bluetooth options/helmet

[rodekyll]

I did a quick search and found no recent discussion of Bluetooth options for helmets.  I've been researching them and see there are two ways to go -- a new helmet with integrated Bluetooth or an add-on Bluetooth module for an existing helmet.

I already have a fairly Skookum helmet -- Nolan 104 modular.  It is made with Bluetooth in mind -- already has the placement for earbuds and battery, and Nolan makes a Bluetooth module for the 104.  My hesitation with doubling the value of the helmet with this add-on is mostly the microphone.  It's a boom mic on the Nolan (and a lot of other products).  I don't see a boom mic as the ideal solution.  It seems to me that buried in the cheekpiece would be better.

Helmets with built-in Bluetooth seem to be either chintzy with the helmet, chintzy with the Bluetooth, or brutal on the budget.

So I'm interested in feedback on the Bluetooth you folks are using, both integrated into the helmet and add-on later.  My intent is for gps and phone.  Not currently interested in music or intercom.

All the stuff --
sound quality
mic quality
compatibility with android
ease of operation
waterproof
useability at speed
comfort
boom mic v cheekpiece mic
etc

Have at it!

[atavar]

In my experience hearing devices in helmets are not loud enough for comfortable listening and if they are you are probably damaging your hearing. 
Think about it, as you cross 90dB you are entering the danger zone for your hearing. 
Over and over again on this forum you hear guys proselytizing that you must use ear plugs inside your helmet to protect your hearing because of the noisy environment inside the helmet whether from engine or wind.
If you take away that hearing protection and then add a gizmo to add yet more noise to the environment what do you think happens?
Just my opinion, I know lots of people use coms and music in helmets.  It has just never worked for me.  Maybe my HJC helmets are too cheap.

[Groover]

Sena SMH10 with boom- I use them in pair with riding passenger, and I wish I would have gotten these a long time ago. 3/4 Helmets with face shield

sound quality = Good, the next model up supposedly has better sound, but this one isn't too bad. Good bass-ey sound. I moved the speakers up more forward, but still under the liner so they would actually press a little on my ears and be more in-line with them. The helmet speaker pockets are further back than my ears are on my helmet, which there could be two reasons.. My ear placement it odd, or the helmet pockets are  .

mic quality = good, being a 3/4 helmet it was the only option. I put the mic close and up into the shielded part of the helmet, and works well.

compatibility with android = not sure, great with iPhone.

ease of operation = pretty easy. For the feature you are looking to use, those are easy. I just use the intercom and GPS through the phone, so it's technically just one Bluetooth device. Answering calls is easy too.

waterproof = not sure, don't think it is - maybe water resistance, but again, not sure.

useability at speed = pretty good, was impressed but I started with zero faith in them to begin with.

comfort = Not bad at all, no discomfort at all for me. I did spend a lot of time getting them placed exactly where I wanted them and played around with foam thicknesses.

boom mic v cheekpiece mic = if you have a full helmet, I'd personally go with the internally mounted mic. Not sure if that's considered cheeckpiece, more like chinpiece.

Etc = Battery last a long time too. When you boot it up the number of flashes indicates the battery charge level so at least you can decide if it needs charged for that trip or not.

Got mine on Amazon for $220 for the matched pair.

Edit: I regards to the earplugs... I also use cut-in-half-longways foam earplugs under the helmet with the SENA device too. I actually prefer the sound that way.

Hope that helps.

[Kiwi_Roy]

I wonder whatever happened to the Bone Phone speakers, they came out about 1980 would rest on your collar bone and transmit the sound thru your skeleton rather than ears.

[guzzipete]

I have used two external Bluetooth modules on my Nolan 103. Both worked about the same. Volume has never been an issue. First one I tried was a Cardo unit, a G4 I think. I am now using a UClear HBC200. I got tired of fiddling with the boom mike. The UClear has mikes built into the speakers. I use it for GPS instructions and if I am on a long trip music.

I actually found that ear plugs made it easier to hear with both units.

