Listen up! The best motorcycle earphones as chosen by MCN
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Best motorcycle headphones
For many riders, the solitude and peace of riding a motorcycle is what they love; no phones, emails or questions, just them and their bike and the road. However, others, myself included, like to remain connected with a set of motorcycle earphones for listening to music on long, straight roads and being able to hear sat nav instructions on my touring bike.
One solution is to attach a motorcycle intercom to the side of your helmet, but a quicker and less permanent fix is to pair a set of earbuds to your phone to wear underneath it instead.
Best motorcycle earphones in detail
"Since getting hold of a pair of these headphones, I’ve stopped using an intercom. And unless I have a group ride I need to connect to in the near future, I won’t be going back any time soon.
"The advantages in audio quality and how easy they make life swapping between helmets make them perfect for the way I use my Bluetooth connection – to listen to music or podcasts.
"Sure, there are downsides such as having to set what you are listening to at the start of your ride and then put up with it or pull over to change, but this is outweighed by the advantages for me.
"If you’re shopping for an intercom but have no intention of using it for Mesh or phone calls then you really should consider these as an option, too."
Read our full Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 review
Pros
- Great sound quality on or off the bike
- Fit under every helmet I've tried
- No need for multiple intercom kits if you have more than one helmet
- 'Hear Through' feature for safety
Cons
- No Mesh or other intercom feature
- Avoid if you want to make and take phone calls
These Bluetooth in-earphones look to be a little larger than a pair of traditional earplugs, thanks to the battery and control system being housed in pods in the cable that connects each side together.
However, the microphone is also in the control pod, so making and taking phone calls is likely to be hit and miss. But in terms of listening to music and sat nav instructions, they should work well and being JBL, the sound quality should be excellent.Pros
- Low-profile
- Excellent reputation for quality
- External control pod
Cons
- Little use for phone call in-helmet
Rrp: $109.99
Rrp: $109.99
These low-profile earbuds are linked by a cable incorporating the battery and controls. They not only connect to a smartphone, but provide active noise cancellation as well as limiting maximum sound levels entering the ear. The over-the-ear loops help keep them in place and the manufacturer quotes a 16-hour battery life.
They’ll do music from your phone and act as a hands-free headset for sat-nav instructions as well as calls, but with the microphone in the control, it may not work well in a helmet. Also, for motorcyclists, the control on the right could be a pain (you don't really want to take your right hand off the bars, do you?)Pros
- Active sound cancelling
- Hands-free headset profile
- Control phone from headset
Cons
- Controls on right-hand bud
Another custom-made earplug, this one from Custom Fit Guards comes with a set of Bluetooth earphones built in to offer audio from a smartphone or sat nav directions while also reducing the amount of unwanted or ambient noise. The earphones are linked by a cable incorporating the battery and controls.
The beauty of the CFG system is they come to your home to take the mould of your ear before producing the plugs. You can also add extra drivers if you want higher audio quality.Pros
- Custom fit to your ear
- Wireless audio delivery
- Excellent noise reduction
Cons
- None
Earphones in detail
Of course, an in-helmet intercom is a great solution that can satisfy all of these requirements. However, as many of us also wear earplugs to protect our hearing from external noise, these can also reduce the effectiveness of any intercom.
Coupled with that is the fact that the intercom must stay within the helmet so is no use to you off the bike and if you have more than one helmet – you ride a sports tourer and an off-road bike, for example – then you need an intercom (or at least a fitting kit) for each helmet.
One way around all of this is to wear a set of motorcycle earphones within your helmet. These can serve to insulate your eardrums from the external noise while also directing sound directly into your ears, making them far more efficient.
Like intercoms, motorcycle earphones, as well as many ‘sports’-style earphones, will have some form of separate control but some may not and in this case, you may need to control them directly from your sat-nav, smartphone or even by voice.
The other difference will be the fit. An intercom will (should) sit flush within the helmet’s interior and not interfere with your ears. A set of earphones may protrude from the ear’s profile and so may not work with all motorcycle helmets, though generally if you are careful, you should be able to get a helmet on – a flip-front or open-face may be easier here.
Finally a word on phone calls. While you may be able to hear someone else on a phone call, depending on where the microphone is located in the system you are using, they may not be able to hear you so if crystal-clear phone calls are a key element of your riding, these may not be for you and an an intercom could be a better bet.
How MCN tests products
At MCN, our team of expert journalists have decades of experience gained over hundreds of thousands of miles. We don’t test our kit to destruction; we use it exactly how you do, in the real world and in all conditions. That means we can deliver impartial buying advice you can rely on.
Each of our writers has an in-depth understanding of the needs of today’s biker… because they are one.
If you can’t see a review against an item on this page, it’s because we haven’t tested it yet. These items will only be included if we think they’re important and relevant in the market, and rest assured, we will be working on bringing you a review as soon as we’ve done the miles.
To find out more, head to our dedicated page explaining how we test motorcycle products.
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