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Post by Deleted on Mar 20, 2019 22:25:24 GMT -7
Mods, didn't find an ideal forum to post this, so if not the right one, please move. Just like the title says, I want to buy a helmet bluetooth unit (probably Cardo or Sena) primarily if I need nav instructions from my iPhone 6S+, but also to communicate with other riders (if needed), and to listen to some tunes every once in a while... if possible. My cousin has a Cardo 4 (want to be able to communicate with him), but he says it's crap with iPhones, hence this thread. Also not sure small speakers can overcome wind noise and/or 30dB earplugs in place, so need input on that too. Just received a pair of $30 NoNoise orange motorsports plugs, but when I was testing them, not only the right one went all the way into my ear, needing tweezers to remove, but didn't feel like they were going to muffle noise much, but have yet to try them on the bike. Since those have a little hole, are frendlier to speakers, but again, I'm almost sure they won't cut it for me, forcing me to go back to my green MaxLite ones. Specific brand and model suggestions welcome. I want to buy something that will work, and at that level of expense, it makes no sense to skimp a few tens of dollars for a superior one. Getting ready for riding season. Yeeeeey  . Thanks gang. JC |
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techsniffer
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Post by techsniffer on Mar 21, 2019 5:17:30 GMT -7
I have the Sena 30k and it works great. I use Waze navigation as well as music via the phone. I can take calls if needed (rarely do) and it all works great. I haven't had the chance to hook it up for group coms, but Sena is almost the defacto system the vast majority of riders in the US use.
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sam07
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Post by sam07 on Mar 21, 2019 6:34:25 GMT -7
I’ve got a Cardo in my GT Air for tunes and Nav. It works awesome with my hearos ear plugs rated nrr33. It’s waterproof (important in FL) and the battery life is 13 hrs.
No system will overcome a crappy loud helmet.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 21, 2019 11:13:22 GMT -7
I have the Sena 30k and it works great. I use Waze navigation as well as music via the phone. I can take calls if needed (rarely do) and it all works great. I haven't had the chance to hook it up for group coms, but Sena is almost the defacto system the vast majority of riders in the US use. Thanks brother. Just checked it out, and even though I'll probably never ride in rain on purpose, it sometimes happens. And Senas are not waterproof, like Sam pointed out. Now my question is what exactly 'water resistant' means? How much rain can it take? Even light rain at 60+ mph would be the equivalent of a downpour, no? At speed, any rain becomes driven rain, which penetrates much more than just falling rain, hence my question. I’ve got a Cardo in my GT Air for tunes and Nav. It works awesome with my hearos ear plugs rated nrr33. It’s waterproof (important in FL) and the battery life is 13 hrs. No system will overcome a crappy loud helmet. Hey, which exact Cardo model do you have? Finally, want to make sure you guys both own iPhone 6s or above, since that's my main concern with any unit. If it doesn't work well with my phone, it'd be useless. And being an electronic unit, I wouldn't be able to return it. Oh, and my helmet is a Shoei GT Air too, for reference. Thanks. |
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techsniffer
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Post by techsniffer on Mar 21, 2019 12:16:18 GMT -7
I have the Sena 30k and it works great. I use Waze navigation as well as music via the phone. I can take calls if needed (rarely do) and it all works great. I haven't had the chance to hook it up for group coms, but Sena is almost the defacto system the vast majority of riders in the US use. Thanks brother. Just checked it out, and even though I'll probably never ride in rain on purpose, it sometimes happens. And Senas are not waterproof, like Sam pointed out. Now my question is what exactly 'water resistant' means? How much rain can it take? Even light rain at 60+ mph would be the equivalent of a downpour, no? At speed, any rain becomes driven rain, which penetrates much more than just falling rain, hence my question. I’ve got a Cardo in my GT Air for tunes and Nav. It works awesome with my hearos ear plugs rated nrr33. It’s waterproof (important in FL) and the battery life is 13 hrs. No system will overcome a crappy loud helmet. Hey, which exact Cardo model do you have? Finally, want to make sure you guys both own iPhone 6s or above, since that's my main concern with any unit. If it doesn't work well with my phone, it'd be useless. And being an electronic unit, I wouldn't be able to return it. Oh, and my helmet is a Shoei GT Air too, for reference. Thanks. I've ridden in full thunderstorms before with my Sena on numerous occasions and I've never had any issues at all, so I wouldn't worry about it. And the phone doesnt matter for a Sena, it'll work for iOS or Android phones, and has an app for either OS. |
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sam07
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Post by sam07 on Mar 21, 2019 18:59:29 GMT -7
