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Helmet Speaker Question

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tshelfer

tshelfer

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Tim
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Shelfer
Has anybody tried these Tork X-Pro helmet speakers? The only helmet speakers I've tried previously are flat and tinny sounding. I'm looking for something that has the full sound of my Sony sports headphones. Any experience with these?

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Tork-Motorcycle-Helmet-Speakers-Control/dp/B004I6HOQA/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1393472418&sr=8-5&keywords=motorcycle+headphones"]Amazon.com: Tork X-Pro Motorcycle Helmet Speakers (with Volume Control): MP3 Players & Accessories[/ame]
 
I had a set in my helmet that are similar but I bought them so long ago I can't remember the brand/name/etc.
Mine have been great so far...knock on wood.
Free bump!
 
tshelfer said:
Has anybody tried these Tork X-Pro helmet speakers? The only helmet speakers I've tried previously are flat and tinny sounding. I'm looking for something that has the full sound of my Sony sports headphones. Any experience with these?

Amazon.com: Tork X-Pro Motorcycle Helmet Speakers (with Volume Control): MP3 Players & Accessories
Click to expand...

Yes, ran them for several years in both my helmet and my wifes before we went with SCALA Riders.

They worked very well, fit in the ear "recess" of our helmets and provided plenty of clear sound to our ears at speed.
That said, we ran them off of Ipod Shuffles ..which did not push quite enough power.. so we ran inline amplifiers.
The best of which was the FiiO E6 [ame="http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-E6-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier/dp/B005HJWWW8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393511648&sr=8-1&keywords=headphones+amplifier+portable"]Amazon.com : FiiO E6 Portable Headphone Amplifier - Black : Headphone Amps : Electronics[/ame]

But we also had good luck using a version available at radio shack
 
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I do enjoy music when riding. GTPS has something on the shelf foe a reasonable amount. My problem is the delivery system. I have a I-POD but that thing is just silly. To small to use in motion. I wanting a either HD radio or a marine grade with a wired remote to mount on the bars. Crutchfeild has several marine grade systems. Need to mount in the panniers.
:shrug:
 
We have a demo set of the regular Tork's installed in a test helmet, and a couple of sets of the X-Pros in stock that we could pull out of the package if you want to come have a listen for yourself. Moto Liberty.
 
Nathan, maybe we can work something out like that, a little later into the spring. If I like them, I'll buy from you. I'm not a believer in trying something out on the back of a retail store, then buying online to save a couple of bucks. Didn't occur to me that MC shops sold these things. Thanks.
 
NathanH said:
We have a demo set of the regular Tork's installed in a test helmet, and a couple of sets of the X-Pros in stock that we could pull out of the package if you want to come have a listen for yourself. Moto Liberty.
Click to expand...

:thumb::thumb::thumb::thumb::thumb:

You guys :drums::jammin:
 
I think this might be something I'm interested in. I just recently started riding with earphones/music. ITS GREAT!!! I really don't know how I enjoyed riding as much as I did before my Iphone and pandora radio. My problem is the ear buds I have now fit well and stay in my ears, but leave my ears feeling very sore and violated after even a short ride. As pricey as good ear buds are I'm not one to jump out there and by a few different pairs to try out. I wish there was a cordless/bluetooth option for something like this that would work in most helmets. The chord dangling from my helmet to inside my jacket is annoying too.
 
Cardo Scala Rider systems are cordless, blue tooth, come with decent speakers, allow for phone and rider-to-passenger or bike-to-bike comm, and some models have options that allow you to swap out speakers for earbuds and/or remove the mic if all you want is cordless music. Thin speakers mount in just about any helmet. I've installed literally hundreds of them. Very good solution except that you still have to get the comm/music louder than any ambient wind/helmet noise. Usually not a big deal as the system is perfectly capable of it, but I still prefer my wired, but quiet and noise cancelling, all-day comfortable Etymotic ear buds. One of the better $100 I've spent on bike-related gear if you look at enjoyment versus investment and use over the years. Purely a music solution, though, so depends on what you are trying to get.
 
Nathan. Need a quick response if you're online. It turns out that I have to go to Dallas today. Probably leaving by 1pm. Are you at the location at LBJ & roughly Josey? I'll be close to there.
 
I have a pair of UCLEAR 200 communicators. They are pretty trick because the area mics are built into the speakers so there is no boom mic. It uses a very sophisticated noise canceling technology to block out wind noise. It has bluetooth for streaming music and talking on the phone using voice command. I just got two pair of their new earbuds that have the mics (about the size of a grain of rice!) built into the wires just below the earbuds. These work much better because they they act as ear plugs to block noise as well as obviously putting what you want to hear directly into your eardrums! If you are using them as intercoms with another rider at high speeds without a windshield to duck behind there is some voice distortion as the software tries to filter out the wind noise (which it does very well) and still transmit your voice.
 
That's correct and I'm here. But you don't need me (I live in the back, running RS Taichi, so I'm not the one you'd usually deal with anyway). Just come in and tell whomever that you heard we have Tork speakers in stock and you want to know about them and demo one.
 
