Listening to music while riding

[haydes55]

Listening to music uses the entire brain, not just the audio area. Linky (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111205081731.htm)

So probably not a good idea to listen to some tunes while riding. :scooter:

[MrKiwi]

That was an interesting read, still thinking about it...

[ducatilover]

Listening to music uses the entire brain, not just the audio area. Linky (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111205081731.htm)

So probably not a good idea to listen to some tunes while riding. :scooter:
That's okay, nobody on here actually rides

[haydes55]

That's okay, nobody on here actually rides

Too windy and messes up my hair, That's why I never drive with a window open either. Use the A/C :cool:

[SMOKEU]

That must be why cagers seem to be so homicidal.

[ducatilover]

Too windy and messes up my hair, That's why I never drive with a window open either. Use the A/C :cool:
Especially after looking bangin' hot with the new perm?

[PrincessBandit]

Listening to classical music, eg. Mozart, supposedly has a huge effect on a baby's developing brain even while still in utero. There has been research done on that suggesting that it fires up neuron pathways within the brain making new connections and optimising brain development.

I find it annoying enough when I get a particular song stuck in my brain while riding and have to consciously move my thinking to "mirrors, instrument panel, road scan, peripheral..." in order to break the ensuing trace I could get into. Even in the car I've gone from constantly having music on to often not listening to any while I drive.

Music definitely takes me elsewhere and I'd rather that not happen while in control of a vehicle. I save it for when I'm stuck in the orchestra pit or ensconced in the comfort of home or at school.

[oneofsix]

WTF? this is the first time REAL music has been used?! How the hell do these genii expect to understand how the brain processes music by using just sound. Music is sound but sound is not music.

Also means little in regard to vehicle control as they haven't got to how we process music whilst doing other stuff yet, neither mind complicated stuff like driving. At this rate you can expect someone to study that using real music and real driving in about awl lets say 3030, if man is still alive. :headbang:

[Drew]

It means absolutely zero until they can figure what sort of percentage of cognitive power, listening to the music uses.

Computer terms. How much processing power, does the music reduce the available?

Also, since the stimulating effect is well documented to increase cognitive efficiency, it's just as likely to have positive effect as negative.

But some fuckwit will probably take these early as fuck and not that understood results, and campaign to ban music in vehicles anyway.

[Scuba_Steve]

Music you love & hate can distract you (if you let it) as you use processing power to listen to, or in a futile attempt to ignore the music. Other music has minimal effect as long as you don't try to listen, leave it as ambient sound.
That's all I ever used music on the bike for, is ambient sound. Sounded much better than wind as ambient.

[nathanwhite]

I used to listen to music anytime I would be at 100kph. Then I started to work out that the type of music I listen to has a amplifying effect on my thrillseeker impulse. Which really was not what I wanted on the road, so it's stopped now.

[oneofsix]

Music you love & hate can distract you (if you let it) as you use processing power to listen to, or in a futile attempt to ignore the music. Other music has minimal effect as long as you don't try to listen, leave it as ambient sound.
That's all I ever used music on the bike for, is ambient sound. Sounded much better than wind as ambient.

Easy listening music, the easy listen bit dependant on personal taste.


I used to listen to music anytime I would be at 100kph. Then I started to work out that the type of music I listen to has a amplifying effect on my thrillseeker impulse. Which really was not what I wanted on the road, so it's stopped now.

Relate to that. Exactly what happened the last time I tried. However if the selection is a bit more generic I can also accept it what be like the enhanced studying effect listening to music has.

Guess like most things it is going to affect individuals differently and whilst a study will show the general affect on most people it will also have individual differences in the data.

For me I tune out the music in the car whilst others are picky about it but I am the first to notice when it goes off station.

My concern is it is that glitch in the music, the missed track, the hiss where it shouldn't be etc that distracts my from what I should be doing and yet I will also admit it doesn't affect others.

[ducatilover]

That's all I ever used music on the bike for, is ambient sound. Sounded much better than wind as ambient.
Yup.
White noise would be the ideal thing to listen to as it relaxes the brain. A relaxed mind is better prepared to concentrate and not be distracted.

As for processing power, the mind can only process one thing at once generally, so it is technically another distraction. Then again, the speed of which the brain can prioritise these tasks is ridiculously fast.
A proper test done in relation to driving would be cool, but hard to do as there are so many variables.

