I'm interested if anyone knows a set of headphones that cuts wind noise without blocking out / noise reducing other ambient noise.
Before anyone gets up in arms, I only listen to podcasts (so similar to the radio in the car) and I want to be able to listen to them more quietly.
Trouble is, at the moment with ipod headphones, I have to have it on maximum volume to hear anything at 15mph, any speed above that, or a headwind the situation is hopeless.
Wind proof headphones
Re: Wind proof headphones
if you wish to hear the headphones better you will have to be both distracting and/or blocking out other ambient noise to some extent, be it wind noise or other stuff you should be hearing.
Traffic and other sound sources are located by phase differences in each ear and by modulation etc differences which are created by the shape of the ear. Anything in or near the ear area will right away alter the accuracy of sound recognition and location.
Up to a point 'normal' wind noise is filtered out by the brain, and you will hear traffic etc quite clearly. However, put anything near or in the ear which alters the airflow and your 'normal' wind noise filtering will not work properly. Add a non-directional distracting noise of any kind (eg. from headphones) and your ability to perceive other sounds (like cars coming up behind you) may be seriously compromised.
For some years I hated the only cycle helmet I had because the straps were about 1/2" from my head and made a funny noise nearly all the time. Its replacement had straps flush with my head and I liked it much more.
If you want to listen to speech podcasts on your bike, I'd suggest a non-headphone approach, using small loudspeakers which are positioned such that the direction is not one which will be confused with a source of sounds that may indicate danger. I'd suggest positioning small loudspeakers somewhere below your head, maybe at shoulder or collar level. There will still be some distraction but it will not be so bad. This will be fine for speech, no good for music.
[A slightly mad thought is to use over-the-ear noise cancelling headphones, with a special modification; if the signal from the built-in microphones is, a) muffled by a blast screen to eliminate wind noise, and b) inverted, you will be able to listen to an amplified (to a chosen level) version of ambient noise, free from wind blast, as well as the source material. You will lose much of the ambient noise directionality though.]
BTW the comparison with motorists listening to the radio is a poor one; they are already isolated from the outside world to such an extent that they often ' don't notice ' stuff like ambulance sirens, plus they are in a tin box which protects them in the event of an accident. For them, it is not the case that failure to hear a vehicle coming up behind or from the side is liable to risk death or serious injury.
If you insist on wearing headphones whilst cycling, why not fit your bike with mirrors, and use them. Be aware that this still is no substitute for being able to hear what is going on around you properly, though.
cheers
Traffic and other sound sources are located by phase differences in each ear and by modulation etc differences which are created by the shape of the ear. Anything in or near the ear area will right away alter the accuracy of sound recognition and location.
Up to a point 'normal' wind noise is filtered out by the brain, and you will hear traffic etc quite clearly. However, put anything near or in the ear which alters the airflow and your 'normal' wind noise filtering will not work properly. Add a non-directional distracting noise of any kind (eg. from headphones) and your ability to perceive other sounds (like cars coming up behind you) may be seriously compromised.
For some years I hated the only cycle helmet I had because the straps were about 1/2" from my head and made a funny noise nearly all the time. Its replacement had straps flush with my head and I liked it much more.
If you want to listen to speech podcasts on your bike, I'd suggest a non-headphone approach, using small loudspeakers which are positioned such that the direction is not one which will be confused with a source of sounds that may indicate danger. I'd suggest positioning small loudspeakers somewhere below your head, maybe at shoulder or collar level. There will still be some distraction but it will not be so bad. This will be fine for speech, no good for music.
[A slightly mad thought is to use over-the-ear noise cancelling headphones, with a special modification; if the signal from the built-in microphones is, a) muffled by a blast screen to eliminate wind noise, and b) inverted, you will be able to listen to an amplified (to a chosen level) version of ambient noise, free from wind blast, as well as the source material. You will lose much of the ambient noise directionality though.]
BTW the comparison with motorists listening to the radio is a poor one; they are already isolated from the outside world to such an extent that they often ' don't notice ' stuff like ambulance sirens, plus they are in a tin box which protects them in the event of an accident. For them, it is not the case that failure to hear a vehicle coming up behind or from the side is liable to risk death or serious injury.
