I've got a comm unit already and the stock speakers are useless above about 80 km/h, so I end up at maximum volume, which is both distorted and probably not great for my hearing. I wear earplugs, which I know is part of the problem. Budget is around EUR 120 for speakers only. Has anyone actually solved this, or is the answer just in-ear and stop asking?
The answer is in-ear, and I say that as someone who spent EUR 90 on upgraded helmet speakers first. Wired in-ears under the helmet give you plugs and audio in one, at a fraction of the volume, and the arms race between wind noise and speaker output just ends. The awkward parts are wire routing and that some places have rules about earphones while riding, so check locally first.
I keep circling back to in-ear and finding reasons not to. Third person to tell me and I think I'm out of excuses.
Get the ones with a flat cable rather than a round one. A round cable under a cheek pad becomes a pressure point after about an hour.
Upgraded speakers are real but they're a 20-30% improvement, not a fix. If you're at maximum volume and hearing distortion, you're trying to beat wind noise with power and that fight is unwinnable. Fix the noise first, plugs properly inserted and chin curtain fitted, and the stock speakers are often adequate afterwards.
Mesh versus Bluetooth changes nothing about your problem. People conflate the intercom protocol with audio quality and they're entirely separate things.
One genuine warning: running earplugs plus loud speakers means you have no real idea what your exposure is. I'd rather ride with plugs and no music than with plugs and something I have to crank to hear.
@career_ladder_kim · 6mo ago · 2 replies
Before you buy anything, check speaker depth. Most helmets have recesses and if your speaker sits a few millimetres proud of the recess it presses on your ear all day and sounds worse because it's occluded. Moving mine forward, ahead of the ear canal rather than centred on it, improved clarity more than any upgrade did.
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@grinder_gremlin · 6mo ago
Mine are definitely centred on my ear. Trying the reposition tonight before I spend a euro.
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