Snugs-Moto UK made in ear monitors designed to fit underneath your helmet.

[p6x]

I have ordered the Snugs-Moto and I should receive them in April.

My current helmet is a Shark GP-R Pro carbon, and I purchased the now defunct "Shark Tooth" communication system. This never really was ideal, as I wear ear plugs to filter out the wind noise, and the audio becomes inaudible as soon as you hit the highway speed. Not that I listen to anything but navigation.

On my last outing, the "Shark Tooth" failed. After a power down, it never turned on again. On a side note, I opened the main unit, and was amazed at what you get for $150.00! a very small battery, and a minuscule PC board.

I looked for a replacement communication system, and again, not only you get that ugly side control to put on your helmet, on top of it, those Cardo and Sena are very expensive. What happens when I want to change my helmet? do I need another system?

The perfect alternative, is to get a custom set of in-ear monitors that fit under a helmet. You can wear it with multiple helmet, and it seats (allegedly) perfectly in your ear since they use a 3D print of your ear canal, that needs to be made by an audiologist. USD 125.00 for basically 5 minutes of injecting cold moldable foam in your ear.

I purchased the Snugs-Moto for USD252.94. Since they are in-ear, they should filter out the wind noise, remain audible whatever the speed, be comfortable long term, and be independent of what helmet you wear.

Once I start using them, I will report back. I know that @docc wears in-ear custom-made, but I don't know if they are monitors too.

 

 

[docc]

I have my audilogist custom mold these earplugs, but they are attenuaters only, no monitors. I tried in helmet communication, but found it distracting. I only use visual cues for navigation anyway, and won't even answer my phone when I am off the bike . . .

edit: The only downsides I have found are once having to reshape the outer surfaces for clearance in a particularly tight fitting helmet, and discovering they filter out high pitch mechanical noises.  Like when my other bike ate up its cam and rockers over time and I didn't hear it.

[p6x]

20 hours ago, docc said:

The only downsides I have found are once having to reshape the outer surfaces for clearance in a particularly tight fitting helmet, and discovering they filter out high pitch mechanical noises.  Like when my other bike ate up its cam and rockers over time and I didn't hear it.

I had several exchanges with the UK based Snugs people. One of my worry was the actual noise filtering, since I want to be able to hear traffic around me, emergency vehicles, police, honks. The only noise frequency I want filtered out is the wind. Now that I have a little experience of riding in Texas, I know that a lot of our westward highways are frequently subjected to wind gusts.

If you look at the Snugs-Moto page, they have an option for "filter", and this is actually an additional input for external sound. They have a selection of filters to decide how much you want to let in, or you can install a plug for total isolation.

Once I receive the set, I will be able to share my experience.

On errands around home, I do not wear earplugs. I always start my bike without my helmet on, so I can listen to any changes; this is why I know there is something amiss with my starter. The cranking sound is not as it was before.

[audiomick]

On 3/26/2024 at 2:22 PM, p6x said:

a custom set of in-ear monitors that fit under a helmet.... and it seats (allegedly) perfectly in your ear since they use a 3D print of your ear canal,

I can attest to the perfect seat. I bought a system from this company about 15 years ago:

https://www.hearsafe.de/

It included the moulds, a set of drivers for listening to music (intended for in-ear monitoring on stage), and two different sets of filters, all of which can be fitted alternately in the moulds. On set of filters provides very little noise protection ( 7 dB) but "catches" short, sharp noises like when someone starts hammering on a bit of truss just behind you. The other set of filters provids 15 dB of protection, and is "flat" enough that I can mix a band with them in.

The drivers for listening to music don't fit under a helmet, but that doesn't bother me too much. Like many others, I don't want to hear music whilst riding, and I don't listen to what the navigation device says, I only look at it.

The point is, the moulds are really very comfortable. I can wear mine for six or eight hours constantly, and they never get uncomfortable. The problem is more that one forgets to take them out.

A note on the side: mine are probably too old by now. The ear canal changes a bit over the years, and one is recommended to have the moulds re-done after a number of years. Mine still work well, though, so I'm not planning on having them re-done yet.

 

Getting the mould done is no big deal. The man cleaned out my ears with a cotton bud, and squeezed some sort of silicon stuff in there. A bit weird for a couple of minutes, and then it was all over.

 

 

 

21 hours ago, p6x said:

 The only noise frequency I want filtered out is the wind.

Difficult, because wind noise is not "a frequency", but very broad band. More lows than highs, but everything.

The various filters they offer may have different frequency "responses", but they will most likely be principally more or less damping.

but...

that's ok. Firstly, protecting your ears is the main thing. Less noise in means less damage. Secondly, if the general noise level is lower, you can hear what is going on better. I didn't read about that, that is my experience. If you have good earplugs in, your hearing system isn't "screwed down" to protect itself (yes, that happens. There are muscles in your ears that tense up in loud conditions to "tighten" the ear drums and thereby protect the hearing mechanism in the inner ear ...), and can sort out what it is hearing better.

The frequency curve of the filters is relevant. If too much of the high frequencies is damped out (read: cheap filters), you wont hear things like valve clearance ticking or destructive engine noise, but if the frequency curve is flat, you will be able to hear everthing better than if it were all too loud.

[p6x]

I received the Snugs-Moto and did a quick test run to Louisiana and back!

I can only be dithyrambic about the experience. You can see they are personalized with my name engraved in the molding.

1st, they address the wind noise problem because they are before all plugs. Also, no more of the interference with the audio from said wind noise. You get crystal clear audio. I don't listen to music when I ride, only to the audio guidance from the GPS. My phone remains in my pocket.

Now, I think Snugs-Moto have a very good setup, perfect for my application. No contraption on the side of my helmet.

Although, I made a mistake while wearing them. I had left the speakers of my "Sharktooth" installed, and they pressed on my ears, which made the helix painful against the cartilage.

I also had two disconnects: one with a seamless immediate reconnection, the second one, I had to stop and do a power off and on cycle to reconnect.

The controls are on the "open dog collar", and not as easy to reach and manipulate as the Cardo and Sena that sit on your helmet. But as I don't use the controls other than before and after the ride, it is not an issue for me.

Yesterday, Saturday 20th of April, I went to CycleGear and tried various full face helmets with the Snugs-Moto. I realized that they were much more comfortable, and I could not feel the Snugs while in them. So I removed the speakers in my Shark full face, and no more issue.

Also, I don't think they are a mesh system. You would not be able to communicate with a pillion or other riders as other comm. allow.