[atavar]

I have even tried using the option of bluetooth to my smart hearing aids which will put spectrum corrected sound in my ears at the maximum safe level. 
This works great up until about 40mph or 3000 rpm (whichever comes first) at which point they are swamped by ambient wind/engine noise. 
I suppose if I had some sort of sound deadening pad between the helmet and my ears this might work great. 

[Demar]

I wonder whatever happened to the Bone Phone speakers, they came out about 1980 would rest on your collar bone and transmit the sound thru your skeleton rather than ears.

The company I work for is developing a bone conduction hearing device with microphone. It's a retainer like device you wear around your back molars that will link to your Iphone/android via Bluetooth. The beauty part of it is that the sound is transmitted inside your head and you can wear earplugs to block out ambient noise/sound. It is 2-way communication.

http://www.sonitustechnologies.com/#!demo/d9f8c

It's not commercially available..... just an FYI

[Testarossa]

We bought a set of the Sena SMH5, because the price was good, and have used them for 18 months now. Mounted in full-face helmets. We don't link to other Bluetooth devices, just use the intercomm function. Sound is great. I like the boom mike better than the chin-piece because you can regulate the distance from  your lips -- with the foam wind buffer in place the mikes work best just touching the lips.

I'm half deaf now and use foam earplugs.  No problem hearing the Sena.

For some reason Gail's helmet generates wind noise in the mike if the visor is even cracked open, in spite (or because?) of her pillion position. Mine doesn't do that.

[PJPR01]

So I'm interested in feedback on the Bluetooth you folks are using, both integrated into the helmet and add-on later.  My intent is for gps and phone.  Not currently interested in music or intercom.

All the stuff --
sound quality
mic quality
compatibility with android
ease of operation
waterproof
useability at speed
comfort
boom mic v cheekpiece mic
etc

Have at it!

Scala Rider modules are very clear sounding for voice, not great for bass application (music), but absolutely great for voice (both GPS and telephone).  Boom mike works just fine, easy to mount the module on the side of the helmet, seems to be 100% water proof and has a speed function...at full volume, they start out quiet and achieve a maximum volume when hitting about 45-50 mph, very much like a car radio scaling volume.  Even at max volume with ear plugs they are no where near loud, but very clear.  Feedback from those on the receiving end of the phone call is crystal clear sound quality.

I have found replacement parts for my Scala on Ebay as well (extra set of intercoms to have more than 1 per rider so it lasts all day long, even though battery run time is excellent ( at around 5-6 hours per headset when playing music, I should imagine all day long when just using for phone).

You can order better speakers from Aerostitch...they are a little thicker so you have to position them well in the ear pocket to avoid any discomfort if your helmet fits very snug.  They massively improve the sound over the stock speakers which come with the Scala Rider set.

[TobyJug]

We (me and the mrs.) use a pair of Sena SMH10's.  The range between them isn't what is quoted - once there are buildings in between the distance is greatly reduced.

The sound quality for music was awful as standard so I swapped the speakers for some old headphone speakers and that made a great improvement.  But it's still no good once at speed.  It's handy for when you slow down and you're looking for places but not once you're moving along.

Just my opinion.

[Wayne Orwig]

Sena SMH10.

[steven c]

Lots of info here.
http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-intercoms/

[Bulldog9]

AGV makes a decent system and goes in several of their helmets. High quality, a little pricy, but does it all. http://www.agv.com/agv_us_en/share-system/

I did a quick search and found no recent discussion of Bluetooth options for helmets.  I've been researching them and see there are two ways to go -- a new helmet with integrated Bluetooth or an add-on Bluetooth module for an existing helmet.

I already have a fairly Skookum helmet -- Nolan 104 modular.  It is made with Bluetooth in mind -- already has the placement for earbuds and battery, and Nolan makes a Bluetooth module for the 104.  My hesitation with doubling the value of the helmet with this add-on is mostly the microphone.  It's a boom mic on the Nolan (and a lot of other products).  I don't see a boom mic as the ideal solution.  It seems to me that buried in the cheekpiece would be better.

Helmets with built-in Bluetooth seem to be either chintzy with the helmet, chintzy with the Bluetooth, or brutal on the budget.

