Anr & Bt ?

[cortinaman]

Hello everyone

I'm looking for a new lid with some bells and whistles (or bells and whistles for aftermarket attachment to any helmet, take your pick) and since I can't find what I'm looking for on the internet I thought I'd ask you lot.

The bells and whistles I'm looking for are Bluetooth capability and active noice reduction (noise cancelling) on both ears. The bluetooth is for connecting to a GPS capable phone and the noise cancelling is to remove the need for ear plugs. I've found lots of helmets with integrated bluetooth and lots and lots of aftermarket speaker systems with bluetooth connectivity. They all seem to adjust the volume automatically to compensate for speed induced noise, but none, and I mean NONE, of them mentions use of active noise cancelling. This is a well known feature in aviation headsets and even some consumer headsets made by companies like Sennheiser or Bose use this technology.

I suppose I could always use ear plugs and turn the volume up, but I find that a bit like going backwards into the future.

I'm attracted to the Nolan n-com series as I also like the external flip down sun visor and I sent them an email asking about noice cancelling. I will let you ppl know the answer when or if I get one.

I also thought about butchering a consumer headset with BT and ANR, but then I would loose the automatic volume adjustment.

Of course, it would be nice with bike to bike communication too, but I realise that might be pushing my luck?

So, any bright ideas? Anyone heard of a helmet or communication set like this? After all, we're writing 2007 here (or the year of the golden pig as some ppl like to call it)

I've not seen anything advertised that offers the ANR in a motorcycle helmet, I use an ANR headset at work and find it to be a wonderful invention, I'm much less tired at the end of a long day than with a conventional headset. If you find something then let us know.

Try here: http://www.baehrusa.com/
I think they might do what you need.

there might be some legal issues with noise cancelling helmets. I have seen at the motor shows earplugs that are shaped to your ear which can have speakers in them for intercom/music. Wish i could remember who the company was- quite fancy some myself

[cortinaman]

Originally Posted by Rune

Try here: http://www.baehrusa.com/
I think they might do what you need.

Hmm, very interesting. But they're not using bluetooth, their system still rely on cables.

I also got a reply from Nolan after sending them an email asking about their N-com system, explaining that I'm looking for a system that will enable wireless communication to mobile/gps and provide a quiet environment so I don't have to use ear-plugs: here is what they say:

Dear Sir,
We would like to thank you for contacting us. As per your request concerning our N-Com products, please note that we have already tested the ANR system you mentioned and it turned out that it is a good technology. However we believe our N-Com system is equipped with a high quality microphone, which already features a noise reducing technology.
We kindly suggest you to try our N-Com system performance in this noise reducing characteristic.
We think you will be satisfied by its high quality. However, we will appreciate any comments from you on this subject.
Should you require any further information, please visit our website at www.n-com.it or do not hesitate to contact us.

Kind regards,

NOLAN
Customer Service

Seems like they didn't quite get my point about the ear-plugs. I replied with a second email saying that I did not question their microphone or audio quality, and I repeated that I was looking for a way to replace the need for ear-plugs as I find the noise level in a normal helmet to be too high and I hoped a ANR system would do this. Today I got a second reply:

Dear Sir,
Following your second email, we would like to ask you the reason for which you want to use ear plugs. Maybe we simply do not understand your purpose.
For what concerns the ANR system, we inform you that we are not going to use it for our N-Com system. We would like you to try our N-Com helmets and see how they actually work without this ANR system. Therefore, we kindly invite you to visit one of our store and ask them for a try-on and, as already mentioned in our first message, we would appreciate any comments about this test.
Please also note that our audio system performs a clear and neat acoustic function even when the N-Com helmet is experiencing high-speed conditions.
We remain at your disposal for any further assistance you might need.

Kind regards,

NOLAN GROUP
Customer Service

They really don't get the thing about the ear-plugs. But I'm still impressed with their interest. At least it seems like they try to listen, far from every company does that. I will write to them again trying to explain about the ear-plugs.

I might end up getting a Nolan helmet and replasing the speakers with parts from a butchered ANR headset. Exptect there to be a lot of fiddeling, swearing and general mucking about. I also foresee a problem with the internal microphones on the speakers used for the noise cancelling.

Will keep you informed.

The "Touring 2" and "Sonic" helmets have a Bluetooth option http://www.baehr.net/Hauptframeset.htm