As humans we rely mainly on our sense of sight, then sound. So unless you have an HUD with MTV I doubt it'll make any tangible effect on reaction times, but the style of music can alter your mindset, so you might rape/kill/maim someone.

[bogan]

It means absolutely zero until they can figure what sort of percentage of cognitive power, listening to the music uses.

Computer terms. How much processing power, does the music reduce the available?

Also, since the stimulating effect is well documented to increase cognitive efficiency, it's just as likely to have positive effect as negative.

But some fuckwit will probably take these early as fuck and not that understood results, and campaign to ban music in vehicles anyway.

That was my thought too, it might just be stimulating those parts of the brain cos there is fuck all else to do in an MRI machine.


I used to listen to music anytime I would be at 100kph. Then I started to work out that the type of music I listen to has a amplifying effect on my thrillseeker impulse. Which really was not what I wanted on the road, so it's stopped now.

Same here, I find the symphony in twin, composition number 647 has a very bad effect on the right wrist. Especially in tunnels :drool:

[nathanwhite]

Same here, I find the symphony in twin, composition number 647 has a very bad effect on the right wrist. Especially in tunnels :drool:

Y'dont say?
I am a fan of number 645 myself. :drool: Especially as the sounds are delivered courtesy of the Scorpion corperation

[pritch]

Listening to classical music, eg. Mozart, supposedly has a huge effect on a baby's developing brain even while still in utero. There has been research done on that suggesting that it fires up neuron pathways within the brain making new connections and optimising brain development.



Basically, listening to classical music is thought to stimulate the brain's alpha waves, which can reportedly result in the listener becoming more intelligent than otherwise may have been the case. I know of a mother who did the housework to a classical soundtrack in the hope of assisting the development of her two small children.

Observation of the brain dead driving habits in this town leads me to conclude that not many of the drivers have listened to much classical music. :whistle:

[oneofsix]

Basically, listening to classical music is thought to stimulate the brain's alpha waves, which can reportedly result in the listener becoming more intelligent than otherwise may have been the case. I know of a mother who did the housework to a classical soundtrack in the hope of assisting the development of her two small children.

Observation of the brain dead driving habits in this town leads me to conclude that not many of the drivers have listened to much classical music. :whistle:

Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody is a classic :yes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=nTheG--2NE0

[G4L4XY]

Probably be illegal soon

[Akzle]

Listening to classical music, eg. Mozart, supposedly has a huge effect on a baby's developing brain even while still in utero. There has been research done on that suggesting that it fires up neuron pathways within the brain making new connections and optimising brain development.
... sound waves have an effect on water, babies happen to be largely water, and in water. (check out masauro emoto (sp?) effect of sound waves on water crystals)
not to mention humans are 80 sommat % water. infact a large part of the planet is water. so music affects EVERYTHING. if you are listening to a particular type of music when you're welding (the metal is liquid) - that music will become part of that weld. cool shit huh?



White noise would be the ideal thing to listen to as it relaxes the brain. A relaxed mind is better prepared to concentrate and not be distracted.

As for processing power, the mind can only process one thing at once generally, so it is technically another distraction. Then again, the speed of which the brain can prioritise these tasks is ridiculously fast. no the ideal thing would be a binaural tone that stimulates the brain at a frequency that would improve riding... but fuck that. unlike a computer, the mind can actually process a billion things at once. humans are not binary machines.

[nathanwhite]

... sound waves have an effect on water, babies happen to be largely water, and in water. (check out masauro emoto (sp?) effect of sound waves on water crystals)
not to mention humans are 80 sommat % water. infact a large part of the planet is water. so music affects EVERYTHING. if you are listening to a particular type of music when you're welding (the metal is liquid) - that music will become part of that weld. cool shit huh?



Thats some serious science right there.

[nosebleed]

... in about awl lets say 3030, if man is still alive. :headbang:

Very good. But it's 2525

Carry on.

[sootie]

I have listened to music from an MP3 player most of the way around the entire North Island over the last year or two. I am very fussy about what I listen to, it is always something which I have found that I enjoyed in the past! At last count there were over 500 tunes on my bike player - everything from hard rock to Opera to Classical & all random shuffled. Periodically I also talk bike to bike about traffic, road conditions, evening accommodation, girls or what ever too. This is my mushed up brain typing this now after hundreds of hours of this sort of bike listening.

