Problems with audio helmets?

Had an issue with a new helmet I bought, and got to thinking ... how many people have problems with the speakers built into your helmets?

I got the audio liner on a Bern Baker. Liner is solid. Solder joints on the female stereo jack are not nearly as solid. The left speaker crapped out after just 2 days on the slopes, and the right stopped working after 3 more days. I looked at the jack and they use dinky wires soldered to a PCB-mountable jack wrapped in heatshrink (I do electronics every so often).

The design just looks like a disaster waiting to happen and has no structural integrity relative to how skiers wear, use, and transport their gear. Even if I get this speaker liner gets warrantied, I bet the replacement will crap out after a while.

You guys have problems with other brands? Giro Tune Ups? RED?

EDIT: (heatshrink, not heatsink)

The problem I have with my RED audio helmet is that it looks retarded.

giro 10 with Skull Candy here...works great...Skull Candy is local to SLC area and has a "no questions asked" warranty policy.

M

giro 10 with skull candy as well:

right ear has never worked right out of the box. only used it twice now, but I am about to send them back

giro 10mx no issues

Giro Fuse w/ Tuneups 2 - no issues yet but this is the first season with them

I'm going on my 3rd season with a G9 MX w/tune ups. Replaced the speakers after a season and a half because one of them was cutting out. Just recently replaced the audio cable because the volume adjustment piece started to fall apart, Giro sent me a new one free. It hasn't been perfect but it seems to me that minor issues like this should be expected after a couple of seasons of getting beaten on in the wet and cold.

Giro G10 MX w/ TuneUps and I still haven't had any issues other than being an idiot and losing the original cable that came with it. I replaced it with a burlier/longer cable and have been happy.

While we are talking about music and skiing, I just got one of the Timex iControl watches to use while skiing. Works like a charm; I keep it under the cuff of my glove and my ipod in my jacket pocket. It has play/pause, track change, and volume control buttons. The only downside is that the buttons are small enough that you need to take your glove off to use them, and on a REALLY cold day that could be a pain in the ass.

Giro tune ups -works great

I love my Giro 9 with Tune ups. Only problem I have sometimes is the mute switch freezing up, but rarely.

Thanks mags, looks like a thumbs up for Tune ups, neutral on Skull Candy, and no no for Bern Audio liner. The right (other working speaker) crapped out on me this weekend at Whistler so now neither work!

My audex line is crapping out, going to order the proper tune ups soon. I just really like the mute button on the ear.... very handy.

Got a replacement liner from Bern today, and noticed that even in this brand new one - sound quality is particularly touchy to strain on the cable where it connects to the audio liner.

Methinks a soldering hack is called for on my original liner to see if I can use a better audio jack than the one used by Bern in the liner. Too bad - it's great helmet, good-looking and popular as hell, has quality speakers ... but suffers from poor component selection by the design engineer or "value engineering" by the product manager. :nonono2:

As a result anyway, I can't recommend the Bern 8-tracks product for practical use by you mags.

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Originally Posted by Benny Profane

I love my Giro 9 with Tune ups. Only problem I have sometimes is the mute switch freezing up, but rarely.

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Yeah I have had that problem a couple of times but other that that, they work great.

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Originally Posted by SchralphMacchio

Thanks mags, looks like a thumbs up for Tune ups, neutral on Skull Candy, and no no for Bern Audio liner.

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TuneUps = Skull Candy

The right speaker on my G10 MX is hosed and the cover on the earflap has ripped out. I put about a season on them. I'd say I'm a little disappointed, but it is a helmet and has gotten banged around a bit. It's time for a new one anyway.

Personaly I think skiing with music is dangerous and when I tried made me a worse skiier but each to their own. They really should comeout with a wireless soloution. The tech is there, just waiting to be implemented.

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Originally Posted by KungFu Eddie

They really should comeout with a wireless soloution. The tech is there, just waiting to be implemented.

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The tech is there, but it costs three times as much as the wired helmets.

I had a Giro 9 with Tune-Ups. The setup worked great, but the speakers in the ear pieces pressed too hard against my ears... just not comfortable for me. YRMV...

Had the Red Audex Bluetooth bla bla bla... Pros were wireless and good control of phone and supposedly ipod from the speakers themselves (buttons on the ear pieces)....cons were it ate up phone batteries so fast, unless you could swap out a spare at lunch you were dead and I could never get it to link with my ipod. Good idea (esp since wires are annoying) but needs some maturing time (or a more patient owner).

Now have the G10 MX with Tune ups 2. Like the simplicity. Like the volume control for the ipod. Like the connection to the phone and one button control. Dont like the wires but whaderyagonnado?

had skullcandy ear pad replacments, same problem with the audio jack being real touch or just falling out with any movment.

My skull candy audio on my smith holt helmet worked fine the first season, but the volume control would freeze real easy. Took it out on my first day last season and it didnt work at all.

besides breaking regularly, no one seems to mention that the sound quality of these things is akin to a gorilla shitting in your ear

I've been using the Salomon Brigade Audio - great sound,good protection,looks a little"Big Headed"

Giro Fuse helmet with Motorola Bluetooth headphones. Work great, decent sound quality, no issues. Track and volume controls are large and easy to use with ski gloves. The headphones are large and sort of make you look like Princess Leia, but other than that, they rock.

Crop dusting...

... Wait, I can contribute! Pro-Tec = no problems after 3 years.

okbye

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Originally Posted by Neurodoc

Giro Fuse helmet with Motorola Bluetooth headphones. Work great, decent sound quality, no issues. Track and volume controls are large and easy to use with ski gloves. The headphones are large and sort of make you look like Princess Leia, but other than that, they rock.

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+1 on the Princess Leia with the Moto/Giro Bluetooth, but it just works so well

psyched that the iphone finally does stereo BT so no need to use a BT adapter, but the downside is that you lose track control which means I have to be more picky on my playlists.

giro fuse + tune-ups. i've had the tune-ups for at least 5 years now (replaced stock earflaps in new helmet). no problems. the fidelity isn't the greatest but i don't blast it very loud, just keep some tunes pumping in the background.

Anybody have any feedback on the system that goes with the Smith Variant Brim? Always been against music on the hills but I figure if it is REALLY low it shouldn't be a problem.

The Smith audio kits are made by Skullcandy.

why not just get some good earplug type like shure with better quality and avoid the inflated prices on the helmets

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Originally Posted by Crass3000

Anybody have any feedback on the system that goes with the Smith Variant Brim? Always been against music on the hills but I figure if it is REALLY low it shouldn't be a problem.

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I have the same Smith/SkullCandy setup. It works OK, sound is better than the stock iPod earbuds, plus it is very nice having it built in instead of fucking with shit in your ears.

Personally, I crank it up if I ride a lift by myself, and play it low while skiing. I turn it off while riding lifts with people, because I like to talk and listen to others.

FYI G10 with princess leia headphones on tramdock now...

http://www.tramdock.com/?sssdmh=dm10...001&mv_pc=r301

I've got the Tuneups in a G9. They worked great and sound pretty decent and far as I'm concerned. Only problem is the mute/volume control that goes on your jacket collar... it's pretty much designed to fail in that the wire comes in and out the top without decent strain relief. After a few days the insulation starts to wear and before long the conductors are exposed. Now the left speaker is intermittent.

In looking for a replacement cable it looks like they may have addressed this and made the newer models a little burlier. Unfortunately they won't sell a replacement cable so I'll have to try and fix mine or go with a direct line. It's nice having the mute in lift lines or if you are going up the chair with someone, you don't have to fumble around to pause your player.