I will do that. Driving right by on the way back, so I'll swing in unless I'm running really late. Thanks.
 
TOE JAM said:
I have a pair of UCLEAR 200 communicators. They are pretty trick because the area mics are built into the speakers so there is no boom mic. It uses a very sophisticated noise canceling technology to block out wind noise. It has bluetooth for streaming music and talking on the phone using voice command. I just got two pair of their new earbuds that have the mics (about the size of a grain of rice!) built into the wires just below the earbuds. These work much better because they they act as ear plugs to block noise as well as obviously putting what you want to hear directly into your eardrums! If you are using them as intercoms with another rider at high speeds without a windshield to duck behind there is some voice distortion as the software tries to filter out the wind noise (which it does very well) and still transmit your voice.
Click to expand...

I like my UClear HBC100Plus for the same reasons. The "no boom" thing is really nice, since I use mine as in-helmet speakers 99% of the time, but I do occasionally receive phone calls and do intercomm. The speakers that came with the unit is loud enough for me to hear over foam earplugs up to about 70-75mph, depending on the bike. I also just bought the new earbuds too, but haven't tried them out yet.
 
Nathan - Sadly, I couldn't get there. Drove (more like crawled) right by on LBJ. Saw your sign. But I didn't realize the Josey Lane exit was closed. So what with the massive construction, death-march traffic, and whole end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it thing going on along the corridor, I couldn't see how to get to you. I might try again on a Saturday morning & combine it with a trip to REI or something.
 
No problem. Josey exit is combined with Webb Chapel, so you exit earlier than most expect. Usually, when West-bound, the backup seems to start right around that exit or just before it, so exiting to come here is actually quicker than going through the worst of it. Catch it on a weekend, and there aren't near as many issues. It's all good!
 
I just watched a few reviews on the Uclear HBC100. It's a little pricey for what I'm actually going to use it for (in helmet music), but it looks like its a really nice set up that works well and gets great reviews. I might bite on one soon. Thanks for starting the thread and adding some insight.
 
I have the Scala G4 and a friend has the Uclear. We were riding on together and tried to intercom via cell phones since you can't talk directly through the systems. The Uclear sounded like talking with cans on a string. It was tinny, hollow, and very faint.

We wound up not doing much talking on the highway that trip. The Uclear sounds like a great product, but the execution is lacking in our real-world test.
 
Thanks for the feedback, Mark. That's exactly what I' afraid of - buying an expensive setup that sounds like a cheap cell phone. I'm gonna take advantage of Nathan's offer - just not sure when I'll make it back up that way.

In the meantime, I'd encourage others to chime in with their real world experiences with good or bad helmet sound.

My current rig is the basic Sony sports headset of the type that loops over the ears. The sound is actually quite excellent. The drawbacks are:
- It takes a bit of time and positioning to get it right and keep it right as I don the helmet.
- My Shoei is actually slightly large. This setup would never work on a tight helmet.
- A few hours into a ride, the headset sometimes starts to get a bit uncomfortable.
- If I stop to talk to a riding buddy, sound is pretty muffled, even with the MP3 player turned off.
I also occasionally use a Sennheiser behind-the-neck headpiece. Wonderful sound. Drawback?
- After about an hour, it just gets darned uncomfortable having that plastic frame shoved under the helmet.
 
I have taken calls from my wife, and she says she can tell obviously I was riding but has no problem hearing me. Others have commented similarly. The limitation is on my end trying to listen over foam ear plugs at speeds over 70mph, but I suspect just about any in helmet speakers will have problems with that.

I like the Uclear for the boomless mike. Do I think the "integrated" mike work as good as a big old boom? Nope. But I am fine with that compromise, since I use mine 99% of the time as in helmet speakers. A boom mike would just get in the way and do nothing 99% of the time.

Buy what suits your application and how you use it.
 
P-Ratt said:
I have the Scala G4 and a friend has the Uclear. We were riding on together and tried to intercom via cell phones since you can't talk directly through the systems. The Uclear sounded like talking with cans on a string. It was tinny, hollow, and very faint.

We wound up not doing much talking on the highway that trip. The Uclear sounds like a great product, but the execution is lacking in our real-world test.
Click to expand...

Not sure which model he has, but have him check into firmware updates on their website.
 
TOE JAM said:
Not sure which model he has, but have him check into firmware updates on their website.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I will pass that on. He picked up the older model just before the newer one came out (of course.)

Mine has the boom mic. I'd love to try the non-boom cord version, but at the time I bought mine, those were sold only as snowmobile sets and were not around. I believe the newer one allows you to swap between the boom and corded mics.

The G4 has surprised many I have talked to that I was on the bike, they couldn't tell.

One catch with the G4 (not sure if it is an issue with the newer G9 or other Scala models) is the speaker placement is pretty finicky. If you have it in the correct place, the sound is great, better with earplugs IMO. If the speakers drift out of alignment even a bit, sound levels drop quite a bit.
 
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