Tell me about your audio setup

crcsmnky · Post by **crcsmnky** » Sat Nov 22, 2008 2:22 am

Do any of you out there ride with a music player? Do you use wired or wireless headphones? How does that impede your ability to hear the road?

Now that I've had my red Buddy 125 (named Ivan Drago) for a little over 3 weeks (its so awesome), I've been wondering about listening to music/podcasts during my commute.

nissanman · Post by **nissanman** » Sat Nov 22, 2008 2:35 am

I admit, I'll ipod (shuffle) while I scoot. The stock earbuds let so much other noise in it really doesn't block out sounds I should be hearing. Just keep the volume reasonable. Believe me, you can still hear my exhaust etc over any stock Ipod ear buds...

I also wear a FF helmet if that makes a difference.

docutech · Post by **docutech** » Sat Nov 22, 2008 2:45 am

Zumo 550
8gigs of tunes
Rado Scala Q2 bluetooth headset

I keep the volume turned down to hear traffic around me. Works pretty darn well.

jfrost2 · Post by **jfrost2** » Sat Nov 22, 2008 3:30 am

There have been a few set ups where people have seriously rigged speakers and cd players into the pet carrier and have the speakers exposed on the sides right under the seat. Music for everyone!

There was even a guy who rigged speakers that were mounted by the mirrors. Your best bet for hearing the music clearly is having a mp3 player with headphones, otherwise, you;ll hear slightly distorted music because of wind, and other traffic noise, but with headphones, the sound is right in your ears. Make sure it's ok to use headphones though, some laws ban them for motorcycle riders.

I myself feel like riding the scooter and enjoying the scenery and trip is enough entertainment, I thought about using a mp3 player but decided against it since the ride itself is more than enough to keep me satisfied. Then again, I dont listen to much music, if you're a must have music on the go person, nothing wrong with that either.

Becktastic · Post by **Becktastic** » Sat Nov 22, 2008 4:09 pm

I suppose headphones at a reasonable volume could be okay, but I would wait to be more experienced. With only three weeks under you belt, you don't need any distractions. A lot depends on the kind of person you are too. It might be a bigger distraction for some people than others.

I think I would be jamming out and making a fool of myself...and possibly not paying enough attention to the road...

Post by **ericalm** » Sat Nov 22, 2008 4:53 pm

FWIW, the legality of riding with headphones varies by state. In CA, for instance, only one earphone is allowed (and that's intended for communications setups).

There's a lot of debate on whether or not music while riding is a good idea. I think it's a matter of knowing yourself, your behaviors, your abilities and using good judgment. I know that in the city, music would probably be a distraction to me. On a long, open-road ride, it would probably help me keep my focus and prevent me from seeking distractions.

I tried riding with my iPhone earbuds once but had difficulty getting them on comfortably under my modular helmet. They popped out when I pulled the helmet on, so I tried poking them up inside it but couldn't really get them in my ears the right way.

One thing that would work well with the iPhone buds is that you can control music playback by pinching the little microphone nodule—very easy to do with gloves on. I could probably get some original (longer plug) iPhone earbuds on eBay pretty cheap, cue the buds off, replace them with old or cheap flat earphone speakers and "hardwire" it into my helmet… if I was so inclined…

ScooterDave · Post by **ScooterDave** » Sat Nov 22, 2008 6:45 pm

iPod with earbuds 90% of the time I ride.

k1dude · Post by **k1dude** » Sat Nov 22, 2008 7:42 pm

You might do long term damage to your ears. I occasionally ride with a tiny radio and ear buds. I leave one bud in and one bud out so I can still hear traffic. But you have to crank the volume so loud on the earbud, it's painful. You don't notice how loud it is when you're riding, but when you stop you immediately have to turn the volume down because it actually hurts. It's wierd how it doesn't hurt when you're riding, but it sure does when you turn your scooter off. So I make a point of rarely doing it, because I know I'm damaging my ears.

olhogrider · Post by **olhogrider** » Sat Nov 22, 2008 7:53 pm

WHAT? WHAT? Wait, let me get these things out of my ears.

OK, I use an 80gig ipod and Skullcandy earbuds. The best buds I have ever used are Etymotic ER6. They retail for $140 but can be found for $100. The Skullcandy buds are $15 at Staples and are almost as good. The silicone tips block out most noise and keep them from falling out when I put on my helmet. Please don't lecture me on right/wrong or legal. I just don't care and you won't convince me. It would be easier to teach a pig to dance.

Kaos · Post by **Kaos** » Sat Nov 22, 2008 8:14 pm

I use the MP3 player built into my cellphone, and a Cardo Scala bluetooth headset..

Sound quality could be better, but it works ok for the few times I want to listen to music when I'm riding.