Driving a cage with the correctly fitted handsfree cellphone kit is of course absolutely OK. No matter that yesterday's big money customer rings you up while driving, abuses hell out of you and asks detailed questions about how to get their new appliance to work properly while you negotiate city traffic. That is all fine.
It is even safer to take a call from your divorce or traffic mis-demeanor solicitor. No loss of concentration there.

[YellowDog]

I don't listen to music whilst I ride, for several reasons.

This song got me in very high speed trouble a few years back:

<iframe width="640" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/AMfE2Se4r9w" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[tbs]

I don't listen to music whilst I ride, for several reasons.

This song got me in very high speed trouble a few years back:

<iframe width="640" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/AMfE2Se4r9w" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Should'a been listening to "Relax".

I listen to music every time I ride. I pimped my bike out with the best sound system I could get. It's called a Micron GP pipe, and much like a Foo Fighters concert, it's a bit loud without ear-plugs. But the inline 4 scream, burble, and pop it makes between gear changes and on over-run (not to mention the odd flame) sounds like a symphony to me.

[imdying]

... sound waves have an effect on water, babies happen to be largely water, and in water. (check out masauro emoto (sp?) effect of sound waves on water crystals)
not to mention humans are 80 sommat % water. infact a large part of the planet is water. so music affects EVERYTHING. if you are listening to a particular type of music when you're welding (the metal is liquid) - that music will become part of that weld. cool shit huh?Well not quite. That hypothesizes that sound affects everything; it doesn't show any correlation between music and anything.

[Akzle]

Well not quite. That hypothesizes that sound affects everything; it doesn't show any correlation between music and anything.

1) sound DOES affect everything. (is music not sound?!)
2) expand your research beyond my search query and you may learn some.
3) 1), again, it's fairly obvious, innit? if i play my tomatoes death metal they grow funny, if i play them carmina burana, they flower lots and burn well..
i mean.
err.


nah fuckit. :doobey:

[imdying]

Music is sound, but sound is not necessarily music.

For all you know, the sound of a vibrator humming away will make them grow better than Mozart.

[MystikEagle]

I have to say, I do find it much easier to concentrate in traffic, mostly while trying to find wherever it is I am going, with the music turned down or off, I assume it will be much the same on a bike. But this is mostly because of the head injuries I have sustained in the past which means my brain finds it difficult to decide what is the most important thing to concentrate on. Less distractions = safer driver

[Akzle]

For all you know, the sound of a vibrator humming away will make them grow better than Mozart.

can i borrow yours, then?
(carmina burana ≠ wolfgang amadeus)

[Akzle]

i listen to music often while riding, don't care if commute or ride-proper, sometime's i don't. do find i tend to get "in the groove" with good music, then sometimes get frustrated with crap that i forget to delete off the MP3... couldn't stand doing it to the radio....(harvey norman adverts make me violent)

[Old Steve]

I listen to music every ride I take,

The beat of the vee twin
The whistle of the wind
The hum of the tires on the road

Can't beat that.

[Voltaire]

I wear earplugs and listen to the mosquitos in my head from a misspent youth at too many concerts.....and preserve whats left....:(
I would have thought the wind noise would be too much to listen to music anyway....I've got an Ipod but only use it as a hard drive to plug into things with speakers.....not a fan of being plugged into music.:baby:

[sootie]

Not sure what everyone is actually discussing here. If you ride without earplugs & with your head clear of any windscreen at speeds of around 100 kph for more than an hour or two every week, it will probably permanently damage your hearing after a few years. (It is not possible to be precise here, but this is the short form of the best medical info currently available.)

If you play music at a level you can hear above this, hearing damage becomes even more likely. These levels of any noise or music are also very tiring to a person with normal hearing.

On the open road, I personally use earplugs to reduce all helmet sound levels by 30 to 40dB. My music is piped in at a volume that can be heard clearly above the residual noise level. I can assure anyone, that the result is far less tiring, safer & less distracting than helmet wind noise alone on unprotected ears.

