Who has the best (or loudest) BT headset, Sena or Cardo??

robofavo

robofavo

Joined
Jun 13, 2011
Messages
71
Location
St.Paul Minnesota
Bike
2016 BMW K1600GT
I started with a Sena SMH10, which served me well for years, but then upgraded to a Sena 10S because it has an FM radio.
I swear the sound is not as good on the 10S or loud as the SMH10.
Regardless, I ride with foam earplugs, which I really like, but does anyone have experience as to which of the newer BT communicators (either Sena or Cardo) has the best or loudest headset?
With Foam earplugs, at highway speeds, with a windscreen, I can barely hear my music - both of which I find indispensable for long trips.
Any product suggestions or experience is appreciated.
 
I had a Sena 20S that I used for a couple of years. I two ride with earplugs and had no issues hearing the music. My biggest complaint was the noise cancellation of wind noise from my wife's helmet.

I switched to the Cardo Paktalk Bold with JBL speakers 2 years ago. Volume is even better with the Cardo. My biggest like is that their noise cancellation is why ahead of Sena.
 
I went from a Sena 10 to a Cardo Pactalk Bold. Incredible difference in sound quality. I have the JBL speakers as well.
phone conversations are a dream, I echo the noise cancellation feature. Works well
Voice commands are a game changer as well as the app to pair and control features
 
Try moving your helmet speakers closer to your ear with the spacers that come with the Sena kit. Also, move the center of the speakers closer to your ear canal. Both adjustments made a big difference in volume for me.
 
My friends and I all had SMH10s, and all upgraded to the 10S. You are not crazy, there is definitely sound quality/volume loss moving to the 10S. The trade off seems to be that the 10S has almost doubled the battery life. Physically adjusting the speaker is important as Paul mentioned. I actually upgraded my speakers to aftermarket ones, but you have to solder them in.

My friend found an "audio booster" on the Sena app that made a huge difference for him (I have not tried it). If we had to do it all over again we would probably go with a different brand. Basically one of us had the Sena to start, so it just made sense at the time to stick with it. I have not tried any other brand - but I guess I am not overly fond of my experiences with Sena and the grass is always greener...

Ryan
 
paulcb said:
Try moving your helmet speakers closer to your ear with the spacers that come with the Sena kit. Also, move the center of the speakers closer to your ear canal. Both adjustments made a big difference in volume for me.
Click to expand...
I had not considered that option, but it's certainly worth a try - thanks!
May a while before I can try this as I just returned for a 3 day trip & it's back to the grindstone for the week ahead.
 
Ryan_B said:
My friends and I all had SMH10s, and all upgraded to the 10S. You are not crazy, there is definitely sound quality/volume loss moving to the 10S. The trade off seems to be that the 10S has almost doubled the battery life. Physically adjusting the speaker is important as Paul mentioned. I actually upgraded my speakers to aftermarket ones, but you have to solder them in.

My friend found an "audio booster" on the Sena app that made a huge difference for him (I have not tried it). If we had to do it all over again we would probably go with a different brand. Basically one of us had the Sena to start, so it just made sense at the time to stick with it. I have not tried any other brand - but I guess I am not overly fond of my experiences with Sena and the grass is always greener...

Ryan
Click to expand...
audio booster" on the Sena app - guessing you need to plug your Sena head set into your laptop & update the firmware?
 
I echo Paul's comments on speaker placement and installation. It has more impact on audio quality & volume than the actual unit in use.
 
One option, not favored by all, is wired earbuds, if your output device has a headphone jack.
More smartphones are ditching it for Bluetooth, which annoys me. I haven't found earbuds that have the noise reduction that in-ear, silicone baffles do.
I have had 3 pairs of Etymotics, only because I'm rough on my gear, but I LOVE the comfort (for hours and hours of riding), the wind noise reduction, the superior sound quality.
Cheaper alternatives can be found, if you can deal with the wires.
Currently I'm using Soundcore Liberty Neo BT earbuds with my phone, and they are easily dislodged donning or doffing my helmet, they allow too much wind noise, and they fall out all the time, but not while wearing the helmet. I would rather be tethered, the old fashioned way.
I keep my old phones for music players, and because they still have the headphone port.
 
I recommend using ear buds with your Sena or Cardo. I don't have any experience with the Cardo, but with my Sena 20s and S-Plug Ear Buds the sound is crystal clear. Music, audio books, phone, and even the squawks of other riders over the intercom are loud and perfectly comprehensible.
 
robofavo said:
audio booster" on the Sena app - guessing you need to plug your Sena head set into your laptop & update the firmware?
Click to expand...