So I'm interested in feedback on the Bluetooth you folks are using, both integrated into the helmet and add-on later.  My intent is for gps and phone.  Not currently interested in music or intercom.

All the stuff --
sound quality
mic quality
compatibility with android
ease of operation
waterproof
useability at speed
comfort
boom mic v cheekpiece mic
etc

Have at it!

[Zinfan]

I have two systems, first up is the Nolan comm system for my N44.  It works well and does great with my android phone.  I don't have my gps hooked up to it so can't comment on that aspect of it.  Sounds good (I listen to audio books though not much music so ymmv) and I like it.  Attached boom though which since I don't use intercom/phone while riding is just something to get in my way.

Second is the eyewateringly expensive Schuberth SRC installed on my equally eyewatering spendy C3 helmet, rolling along with over $1000 on my head (am I worth it? Don't ask the wife!!) also with attached boom which I don't use either.  Sound is a bit quieter than the Nolan but the helmet is also quieter overall so the results are similar.  It works with my android phone as well. 

One issue I have is trying to get both the GPS and phone connected to play audio files, if I just want to hear the GPS and phone calls it will work but I cannot pair them is such a way that I get the phone acting like a AD2P device (mp3 player, ipod etc.).  If I pair the phone to the helmet I get the ability to hear music/audio book playback in the helmet and can control the device (skip track, previous track, pause, play) but I at the same time I cannot have the GPS connected to the helmet, it is one or the other.  Schuberth says to pair the phone to the GPS then the GPS to the SRC but if I do that the phone recognizes the GPS for what it is and does not give me the ability to play music through it only phone calls so no audio to the helmet from the music source.  I need to check this out on my Nolan N44 to see how the Ncom system deals with it.

[ITSec]

I've used Sena SMH10s since shortly after they were first released. I use them for music, intercom (when I had reason to) and bike to bike. Sena has a couple of nice qualities not many other products have, including the ability to update the firmware and get new or improved features. Sena were ale the first to provide a means to connect their units to other brands - before that, you could only link products of the same brand to one another (and sometimes, only ones of the same brand AND model).

Around the city, I don't wear earplugs, and the sound is as loud as I want it (and more). It tends to be a bit too punchy in treble when used this way. On the highway, I use earplugs. These substantially reduce wind and other noise, and also bring the treble from the speakers back to a normal level. The sound level is adequate even through the earplugs; music comes through more effectively than noise, and the overall drop is about 30 dB. I don't worry about getting audiophile quality, just decent sound that allows me to enjoy the music while I ride. If I want the full experience, I'll wait till I get home and put on my Sennheiser pro headphones.

The microphone type varies with the design of the helmet. Half and 3/4 helmets need the boom, as do modular helmets. Full face use a fixed mic. Designs like this allow a base unit (connector mount, mic and speakers) appropriate for the helmet to be attached permanently, with the electronics module (Bluetooth transmitter/receiver, amplifier, logic circuits, volume control, switching for music/phone/intercom) a removable unit. Since I'm the type that prefers component stereo systems to consoles, this is my preferred approach.

[rodekyll]

The Bluetooth headpiece I use with the phone is very short -- doesn't hardly escape my elephant ear -- and although I was skeptical, folks say they hear me clearly with the mic way back there.  If that's possible with a $50 Plantronics, why do I need a boom with my modular?  Shouldn't this gee-whiz stuff work from a cheek plate location?

I guess I'm thinking that having that wad of mic-covering foam in my mouth while I'm riding won't be that much fun.

BTW -- Tony -- does that gps couple to Bluetooth?

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

I have only ever used one system, so YMMV

I have a Sena SMH10 and it's awesome.  Both me & the girl have modular helmets, which seems to be a PITA with the boom mikes so I use the small non-boom and tucked them under the cheek pads and they work great. No wind noise with the face shield open, unless you are gonig very fast... in which case the face shield is either closed or cracked generally.

never use it with the phone... we use for intercom only, or i play music off my phone if riding alone. Sound quality is OK, not great... Music is improved with foam earplugs and turning up the volume... to much sharp trebble w/o the earplugs. Never tried it with GPS... I have only ever owned one moto GPS, a TomTom rider and it was too infuriating of a POS to let it talk to me inside my helmet.

