Wireless Earbuds for cycling

[peterh_nz]

Earbuds cut you down to just 1.

Why would anyone even consider doing such a thing?

Because not all earbuds "cut you down to just 1"?

In my experience, it depends upon the earbuds used.

I use the "ambient aware" setting on my JBL earbuds. Environmental sounds are not restricted while intended audio is also heard.

I expect that other brands have similar settings. Others could confirm.

Cheers

 

[Brian-s]

All I know is I was on the Allegheny River trail, a very very bumpy trail, And with my beats pro in, I could hear my water bottle bouncing out behind me on the trail . Evidently I forgot to zip the pannier shut.

So I'm satisfied with my ability to hear my surroundings.

 

[Rickman1]

I want to be able to hear any cars around me for safety reasons. I mounted a bluetooth speaker mount and speaker for when I want to listen to some tunes while riding but also be able to hear cars approaching.

 

[Brian-s]

I want to be able to hear any cars around me for safety reasons. I mounted a bluetooth speaker mount and speaker for when I want to listen to some tunes while riding but also be able to hear cars approaching.

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Sorry to be the negative here but the only problem with speakers is that everybody gets to hear your music. Nothing is so annoying as riding along a peaceful trail listening to the birds listening to the crickets listening to whatever and then slowly the music builds as somebody who's got the radio too loud comes by you disturbing the peace

 

[Rickman1]

Don't play it so loud . The speaker is close enough to you to hear the music without having to blast it. You can't hear the birds and nature (or cars) anyway when wearing earbuds. Also don't play head banger music

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

I want to be able to hear any cars around me for safety reasons. I mounted a bluetooth speaker mount and speaker for when I want to listen to some tunes while riding but also be able to hear cars approaching.

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I don't want to hear other peoples' audio when I'm outside. Period.

 

[opimax]

My xm4 left battery is going fast so I upgraded to the 5 version. Only wore them 3 times so far. I think i like the sound of the 4 better but not sure yet and also. Neither has tactile buttons so in cooler weather no controls while riding.
I have my volume loud enough to hear music softly (but not soft music )and cut down on wind . I also wear cat ears or similar. I need enough volume above my tinnitus and wind noise to hear most of the music yet soft enought to hear someone raise their voice . Can’t hear what they are saying but know to look out or stop. 95% on long low use MUP, no car traffic.

as the original later requested no opinions on what is right, please start your own thread for that

 

[Deacon Blues]

I see that Shokz has a new set of earphones out called Open Fit. These go over the ear canal, but not in it, so outside noises can still be heard.

 

[jabberwocky]

I occasionally wear just the right earbud from my my airpod pros while riding solo. Keeping the left ear open lets me hear cars and such. I would never recommend headphones that cover both ears, no matter how open they are. Even with just the one earbud, I only do that on routes I'm very familiar with.

I have a JBL flip that I've put in a water bottle holder and used to play music on solo rides too, but only riding rural gravel where I'm not gonna be bothering anyone. Audible music on a path/trail with other users is a dick move.

 

[rob feature]

My xm4 left battery is going fast so I upgraded to the 5 version. Only wore them 3 times so far.

Had that happen to my Jabras. They sent me a new set with no fuss - guessing Sony will be as good?

 

[rob feature]

I see that Shokz has a new set of earphones out called Open Fit. These go over the ear canal, but not in it, so outside noises can still be heard.

I have a set of the Shozk - the ones with the boom. Inbound audio is OK. Outbound is amazing. I don't ride with them, but they'd probably work in a pinch. Batteries charge in like 5 minutes to full charge too - which is kinda sick.

 

[rob feature]

Audible music on a path/trail with other users is a dick move.

It's pretty common here. Actually, name your dick move - you're going to see it around these parts. I imagine I'm pretty well desensitized by now. You just expect it and get on along with it. I'm not bothered by much anymore.

 

[m@Robertson]

Unless a rider goes with bone conductor headphones

I just got a set of these. They are amazing. You can hear the outside world just fine. The ones I have include a microphone and I use them for phone conversations so not quite the same job as the Shokz, but the Shokz also cost $159 for the boom mike version and I paid $70. As near as I can tell the difference from the Shokz vs. the no-namers I have is the Shokz have better bass response, and the ones I bought have a single-button control that is easier to deal with.

 

[Deacon Blues]

I'm on my second pair of Shokz bone conductors. After a couple of years the first pair's speakers detached and eventually failed. It was a common problem for the early model.
I wear mine for riding, gardening, and walking my dogs. Great for listening to music and podcasts.

 

[lexfurther]

Looking for some decent earbuds right now. Looking forward to some recommendations. Thanks
My hearing is really not that good lately and i will have a teleaudiology meeting in a couple of days.
I want to ask them about the earbuds and what influence will they have on my hearing in general.

 

[Brian-s]

I like the JLab epic Air pro it has pass through lists ing functions so you can hear the outside world. If you like that sort of thing, plus I get the varia radar notices.

 

[rob feature]

Looking for some decent earbuds right now. Looking forward to some recommendations. Thanks

Still digging the Jabra Active Elite 7 over all the others I've tried. It still deals with wind noise the best, although Earfun released new firmware a few weeks ago that comes with a specific wind noise function. Haven't tried them on a bike yet 'cause it's cold & icy.

A couple things I gotta have in bike buds though and that helps narrow it down a lot. Physical buttons. Of all the earbuds I own, only the Jabras have a physical button. Not only do they work with gloves on, but I'm not accidentally pushing a button if I adjust the bud on the fly.

Good ANC is a must too. I have a couple sets without ANC that I bought as backups and they came out in a few seconds when evaluating them for bike use. You don't have to use it all the time, but it's essential when the wind speeds start ramping up. Plus, if it's your only pair, it's your best friend on a plane.

 

[Deacon Blues]

I recently bought a pair of Oladance OWS Pro buds, when they went on sale.
These buds are different, in that the speaker sits outside the ear and the battery wraps around the top of the ear.
They're the best sounding buds I've tried, with one major downfall-the buttons on the bud are very hard to use, compared to my old Jabra and Shok ear buds.
Because they sit outside the ear canal, outside sounds are only slightly muted. All of my outside riding has been with me wearing a thin toque under my helmet, which helps block the wind noise.
I'll have to wait until it warms up to see how much wind noise I'll hear when I no longer need to wear a toque.

 

[Neverlost]

I went back to wired apple buds. Less worry of them falling out. I also ride a 14 mile loop with almost no traffic here in beautiful Florida.

 

[6zfshdb]

I changed my mind about putting anything in my ears after an incident I had back in 2022. I was almost hit by a nearly silent, electric Chevy Volt at a trail road crossing. It's a high speed highway with a 45 MPH speed limit, and the crossing is on a curve with limited visibility. I cross here many times during the riding season and rely on my hearing to detect oncoming traffic. The ear buds I was using at the time had a pass through feature which normally allowed me to hear traffic noise. Not so with a quieter electric vehicle. As a result, I switched to helmet mounted speakers which are easily turned off when approaching a crossing.

I'm not trying to be the safety police here, and circumstances vary greatly with every rider. Take my experience FWIW, but keep in mind, the number of electric vehicles on the road is increasing rapidly.

Use whatever product you choose but also use caution!