Bluetooth Helmet questions....

[Shorty]

It's time for a couple new helmets. I thought I might come up to the 1990s and get a helmet with speakers. Do these bluetooth helmets come in stereo? Can you listen to music as well as.communicate? Do the microphones pick up road noises? Can your riding buddies listen to your blue tooth equippped devices or vice versa.....Is the quality worth anything? Thanks.

[twowings]

Shorty, Darren Williams knows about this stuff if you want to give him a shout...or Paul PJPR01 in Houston...

[Groover]

On the Sena SMH10, you can only do one at a time if I remember correctly. We use the with 3/4 helmets and the mics have booms. If placed correctly, no wind noise. If not, gets bad. Best to get a full helmet with the mic mounted inside the chin piece. That would be very quiet.

[wheaties]

I have had a Sena 20S and recently bought a Chatterbox for the new helmet.  They are both stereo.  They both receive FM stations.  The speakers (or perhaps the audio in general) are better on the Sena.  The noise cancellation on the mike is good enough that the person on the other end of a phone call won't notice you're on the bike.

The Sena pairs with other headsets by bluetooth only, and your smart phone, and your gps.  To talk to your fellow riders, you need to pair with each helmet headset, one at a time, The good news is newer bluetooth technology tends to remember the other headsets.  Bluetooth range is limited, so if one of the group parts ways, you will loose communication.  They might re-pair automatically though when they come back into range.  Communication tends to be person to person, but there are intercom "all broadcast" features.

The Chatterbox uses FRS/GMRS (Family Radio Service/General Mobile Radio Service), essentially quality Walkie Talkie frequencies.  You're supposed to obtain a license in the US to use them, but one license applies to your whole family.   Obviously, there's no pairing to use the radio; you just pick the channel you want to share.  Press a button to talk or use VOX, voice activation.  The Chatterbox also has bluetooth so you can pair it with your smart phone or other bluetooth enabled devices. 

Honestly, I haven't used either very much.  I bought the Sena on advice from a friend in advance of an extended weekend ride.  Turned out my Sena wouldn't pair with a different brand bluetooth headset, and everyone else was using FRS/GMRS radios.  But it has been useful when I expected a call from the wife, and I can follow my GPS with audio only (the phone stays in my pocket). 

I haven't had the Chatterbox long enough to say much about it, other than it doesn't work as well with my smartphone as the Sena. 

Working either one is all about knowing which button to short, long, or double press, when to spin the jog wheel to get it in the right mode, and so forth.  If you get one, focus on what you want it for, and practice getting that function to work.  Once you get that down, review the instructions and add the next most useful feature.  Repeat until you have what you need.

There are other options out there as well.

[Sheepdog]

I went with the HJC IS-Max II and the Sena 10U. The helmet is a modular and has some great features for the price (my solid white one was $193). Perhaps the best part is that the Sena 10U just snaps into the helmet's cheek pad connectors. It's a super clean and simple install with no outside evidence of a BT unit (three control buttons are on the bottom of the left cheekpad). The price was pretty good at $169, but I haven't received it yet so I can't report on performance. However Sena is a leader in motorcycle comms, so I expect decent quality. The mic ignores wind noise, you can get Nav commands, phone calls,  and stereo music.  I like that this unit is a custom fit on my helmet. Sena is offering this for other helmets also, with Arai, Shoei, and another HJC model available.

https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/hjc-is-max-2-helmet-solid

https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/sena-10upad-bluetooth-headset-cheek-pads-for-hjc-is-max-2

[ITSec]

Here are a few thoughts from someone who has used Bluetooth units since they first came out.

Do these bluetooth helmets come in stereo?

Absolutely - they use what is called the Bluetooth 'headphone' profile and the A2DP music player mode, which means true quality stereo in terms of what goes from the source to the device. After that, it's up to the amp and speakers, of course.

Can you listen to music as well as communicate?

Absolutely - almost any of them can do this. Some can allow a single music source to be shared between two listeners, but not all.

Do the microphones pick up road noises?

Absolutely - road and wind noise will affect the clarity of what you say over the mic. Some are better at filtering this than others, and some are just plain awful, but a big part of it is also what kind of helmet you wear and whether your bike has a windshield.

Can your riding buddies listen to your blue tooth equippped devices or vice versa.....

