Playing Music

[helliott]

I know that I've seen (but it may have been on Chromeheads) discussions of using portable mp3 players or other portable systems, mounted in tank bags for music, but I can't find'em. Can anyone point me to an old discussion or maybe start a new one?

[kbasa]

Originally posted by helliott
Can anyone point me to an old discussion or maybe start a new one?

I think you just did!

There was one going on over here. (http://www.bmwmoa.org/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=320&highlight=satellite)

[helliott]

Thanks, Dave. I'll check it out.

[RebeccaV]

I've actually been shopping for an MP3 player. A fellow WI Club member suggested the Archos www.archos.com - he has a 20GB 'Jukebox' model. He paid over $200. It may be discontinued though - I can't seem to find it online.

On the Best Buy site I found a couple of 40GB models but they were over $500. :yow

iRiver seems to have some good smaller memory/less expensive models for around $200.

There has to be someone else out there who has dabbled with this already. Can anyone offer advice/suggestions?

[SweetT]

Before I started on my 5K mi trip last summer I spent about a $130 and bought a satelite radio system and a little FM transmitter that I tune in my walkman to. It was great! I would've been tired of my own music about three days into the trip. Now I have 100 channels of music to choose from so there is always something I like to listen to.

Tarren Shaw

[knary]

There's a good reason why the iPod still rules the mp3 player market. yummmm....

[RebeccaV]

Can you use the ipod if you have Windows?

[lorazepam]

Ipod has a non replaceable battery. and yes, you can use the Ipod if you have windows.

[lorazepam]

When my brother's Ipod died last year, he was told by Apple that he had to buy a new one, that there were no replacement batteries. Guess they have changed that policy.

[knary]

Originally posted by lorazepam
When my brother's Ipod died last year, he was told by Apple that he had to buy a new one, that there were no replacement batteries. Guess they have changed that policy.

Yes, they have. It seems like Apple didn't think through their usual service policies in regards to a small electronic device. Their standard starting fee to service a computer that's out of warranty isn't much less than the cost of an ipod. If you apply that fee to servicing an ipod, you quickly decide to just buy a new one.

They now have an ipod battery replacement program. I believe it's $99 (includes labor). There are also aftermarket alternatives such as at the link Eric provided.

Yes, I'm one of those mildly rabid mac users.

[RoxsterSD]

So I have a Chatterbox hjc90. Speakers mounted in helmet, kit mounted to bars. Currently I use my MD player out-into Chatterbox-out to head speakers. This allows me and the warm backrest/wife to listen to music and converse on a long trip(not that we talk much, but hey-its there).

Question: helmet speaker upgrade-if there is such a thing possible-or earplug headphones?

I never really liked the sound outta the headset spkrs. I want a little bit of bass.
Rumor has it my loving wife has bought me an IPOD for my anniversary gift. I want to go full throttle on a completly new package.

Any opinions?

[kbasa]

There are fantastic ones out there, I just don't remember their name right now.

Ertynomics or something? I think Darryl has a pair.

[BradfordBenn]

http://www.shure.com/earphones/eseries_e5c.asp

Sure they are $500 but from the reviews I have heard, they are freaking incredible. They actually have two transducers, one for HF and one for LF. They are actually competition to my employeer so you can tell I have no interest....

Me, I am looking at getting some custom mold plugs as they should have transfer tactile frequency resonance. (They should physically vibrate my bones to produce bass.) Mike Weiss has ones for about $120.

[RubberCow]

Originally posted by KBasa
There are fantastic ones out there, I just don't remember their name right now.

Ertynomics or something? I think Darryl has a pair.

