Any recommendations for good in-helmet headsets?

[BKW]

I've been avoiding buying in-helmet headsets because in my mind I assume they will be cumbersome inside the helmet, and I also imagine them to be not the best quality. Because of this, I risk safety with a half-helmet but good audio with airpods.

Any in-helmet recommendations that aren't cumbersome with decent audio quality?

I'm a complete newb when it comes to them. Thanks!

[Tawpie]

Anything in your helmet that 'fits' is going to have small thin speakers so audio quality is generally going to be transistor radio/soundblaster card level. I have a Sena system (lower end of their line, rebranded by HTC) and you can easily figure out that the music is (most probably) music but no, it's not quality sound.

With wind noise and everything else going on my best option has been a JBL Clip mounted on the wheel facing upwards. Tolerable. Not good. And only for places where there is no one else around to be bothered by having the thing at near full blast. No good when wearing the moto helmet though, then I deal with the Sena's "audio".

Edited January 17, 2023 by Tawpie

[bpong]

i use a hockey helmet with the metal front cage:     Bauer 3800 Senior Hockey Helmet & Cage

that front cage has protected my teeth from a couple of faceplants already this past riding season.

i mounted this motorcycle intercom/headset into my helmet:

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B06XFDQ8XS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

now as tawpie described fittingly in his post,  the speakers are tinnie in sound quality.  for this helmet system,  its the same, tinny.  but the

microphone is great and all my calls project my voice quite clearly as my friends attest to that.  the speakers themselves are these small 1.4 inch diameter

speakers mounted in a small plastic case.  i mounted each speaker on small plywood mounts, approximately 3/4 inch away from each ear because they are

very very very loud.  riding at 45kph, i can still hear the voice prompts from EUC world from my phone, and i can take calls while riding and the  wind noise

is not that bad (it depends on the mounting as always...)  the mike is mounted directly in front of my mouth, on the front cage.  i have this system for the

past 2 seasons and its worked out great.  the only problem is that occasionally my bluetooth signal gets garbled because sometimes the screen of my phone becomes activated and it becomes sensitive to anything touching its screen in my front pouch where i keep my phone.

the speakers cannot be directly in front of the ear because they are capable of being very loud.  the mounting distance is also needed so that I can hear the ambient noise around me as i ride.  this keeps my audio perception grounded to my external surroundings, with the audio acting as a secondary source of information and entertainment.

the only real complaint i have is that the mounting bracket is abit fragile.  it broke at the beginning of the 2nd season but i repaired it easily with some epoxy and 1/16" hobby plywood.  its now better than new, and its reinforced better.

all in all, this worked out great and i do find that treating the speakers as real speakers and not like those ear buds that are inserted in the ear or hung from the ear lobe, provides a good combination of external sound and the audio from calls and EUC world.  plus i can play music from my apple music account and take calls if need be.  the sound is still good, as i sometimes play dead mau and its sounds good enuf while i glide merrily away along the bike lane.  i am so used to using this now,  i find its weird not listening to the speed prompts from EUC world...its important cause i dont want to overspeed and experience a cutout.

i guarantee you once you have a good sound system in your helmet,  it will spoil you but at the same time it becomes an invaluable accessory to your riding safety too...!!!

bpong

 

 

Edited February 24, 2023 by bpong
adding photos...

[Pablocavern]

 

Hello, people. I had a jbl clip clipped to my backpack but have discovered something better, a bluetooth neck speaker. It hears quite a bit better because of how it is placed, although you still hear traffic. Other people don't hear it as much, which helps to not draw too much attention.  In aliexpress there are several for less than 30€. I have this one that goes very well: https://es.aliexpress.com/item/1005003427627248.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.17.1833194dT0BvS3&gatewayAdapt=glo2esp