[charlie b]

What you are looking for is the UClear system.  I also have one and it works great.  As mentioned before it has a microphone on each speaker and uses triagulation to determine what is noise and what is voice.  I've had a Scala and Sena prior to this and both were also very good and have plenty of volume.  Sena's have been claimed to not be waterproof.  I had my SMH-10 in some pretty good rain storms and it didn't miss a beat.  UCLear is claimed water resistant, ie, you can't submerge it in 10ft of water but rain, even driven rain, won't bother it.  They all worked fine in well below freezing weather too.

I didn't really mind a boom mic with a FF helmet.  Just mount the mic in the chinbar and then ignore it.  Most have an option of a 'wired' mic made to be mounted in the chinbar vs a 'boom'.  I got the UClear because I went to modular helmets and didn't want to mess with the boom every time I took the helmet off.

But, part of how well these systems work is the ambient noise inside your helmet.  The noisier the helmet the higher the volume needed to overcome that noise.  When I wore my HJC Symax III I had to wear earplugs and then turn up the volume.  The Schuberth I don't need to do that.  There are still times that my exhaust pipes are a bit too loud and I can't hear the music well.

Last, music quality is not great.  Again, ambient noise.  I like to compare it to a car with windows down at 80mph on the interstate between two trucks and trying to listen to music.

I've used the Sena and the UClear with both Android and iPhones.  Both synched up well.  One of the reasons I like using my phone for GPS is the ease of getting voice commands from the GPS app while music is playing.  Getting a phone call will interrupt both as will an intercomm 'call'.

Newer units, like the Sena 20, advertise being able to synch up to multiple Bluetooth devices.  Sometimes they work and sometimes they don't.  Over on the ADV forum there are several threads on the different units.

Current units also claim to synch with different brand units for intercomm.  There are some limitations to that, as in Bluetooth comm distance (less than 100ft) vs the comm radio built into the units which is good for over 1/4 mile (straight line of sight, even a truck in between will cut the signal).

[ITSec]

The Bluetooth headpiece I use with the phone is very short -- doesn't hardly escape my elephant ear -- and although I was skeptical, folks say they hear me clearly with the mic way back there.  If that's possible with a $50 Plantronics, why do I need a boom with my modular?  Shouldn't this gee-whiz stuff work from a cheek plate location?

I guess I'm thinking that having that wad of mic-covering foam in my mouth while I'm riding won't be that much fun.

BTW -- Tony -- does that gps couple to Bluetooth?

You need a boom or similar extension to get the mic close to the center of the sound source for one simple reason - there's too much other noise. The only time I notice the boom is taking the helmet off or putting it on, since it tends to get caught on my glasses unless I remember to move it out for a moment.

The GPS I loaned you does not support Bluetooth - it's too old/simple. Most better Bluetooth units will sync to most GPS units that support that method - but you start to get into a whole new world of what syncs with what, what order you set them up, and so on. Garmin GPS units, for example, want to be in charge - if you use a phone, you have to sync the Garmin to your headset, and then sync the phone to the Garmin so it passes through. An electronic minuet...

As far as brands go, I prefer Sena; Uclear and Scala are well-respected, and the stuff by the helmet manufacturers is largely made by one of these three companies or as a knock-off of their products. Sena makes more Bluetooth components (the actual chipsets) than anyone else - their chips are used in lots of other people's products. However, that doesn't mean the other stuff is interoperable or of the same quality, since that depends on other components as well.

[Stephan Grahn]

Good headset, mainly connected with cabel but Bluetooth adapter available.

http://neckmike.us/

Developed for noisy environments.

//Stephan

[rodekyll]

What you are looking for is the UClear system.  I also have one and it works great.  As mentioned before it has a microphone on each speaker and uses triagulation to determine what is noise and what is voice.  I've had a Scala and Sena prior to this and both were also very good and have plenty of volume.  Sena's have been claimed to not be waterproof.  I had my SMH-10 in some pretty good rain storms and it didn't miss a beat.  UCLear is claimed water resistant, ie, you can't submerge it in 10ft of water but rain, even driven rain, won't bother it.  They all worked fine in well below freezing weather too.