Eazy · Post by **Eazy** » Sat Nov 22, 2008 9:02 pm

I have a touch.

And a write up on how I protect it when it's cold/wet

http://eazyscoots.wordpress.com/2008/11 ... p3-player/

Post by **illnoise** » Sat Nov 22, 2008 11:35 pm

Nice write-up eazy, but I don't think your iPod cares about wind chill factor. : )

I do it once in a while on longer rides, just wear one earbud, keep volume very low, and pack it safely somewhere on my body where it's well-insulated and impossible to get to while I'm riding. Make up a good playlist and let it go, there's absolutely no reason you should be fidgeting with it while you're riding.

Mounting it to the scooter is just not good, no matter how well you shockproof it, it's better off in your pocket. Speakers are a neat gimmick for showing off at rallies, but they're worthless for everyday use, you can't hear them while you ride, and they annoy everyone else.

jmsmith802 · Post by **jmsmith802** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 12:20 am

I love riding while listening to music.. But I usually save it for longer trips. I use my lovely 30 gig zune

My helmet has a fairly large empty cavity where your ears go, so I took a old broken pair of headphones and shoved the ear cups in the empty cavities, hid all the wires behind padding, and as a result I now have an awesome stereo helmet

I don't find it any more distracting than listening to the radio in my car. When I wore my earbuds I did find it more difficult to hear the road and such, and so I stopped using them. But earbuds are nice on a long ride...
'
Here's some pics:

loodieboy · Post by **loodieboy** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 1:36 pm

Although I never have had any problem walking and chewing gum at the same time, I absolutely cannot listen to my iPod while riding. The two times I tried, the music easily won the battle for control of my mind and attention.

Eazy · Post by **Eazy** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 1:37 pm

illnoise wrote:Nice write-up eazy, but I don't think your iPod cares about wind chill factor. : )

I left my 5th gen iPod in my pocket one day on the way to work and the LCD screen froze.

I don't dare risk it with my touch.

jfrost2 · Post by **jfrost2** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 4:49 pm

Speakers on the mirror's

betsy q. bramble · Post by **betsy q. bramble** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 4:50 pm

olhogrider wrote:WHAT? WHAT? Wait, let me get these things out of my ears.

OK, I use an 80gig ipod and Skullcandy earbuds. The best buds I have ever used are Etymotic ER6. They retail for $140 but can be found for $100. The Skullcandy buds are $15 at Staples and are almost as good. The silicone tips block out most noise and keep them from falling out when I put on my helmet. Please don't lecture me on right/wrong or legal. I just don't care and you won't convince me. It would be easier to teach a pig to dance.

$15?? For the ones pictured? Because those are $99 on their website!

olhogrider · Post by **olhogrider** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 5:27 pm

Oh, you caught me

I was lazy and copied the closest thing I could find on their web site. Here are the $15 ones.

k1dude · Post by **k1dude** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 6:16 pm

jfrost2 wrote:

Did you paint your own wheels? If so, did you paint them with the tires on or off? What paint did you use and how did you prep the wheels?

Also, what brand of aftermarket mirrors are those? Are they Blur mirrors? And where did you get the speakers?

Enquiring minds want to know!

jfrost2 · Post by **jfrost2** » Mon Nov 24, 2008 1:57 am

Aint my buddy.

Just a OLD OLD OLD picture a member took from his custom buddy.

The mirrors, I cant remember, but he did buy them online, they are universal and generic, probably 8mm since I dont see adapters. Then the speakers are made for mirrors, they mount right under them, the mirror holds them in place.

Dont remember anything else.

Heres the original thread.
topic328.html

rondothemidget · Post by **rondothemidget** » Mon Nov 24, 2008 1:49 pm

nissanman wrote:The stock earbuds let so much other noise in it really doesn't block out sounds I should be hearing.

I've tried different headphone setups. I didn't like the iPod earbuds because they would pop out with normal riding movements (looking over shoulder for lane change, etc.). They also seemed to let in other noise as nissanman said.

What I am using now are these http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/sto ... d=11037422 sony clip-on, over-ear headphones. They stay secure and cover my ears, which lets in a lot less extraneous noise. These have been good with my half helmet, even better with my 3/4 helmet. This might not be typical or scientific but I believe the headphones protect my hearing better than having nothing at all. Because of the wind noise, I notice my ears ringing after I ride when I don't use the headphones. It's like I've been to a concert when I wear my half helmet. My ears don't ring when I use the headphones.

gluv4u2 · Post by **gluv4u2** » Thu Nov 27, 2008 12:28 am

I use my 8gig clix player. Small and portable, great sound from SRS. With shure headphones, foam tips. I only put on in my ear, so I can hear the traffic and cars around me. Cali has a law for one in ear anyway... but for my new Buddy Pamplona 150, I want to look into installable speakers... still looking into it.

