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 Being able to ride without the constant roar of the wind is the Holy Grail of motorcyclists. We try everything from soft foam ear inserts that cost a couple of bucks to custom molded inserts that cost upwards of $150. Some of us complicate things even further by believing that while riding in peace and quiet is good, riding in peace and quiet with music is even better.
We’ve tested the custom molded earplug option already and quite frankly loved it. However, they only lasted about a year due to the edge of the helmet rubbing and pulling on the wires where they enter the body of the plug. Without the ability to listen to music they became practically useless and the cost of fixing them was a little prohibitive; especially as there were other options out there that looked intriguing.
Enter the realm of ANR earbuds. Now for those that don’t know, ANR stands for “Active Noise Reduction”. Think of it like this; Your Uncle Lou is the loudest most obnoxious person you know……except for your Uncle Sal. Either of them in a room alone is annoying but put both of them in a room together and they cancel each other out. Your brain can’t handle the overload of Sal and Lou together so it plays dead and ignores both of them! On second thought ANR isn’t anything like that.
 ANR actually works on the principal that every sound wave has an opposite sound wave that cancels it. This means that with the right technology you could conceivably walk around in total silence and not hear anything (much like guys do when their wife is talking to them about girl stuff). While we don’t have the technology to give us quite that level of noise reduction we do have the technology to alleviate most constant sounds in certain frequencies. Basically a small microphone on each earbud samples the ambient sound and sends it to a small processor. This processor then picks out the constant sounds and tries to send counter-sounds (I just made that term up) to the speakers in the earbuds. The goal here is to reduce the constant noise which is what causes fatigue.
ANR has been used by pilots for years with very good results. The best results, however, come from the big earmuff style headsets. This is because not only do they have ANR but also Passive Noise Reduction (just like those foam earplugs you wear). This is great in a cockpit environment but not so good when you are wearing a helmet since big, bulky headsets won't fit (I know, I've tried).
This is where the ANR earbuds come into play. Specifically, for this test, the Scosche HP6NC ANR Earbud Headphones. Scosche claims a noise reduction of 23db which is right in line with some of the cheaper foam earplugs and also with the custom molded earplugs (with speakers) so I was very interested in trying them.
The Scosche HP6NCs come with three different sized sillicone inserts so that you can get a good fit. They also come with a very nice felt bag to store them in which, if you’re like me, you will promptly set down somewhere and never use . The control unit is small and easily clips onto your belt loop or fits in a pocket. The control unit is powered by a AAA battery so finding a replacement while out riding won't be a problem. Scosche does rate the battery usage at 30 hours and from what I've been able to tell they are about right with that number. While the earbuds themselves feel nice the control unit does feel a little cheap; not as cheap as some other ANR control units I've felt though.
So how, in the world of motorcycling, do these Scosche HP6NC ANR earbuds actually work? It turns out that they work pretty well. We did get the chance to try another manufacturer’s ANR earbuds and they didn’t work at all so I can say with a certainty that not all ANR earbuds are created equal.
The Scosche HP6NC’s fit perfectly under an ARAI Profile but do run into some clearance issues when worn under an ICON Domain II helmet. Check out how much room you have around your ear of your current helmet to see if there will be a clearance issue.
 The first thing I did with the HP6NC’s was go for a ride with the ANR active but with no music being played through the speakers. All ANR headsets/earbuds have a “hiss” to them; this is the sound from the control unit as it is processing out side noise. This “hiss” becomes unnoticeable once the outside noise levels are loud enough.
I decided to ride without any earplugs and then put the HP6NC’s in and see of there was a difference at all. I was, at first, actually disappointed with their performance as I still could hear the bike’s exhaust, wind, cars , and even a guy in the car next to me talking on his cell phone at a light. After doing the test a few more times it finally sunk in that while I could hear wind noise (much like you can with ANY earplug) the low, droning, wind noise that is a constant rumble when you ride was gone. Not just reduced but gone completely. I reached into my helmet and knocked the left earplug out just to see and the difference was amazing. I then put a foam earplug in one ear and the HP6NC in the other and, while the foam earplug reduced some wind noise across the entire tonal range, the HP6NC eliminated the wind noise at the low end of the range.
The low rumble wind noise is actually what tires you out as it is a non-changing constant noise. The mid to high range wind noise (like when you turn your head sideways) changes constantly so never really bothers you as much (at least it doesn’t bother me as much). When you think about it, an ANR earbud set-up like the Scosche HP6NC makes more sense from a safety standpoint (when used without music being played through them) as not only can you still hear your bike but the noise of traffic around you.
On long rides the unabated mid to high pitch wind noise may become distracting though which is where the next part of the test comes into play; music. Now it is illegal in some states to ride a motorcycle (or drive a car) while listening to music if the speakers actually touch the ear. Since earbuds go in the ear you’re going to have a hard time getting out of that ticket should you be pulled over. There is also a safety (and hearing loss) factor to take into consideration if you decide to blast music into your eardrums while riding. That being said, listening to your favorite songs (like I’m doing right now actually) while you ride is a great way to pass the time (on long rides) or just to fill in the blanks in your mind as you enjoy the scenery.
The Scosche HP6NC’s not only eliminate the low pitch wind noise but they allow you to plug in your Mp3 player and jam to the music. Since listening to your music on some tinny, cheap sounding speakers is no fun, Scosche put some pretty decent quality speakers into the HP6NC earbuds. While not of the same quality as say a very high-end Bose headset, they are more than good enough for 99% of you. One side effect of the ANR set-up is that you don’t have to play the music very loud since the low pitched wind noise (which is the loudest and most distracting) is eliminated. So you can listen to your music and still hear what is going on around you. Also if your ANR control unit AAA battery goes dead you can still listen to your music even though you won't have any noise reduction for the wind.
Overall I’d say that the Scosche HP6NC ANR earbuds are 75% there when it comes to motorcycle use; even without music playing through them. There are a few things I’d like to see changed concerning some passive noise reduction, and I’ll be getting with Scosche on those changes, that would make them perfect for riding. Since no one makes an ANR earbud specifically for us motorcycle riders and the HP6NC’s do a better job at reducing wind noise than others, to me it seems like a market that might be worth pursuing.
If you want to try the Scosche HP6NC’s (and I suggest you do) head on over to www.Scosche.com and check them out. They are a little hard to find so look under the “iPod and iPhones Accessories” button and then click on earphones.
The Scosche HP6NC earbuds retail for $49.95.
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