If you insist on wearing headphones whilst cycling, why not fit your bike with mirrors, and use them. Be aware that this still is no substitute for being able to hear what is going on around you properly, though.
cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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The Mechanic
- Posts: 1922
- Joined: 23 Jul 2010, 1:38pm
- Location: Scotland
Re: Wind proof headphones
I have the same problem as JB so don't bother any more. I have to say, though, that I tend to agree with Brucey. It's probably not a good idea.
Cancer changes your outlook on life. Change yours before it changes you.
Re: Wind proof headphones
before someone says it....
deaf people rely on other senses all the time, so they are much better at it.
deaf people rely on other senses all the time, so they are much better at it.
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
Re: Wind proof headphones
I will have to test the loss of directionality. I definitely wouldn't use headphones in the city.
I tend to use them on long rides in the country, along with a mirror. I'm not sure if the loss of directionality matters that much on the open road, because either you can see the cars ahead of you, or if you can't see them but can hear them, you know they're creeping up behind you, in which case there's not much you can do (apart from not weaving around).
I like the idea of small speakers. The modified noise cancelling headphones sounds like a project for my electronic engineer brother in law.
I tend to use them on long rides in the country, along with a mirror. I'm not sure if the loss of directionality matters that much on the open road, because either you can see the cars ahead of you, or if you can't see them but can hear them, you know they're creeping up behind you, in which case there's not much you can do (apart from not weaving around).
I like the idea of small speakers. The modified noise cancelling headphones sounds like a project for my electronic engineer brother in law.
Re: Wind proof headphones
I used to ride a lot in the dark on country roads. I realised that if I was run down from behind I might die before I was found, even if I survived the initial impact.
I took to looking carefully at my own shadow, cast by the vehicle lights behind. Obviously not a good time to wobble or weave when they were close, but also it was of some comfort to see the shadows cast progressively further to my left. If not cast to my left, I knew it was time to head for the hedge, which I had to do once or twice.
I guess I subconsciously still listen for the same cues, and have not felt happy anytime I couldn't do that properly.
BTW in the town where i live, for many years there was a slightly eccentric character who had a radio built into his town bike; IIRC he had the receiver and batteries under the rear carrier, an antenna poking up for good reception, and small stereo loudspeakers attached to the handlebars. The sound overspill as he rode past was not worse than 'headphone noise pollution' on public transport, and was of course fleeting in nature. Mostly speech radio IIRC, I guess he wasn't a big drum and bass fan, it might have been different if he had been....
cheers
I took to looking carefully at my own shadow, cast by the vehicle lights behind. Obviously not a good time to wobble or weave when they were close, but also it was of some comfort to see the shadows cast progressively further to my left. If not cast to my left, I knew it was time to head for the hedge, which I had to do once or twice.
I guess I subconsciously still listen for the same cues, and have not felt happy anytime I couldn't do that properly.
BTW in the town where i live, for many years there was a slightly eccentric character who had a radio built into his town bike; IIRC he had the receiver and batteries under the rear carrier, an antenna poking up for good reception, and small stereo loudspeakers attached to the handlebars. The sound overspill as he rode past was not worse than 'headphone noise pollution' on public transport, and was of course fleeting in nature. Mostly speech radio IIRC, I guess he wasn't a big drum and bass fan, it might have been different if he had been....
cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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theenglishman
- Posts: 106
- Joined: 10 Jun 2012, 5:01pm
Re: Wind proof headphones
Wear some really fluffy ear muffs to lessen the amount of turbulence across your ears. I saw some really funky ones in Camden Market today!
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The Mechanic
- Posts: 1922
- Joined: 23 Jul 2010, 1:38pm
- Location: Scotland
Re: Wind proof headphones
Cancer changes your outlook on life. Change yours before it changes you.
Re: Wind proof headphones
[XAP]Bob wrote:before someone says it....
deaf people rely on other senses all the time, so they are much better at it.
My other senses have not come in to play as yet, but in the mean time there's a mirror
Re: Wind proof headphones
Try the bone conducting ones - you can find them on amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/Chilli-Air-Bone-Conduction-Headphones/dp/B005PK5JHE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342193961&sr=8-1
The benefit being they don't go in your ears and also if you don't get on with them - just send them straight back
The benefit being they don't go in your ears and also if you don't get on with them - just send them straight back
Re: Wind proof headphones
I'm seriously interested in these "bone conduction" headphones, but would prefer to hear from someone who has first hand experience of them.
