That is a serious amount of money, I think I would rather pack it in than pay that sort of money.
Peter
I had a Trend, which I bought because at the time that was the way to go. Everybody was buying them and the choice was limited.
I hated, hated, hated it! The noise was OK, I could live with that (and no you can't reduce it with earplugs because half the sound is transmitted via bone resonance, not just through the ears) but it was just so bloody cumbersome, heavy and inconvenient. I sold it to a guy on the WWI forum.
Had I had the foresight to try before I bought, my choice would have been different.
To replace it, I did try first, and ended up with the 3M system. Yes I know it costs slightly more than the national debt of a small third world country, but the point is that I wear it, whereas the Trend gathered dust on a shelf.
My strong advice to you both, Peter and Terry, is don't just go by what you are reading from people here in this thread. Go somewhere to try them first. Many people get on with the Trend - as I say, I hated mine.
I arranged to call in at Axminster on my way home from the west counrty. I'd rung them first so they had everything there waiting for me. I'm glad I did because 3M offer a choice of helmets, each one having a different cradle inside (which they don't tell you in the sales literature), and one helmet stood out amongst the others. I could easily have bought an alternative helmet and hated that just as much as the Trend.
For myself, I would much rather pay a lot for something that will get used than half that for something that sits on the shelf - but one man's meat is another mans poison, so try before you buy.
On a practical note, I don't recall the trend being inefficient - not as efficient as the 3M, but if you plump for the Trend, it will do the job its intended for, just not as well, quietly, unobtrusively or comfortably as the 3M.