They're called Etymotic ER-6 (http://www.etymotic.com/search/search_prod_index.asp?product_number=ER-6) earplugs and they're great!
That said, I still have to take them out on long rides due to some discomfort (only if they're in more than four hours). I have a pair of Bass Monster speaker mounted in the helmet as backups. I'm waiting for a clean Blue Tooth solution that will allow me to ditch the wires on the ER-6s.
As for MP3 players. iPods rock. Their new mini-iPod looks pretty cool and seems to do the job well. I have a Nike/Philips 256Mb MP3 player that works well enough but it's no IPod.
Cheers,
Jorge

[1flyer]

Last night on Screen Savers they showed how to replace the battery in an iPod. Here's the link :

http://www.techtv.com/screensavers/shownotes/story/0,24330,3589944,00.html

[Cliffy777]

I LLLOOOOVE music. Lots of it. But I find that I like riding without it now. On my first bike I was way ahead of the curve ('76). I mounted a car cassette player in foam in the pocket of my windjammer. I went to a hi-fi store and bought a pair of ultra thin, European headphones (remember, this was in '76). I took them apart and mounted them into my helmet and hard wired the phones into the cassette deck.
Hey it had auto-reverse and I was a jammin' dude - even if the wire between my helmet and the fairing jumped around a little.
Now - riding without music suits me just fine.

[RoxsterSD]

first, thanks.

If I were rich I still don't think I could justify $500 for headphones. They'd better be bluetooth.
I would love to have a nice bluetooth soution, but it is between the Etymotic ones, or the custom foam job. I would probably lean towards the custom foam b/c it may be less irritating in the helmet. How about those Bass MOnster helmet spkrs, how are they.

And to keep the thread even more livelier - how about mounting? I tried a mounting solution for my mini disc player, but the vibration Rockster handlebars made it unplayable. I don't like to carry the tank bag always. All I need is the open road and some tunes. I like the fact that I can create a playlist with the IPOD, I cannot wait any longer!!!! honey - when exactyl did you say I was getting it?

[cmartin]

I use a iRiver SlimX-350 CD player that is mounted in a Marsee tank Bag, that contanins my Autocomm. I can use the unit on any bike.

I load up a CD with MP3 music and I am set for over 6 hours on one CD, One extra CD in the tank bag and I am set for any trip.

The award winning SlimX iMP-350 $130.00
Features:
16.7 mm Thin with Premium Metal Case Design
Plays MP3, WMA, ASF, and Standard Music CDs
Skip-Free Playback up to 16 minutes
Up to 23 Hours of Playtime
Integrated digital FM Tuner with Presets
4 Line, Brightly Lit, Text Display on Remote Control
Album and Artist Information Using ID3 Tags and CDText
M3U Playlist Support
Upgradeable With FREE Online Updates
Rechargeable NiMH Batteries
Built in Battery Charger

[lorazepam]

I have one of those cbmw, and it definately rocks! I like having the radio available for weather reports if you find a station that gives them, and traffic reports. It never skips, and I have an adapter to run it off the battery, so I dont worry about the batteries going down. It also plugs into my autocomm and sounds great.

[rapz]

I use an i-Pod and even on long trips I still won't repeat songs since you can store about 10,000 songs or so I'm told on it.:brow

[username]

so ive thought about this also, and im happy with a 128MB player. i have one of those jump drive ones. its small and if i were to use, i'd put it inside my jacket, and run the wires internally. the thought of having a wire hanging in the breeze bugs me. also, what happens if i have a big mp3 player sitting in a tank bag, and earbuds jammed into my ears, and i have a getoff? i would hope the plug would come right out of the player but i'd worry about the buds getting ripped out of my ears with my helmet on.

anybody go down with a set-up like i describe? how was it?

[bmwmick]

cbmw1150 is a wise man. :idea

I've been using my iRiver SlimX-400 for about a year on my bikes and I love it! I get between 10 and 12 hours of music on each CD I create. Just got back a week ago from Death Valley and the iRiver made it almost all the way on one charge (570 miles). It quit about 5 miles from the turnoff near the Inn.
I also built mine into my tank bag so I can move it from bike-to-bike. I also use the XMA3 amp for mixing in my V1 audio.

Mick:dunno

PS: The intercom is a Starcom 1 out of England and it allows me to interface my iRiver, my Archos FM 20 Jukebox Recorder, my cellphone, FM stereo and/or cassette from the bike radio too. The XMA3 is an amplifier too, about a 6.5 gain on the stereo input.

[mgraced]

I'd highly recommend the Autocomm system. I have my MP3 plugged in along with cel phone, bike2bike. I was very much against music but I have a long boring commute to work and thought I would try it. I got hooked real fast. The Autocomm system works great and is expandable if I ever want to add radar, GPS etc.