I didn't really mind a boom mic with a FF helmet.  Just mount the mic in the chinbar and then ignore it.  Most have an option of a 'wired' mic made to be mounted in the chinbar vs a 'boom'.  I got the UClear because I went to modular helmets and didn't want to mess with the boom every time I took the helmet off.

But, part of how well these systems work is the ambient noise inside your helmet.  The noisier the helmet the higher the volume needed to overcome that noise.  When I wore my HJC Symax III I had to wear earplugs and then turn up the volume.  The Schuberth I don't need to do that.  There are still times that my exhaust pipes are a bit too loud and I can't hear the music well.

Last, music quality is not great.  Again, ambient noise.  I like to compare it to a car with windows down at 80mph on the interstate between two trucks and trying to listen to music.

I've used the Sena and the UClear with both Android and iPhones.  Both synched up well.  One of the reasons I like using my phone for GPS is the ease of getting voice commands from the GPS app while music is playing.  Getting a phone call will interrupt both as will an intercomm 'call'.

Newer units, like the Sena 20, advertise being able to synch up to multiple Bluetooth devices.  Sometimes they work and sometimes they don't.  Over on the ADV forum there are several threads on the different units.

Current units also claim to synch with different brand units for intercomm.  There are some limitations to that, as in Bluetooth comm distance (less than 100ft) vs the comm radio built into the units which is good for over 1/4 mile (straight line of sight, even a truck in between will cut the signal).

Good write-up!

Is yours the 100 or 200 model?

[Zoom Zoom]

You have gotten some good recommendations thus far. All the add on stuff I had was way back when it was old RF tech. I could hear baby monitors and old cordless phones when I got into proximity.

Flash forward. I have been using the N-Com stuff for some time now. A couple different helmets and more generations of their BT.  Originally, I had no desire to use the mic, so I simply left it unplugged and out of the helmet. I was interested in the nav and music for the long boring pieces of highway getting to nicer roads and things to see. I think I still had my 102 then and at some point decided to use the mic so I re-installed it. This was right after the flood shortly after I bought the Norge. I was using a Garmin 550. Phone BT to the GPS and helmet BT to the GPS. Calls come in on the screen and I can answer or ignore them. Call history and contacts all show up on the GPS. Call quality was superb. Nobody could tell I was going down the interstate on a motorcycle. Music is in stereo. Nav is clear and easy to understand. Listening to music drains the battery in the helmet quickly. You can expect about 4 hours worth. That varies slightly depending on volume levels and use. (Lower volume = less draw to amp the speakers.) So, the mic began staying in the helmet.

I also discovered I could greatly extend the battery life of the helmet by using the cord. I still have to turn on the helmet so the amp is working. By doing that, I easily double the battery life and if I juice it during a lunch stop, I can make a 10 hour day and still have spoken directions near the destination. On the 550, I was able to allow the music and nav to travel through the coil cord and still have the BT linked up for the GPS to helmet for the phone. Phone still routes through the GPS with all available functions.

Before Google got their hands on Android and in some ways screwed things up, I could even use voice dial to call people in my speed dial list. That function is now pretty much useless to me as it requires multiple steps to take advantage of it any more. (This is a phone function, BTW.)

When My buddy and I went out to the PNW in 2012, I upgraded my BT module in the helmet to the BT3, allowing us to link our helmets together. Something you could turn on and off at will which actually came in handy. It was nice to be able to communicate with a fellow rider on a variety of things.

Now, my 550 dies coming home from the New Cumberland this Spring. Being that I had not anticipated this expense, I purchased a brand new Garmin 660. Being a discontinued model, it can be had for 330 bucks at GPS City. I have done business with them several times over the years and have nothing but praise for them. They are an authorized dealer and their prices are as good as I have found. I need to speak to the 660 because it changed the sound quality. Frankly, I believe the 550 is an overall better unit. The display washes out in bright sunlight and the phone and nav sound quality sucks. It can be understood, but it is not crystal clear like it was on the 550. Music, however, continues to sound fantastic. I also discovered that I could not set up the links the way I did with my 550. GPS to helmet is all or nothing. That brought me back to the shortened battery life of the helmet.