Anyone out there with first hand experience?
Rand.
Anyone out there with first hand experience?
Rand.
Re: Wind proof headphones
I must confess I'd never heard of them before. There are several reviews on Amazon; responses appear to be 'mixed' to say the least.
I would expect the sound itself to be of very different quality to normal headphone sound, but it may well be the case that it is 'better than nothing' for (say) people using ear defenders/ear plugs which seems to be a common requirement.
I have myself had occasion to use ear defenders for extended periods (in an otherwise safe environment) and wanted sound inside them; I started with a set of 'Peltor' ones with intercom speakers in. These were OK but the 'defender' part was compromised by the speaker and jack installation, so more sound leaked in than was ideal. The speaker drive units were durable, but very stiff; OK for speech but no good for music. Eventually I modified a set of better 'over the ear' type defenders to incorporate good quality headphone speakers and this worked very well, almost audiophile quality. I'd never use them whilst riding a bike though.
cheers
I would expect the sound itself to be of very different quality to normal headphone sound, but it may well be the case that it is 'better than nothing' for (say) people using ear defenders/ear plugs which seems to be a common requirement.
I have myself had occasion to use ear defenders for extended periods (in an otherwise safe environment) and wanted sound inside them; I started with a set of 'Peltor' ones with intercom speakers in. These were OK but the 'defender' part was compromised by the speaker and jack installation, so more sound leaked in than was ideal. The speaker drive units were durable, but very stiff; OK for speech but no good for music. Eventually I modified a set of better 'over the ear' type defenders to incorporate good quality headphone speakers and this worked very well, almost audiophile quality. I'd never use them whilst riding a bike though.
cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Re: Wind proof headphones
I think the bone conducting headphones would be worth a shot. Thank you Pugwash. The sound quality doesn't matter, I just want to listen to stuff to not get bored (I know there as some for whom bike riding is enough entertainment, but I like to have abit extra after a couple of hours), so they may be ideal.
Brucey, I don't think I would trust anything other than a mirror, and usually not even that to tell me whether someone was going to hit me from behind or not. Of course, I'd deffintely want to know what's going on behind before I manouver, but if I started worrying about every vehicle comming up while riding stright and true, I think I'd get so stressed I'd stop riding!
Fluffy ear mufs would at least get you noticed and might be one of those "not wearning a helment makes drivers take more care" kind of things because they know you can hear absolutely nothing and are a nutter wearing bright pink muffs and lycra at the same time. The same effect might be achieved with a boom box on the rear rack pushing out drum & bass, if car drivers could hear it, which they probably couldn't as suggested by the article.
Brucey, I don't think I would trust anything other than a mirror, and usually not even that to tell me whether someone was going to hit me from behind or not. Of course, I'd deffintely want to know what's going on behind before I manouver, but if I started worrying about every vehicle comming up while riding stright and true, I think I'd get so stressed I'd stop riding!
Fluffy ear mufs would at least get you noticed and might be one of those "not wearning a helment makes drivers take more care" kind of things because they know you can hear absolutely nothing and are a nutter wearing bright pink muffs and lycra at the same time. The same effect might be achieved with a boom box on the rear rack pushing out drum & bass, if car drivers could hear it, which they probably couldn't as suggested by the article.
Re: Wind proof headphones
I commute in busy traffic, I find car noise both distracting and brain numbing. Needless to say that car horn noise and idiots shouting out their window is too.
I listen to my car stereo whilst driving and I listen to my mp3 player whilst cycling. I see no difference. Both make the journey more pleasant.
I think bike mirrors are more important than most people realise, I have used one for years and now hate riding without one.
I disagree about safety concerns, but then, unless you can prove otherwise, I am correct
I listen to my car stereo whilst driving and I listen to my mp3 player whilst cycling. I see no difference. Both make the journey more pleasant.
I think bike mirrors are more important than most people realise, I have used one for years and now hate riding without one.
I disagree about safety concerns, but then, unless you can prove otherwise, I am correct
Re: Wind proof headphones
I find the inear bud type ones block more noise and mean you can have the volume lower. Sennheizer cx 300-ii from dixons online were my last decent pair. Avoid non trusted sources as tey'll be fakes.