This gets tricky. Newer devices from the best makers (such as Sena) can allow intercom that goes across brands, but older or simpler devices only communicate with the same brand (and sometimes even only the same model of comm device). Higher-end devices from makers like Sena can allow a rider and passenger to share a music source, and still over-ride that when they want to intercom. Rider to rider range is also highly variable, depending on the Bluetooth level (i.e., level 4 has more range than level 3, etc.) but is typically between 13 and 2/3 of a mile as long as you have a clear line of sight.

Is the quality worth anything?

It can be, but again this depends on what product you choose and how carefully you place the speakers (very important!!!).

I currently use the Sena 10s units on my helmets. I don't need the ability to connect to more than 3 other units for intercom (which you get with fancier products), and the 10s has among the best speakers. Sena uses a system that tends to be a bit strong on treble, but since I wear earplugs on the highway that returns the overall balance to normal. Is it hi-fi? Does it match my Sennheiser home headphones, or even my Sony noise-reduction units I fly with? No, of course not - but it allows me good enough reproduction to enjoy the music.

[rodekyll]

I'll put in my pitch for the u-clear.  Instead of a boom mic, it has two mics integrated into the speakers, which sit in the foam of the helmet lining.  The mics need to be positioned properly for your voice to be heard well.  My Nolan 104 has the cutouts (almost) perfectly molded into the foam at the factory.  I say almost because a design change after the helmet was designed put the mics in a different place and you need to use an exacto knife to get the proper position.  If you don't have a Nolan this won't matter, since you'll be cutting the speaker holes anyway.  Once in place they're never touched again.  Because they're completely inside the helmet and near your cheeks, they minimize road noise.  I once answered the phone through the headset and told the caller I couldn't talk right now because I was riding 65 on the freeway.  The caller called me a liar.

As far as stereo goes -- I find that to be a drawback on account of I only got one ear.  Nothing is more annoying than these systems that insist on piping through separate channels and don't give you balance or individual volume controls that you can manage on a bike, on-the-fly.  I never get to hear a complete song.  Why do I mention that?  Any of the helmet switches that attach to the outside of the helmet change the wind noise to your ears.  If you get one side washed out, you don't hear the full song, either.  Ever listen to just the bass part of the long version of "Light my Fire?"   

[wheaties]

I once answered the phone through the headset and told the caller I couldn't talk right now because I was riding 65 on the freeway.  The caller called me a liar.

It can be hard to know how you sound at the other end.  I'd say being called a liar answers that question!

As far as stereo goes -- I find that to be a drawback on account of I only got one ear.  Nothing is more annoying than these systems that insist on piping through separate channels and don't give you balance or individual volume controls that you can manage on a bike, on-the-fly.  I never get to hear a complete song.  Why do I mention that?  Any of the helmet switches that attach to the outside of the helmet change the wind noise to your ears.  If you get one side washed out, you don't hear the full song, either.  Ever listen to just the bass part of the long version of "Light my Fire?"   

I was going to suggest a little careful rewiring of the speakers to merge the inputs into one.  But if you're going to carve out for the speakers, why not just put both on one side?

[rodekyll]

I'd not put them both in one side for a couple of reasons:  There is a mic in each speaker.  The noise cancellation feature chooses the one with the better signal-to-noise ratio.  If they're both on the same side the transmitted quality would be affected.  The other reason is the size of the speakers and their shape.  Even if I could fit both into one side it would be impossible to get the little snouts with the mics into a useful position.

[kirkemon]

I'm torn between the Nolan 104, Schuberth C3, and the new Sena Momentum INC (Intelligent Noise Control).

The only negative I've heard about the Sena is the visor doesn't stay open part way, no ratchet or friction. I've been a long time Arai customer and I like their quality.
Opinions?
https://www.sena.com/product/noise-control-helmet/

[Bulldog9]

I've got the AGV system, think its called easy share or something. I've never used it for interhelmet commo, but it syncs perfectly with my phone for calls, and is also sync'd to my mounted iphone for gps and music, etc. Sound is tinny, and speakers suck IMO, but other than that it is ok.  Truth is I rarely use it.... I like silence when I ride and the sound of the road and bike. (though the 8V is way too rattly for my likes)  I much prefer the sound of the 4V Griso..... ;-)

[wheaties]

I'd not put them both in one side for a couple of reasons:  There is a mic in each speaker.  The noise cancellation feature chooses the one with the better signal-to-noise ratio.  If they're both on the same side the transmitted quality would be affected.  The other reason is the size of the speakers and their shape.  Even if I could fit both into one side it would be impossible to get the little snouts with the mics into a useful position.

