No such animal as a quiet helmet. I learned the hard way. My hearing is permanently damaged. I suffer from tinnitus. People call it ringing of the ears. If only it was as benign as it sounds. It's a high pitched squeal that never wavers, never fades. I hear it above all else 24/7. I'm constantly aware of it and can't tune it out. In addition to the squeal there has been a deterioration of my range of hearing.
I have the TV or Stereo on all day to provide backround noise because silence makes the
"ringing" seem louder. I sleep with the radio on for the same reason. I turn the closed captions on when I watch TV because the sound seems muffled to me. I constantly ask people to repeat themselves and use the universal sign for "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you". You know, cupping you hand behind your ear and making
"the confused face".
I use earplugs religiously now though it's only to prevent more damage. It does nothing to reverse my condition. Ironically, when I wear the plugs they attenuate the surrounding noise but make the squeal seem louder. Some of you might even be on your way to full blown tinnitus and not know it. If your ears "ring" after a ride but it later fades your hearing is already damaged. The affects are accumulative. One day the ringing will stay forever. There are other causes besides motorcycling like ear and sinus infections, noise at work, and some medications. But we're bikers so I'll address that.
Wear earplugs. They don't have to be expensive custom molded plugs. Even the cheap drugstore foam plugs are pretty good. Fit is key. I use the foam plugs pictured. They attenuate the noise but not to the point of not hearing anything. Car horns, sirens, and conversations can still be heard. I used to have a CB Radio and CD Player which I listened to over a headset in my helmet and they sounded great even with the plugs. There's really no reason not to wear them. I myself find them very comfortable.
There's a technique to inserting them properly. The ear canal is curved so you have to reach behind your head with the opposite hand and pull your ear out. Roll the plug with the finger of your other hand to compress them and slip the plug in your ear canal. The foam will expand and fill the ear canal. The end of the plug should be flush, or very close to it, with the canal opening. Sounds wrong but that's the way they're designed to be worn.
How to insert your earplugs:https://youtu.be/5nGO0qNTCd8 Howard Leight Earplugs:
I wear them all day while I ride and toss them at the end of the day. You guys can do what you like but when you too get tinnitus don't say I didn't warn you. My greatest fear is to one day lose my hearing entirely and have nothing left but the squealing. I'll most probably kill myself.