Cracking review Sam! What annoys me is the cost when you got few mates who all need to upgrade as well. The companies should offer a bulk buy so the overall cost is reduced and they get a bunch of new customers in one hit.
Thank you mate! Yeah it's annoying that the units won't connect to each other - there's a way to connect on Bluetooth, but that's limited numbers, range and features so not the best. If they would all connect on DMC, that would be ideal. These units seem to sell pretty well on FB Marketplace or Ebay, so might be worth sticking old units on there too
Love it! Smoother down low, more aggressive when you're going for it, and it pops and bangs more haha! You'll notice a big difference when you get on it, but it's not too much if you know what I mean. Should have come out the factory like that IMO!
Thanks for taking the time to make the comparison. I was a sena user ever since they started with the SMH10. However, they have progressively gotten worse over the years and models and their support of my battery problems on my 50S was the last straw. I also purchased a Cardo Edge and it has been nothing short of great for me. Good bye sena and thanks for all the fish!!! Oh, and a BIG thumbs up.
No problem! Glad you've found your way over to Cardo. It's been a dream for me since owning it in comparison. I know others have had no problems with Sena but my was shocking! Safe ride!
Great real-world review, and I found your conversation refreshing, not boring. I have older SENAs and am looking to update today. Of all the reviews, yours is the one that has convinced me to switch from SENA.
I totally agree with every word of your review. Two friends and I have struggled with Sena 20S units on dual-sport and dirt bikes for about the last 7 years. Finally we made the switch to the Cardo Packtalk Edge. After using the Cardo for just one ride we all agreed that we should have made the switch years ago. Yes, there's a learning curve just like any app, program or device but once you get is sorted out a little bit you'll be a happy camper. Pairing is instant. Sound quality is superior and the range far, far exceeds the Sena unit. If your on the fence regarding purchasing a communicator I would highly recommend the Cardo. I wish we would have done it years ago.
I upgraded from the Cardo G4 to the Packtalk edge this year. I’ve had two rides with the edge and quite a few with the G4. The Edge is a definite huge upgrade. Yesterday i was able to experience using the edge while my wife used the G4 and it worked flawlessly. I was able to use the app during the ride and i am truly blown away with how well it worked. My set up is as follows: 2013 BMW K1600 GTL, Packtalk edge, Tunai firefly, iPhone, Cardo G4. With this set up i was able to play music through the bike’s speakers or my helmet. I could also communicate with my wife via Bluetooth and go right back to my music. I never lost connection and i could hear everything clearly!!! I ran into one snag which had me befuddled before the ride. I had turned on the edge and i was trying to use the app. The phone had paired to my edge but every time I went to use the app it said no device found. After about 45 minutes I decided to pair it again for the fifth time only this time I realized that there was two edge units in my Bluetooth section of my iPhone. It was then that i decided to “forget” one of the Bluetooth devices and that was the fix!!!! From then on, it was smooth sailing!!!!!
Had my sena 30k for over 4 years now, never had any of the problems you mentioned. But the Edge seems like an upgrade to me, and I'm seriously considering it.
I'm jealous! Haha! Some people have zero issues. No idea if I just bought into a bad batch! The Edge has been a game changer for me, but mainly because it does what my 30k didn't!
I got the Packtalk Edge as my first communication device and I'm excited to use it for chatting with friends and listening to music. Your review helped me choose this over the Sena 30K, which had some negative reviews and issues. Thanks!
I’ve got the Packtalk Edge on a Shoei nx2 riding a Multistrada 1200. It’s a great bit of kit, paired easily and the voice commands work really well. Only thing I have issues with is the radio reception but apart from that I use it for listening to music as none of my mates ride at the moment, occasionally use it for phone calls which I also find really good. Would recommend it, only been using it a couple of weeks so can’t say about the long term battery life…
I have the Cardo Packtalk Slim and very often I have to repeat my voice commands. What I would like to have is the opportunity to teach the Packtalk with my own voice (using a PC and some Cardo software).
It is true it works very well and is great, but why are there only two bluetooth connections to intercoms with no Mesh? In my group everybody have a old intercom and they have five or more bluetooth connections...