The cable I had been using for all this time is from Nolan. It is a coil cord deal with a 4 or 5 conductor 3.5mm plug on the helmet end and a 3.5 and 2.5 plug on the GPS end. The smaller plug is the mic plug. That I had taped and folded back. The way I had previously used it, I didn't need the wired mic connection.

On the helmet, I took that cable and used small Ty-Raps to cinch it to the bottom edge of teh hard surround by the neck roll. This was to create strain relief on the plug. (I had to replace some of the internals as a result of not doing this in the past.) So, a couple small ty raps with enough cable to loop into the plug and I have never had any trouble since with damaging the electronics in the helmet.

I have called CIMA International several times over the years to replace aging batteries, speakers, helmet liners and such and they have been fantastic. They are the Importer for Nolan and based in Chicago. Great folks to deal with!

Now to the present: I have made some changes over the weekend that I have yet to try out. I reattached the cable to my helmet, and defaulted both the GPS and helmet. I now have both cable ends out for use so I am basically hardwired to the GPS for all functions into the helmet. The phone is linked to the GPS so I should have all functions available. It is my hope that I have my extended battery life back and I'm hoping that maybe the crappy sound quality of the GPS for nav and phone is improved. We will see, as I'm headed off to the Finger Lakes tomorrow for a long weekend. I will have limited cell service but will report back on sound quality and battery life.

Just to qualify things a bit. using the phone while riding is about the last thing on my mind but is happens once in a while. Clear navigation is something I appreciate when I need it. Music is something I appreciate very often.

The coil cord I use is long enough to get to the connectors that I have in an easy location, but not so long it slaps on the tank or anything. It also does not impair my ability to turn my head or anything like that. It stretches enough that I can get off the bike before unplugging it if I want. (It would, of course, pull apart if I were to walk away forgetting.)

Final take: If you're not going to use the speakers constantly, (music), than you can probably get nearly and entire day out of the battery in the N-Com system. You could ditch the cable. The sound quality of the Nolan stuff is awesome, but you can have limitations elsewhere in the system. The mic has become a non issue through getting used to it. Close the helmet and reach in and position it where I want and I'm good. When the time comes for a new helmet, it will be another Nolan and N-Com system.


John Henry   

[rodekyll]

Thanks, John Henry!

I decided that I want to stay with a modular helmet, and despite a few inconsequential gripes about my Nolan 104 (noisier than my 3/4 shoei, catches my ear and folds it down if I don't wear my doo rag, lift latch is snatchy, it's a bit heavy, and the tinted shield can come down and touch my nose sometimes) I can't see anything on the market with integrated Bluetooth that matches it for overall quality for less than twice the price.  So I'm staying with the Nolan and adding Bluetooth.

The purpose of the Bluetooth is to communicate with my 'pablet' (as I understand a combination phone and tablet to be called).  I'm trying to use it as a gps and at the volume it takes to hear over the helmet noise I find the public announcement of my intended maneuvers to be mortifying.  It would also give me the options of phone from within the helmet and music, although neither of those appeal to me right now.  The possibly-appealing feature is the intercom, which would allow me to talk to another rider.

I took a long look at the marketing hype, the reviews, and the owner reviews and compared the Sena, Scala, Ncom and Uclear, and compared within their models.  There are good and not so good things about all of them, but the main criteria for me -- manufacture quality, audio quality, design, compatibility with my device, weatherability, size, and weight sorted it out to be either the Ncom (made for the Nolan so it fits) or the Uclear HB200 "Force".  The Uclear won for the boomless mic and significantly lower street price.