Post by **jmazza** » Thu Nov 27, 2008 3:58 am

I ride with music probably half the time. I used to use cheap over the ear buds but with my new Scorpion EXO400 helmet they didn't fit so well so I did what jmsmith802 did and bought a pair of [url=http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp ... 2300995579]these[/url headphones for $13, broke off the speakers and velcro'd them into the little place for my ears in my helmet. They fit perfectly and sound WAY WAY better than just about any ear buds, plus they allow more ambient noise in.

Added bonus, I believe this would qualify for a 'mounted helmet speaker system' so it is legal here in FL, whereas wearing ear buds isn't.

Scalpel · Post by **Scalpel** » Thu Nov 27, 2008 8:01 pm

My Scorpion half helmet has pockets for earphones, so I bought a cheap pair and snapped off the band. For the player, I'm currently using a Creative Labs 1GB Zen Stone, which is attached to the side of the helmet via Velcro. I've got a 2GB Sansa Clip on the way, so I can listen to the radio while I ride.

The earphones rather than ear buds work pretty well, and I can still hear everything road-related if I keep the volume down.

gluv4u2 · Post by **gluv4u2** » Fri Nov 28, 2008 5:38 pm

I believe k1Dude used this stereo setup, looks almost identical.

http://www.scooterwest.com/item_detail/ ... KERS/1407/

just an fyi in case someone was wondering, I dont have this but found it while browsing around and wanted to make it easier for people to find just in case.

7eregrine · Post by **7eregrine** » Sun Nov 30, 2008 9:49 pm

My helmet has pcokets for a communication system on both sides. So I put headphones in there and have a 12 Gig Vibez to listen to. I am very into music but not to the point where it distracts me. I think it's about 100% more fun to scoot with tunes.

I hate earbuds that go into your ears.

Although I think your ears are about the very last thing that are going to save you from an accident. If you can hear the car that is about to hit you, you certainly should have seen it before then.

If music distracts you, this is not for you.

jfrost2 · Post by **jfrost2** » Mon Dec 01, 2008 12:16 am

The black mirrors on that green bike are easily available on ebay for 20-30 dollars from taiwan. They're standard gy6 8mm mirrors, just search that. They fit perfect in the buddy and are reverse threaded so they will work fine.

Spinergy · Post by **Spinergy** » Mon Dec 01, 2008 5:31 am

[quote="gluv4u2"]I believe k1Dude used this stereo setup, looks almost identical.
http://www.scooterwest.com/item_detail/ ... KERS/1407/
quote]

Wow... $169 for a "50 watt" amp and some cheesy speakers. Come spring if people really want an installed audio setup I might put together a DIY package of pieces parts that would work, sound reasonably good, and not be too $$$. FYI my "day job" is running a custom speaker company so I do get picky about what I listen too

As far as "in helmet" headphone mods it's a great way to go. Just remember the better the headphones sound under normal circumstances the better they'll sound in the helmet. When it comes to sources I'd use a low $$ flash memory based player, not your $300 120gb iPod touch. You can get a great sounding 2gb player for around $30-$40, and if it gets wet/ lost/ whatever you're not gonna cry too much. The little Sansa Clip is a great player; sounds good, has an FM tuner, is frikkin' tiny and will run over 10 hours on a charge.

black sunshine · Post by **black sunshine** » Tue Dec 02, 2008 11:20 pm

Spinergy wrote:Wow... $169 for a "50 watt" amp and some cheesy speakers. Come spring if people really want an installed audio setup I might put together a DIY package of pieces parts that would work, sound reasonably good, and not be too $$$. FYI my "day job" is running a custom speaker company so I do get picky about what I listen too

DEFINITELY keep us posted on that . . . i thought that was kind of pricey as well!!

itzhak37 · Post by **itzhak37** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 2:27 pm

olhogrider wrote:WHAT? WHAT? Wait, let me get these things out of my ears.

OK, I use an 80gig ipod and Skullcandy earbuds. The best buds I have ever used are Etymotic ER6. They retail for $140 but can be found for $100. The Skullcandy buds are $15 at Staples and are almost as good. The silicone tips block out most noise and keep them from falling out when I put on my helmet. Please don't lecture me on right/wrong or legal. I just don't care and you won't convince me. It would be easier to teach a pig to dance.

I strongly second the Skullcandy earbuds. I just bought a $15 pair this weekend and they're the best low-cost earbuds I've ever owned. But, as olhogrider said, they do block out a lot of ambient noise/sound. And personally, that makes me less likely to wear them while riding.

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