Good question - Most things nowadays will only have 2 or 3 Bluetooth connection slots! I guess it's the way every company encourages you to upgrade.. same thing with Apple and Samsung removing their headphone jack in favour of wireless... anyone using wired headphones can no longer use their phone with them!
A bright spot in my life when I threw my Sena in the trash. I found how you connect everything to the KTM (bike as a hub of sorts) works on my 890 Duke R as well. Otherwise, just as you said....everything fights each other. Good advice! Thank you for mentioning that.
Hey, I paired my packtalk edge with the sena +mesh adapter and enabled the bridge mode. Now I'm in both meshes and the adapter can sit in the dry tank bag. So now I feel pretty badass
Good review. I run packtalk bold with hard wired Custom Fit Guard (other brands available) ear plugs. Can hear all chat at all speeds. Its the very best audio solution with the Cardo IMHO. Ride safe.
Great review.. Me and 4 mates have all brought the Edge each and we are going out tomorrow for the 1st time....Green Laning... That will be a good test off road in forests and stuff....
I 've been using Sena for a years now but I have so many issues with it like battery life. I am going to buy Cardo because of good reviews from several motorcycle riders
It really has been a great upgrade. They aren't perfect as nothing electrical is, but the instances where it won't do what I want it to are very few and far between. Battery seems to last a solid day of riding connected to a mate and listening to music too. Plus you can use it while it's charging so a battery pack in the top pocket works
I have a Sena 10s unit since 2017, ride in the rain, what little we get, Vegas heat, sandy winds, I have done updates which is so damn easy, if you can plug in a toaster, you can update. It works fantastic, battery life great, updated speakers that will blow you out of the helmet, comms work for me, usually only ride with 4 or less people. One of our team has the Cardo, has to follow trends and "what's hot" he has lost one unit messing around while riding, Sena 10S not going to happen cause of how mounted. He also looses connection with other riders who have DMC/ Mesh comm, so seeing in real life with several people who use from the Spirit I think it's named to the Edge unit, not that impressed compared to an old ass unit, that out performs them all.
My HJC RPHA 90S was set up for a Sena system. I didn't even bother, went straight for the Cardo PackTalk Edge. Little bit of a trick getting the people in a Group to all hook up, the instructions are particularly vague. Not a very intuitive system.
Agreed! I've found a way to do it with just having one person start the grouping then others do it too. Have 1 person as the group owner and that seems to work
No I don't! I don't have instructions on anyway as the voice annoyed me with rltge frequency so I chose not to pair it. You can scroll back on the jog wheel and pair a GPS too, that should help
Like you say... connects instantly. No buttons to press. Audio instructions are brill too. Love your reviews of the 1290 SAS. I'm on the 2016 version and still love the bike 6 years on.
So much easier than sitting at a petrol station for 20 mins trying to get the Sena to connect to another one 2ft away 😂 ahh love it! They are such great bikes
I hope I don't jinx myself here. I have had a Sena 20EvoS and now the 50S, and have been though some pretty horrendous storms and rain here in Australia. Touch wood, I have never had an issue. I have been looking at Cardo as few other mates have them. Initially I used Sena as the guy who taught me to ride had Sena. No troubles thus far, but with me now riding with a more Cardo group, it would be nice to be able to connect with them. I have 2 helmets, so I would have one for each group, depending on who I ride with. Thanks for the review, it has helped me to make a decision.
Glad you've had no issues with the Sena! I would have likely kept mine if it wasn't for all the issues. My biking friendship group and family all had Senas so was expensive to change. But.. super happy we did!
I bought the pack talk black. Everything seemed good until I went on a 3000 mile trip with some friends. I could hear them really well but they had problems hearing me from time to time. They had the edge. After trouble shooting I come to realize the software for the Mike didn’t hardly work cardo did a test and also found a problem with the mike software. They were going to give me a new one but then I asked them how about I get the edge a pay the difference they went for it the black had some problems but most is happy with it.
Sounds like we need a cardo for how it works and a sena for the functionality of the device itself. I’m considering getting a set this summer and still figuring out which to get.
A couple years ago I got the Sena 50s and haven't had any problems with it, but I'd be interested in purchasing the Packtalk Edge to communicate with my two buddies with Packtalk Bolds. The best add-on that I bought for my 50s was the M6 Pro noise isolation earbuds.
