Product Review
Have you ever wanted to listen to music on a long trip but can't get any headphones that will work with your helmet on? If your like me you've tried the "ear bud" style headphones that fall out when you put on you helmet. You've also tried cutting down some old walkman earphones and blue-tacking them inside the Shoei, only to get a tinny noise that can't be heard over 40km/h.
What about proper earphones for helmets? Well apart from the expense, they have that huge cable coming out and from what I can tell you still have to get them pressing against your ear the right way to work, which isn't easy with the design of the XR1000 Shoei. Plus if you prefer to wear earplugs on a long journey to cut down the wind noise to your ears, you won't get any of them to work.
Enter the in-ear headphones. They are kind of like a combination of the classic "ear bud" style headphone and a set of earplugs. Etytomic make some, but they cost from US$138 up to US$330. A bit of a search around the net found something a bit cheaper which has just been released in Australia, the Sony MDREX71SL Fontopia Headphones, $85 including postage.
So how good are they? In short, bloody good. I can set the volume to a loud but comfortable level while stationary and still hear it clearly at speeds in excess of 100km/h. The design means that you can slip your helmet over them safely, they don't pull out and they don't jam against your ear. The sound quality is excellent stationary or on the move. I still have to use them for a long trip, so I can't comment on long-term comfort, but they certainly cause no discomfort on a short trip.
So if your looking for a set of earphones, and don't mind spending a bit more than you would for a standard set, but a lot less than for a specialised set, they are a good buy.