ARWH1 Stereo Bluetooth reciever (they call it a headset, but it works with most any ear buds)
http://www.amazon.com/Acoustic-Research-ARWH1-Bluetooth-Headset/dp/B00195HS28/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1304738449&sr=1-1
For commuting & local trips I put my MP3 player in my inner jacket pocket.

[ConPilot1]

The Skull Candy ones are very good too, for the price. I cannot see spending that much cash on Etymotics.

[rfulcher]

I have tried most of the earbuds described above and did not find anything that fit as well for as long and sounded as good as the ER6i earbuds. I have thought about custom molded earphones but am afraid they will not measure up to the ER6i earphones. I have had mine for approximately 4 years.

The other side of the coin: My wife never was comfortable with ER6i's under her helmet. She now uses custom molded earplugs with with helmet speakers amplified with a Boosterroo inline amplifier.

[Mastros2]

Get a 3.5mm extension cable (male-female) about 6 ft long and route it under the tank permanently. Just leave the female end exposed between the seat and tank, and secure an adequate amount of the male end up around the headstock, to plug into the gps.

Then you can run the headphone cable out the bottom of your jacket, into the extension. I've had that setup for over 40k miles on two different motorcycles. Works great.

I had some issues finding a 3.5mm male-female cable that was decent.  A lot of the cables on Amazon had poor ratings.  Any one you recommend?

[denydog]

I'll admit up front, I'm still an ER6i fan.  

A couple of years ago, while on a multiday ride, I rolled off the bike at a stop sign, and broke the cord of my ER6i's at the connector plug.  I use it plugged into an extension cord that terminates just below the front left of my seat.  I bought a temporary Koss  replacement set at a Walmart type of store, but don't know if they were the same model as in the OP since it wasn't specified.  The price was about $18, and they were the most expensive pair the store carried!  The sound was OK I guess, but the fit and comfort left me wanting.

They did allow me to listen to music and GPS until I got home, but I ordered some replacement ER6i's as soon as I could.  I can't help it, the ER6i's are still the best combination of comfort, sound, and price that I've experienced.  The comfort though is largely dependant on which ear tips are used.  I used the standard triple flange grey ER6i-18 for a couple of years, but they sometimes caused ear pain on 600 mile riding days.  I now am using a smaller triple flange ER6i-15SM.  They don't provide as much bass, but they cause significantly less irritation to my ears.  I think ear tip selection all depends on an individuals unique ears.

I'd love to find a less expensive solution, but I'm just not willing to put up with the compromises I've felt with the under $70 range earphones I've tried.  I'll guess I'll keep trying.

Actually I've recently been more tempted to switch to more expensive, higher end earphone's for riding, but I've held back, thinking that it would be a waste because of the amount of noise that still gets through while riding.   No problem at home though.  When I want a really comfortable high quality headphone experience, I just use full size AKG K601's.

[stromgal]

Get a 3.5mm extension cable (male-female) about 6 ft long and route it under the tank permanently. Just leave the female end exposed between the seat and tank, and secure an adequate amount of the male end up around the headstock, to plug into the gps.

Then you can run the headphone cable out the bottom of your jacket, into the extension. I've had that setup for over 40k miles on two different motorcycles. Works great.

Ditto. 

I bought those ME M6 earbuds, because I often try to run the ER6's wire up over and behind my ears, and the M6 was designed to work that way. But for whatever reason, I just can't get them to seat in my ear canal like the Etymotics do.  I should just sell the M6s as I've never used 'em.

[Specter]

I had some issues finding a 3.5mm male-female cable that was decent.  A lot of the cables on Amazon had poor ratings.  Any one you recommend?

I think mine is from radio shack. It's nothing special, but the cable is thick, and looks like black lamp cord.

[HipGnosis]

I had some issues finding a 3.5mm male-female cable that was decent.  A lot of the cables on Amazon had poor ratings.  Any one you recommend?

Buy the female connector from Radio Shack.  Whack off the cable from a cheap headset and install the female connector. Make it the exactly right length if you want to be fancy.

[psyco1]

Here's a guys review of about 180 in ear monitors.
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/478568/multi-iem-review-182-iems-compared-soundmagic-e30-blue-ever-blue-866b-added-7-06