Helmet Comms: suggestions

[RDKLL]

Looking for rider/rider and rider/passenger comms. I dont want to spend $400 each for the Schuberth helmet specific. My main question is: can you plug ear buds instead of the helmet speakers?

[Serk]

I wasted a LOT of money trying to save money.

Tried several different cheap headphones, some moderate priced ones, all kinds of things.

Finally just sucked it up and bought a pair of Sensa 20S, $424 on Amazon for the pair, they can move from helmet to helmet and I'm loving 'em.

[Hooter]

My experience is that the cheap will become the expensive.  I to have the Sena..

[F6Dave]

I've used both Cardo Scala and Sena.  The Sena is far better in my experience.  Even their inexpensive models (like the SMH5 for $115) are loaded with features and have great sound quality.

[Jess from VA]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2Q0cyJSs04             

[Gryphon]

I'm on my 2nd set of Shark MTB's.  They're like $85 for the pair from Amazon and a decent range.  Wife and I have used them rider/passenger and rider/rider for around 5 years.  First set lasted 4 years. The mounts are cheap, but I used a bit of heavy duty Velcro for 2 years.  They even sync to my cellphone.  They're not as good as the above models, but they were good to get my feet wet and see if I would like the concept.

[scooperhsd]

I love my Sena 10's when I can get my better half to come along with me, otherwise, the bluetooth capability for listening to radio and the ability to answer the phone while riding is quite useful for me (yes I know I could probably figure out how to do voice dialing , but ... I'm not too fond of other people being on their phones in moving vehicles either). And that is using the inhelmet speakers in an open face (with faceshield) helmet.

[Pappy!]

Sena 20S here as well.

[Romeo]

I have the sena. No problems, well satisfied.

[Daddie O]

I have the Cardo Scala Riders and they work great.

[Savago]

+1 for Sena (got a 10 for me and a 5 for my wife).

Good sound, battery lasts forever, bluetooth conn never drops.

[bscrive]

My wife and I have the Sena 10 as well. We tried many others over the years including the Scala Rider.  I hated the Scalas.  They would cut off in mid sentence a lot of the times.

[Ramie]

I've never see a wired set that uses ear buds but there are people who specialize in installing speakers in your helmet.

[Woton]

BikerGirl and I have kinda evolved through the Cardo Scala offerings over the years - currently we're using the G9x.  We ride separately, and we are satisfied with clarity, range, and battery life.  They are wired, and we need to do a bit better with securing the wires in our helmets.

Are the Senas the new thing out there???  Satisfied with the Scalas, but would not recommend them if there's something better.  It does appear they are still wired to earpieces... 

[The emperor has no clothes]

Looking for rider/rider and rider/passenger comms. I dont want to spend $400 each for the Schuberth helmet specific. My main question is: can you plug ear buds instead of the helmet speakers?

If I remember correctly I got the Sena 20s dual pack for $400 on Amazon. They have an Aux. port for earbuds. I haven't used it though, so no opinion. But the Senas seem to be good quality, so I would think the earbuds would work well. 

[F6Dave]

I’d never heard of Sena when I bought their model SMH5 back in 2014.  The sales guy at the MC parts store said they were very good units.  So for only $115 I figured I’d give it a try.  Here’s what I got for that bargain price:

•   Pairs simultaneously with 2 phones, or a phone and GPS or MP3 player.
•   Streams music over BT with very good sound quality.
•   Stores 3 speed dial numbers.  Also has last number redial.
•   Voice dialing and other voice commands work great.  With some phones you can even send text messages by voice, and have them read as they arrive.
•   It has excellent intercom capabilities.  It will pair with other brands.
•   Other features (like GPS compatibility) I haven’t used.

I’m extremely pleased with the Sena.  In some ways the cheaper SMH5 may be preferable because it is smaller than their other models.

[BINOVC]

Do these (Sena, etc) work with the existing am/fm radio?  Or the CB?  I sometimes stream music (pandora) using my cell phone, but only at home using wi-fi.  Don't want to pay for data streaming music while on the road (and don't like downloading tunes).

[Serk]

Do these (Sena, etc) work with the existing am/fm radio?  Or the CB?  I sometimes stream music (pandora) using my cell phone, but only at home using wi-fi.  Don't want to pay for data streaming music while on the road (and don't like downloading tunes).

The Sena 20S supports FM radio, but I've never used it so can't comment on how well it works. I've got a bunch of music on my phone and just listen to it over Buletooth from the phone to the headset.

(Listening to music from my phone was the primary purpose of the headset, the bike to bike or bike to passenger comm was secondary.)

[msb]

After 35 years of riding 2-up with my wife with no electronic communication (my IS has never had CB and I never wanted to to be connected to the intercom system via cables), I finally broke down and purchased the Sena 10 for me and the 5 for my wife last year, as our three and a half decade system of taps on the leg, smacks in the back (going too fast) and the odd shout back and forth was wearing thin    Relatively low in cost (even here in Canada) and they work great. I have the 10 version designed specifically for half helmets, and even with my louder exhaust the sound quality is great...for both intercom and for music. Don't really listen to music when riding except when on long rides, but I have an old phone loaded up with a couple thousand songs, so there's no need to stream from Pandora, etc. I never talk on my phone (I ride in part to get away from that darn thing ) while riding so don't use that function, nor do I have use for the FM radio. All in all I'm very please with the Senas....easy to use, good speakers, very compact, and good battery life....if we ever hook up with others with similar systems on a longer ride, I look forward to trying out the bike to bike function as well.

[The emperor has no clothes]

After 35 years of riding 2-up with my wife with no electronic communication (my IS has never had CB and I never wanted to to be connected to the intercom system via cables), I finally broke down and purchased the Sena 10 for me and the 5 for my wife last year, as our three and a half decade system of taps on the leg, smacks in the back (going too fast) and the odd shout back and forth was wearing thin    Relatively low in cost (even here in Canada) and they work great. I have the 10 version designed specifically for half helmets, and even with my louder exhaust the sound quality is great...for both intercom and for music. Don't really listen to music when riding except when on long rides, but I have an old phone loaded up with a couple thousand songs, so there's no need to stream from Pandora, etc. I never talk on my phone (I ride in part to get away from that darn thing ) while riding so don't use that function, nor do I have use for the FM radio. All in all I'm very please with the Senas....easy to use, good speakers, very compact, and good battery life....if we ever hook up with others with similar systems on a longer ride, I look forward to trying out the bike to bike function as well.

For the rider/passenger communication I prefer the Interstate intercom wired system. But we do a fair amount of riding with another couple, and the Sena is great for being able to coordinate stops, hazards, etc. I haven't used the phone, but my buddy who owns his business loves it. In the past when we would have stops he would usually spend most of the time on the phone with his workers. My wife also likes talking on the phone, but hers is mostly with the kids and grandkids about nothing.