I have the Sena 30k and it works great. I use Waze navigation as well as music via the phone. I can take calls if needed (rarely do) and it all works great. I haven't had the chance to hook it up for group coms, but Sena is almost the defacto system the vast majority of riders in the US use. Thanks brother. Just checked it out, and even though I'll probably never ride in rain on purpose, it sometimes happens. And Senas are not waterproof, like Sam pointed out. Now my question is what exactly 'water resistant' means? How much rain can it take? Even light rain at 60+ mph would be the equivalent of a downpour, no? At speed, any rain becomes driven rain, which penetrates much more than just falling rain, hence my question. I’ve got a Cardo in my GT Air for tunes and Nav. It works awesome with my hearos ear plugs rated nrr33. It’s waterproof (important in FL) and the battery life is 13 hrs. No system will overcome a crappy loud helmet. Hey, which exact Cardo model do you have? Finally, want to make sure you guys both own iPhone 6s or above, since that's my main concern with any unit. If it doesn't work well with my phone, it'd be useless. And being an electronic unit, I wouldn't be able to return it. Oh, and my helmet is a Shoei GT Air too, for reference. Thanks. I’ve got the Freecom 1 and an iPhone 6s. Youre in the money! The system works flawlessly for music and gps. Your helmet has deep cutouts for the speakers for the speaker so the kit comes with spacers to push the speakers level with your pads. If your going to speak in a group of riders get the 4+. If only another rider 2+. You won’t be disappointed. These are the new models for this year. |
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chipmonk
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Post by chipmonk on Mar 22, 2019 9:21:58 GMT -7
I have a sena 10s. If i were to do it again i would go with a different brand. I ride with two other guys a lot and they both have sena headsets. The speakers are meh at best. The big issue is if you want to ride with more than one other person. Its easy to pair 2 headsets. Try to pair 3 or more and it is an absolute nightmare.
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dkim213
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Post by dkim213 on Mar 22, 2019 10:38:41 GMT -7
I’ve had a sena SMH10 for around 6 years. I use it 3-4 times a week for listening to music on my commute and nav. I’ve used it a few times in heavy rain and it works fine. The battery life seems to be very good. It’s running for about 1-1.5 hours every time I ride. I charge it every 2 weeks.
The biggest downfall of this unit is that it’s a pain to pair with more than 2 people.
Although the sena was a great purchase, I’d like to try something different. My next setup is going to be a cardo unit. I like that their lineup has mesh networking instead of just the flagship models.
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itsjeezus18
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Post by itsjeezus18 on Mar 22, 2019 15:52:33 GMT -7
I use a ChatterBox X1 Slim and it works quite well, the best part IMO is there is no sync needed.
I believe they work on similar radio frequencies as CB radios so I've caught friends on the road headed back into town as I'm headed out and so long as were all on the same channel it comes into my headset.
I can listen to music and answer phone calls as well. The speakers could be better but well I think I'll be replacing them myself soon anyways.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 22, 2019 18:10:08 GMT -7
I’ve got the Freecom 1 and an iPhone 6s. Youre in the money! The system works flawlessly for music and gps. Your helmet has deep cutouts for the speakers for the speaker so the kit comes with spacers to push the speakers level with your pads. If only another rider 2+. You won’t be disappointed. These are the new models for this year. Glad to hear, so will get a Cardo then, and the 2+, since I'm not interested in having a conversation with more than 1 person. Now my last question: What are the differences between the 2 and 2+? Do you know? I can buy the previous generation much cheaper, but if the new features are worth it, then I'd pay more. Couldn't find a difference in the specs, with both having HD 40mm speaklers (not JBL though), the same phone functions, etc. If basically the same thing, then I'd get a discounted 2 rather than the new 2+. Or a Freecom 4 dual pack for $240, since a cousin would pay me $120 for the second unit, which is the same cost of a single Freecom 2. Therefore, the choice becomes a Freecom 4 for $120, or the Freecom 2+ for $152. Let me know what you think. Thanks. |
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techsniffer
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Post by techsniffer on Mar 23, 2019 19:28:26 GMT -7
I feel compelled to note that the Sena products people are talking about are like 7+ years old and Sena products are easily the more populate product, and their newer ones are pretty great. You choose what's best for you but, I think comparing new products of one brand with 7 year old products from another seems pretty biased.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2019 22:15:44 GMT -7
I feel compelled to note that the Sena products people are talking about are like 7+ years old and Sena products are easily the more populate product, and their newer ones are pretty great. You choose what's best for you but, I think comparing new products of one brand with 7 year old products from another seems pretty biased. Thank you for making that point; I didn't know they were old units. Need to compare prices and features again then. At least I know both recent work well with iPhone6s, so that shouldn't be a concern, correct? I'm waiting for an answer on the Cardo vs Cardo+ differences, to make my final decision. In the mean time, will look for features and prices of the latest Senas, look for comparisons, and see where they stand. I need the Sena equivalent of the Cardo Freecom 2/2+, since I only plan to connect to another rider, if at all. What I want the most is good music/nav performance with an iPhone6S+n on my Shoei GT Air helmet wearing 32dB MaxLite earplugs. I tried today the $30 orange NoNoise, and they don't work with my ears, unfortunately, so will keep using the green MaxLites. Thanks. Oh, and I'l also like the one what makes the least noise. In other words, the most aerodynamic one. Forgot to mention that. |