For those who fear that muting outside sound levels reduces safety, I say that you must never then drive a car with the windows closed again. The effect is a similar level of disconnect from outside sounds. As far as I know, there is also no licencing authority in the world that requires some minimum level of hearing to meet a driving standard.

By the way, I think music is for long distances on the open road. I don't bother around town.

[MystikEagle]

Not sure what everyone is actually discussing here. If you ride without earplugs & with your head clear of any windscreen at speeds of around 100 kph for more than an hour or two every week, it will probably permanently damage your hearing after a few years. (It is not possible to be precise here, but this is the short form of the best medical info currently available.)

If you play music at a level you can hear above this, hearing damage becomes even more likely. These levels of any noise or music are also very tiring to a person with normal hearing.

On the open road, I personally use earplugs to reduce all helmet sound levels by 30 to 40dB. My music is piped in at a volume that can be heard clearly above the residual noise level. I can assure anyone, that the result is far less tiring, safer & less distracting than helmet wind noise alone on unprotected ears.

For those who fear that muting outside sound levels reduces safety, I say that you must never then drive a car with the windows closed again. The effect is a similar level of disconnect from outside sounds. As far as I know, there is also no licencing authority in the world that requires some minimum level of hearing to meet a driving standard.

By the way, I think music is for long distances on the open road. I don't bother around town.

All very good points

[Akzle]

Not sure...

another f*ing aucklander. north shore aucklander. the second worst kind.

SI'DDOWN AN' SHADDARP!:mad:

[sootie]

another f*ing aucklander. north shore aucklander. the second worst kind.

SI'DDOWN AN' SHADDARP!:mad:
I think that is what I like best about KB - the friendly, far sighted & constructive comments .... :killingme

PS: Only second worst??

[caseye]

Yeah he hates us Sarfie Dorklanders even more.
OK, my 2 cents worth.
Any idiot that plays music in their helmet while riding a motorbike is just that.
An idiot.
When you lot going to wake up.
You have 5 basic senses, taking out your second best one by listening to music is stupid beyond all belief.
This is just my humble opinion, feel free to tell me what you really think, I'm sure I'll survive the pain and the suffering from all the tongue lashings.
But please, if because you can't hear that trucks HUGE AIR HORN Blasting out because of your personal music, don't go blaming anyone but yourself for the resulting mess, K.
Yes I do play loud music in my car, sometimes, usually though I can see more, I'm better protected and I'm certainly more able to monitor my entire surroundings with my mirrors and a much better field of view than if I was on a bike, so I feel it's not as important as when riding a bike.

[PrincessBandit]

You have 5 basic senses, taking out your second best one by listening to music is stupid beyond all belief.
..................
But please, if because you can't hear that trucks HUGE AIR HORN Blasting out because of your personal music, don't go blaming anyone but yourself for the resulting mess, K.
Yes I do play loud music in my car, sometimes, usually though I can see more, I'm better protected and I'm certainly more able to monitor my entire surroundings with my mirrors and a much better field of view than if I was on a bike, so I feel it's not as important as when riding a bike.

Gotta spread more green ...

[sootie]

You have 5 basic senses, taking out your second best one by listening to music is stupid beyond all belief.


I think you mistake "hearing louder" with "hearing better". The sound levels inside any rider's helmet at 100 kph are so high that even after 30 dB of attenuation everything to be heard is still very loud. Soft sounds will of course still be masked by loud ones, but ratios are not changed. No problem hearing a siren, airhorn or similar with or without earplugs & music. It is actually pretty unusual to find anywhere in a riding environment quiet enough for the earplugs to make a lot of difference on what may be actually heard by normal hearing.

I don't recommend listening to music at very high levels while riding or driving.

Thought: Seen lots of headlines about inattention, riders & speeding, riders & drugs, riders & alcohol leading to death, but can't recall any suggesting a rider being killed by listening to music which impaired his/her hearing.

Fatigue on the other hand can be a fatal factor & loud noise hastens this onset. ???

There seem to be bigger issues than music to worry about in connection with motorcycle safety.
An itchy mosquito bite is probably more of a hazard.

[Drew]

Not sure what everyone is actually discussing here. If you ride without earplugs & with your head clear of any windscreen at speeds of around 100 kph for more than an hour or two every week, it will probably permanently damage your hearing after a few years. (It is not possible to be precise here, but this is the short form of the best medical info currently available.)