I’m really curious what you nah but using m6 pro noise canceling. Is it just a noise canceling feature with no output so the speakers in the helmet are clearer?
@@robertduffner6346 I only use the M6 Pro when I want hearing protection and to listen to music on long-distance road trips. When I don't wish to listen to music I wear my EARPEACE MOTO PRO earbuds.
There's a link in the description to this video for CustomFitGuards. Have a look on their website for the ear plugs with the speakers built in. Think they are called in ear monitors. I have a 10% discount code too which should be in the description too!
That intro was hilarious! I share your Sena hatred. Me and my buddies had 10s/20s and they were absolutely horrible. The auto reconnect never worked and we frequently had to stop and try and re-establish the group. Audio was shit, connection was shit, voice control didn't work. We all swapped to cardo together and never looked back. It's literally no competition, most reviews still give the sena alot of slack even if they say the cardo is best, in my opinion it's not even close.
Yeah I totally agree... the Sena, especially the 30k was just a waste of money. Wish I never bought it! The Cardo does everything I want it to and it was sold to do which is great!
@@SamVBikes It's strange how in a market with basically only two players, the inferior product is somehow still competitive sales wise. I guess that's a testament to their marketing.
I'm sure it works really well in California where everything is pretty flat, and bone dry haha... but in the rest of the world, it's not competitive at all! Glad I've swapped now, and I wont be going back
I've never owned a Sena, I do have a cardo Q3 that I've owned for a few years now, it's never let me down, however as you have mentioned you need to say commands in a certain tone, now that's hard for me as I have a broad Glaswegian accent 😜, it has actually paired to non Cardo or Sena sets, I think it's time to upgrade now, thanks for another great review video, keep up the good work Sam 👍
I’ve got the older Sena 20S and so far over five years not had a problem. Probably don’t use as many functions but connections have been easy, bike sat nav etc. Don’t ride in a group just connect to my wife’s Sena on the pillion. It did have a problem a few years ago in rain but that was two days of constant heavy rain, went very crackly but recovered once dried out. Have a Schuberth C5 with the dedicated system, that’s Sena as well think it’s a version of the 50S not used it much yet but hopefully ok.
I had the Sena SMH10 and 20S and had no issues at all, as soon as I upgraded to the 30K, I had problems to no end!! No idea why. Hopefully the 50s is better than my experience for you
Sam, I need your help!!! Can you select an Audio priority source on the Edge? When I'm connected to a group I can't get audio directions from my sat nav. I'm guessing it's because the Edge is taking priority....... Help !!
Is everything connected to the Edge in the right group? I.e. bike connected as bike, GPS connected as GPS etc. In the app, there are volumes for each device and also the option for how much it dips other audio when another device starts emitting noise
@@SamVBikes Hey mate. I believe so ,its a BMW so nothing is simple. Been on a ride today and when on group chat I don't get any sat nav instructions in my lug hole. All I want is to be able to talk to my mate and when sat nav kicks in it dips so I can hear it.
@@SamVBikes yes it is mate. I was thinking of just connecting phone,cardo to Nav 6 and forgetting the bike. A box of matches and petrol nearly happened earlier. There was an Audio source priority setting on the Bold but can't find it on the Edge.
Ahh thats so infuriating! I had to go back into my settings on the phone and basically turn off priority for everything except the bike, then turn the garmin audio on too
Hi Sam How have you mounted the speakers in your Arai, I’ve fitted a system in my Arai but the speaker positions are behind the cheek pads and I struggle to hear anything above 50mph.
I found they were too far back (behind my ears rather than next to them). I removed the pad liner, and cut a small section of the padding out just on that cheek pad. Maybe 2cm off the front of the padding so I could bring the speakers forward. I now have no issues!
hope the edge is better than the bold, i have nothing but problems with 2 off 3 i own . disconecting parring while you drive, thats pretty bad when you have a kid on the back and suddenly no sound, at least tap on shoulders works. wifes loses sound in left side, tried changing speakers ect, but must be a unit error. sound is way to low when you use earplug
For me, range is less about line of sight, and more about how it performs when there is no line of sight. If I’m travelling through a small village I can be 50 yds in front of a friend but out of sight if the road is really winding. That’s when I want it to work most. Have just ordered the Edge. Hopefully it works with the above scenario
Yeah I definitely agree! The Edge seems to work well in these scenarios. The only time it seems to cut out is when there is a big land mass between riders. For example going around a headland with a mountain etc between you in Scotland or Wales etc. Other than that, it's been great
Definitely a great comp. vid. Really enjoying your style! But can i ask, what kind of nav system is that? and why do you prefer a nav over e.g. Phone nav.?
