Wireless Earbuds for cycling

[rob feature]

Wondering if y'all have a favorite. I've been using Jabra Elite 7 for months - mostly love them for cycling & gym because of the physical buttons. Not all earbuds work with gloves.

I just picked up a set of Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro that might replace the Jabras though - we'll see. I didn't think I'd be able to use these, but turns out they work with gloves. They also sound a lot better, have a wind setting, and are around half the price. The Jabras do have decent ANC, but don't have a wind setting and you can still hear a good bit of the wind.

A big issue with earbuds for me has always been wind noise. And I'm on a quest to find the ones with the best wind-canceling features. Anybody else found the secret sauce?

Oh, and discussion around whether these should be worn while riding is down the hall

 

[6zfshdb]

I use the Apple AirPods Pro 2 but not while riding in traffic. It's important to be able to hear oncoming vehicles.

The best wind noise cancellation product I've found is Cat-Ears:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H2LSOQ6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

If you can get past the look, they work like a charm.

 

[Deacon Blues]

I'm on my second pair of Shokz Openruns and I really like them, but they don't block out wind noise, since they don't sit in the ear canal.
Because they don't sit in the ear canal I can hear everything around me, but I've found that anything over 25 kph and the wind noise pretty much cancels out the music/podcast, etc.
Unfortunately, the more wind noise that's canceled out the less other noises, like traffic and other cyclists, can be heard, and that's not a good thing.

 

[Brian-s]

Try catears airstreamz. https://www.amazon.com/AirStreamz-C...t=&hvlocphy=9015369&hvtargid=pla-380025068051

I saw these mentioned once upon a time here, been meaning to order a set just to try them but I haven't yet.

 

[rob feature]

Interesting. So it's the helmet strap that makes the noise? Always seemed to me that the wind noise was generated at the ear, but it might be worth a shot. It is really close - so close that stem-type earbuds won't work because of the strap.

I tried the Soundcores today. They came out after 15 minutes. Even with the wind-reduction feature they are louder than the Jabras and I kept having to fidget with them.

So far the Jabras are king. Sony WF-1000XM4s just showed up though - they're supposedly the quietest earbuds made. They do use squishy foam tips though, so we'll see.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Don't the earbuds compromise your riding safety Rob?

 

[fooferdoggie]

I use these they work pretty well. they kinda of amplify the wind and block it too. I just have to go up one notch on the value if I have a lot of wind noise. they stay in well. but you cant operate them with gloves.

https://www.amazon.com/Bose-QuietComfort-Noise-Cancelling-Earbuds/dp/B08LKM7GSP/ref=sr_1_11?keywords=Bose%2BQuietComfort&qid=1691071562&sr=8-11&th=1

 

[Dorkyman]

I love total isolation in buds. It's also dangerous while riding or even walking. Ask me how I know.

 

[RockhopperMidwest]

Shokz open run pro is what I use a lot. But won't help with wind noise obviously.

I've used my noise cancelling Bose a couple times and the wind noise made them sound really weird.

 

[fooferdoggie]

Shokz open run pro is what I use a lot. But won't help with wind noise obviously.

I've used my noise cancelling Bose a couple times and the wind noise made them sound really weird.

ya I can see that I only listen to podcasts or audiobooks so it does not matter. a balaclava is the best way to eliminate noise.

 

[Ben J]

So it's the helmet strap that makes the noise?

No, it's the air rushing over your ears. Those types of products just secure to the strap to block the direct path of air to your ear. The fuzz is to avoid creating new noises.

 

[rob feature]

No, it's the air rushing over your ears. Those types of products just secure to the strap to block the direct path of air to your ear. The fuzz is to avoid creating new noises.

Yeah, I figured that out by sticking my head in front of a fan with no helmet lol. It isn't the straps. But - it should be a good way to evaluate all these different earbuds & find out which is the quietest. Have a few sets at work right now, but once I get them all back home, gonna give that a spin.

 

[rob feature]

Don't the earbuds compromise your riding safety Rob?

See the last sentence in the first post

 

[Brian-s]

I justify using earbuds while riding because I use a varia radar, so I have my little "beeps" in my ears when cars or other bikes are approaching

 

[Stefan Mikes]

See the last sentence in the first post

I could see a roadie who crossed a railway crossing ignoring the STOP sign maybe 40 seconds after a locomitive passed the road. He was wearing noise cancelling earbuds.

 

[rob feature]

I could see a roadie who crossed a railway crossing ignoring the STOP sign maybe 40 seconds after a locomitive passed the road. He was wearing noise cancelling earbuds.

Maybe this is a good time to go start a thread about the dangers of riding with earbuds. This one here is about earbuds that work well for cycling

 

[Murphsouth]

Let's see......
We have (3) senses that protect and guide us on bikes:
1. vision
2. smell
3. hearing
4. touch

Get rid of 2 and 4 [don't help] and that leaves 1 and 3.

Earbuds cut you down to just 1.

Why would anyone even consider doing such a thing?

 

[rob feature]

Let's see......
We have (3) senses that protect and guide us on bikes:
1. vision
2. smell
3. hearing
4. touch

Get rid of 2 and 4 [don't help] and that leaves 1 and 3.

Earbuds cut you down to just 1.

Why would anyone even consider doing such a thing?

Why, for entertainment of course. Music, podcasts, maybe talking to someone, maybe just drowning out noise or keeping out bees

I wound up sending the Soundcores back. Even with the wind noise setting, they're still noisy and don't stay in the ear very well - especially with the lightest amount of sweat. Something in the signal chain was also adding artefacts that I couldn't stomach. I've noticed other artefacts using Apple Music's Spatial Audio feature also. However their FLAC offering is rather awesome and delivers the best quality I've heard yet. Not that it matters while riding as I keep the volume low and there's wind, but sitting around in the office or a public space is scary good.

I haven't ridden with the Sony wx1000xm4 yet, but they're the SQ champs, NC champs, and best overall. Detail, depth, accuracy, and frequency response are all exceptional. They dominate in ergonomics, app, codecs, flexibility, and everything you could want in a wireless earbud. Considering these little things house speaker drivers, amplifiers, sensors, processors and batteries, it's easy to believe in alien technology.

 

[Deacon Blues]

Let's see......
We have (3) senses that protect and guide us on bikes:
1. vision
2. smell
3. hearing
4. touch

Get rid of 2 and 4 [don't help] and that leaves 1 and 3.

Earbuds cut you down to just 1.

Why would anyone even consider doing such a thing?

Unless a rider goes with bone conductor headphones, like the Shokz Openruns. With this earphone the ear cannel is not blocked and external noise is not muted.

 

[Ben J]

Semi-related, I got the "classic" Cat-Ears slim wind noise reducers. They really work. The only catch is that the inner surface has to touch your head, so in my case I had to adjust my helmet strap a bit tighter. I thought the fuzz might be irritating with sweat, but I don't feel them at all. I attached them with the thickness on the outside (they fold around and velcro, so either the inside or outside will have more material). It might have been better to put the thickness toward the inside if that would let you wear the strap a bit looser.

With wind noise at almost zero, now I find myself wanting something to listen to...