If you play music at a level you can hear above this, hearing damage becomes even more likely. These levels of any noise or music are also very tiring to a person with normal hearing.

On the open road, I personally use earplugs to reduce all helmet sound levels by 30 to 40dB. My music is piped in at a volume that can be heard clearly above the residual noise level. I can assure anyone, that the result is far less tiring, safer & less distracting than helmet wind noise alone on unprotected ears.

For those who fear that muting outside sound levels reduces safety, I say that you must never then drive a car with the windows closed again. The effect is a similar level of disconnect from outside sounds. As far as I know, there is also no licencing authority in the world that requires some minimum level of hearing to meet a driving standard.

By the way, I think music is for long distances on the open road. I don't bother around town.My headphones are noise canceling. So having them in and music soft is all good for my ears.

[Voltaire]

My headphones are noise canceling. So having them in and music soft is all good for my ears.


How does noise cancelling work?
Is that like when the neighbours have a party and I start up the Norton? :lol:

[Drew]

How does noise cancelling work?
Is that like when the neighbours have a party and I start up the Norton? :lol:

Yip, exactly the same.

[oneofsix]

How does noise cancelling work?
Is that like when the neighbours have a party and I start up the Norton? :lol:

:killingme nope that would be more noise. Noise cancelling for a neighbour's party might work better like this :ar15:

To cancel noise apply equal but opposite noise resulting in zero noise. Same as to stop a ball rolling down a hill apply the same force up the hill as gravity is applying down. Therefore Drew's headphones have to actively monitor outside, unwanted noise and generate the opposite to cancel it before it reaches his ears.

[sootie]

My headphones are noise canceling. So having them in and music soft is all good for my ears.


How does noise cancelling work?
Is that like when the neighbours have a party and I start up the Norton? :lol:

Noise cancelling works by adding an anti-phase noise signal into each ear transducer (as stated by oneofsix). Trouble is, it is not easy to get an exact antiphase signal at exactly the right level over a range of frequencies. It becomes even more difficult within the confines of a riding helmet space.

I have tested a high grade aviation noise cancelling headset in open air. Noise cancelling greatly reduced the low frequency sound, and good padding heavily attenuated the high pitched noise. The results were spectacular! If I ever have to fly a lot in light aircraft I am having a set of these & to hell with the cost!

I have briefly tried noise cancelling ideas with cheap earbud units inside a riding helmet. Pretty useless, but I did not persevere very long with the gear which was on loan. Please try setting your noise cancelling headset up inside a riding helmet as you would use it. With no music, try switching the noise cancelling on & off & tell me how well it works at blocking traffic noise. I am genuinely interested. The idea has the potential to make riding with music even more enjoyable, I have just not had much success to date.

(I am not sure which neighbour I would dislike the most, the one who had all the parties, or the one with the Norton!) :) :)

[Akzle]

my noise cancelling is by way of little rubber bits. also makes for heaps bass. (which isn't as destructive to your cochlea as high frequency sound) direct into my ear-hole.
"epic drum and bass win", as the kids would say.

[sootie]

my noise cancelling is by way of little rubber bits. also makes for heaps bass. (which isn't as destructive to your cochlea as high frequency sound) direct into my ear-hole.
"epic drum and bass win", as the kids would say.


I have used these in the past. If you are getting good bass augmentation the rubber diaphragms are probably sealing around your lugs quite well, and units are probably ear insert units of good quality.
(The $2 shops sell some unbelievably poor units!)
In your case I would expect them to be giving you 10 to 20dB of road noise reduction which is helpful. Suggest you do not turn the music volume up too loud though.
Helmet noise levels are a hearing health hazard where used for long periods without any ear protection. It is good to still hear road things a bit too I think.

There is an outfit somewhere in the central north island (Rotorua?) who operate under the name 'plugz 4 lugz". (probably listed on Google.) For a fee they will make individual ear molds incorporating ipod style ear phones.
They make a lot of these for motorcyclists & pillions. (Similar to those made for the hearing impaired.) I have never used these, but legend has it that they are very good for listening, comfort & noise reduction.

The plugs for lugs idea is one of two (that I know of) which is approved for use by US airforce pilots. I use the other system which I prefer, but it is a bit more complicated to set up.