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techsniffer
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Post by techsniffer on Mar 23, 2019 23:12:40 GMT -7
I feel compelled to note that the Sena products people are talking about are like 7+ years old and Sena products are easily the more populate product, and their newer ones are pretty great. You choose what's best for you but, I think comparing new products of one brand with 7 year old products from another seems pretty biased. Thank you for making that point; I didn't know they were old units. Need to compare prices and features again then. At least I know both recent work well with iPhone6s, so that shouldn't be a concern, correct? I'm waiting for an answer on the Cardo vs Cardo+ differences, to make my final decision. In the mean time, will look for features and prices of the latest Senas, look for comparisons, and see where they stand. I need the Sena equivalent of the Cardo Freecom 2/2+, since I only plan to connect to another rider, if at all. What I want the most is good music/nav performance with an iPhone6S+n on my Shoei GT Air helmet wearing 32dB MaxLite earplugs. I tried today the $30 orange NoNoise, and they don't work with my ears, unfortunately, so will keep using the green MaxLites. Thanks. Oh, and I'l also like the one what makes the least noise. In other words, the most aerodynamic one. Forgot to mention that. I've never noticed any wind noise from my 30k unit on my helmet or ever noticed any 'drag' on my head from the unit even at 120mph+ so I wouldn't worry about aerodynamics so much. With the newer models of com devices, iPhone or Android work equally well as it's just a simple Bluetooth connection. The Sena 30k I have does simple connections as well as a larger mesh network for bigger groups to connect. As for the music and Nav I have used Google Music, Sirius Sat Radio App, YouTube Music and a few more without issue. As for nav I have used Google Maps as well as my preferred app Waze again with no issues, even having both music and nav at once wasn't a problem. But I will say that the features of your specific phone will dictate more of how Music, Nav, Making or Receiving phone calls will work on either device as that is all handled by your phone and not the com unit itself. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 25, 2019 11:33:57 GMT -7
Well, didn't see any better alternative than a Cardo Freecom4 for $120, so ordered the $240 duo set yesterday, and my cousin will give me $120 for the other. We'll see how it works . Thanks for all the input. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2019 20:27:26 GMT -7
Just got the units. Couldn't update the firmware, and not even tech support was able to help today. The required app is obsolete as well, but the new one didn't recognize my unit either. A callback from tech support attributed the botched session to their site being under maintenance, so will have to wait until Friday to try again. We'll see. Will update the thread when it's resolved, to hopefully help others. By the way, tried my unit and it works with music and phone, so proceeded with installation of the hardware in my Shoei GT Air helmet. Had to use the stick-on base due to possible damage to the liner with the thick clip. Hid both bulky connectors under the left strap cavity, so great news. Tried the installed unit in my house, and what I didn't like was a very noticeable 'white noise' when playing music, regardless of volume. Hope the update fixes it, but doubt it. Asked my cousin if his does the same, to know if it's 'normal', or something wrong with my unit. Wasn't expecting home-theater fidelity, but not heavy distortion at even low volume levels. I always play Spotify files with max volume on my phone, and zero distortion on any source, including Bose headphones, so it's not my phone. Oh well. Maybe the JBL speakers in the new higher end + models are better. Anyway, need to test the systeme at speed; might not even notice the distortion. Will comment on that as well when I have some miles on the system.
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techsniffer
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Post by techsniffer on Mar 28, 2019 10:09:25 GMT -7
I've read similar complaints with Cardo when I was shopping for a com unit last year. I would google the issue and see if you can find some help, or call their tech support number. But if you do choose to send it back I had no issues setting up my Sena, just download the app on the phone to do simple setup and/or download the app for my computer and I can do the setup there as well. The firmware is updated on my Sena via the PC app.
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sackmonkey
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Post by sackmonkey on Jul 1, 2019 14:16:38 GMT -7
My friends and I all use Cardo Packtalk Slims and Bolds. If you have a lot of friends, you can't beat the mesh networking.
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7kings
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Post by 7kings on Jul 4, 2019 15:38:22 GMT -7
I have a Sena SRL in my Shoei Neotec II and a Cardo Packtalk Slim in my Arai XD4. Believe it or not, even though the XD4 is WAY noisier than the Shoei, the Cardo unit has far and away better sound quality and volume than the Sena. I primarily use it for listening to music from my iPhone 6, but also for phone calls and some GPS stuff. If I could figure out how to make the Cardo work with the Shoei Neotec II, I'd ditch the Sena SRL in a heartbeat and replace it with another Cardo.
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. Thanks gang.