...and I read about those mics too.  Good point!   Perhaps you can swap them?  Left for Right?  At least you might get the more interesting part of the music.  If the leads are different lengths, you might be able to swap their connections.   

Giving up, and just riding works pretty good too.

[rodekyll]

I'm torn between the Nolan 104, Schuberth C3, and the new Sena Momentum INC (Intelligent Noise Control).

The only negative I've heard about the Sena is the visor doesn't stay open part way, no ratchet or friction. I've been a long time Arai customer and I like their quality.
Opinions?
https://www.sena.com/product/noise-control-helmet/

After many years of Bell and Shoei, I'm liking my Nolan 104 quite well.  It's light enough that my fragile neck can handle it, has good audio support (I think there's a pre-installed version of the 104) and has a lot of internal pad thickness options as well as visor tints.  My only problems are that the internal tinted visor touches my nose (I got a lot of nose) and occasionally the chin bar release gets sticky.  I think the visor problem is that I bought mine with a grade too thick internal padding that sets the shell back too far on my head.  I was hoping it would settle in to my head shape better than it did, but alas, it has held its shape well.  I'm looking into thinner pads now.  Like all modular helmets, it has wind noise.  It's noisier than my Shoei 3/4 open-face.  I'll take the tradeoff for the weather, bug, and impact protection all day.

...and I read about those mics too.  Good point!   Perhaps you can swap them?  Left for Right?  At least you might get the more interesting part of the music.  If the leads are different lengths, you might be able to swap their connections.   

Giving up, and just riding works pretty good too.

I was just complaining about stereo in general.  I don't listen to music when I ride so it's not an issue that I can't.  My sound system is for the GPS and communications.  I found the best speaker for the phone and the GPS robot lady and installed it where I could hear it.  I have no idea what might be going on over on the other side.

I wonder what would happen if I wired both channels into the same speaker?

[wheaties]

I was thinking exactly that.  What would happen is some sounds that are out of phase will cancel each other out.  But since most of the sound is in phase, it might work fine.  It's worth a try. 

[Demar]

I have an older Nolan N90. I put in their bluetooth stereo system about 5 years ago and didn't use it much. It received phone calls from cell phones and I could clearly hear the person calling. They could hear me well and said the quality was good. This was done standing in the yard. It has a boom mike that is not too obtrusive. It receives radio stations as well and will sync with gps audio but I haven't tried that yet.

Last year my daughter bought a V7II Special and I steered her towards a Nolan N91 which she bought. I installed the Nolan bluetooth system in her helmet so we could communicate bike to bike. The system works very well. It has about 1/4 mile range, maybe a little more. We did one ride over the Sierras and were able to communicate easily the entire time, an 8-hour ride with a 1 hour lunch stop when the helmets were off. The sound quality is excellent. It drops out the bike to bike if you get an incoming phone call but you can connect again within a minute or so. We have done a number of rides together now and the bike to bike communication is a great tool.

My brother-in-law has a Sena system. I think it works well for him but we couldn't get it to connect to our Nolan systems. I think they can handshake but we must have been doing something wrong. I think the Nolan can communicate with up to 4 Nolan systems at the same time.

[kirb]

The Cardo G9x is supposed to allow the passenger to be able to listed to your audio... never used it. You can also send 'audio' to 8 group riders, whatever that is.

I have only ever used the intercom feature with one other rider who is incapable of understanding hand signals. I use it for bluetooth audio, phone calls (rarely), and talking to my wife who is perfectly inconsistent with hand signals for 'bathroom, food, get off this damn thing for a bit'.
 

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

We use the Sena and have been very happy with them.

Both of us are in modular helmets, I do not mess with the boom mic, I pit the chinbar mic for a FF helmet under the cheek pad in the 'main' part of the helmet so we wouldnt have to worry about the wire on the flip-up chin bar.

I've only used it for 2-way coms (me & Lupe as pillion) & music.  I'm not very tech savy so I wouldnt even try communicating with other riders with different brands of coms devices...

Yes we can listen to music, just me or with Lupe listening in.  Only annoying thing is that you have to stop the music to speak, so we rarely listen to music while together..... We just have it on to talk. Conceivably Lupe could listen to her music, and I to mine... but youd have to stop the music & re-pair the helmets to talk and vice versa.

I mostly use it to listen to music or satellite radio when I'm solo, we use it to talk if we're together