Enough already - this is a hobby of mine.

[kinger]

I regularly use a bar mounted mp3 plugged into my Autocom.....it keeps the wife's chit chat to a minimum.

[Flip]

I also listen to music trough the cell pone via a Blue Ant bluetooth head set all the time. I have the luxury of sitting behind a big ass screen which keeps most of the wind noise off. I also use disposable ear plugs as I used to be a boiler maker and my hearing in 80% fucked and I want to keep what of left.

I can ride and listen to music or talk on the cell phone through the blue ant very easily at the same time, I don't know what your problem is. I could also scratch my nuts while riding and talking on the phone if I felt the need.

[sootie]

I also listen to music trough the cell pone via a Blue Ant bluetooth head set all the time. I have the luxury of sitting behind a big ass screen which keeps most of the wind noise off. I also use disposable ear plugs as I used to be a boiler maker and my hearing in 80% fucked and I want to keep what of left.

I can ride and listen to music or talk on the cell phone through the blue ant very easily at the same time, I don't know what your problem is. I could also scratch my nuts while riding and talking on the phone if I felt the need.

Hi Flip,
I certainly have no problem with listening to music, or conversing with other riders within a km or two while riding. I personally avoid Cellphones while riding or driving.
When you ride with people or listen to music I find it is pleasant but it does not greatly distract me. My music is soothing, & after all, the riders I am with also need to keep their mind on what is happening around them. The conversation is normally at a "light" level. It is also very often helpful traffic, road condition or turnoff information which is discussed.
By the way, a PTT click by anyone means "I have heard you, and will get back to you when I am out of this patch of traffic". All the guys I ride with use this from time to time & answer with silence.

Cellphones can be fine, but you can also wind up talking to someone at a desk who wants help by cellphone in composing a delicately worded & urgent letter. I don't believe one should ride or drive while doing that or similar mind demanding activities over the telephone. My own approach is to leave the cellphone until I stop, and this works OK for me, but I am not going to try to force this opinion upon others. Is there anyone out there who has not had a cellphone engaged cager look right through them with a glazed expression & nearly run them down? Not all the cellphones are handheld either.

[thepom]

Caseye...what a wanker......:shutup:

[caseye]

Course no one has recently walked in front of passing trains or the path of an oncoming bus while listening to their private, in their own ears music recently either aye?

You do what you want to do on a bike,worrying about you is the least of my worries, but not having to be concerned that someone I was riding with could not hear my horn or other sounds of warning would prompt me to leave you well enough alone.

[sootie]

..... but not having to be concerned that someone I was riding with could not hear my horn or other sounds of warning would prompt me to leave you well enough alone.
I do hope you never close any of the windows in your car & never use the radio when you drive around. That
would have about the same effect on your external hearing as what we are talking about. Only open cars in your family I guess.

You probably should not wear a crash helmet on the motorcycle either.
A well padded helmet can definitely muffle your hearing a bit too. :nya: :nya:

[kinger]

So it's not only me that doesn't like being patronised and told what to do when enjoying my freedom?
(It is a hi-viz mp player though......:Punk:)

As an add-on. I've been riding for thirty years, last crash I had was when I was thirteen and had no knowledge of how to ride.
I ride like everyone is trying to knock me off, and have slowed with age and experience. Hinny can leave me standing on his Pan.
Idiot? if you say so.....wish I was as full of worldly wisdom as some.

[pete376403]

Dredge, but Ipod related.

I like listening to the Ipod while riding but adjusting anything (track, volume, etc) is next to impossible while on the move.

One of these arrived yesterday. Brilliant and $US17 from http://stores.ebay.com/A-Snow-Job/_i.html?_nkw=remote&submit=Search&_sid=72397467

[Blackshear]

Dredge
Dredge indeed.
However, I[m inclined to agree on the iPod part.
Tactile buttons and volume normalisation works a treat with the iPod 5.5 gen. I haven't ridden with earplugs in a while, occasionally generic workplace foam bungs to reduce the wind noise, but being able to bop the next song by touching my breasticles was a fun affair, had people at the lights waiting wondering what I was doing.

However, now that I've reverted to stock pipes (green sticker) I must say it's nice to be able to hear the intake again.

The in-ear rubber phones seem to be the go.