It is actually in the Sena Utility App on your smartphone. I think they have some other features in there as well, I use it to connect to my friends and make the priority list for my intercom. I utilize my phone for my music, so I usually use the Amazon Music equalizer which does help with clarity, but I have not messed with the sound from the Sena app directly.

-Ryan
 
I'm another Cardo PacTalk Bold user - though not for the audio quality, for the waterproof rating. When I looked at Sena products, they weren't actively stating (and using it as a selling point) about the level of water they'll hold back, and that's important where I live. So I went with Cardo and wasn't disappointed.

Re volume with plugs, a lot of that will depend on the ear plugs you're using. Good quality plugs can be pricey, but if I recall, they're all cheaper than buying a Cardo unit.
 
robofavo said:
I started with a Sena SMH10, which served me well for years, but then upgraded to a Sena 10S because it has an FM radio.
I swear the sound is not as good on the 10S or loud as the SMH10.
Regardless, I ride with foam earplugs...
Click to expand...
I have a Schuberth SC1A, which is made by Sena for Schuberth and is equivalent to the Sena 10 series. I also ride with foam earplugs, and I have found that it is difficult to get either the music or the FM radio volume loud enough to easily listen when riding at highway speeds. The only solution I have found is to raise the ST 1300 windshield to the highest position to cut down wind noise.

Be aware that there are a lot of "configurable options" within the Sena 10 headset. You might want to play around with turning certain options for sound quality on or off - it will make a difference, but there is no one magic bullet. You can make these adjustments with a PC application you can download from Sena, or with a smartphone app from Sena (the PC app connected to the helmet with a USB cable is the easiest to work with). Here is a link to the PC application: Sena Device Manager.

Lastly, make sure you have the most up to date firmware for your headset installed. Sena releases updates frequently. If I recall correctly, you install firmware updates using the PC app mentioned in the paragraph above.

Michael
 
paulcb said:
Try moving your helmet speakers closer to your ear with the spacers that come with the Sena kit. Also, move the center of the speakers closer to your ear canal. Both adjustments made a big difference in volume for me.
Click to expand...
Ryan_B said:
It is actually in the Sena Utility App on your smartphone. I think they have some other features in there as well, I use it to connect to my friends and make the priority list for my intercom. I utilize my phone for my music, so I usually use the Amazon Music equalizer which does help with clarity, but I have not messed with the sound from the Sena app directly.
-Ryan
Click to expand...
Besides these two ideas, you might check to see if your BT headset is compatible with the new Sena upgraded speakers they recently began selling. I do the same as Paul and Ryan mentioned with my Sena 10C Pro, and use -33db earplugs...and I can hear my music just fine.

Chris
 
No experience with the others. I have the Sena 20s with a 3/4 helmet (no chin bar) but full face shield. I wear the foam ear plugs and I can clearly hear the speakers in the helmet. Music is good enough given the slight residual back ground noise. You still want to hear cars sneaking up in your blind spot....
I have found that always wearing foam ear plugs while traveling (bike, car, bus, plane) that I am much less tired when I get to my destination.
Besides just protecting what I have left for another day at a concert in the park..... Very happy with the level the Sena 20s provides....
 
I have used both but the Cardo was a long time ago. I passed it on with a helmet and bought a Sena 10S when they came out.
It is possible to get different speakers for your helmet that sound a lot better and are louder than the stock speakers. I have a 3/4 helmet with a full face shield and have no issue hearing things when I'm riding. I replaced the stock speakers with some old headphone speakers I had laying around. If you're handy with soldering tiny wires it's something to think about.
I live in central Florida and my Sena has been rained on heavily almost daily during the summers for several years and I've never had a problem with it.
 
robofavo said:
I had not considered that option, but it's certainly worth a try - thanks!
Click to expand...
It's absolutely worth the effort. That's why Sena included the extra pad-spacers. If possible aligning the speakers with the opening of your ears and getting the speaker close to (but not touching!) your ears will make a huge difference in volume and bass in particular.

Wind noise is the fidelity killer. Ear plugs help with that though may interfere with your desired volume level. Fidelity will suffer a little but then – you're on a motorcycle.
 
:rofl1: The subject line made me think of the popular car stereo mags in the '70s and '80s with all the kiddies writing in as to who had the loudest or who had the best bass — East or West coast. :insert massive eyeroll here:
 
you need a DCM2000 driving a pair of dual 15"s with a 16" horn.....

When I rode home I noted that you have to make sure that your phone volume is all the way up to max. Then the Sena will be at 75% volume at speed and you have to turn it down at slower speeds. It would be nice if the volume was speed sensitive... maybe the newer firmware fixes this?
I wonder if they got the bugs out of the mesh system? I would upgrade to the Sena 50s if they did......
 
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