I run a Creative Nomad IIC. I buy my 128mb cards off ebay where they are generally pretty cheap. Would love an iPod but it is not in the budget right now.

I am still toying with the VOX settings on the bike2bike. Just needs a little patience in calibrating but I am usually too eager to ride to get things set up.

[helliott]

We got a substantial IRS refund, so I sprang for the full Autocom Pro and it was installed, yesterday. After finally getting the headsets installed so they are comfortable, the only problem I have left is with the volume on my mp3 player. It's an RCA Lyra and with the volume full-up, I could not hear it very well on the ride home from the shop at 80-85mph. I've tried tweaking the VOX control and seemed to get a little more volume, but that was while sitting in my garage. I haven't yet had the chance to test it on the road.

The Autocom, itself, is in my right pannier on my CLC and works great wqith the standard radio/cd player and the intercom feature, although we've only tested it in the garage, seems to work as advertised.

Anyone have any sugggestions for volume on the mp3?

[mgraced]

Originally posted by helliott
Anyone have any sugggestions for volume on the mp3?

Position of the speakers on the inside of your helmet is critical. It will take some tweaking to find the right position. The speakers have to be directly over your ear for maximum volume. I had the same problem, but trust me once you get the right position the volume will be fine.

[snoone]

There is no question that ipod is the best player out there. For you PC people , yes even you can now enjoy superior Mac technology. Next for ipod will be Igps and Ivideo I'm sure within the same compact body. Any other I ideas??

[knary]

Originally posted by helliott
We got a substantial IRS refund, so I sprang for the full Autocom Pro and it was installed, yesterday. After finally getting the headsets installed so they are comfortable, the only problem I have left is with the volume on my mp3 player. It's an RCA Lyra and with the volume full-up, I could not hear it very well on the ride home from the shop at 80-85mph. I've tried tweaking the VOX control and seemed to get a little more volume, but that was while sitting in my garage. I haven't yet had the chance to test it on the road.

The Autocom, itself, is in my right pannier on my CLC and works great wqith the standard radio/cd player and the intercom feature, although we've only tested it in the garage, seems to work as advertised.

Anyone have any sugggestions for volume on the mp3?

I worry about damaging my hearing by cranking up the volume. I set it while stopped and live with the fact that at higher speeds or in blustery conditions the player gets drowned out.

[helliott]

Knary, I don't want it blasting -- just loud enough to hear and I think I've solved the problem. I tweaked the earphone position, at someone's suggestion, to whom I owe thanks. I also played with the VOX control a bit and then _made_ an opportunity for short test ride. It worked fine up to 85, indicated, which is about as fast as I ride.

I like it.

[jdcoffman]

I was thinking of installing a Bose noise canceling head set into my helmet. Has anyone ever tried this? I think the music would be awesome and if the noise cancellation part worked on the wind noise how great that would be. Don't know how much of the helmet I would need to cut out to make them fit but that wind noise really bothers me.:clap :idea

[philabeemer]

I think I have found a pretty good solution: Gateway 20MB MP3 jukebox paired up with Sony Fontopia earbud headphones. The headphones have little soft rubber ends on them that fit into your ear and act like earplugs to keep out the wind noise. Best sound I have ever had from a pair of headpones. They are about $40, and some people have gone with the similar Koss earplug headphones at half the price. Incidentally, the Sony's also come in a noise-cancelling model that costs aroudn $120. Can't vouch for them, as I have never used them.

I bought the Gateway because it was reasonably priced ($299), had an FM tuner built in, gets files directly from Windows Media Player 9, has a handy remote that I can clip to the tankbag, and is able to handle Audible.com WMA books. The books are great for commuting, since it is easy to hear traffic over spoken word.

The only complaint so far is that it sorts the music on a given album alphabetically rather than by the original order on the album. Not a big complaint for rock/jazz, but a big issue when it comes to classical. My solution has been to create a playlist for each album so that it plays in the right order. I looked at the iPod, but did not need any of the extra features like calendar and solitaire, but did want the FM tuner.

Next purchase: a Mixit that will allow me to hook up the Garmin 2610 and a radar detector.

Cheers,
Mark