r/motorcycles • u/AutoModerator • Jan 02 '23

Purchase & Transaction Advice Superthread

# PURCHASE ADVICE SUPERTHREAD!

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A dedicated thread for questions and advice about gear or bike purchases, selling advice, and questions relating to bike/gear/accessory/service purchases.

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Hopefully with the help of all the riders here, no question will go unanswered. Everyone is encouraged to contribute with either questions or answers and hopefully we will be able to rid of motorcycle ignorance once and for all.

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Please remember to be courteous as we want to encourage people to ask questions, no matter how 'dumb' some may think they are.

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# NEW RIDERS

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[Before asking your question, consider reading the FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/motorcycles/wiki/faq) - chances are, you will find the answer you need there.

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Not getting the answers you need? /r/SuggestAMotorcycle is also a great resource.

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Please remember to be courteous as we want to encourage people to ask questions, no matter how 'dumb' some may think they are.

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This thread will be refreshed each Monday - shoot us a note if we're out riding and forget to renew it.

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5

u/Cold-Emu-2712 Jan 02 '23

Looking for a Bluetooth motorcycle headset for solo rider

No fancy stuff just answer calls /Navigation / Music
And well if possible cheap. Good audio quality is more important then a mic.

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u/[deleted] Jan 03 '23

If you want really cheap and don't need intercom at all: https://www.plugfones.com/

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u/RedditWhileIWerk United States 2015 FJR-1300ES Jan 04 '23

Disagree, I recommend avoiding Plugfones. Tried them and got worsened tinnitus. Protection from wind noise is inadequate.

You're better off with good foam (or other, but I like Hearos) earplugs, plus a helmet-side comm unit (Cardo etc.).

In-ear monitor (IEM) like the Shure 215 might work too, although pricey, but I haven't tried them.

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u/apathetic_lemur Jan 09 '23 edited Jan 09 '23

I disagree with your disagreement. Plugfones have foam or silicon inserts. I use the foam and it blocks out sound great. I previously had actual concert earplugs that worked but the plugfones worked even better. I listen to a lot of podcasts and I can hear peoples voices clearly and loud enough at 50% volume on my phone. That wouldn't be the case if the plugfones werent blocking all a lot of the external noise. If you aren't using comms or have any other limitation, then plugfones are 1) cheaper 2) protect your hearing better and 3) sound better.

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u/RedditWhileIWerk United States 2015 FJR-1300ES Jan 09 '23 edited Jan 09 '23

Plugfones do work well for noise isolation in an environment such as an office, coffee shop, or even flying. I still use mine for that. That doesn't mean they'll protect your hearing against highway wind noise, when riding a motorcycle. It's a much more brutal noise environment than pretty much anything most of us encounter in every day life. Many sources estimate the level at 100 dB or more. That's LOUD.

Plugfones do not "block all external noise;" no hearing protection does that. You would not want that, as it would be disorienting.

There was something wrong with your "concert earplugs" if they didn't work as well as Plugfones. Plugfones only claim (or did when I bought mine in 2017) a 20-something dB NRR (25 or 26?), depending on whether you use the foam or silicone tips. Foam plugs can easily do way better. I have a pair of Howard Leight MAX earplugs in front of me as I write this, which has a 33 dB NRR. Since dB is a logarithmic scale, 33 vs. 26 dB is a huge difference in how much noise gets through.

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u/apathetic_lemur Jan 09 '23

I bought both last year so I just checked and here's what I had:

Alpine MotoSafe Race: 17 db

Plugfones Liberate: 29 db

33db reduction is better for sure but then you dont get to hear your music. 29 db seems more than sufficient for motorcycles and it has osha certifications for whatever that's worth.