The reviews agreed it has the best audio quality, it's a small package, it goes well with the Nolan built-in wire channels, (evidently a little work in the ear holes is needed to fit the comma-shaped earpieces) and has the added feature of one of the longer ranges in intercomdom.  Best of all it doesn't have a boom mic.  Its microphones are integrated as little comma tails to the speakers.  It has VOX, which auto-adjusts the volume as the ambient noise increases, and of course answers the phone, listens to the gps, and plays music. Not that someone with one ear can hear stereo music inside a helmet anyway.

The downsides don't matter much to me -- some folks complained about the intercom having an echo or fuzz if they're face-to-face with the other party.  I wonder why I'd be face-to-face with them and not have my helmet flipped up.  I'm assuming theirs didn't flip.  Others thought the mic was more clear when the helmet was flipped up, but others said the challenge is to convince a caller that they are going down the road on a bike and will call them back -- no background noise at all.  There is a little lag between the first sound at the mic and the unit responding, so part of the first word is cut off.  I find that personally annoying, and it was almost a dealbreaker.  But I don't really plan to be using it as a phone, so again it washes.  Finally, it shuts itself off after an hour of no activity, even if you're monitoring the gps or other silent device.  I'm not sure I like that.

Overall though, for the street price of $135 and what it gives, on paper it seems to be a solid value.

Now if I could only find a seller who will ship one to me.  They'll ship to you for free.  To me, not at all.

[Zoom Zoom]

If you're sticking with Nolan, I believe the newer BT will connect with any other brand. (Mine being older is proprietary to other Nolan BT units.) As I said, I'm pretty sure that is no longer an issue, but do your homework on that one. I believe you have more options with the 104 than I do with my 103.

John Henry

Reread your post. Sounds like you're considering another brand of BT for use. Nope, you're not going to get N-Com for 135 bucks. You have to have the Basic Kit and build off that, so you're looking at bucks.

[kirb]

What I do. YMMV...

First, I use custom molded Westone type 49 earplugs with 15DB filters.

Then I use a Scala Rider G9X audio system (lots of little improvements over the G9). Bluetooth, radio, bike to bike, music share, etc. Full featured and loud enough to use with the above. They also have speaker upgrades and the boom/cheek mic comes with it. You pick. At highway speeds on a non-windshield bike I can't listen to audio books (hard to make out the words), but music is fine. On the Stelvio either is fine at any speed.

I have a Neotech modular and stick the mic to the cheek piece facing forward. It stays out of the way, but I have to close the chin bar for people to hear me. The boom mic is a PITA for me, so I don't use it. Schuberth helmets audio system is compatible with Scala (and pricey).

I like the system. Some might find the many features and 6 buttons (each with 2 functions) a pain to use/remember, but it's not bad if you use it often.

[charlie b]

RK,

I have the UClear 100plus.  I didn't need the extras of the 200 at that time.

Two things about installation.

First, for any of these units, location relative to your ear is very important.  Heads are shaped different.  My ears are not in the same place on either side of my head, so I have to move one speaker forward and down about 1/2" on one side.

Second, on the UClear, the angle of the mic's has to be the same on both sides.  Not within a fraction of a degree, but, as close as you can get them.  If they are off by just a couple of degrees your voice quality to someone else will be poor. 

And, you will have to cut some foam in the helmet because of the mic and because of where you might need the speakers to be located.  It was nerve wracking when I had to cut the foam on my new Schuberth, but, it was worth it in quality of sound.

PS one of the downsides to the UClear is the speakers.  Because of the mic's integrated with them you can't go out and get a set of high quality speakers as an upgrade.  I am not an audiophile so it doesn't bother me.  Some don't like the quality of music from the 'stock' speakers of any brand.  IMHO, if you want quality music you need custom fitted plugs wired for sound.

[charlie b]

Ok, so forgot about battery life.

My brother and I synch up our headsets on trips and leave the comm activated all the time (VOX does not work well for me).  The batteries in our units (Sena SMH10, 20 and the UClear) were good for more than 12hrs of riding.  It took about 3hrs to recharge them.  That included some phone calls during the day and having them synched to the phones at the same time.

[rodekyll]

I found the Uclear 200 for $110, new.  It will be relayed up to me.  The foam trim doesn't bother me -- it will allow me to place the speakers to within a whisker of where they need to be.