Thank you! It's a Garmin Zumo XT! To be honest, there's not a huge amount in it for me. Either phone or nav works. I often use my phone too. Having said that, I suppose the reasoning would be that the nav is always there and always charged, whereas phone may be in the pocket while riding, or low battery. If travelling abroad, there isn't a limit to a nav's use, whereas my phone contract has a fair use policy for data so could cost quite a lot to use for nav.
Not loud enough? If you roll back on the wheel when that thing is playing. I.e. on a call, roll back. You can do it all through the app too. Also make sure your phone volume is up too
I had issues with volume at motorway speeds. Ended up using a pair of wired in ear headphones and it’s a lot better. Can have all volumes low and can hear everything crystal clear. Just need to make sure headphones don’t stick out to much
Great review. I wanted to make sure it will work for me as well, before I spend 350.00 US. These things are not cheap. I own 2020 Goldwing DCT Tour. I, also must have the Bluetooth on my phone off to connect to the bike. The bike is the hub. I am going to order one.
Thank you! Yes it will, you may have to play around with which is the control like I mentioned but a mate of mine has an Africa Twin, with I assume a very similar system to the Goldwing and his works well!
Nice review! Love my edge on my shoei Rf-1200 street helmet. What Klim helmet are you using for the review. I checked your more section but it mentioned an Arai.
I have the Bold version . they are fantastic not that good with my MX O'Neal helmet lol . i will stick to my N2 shoei mod lid for touring . great review . Not sure about the KTM tho ha ha .
Beautiful video thank you so much I've been looking at the center and cardo now for a while trying to figure out which one I should get and this cinches that I'm definitely getting a car though I just don't know exactly which model quite yet! When I get the money I'm going to surprise my sister I'm going to get a twin pack of them so we can communicate easier when she rides as my backpack
Glad it was helpful! That's a great gift! The twin packs are such a good idea! Everyone I know has a twin pack divided between friends or family haha! Definitely could save yourself some money on the new versions with the optional features!
Great review, and certainly persuaded me to go and get one. Have set it up as you said and now don't hear anything from the Sat Nav (Zumo XT). Any tips? Currently to hear it I have the bike and the GPS connected to the Cardo and the Satnav to the phone. Not ideal as the bike is not in control and does not use the functionality around the phone.
Thank you! I don't personally have the sat nav instructions on so never bothered to set up the garmin being part of the loop. I'd suggest trying to toggle the permissions of each Bluetooth device on your phone first. Make sure the garmin is only set for audio, and the bike is set as the input device
Question for you. With your setup of Garmin connected to Phone, Phone connected to Bike, and Bike connected to Cardo can you still use the phone to setup DMC groups and Siri commands to the phone?
Yes, using the bike as the control reduces the functionality of the voice commands to a degree, or maybe it's more fair to say I've had less success with them working, so single press the lower button and Google assistant comes up (or siri)
Good vid Great kit I bet George hears your infectious giggling/i love this bike all day long 🤣 Don't blame ya mate,looks like your having fun.Thats what counts in my book👍
@@SamVBikes me and my mate both got the bold black,2 weeks after cardo announced the edge. Can't not laugh and ramble on about utter guff. I reckon if id of waited for the edge,it probably would of still been on my lid after my massive rtc last year. Instead my bold went to the stratosphere. Just means i get to get another lid and coms Any excuse for a lid🤣 Keep on popping n banging 😂👍
Haha! You're not missing a huge amount from the Edge over the Bold. I very nearly bought a bold until I saw Cardo post about a new release coming up! Haha thanks! Safe riding !
It's similar in thickness with and without the backing plate, roughly the same. The cardo is definitely smaller in size though. The Sena is taller and generally a larger size
I had a 20S and begrudging upgraded to a 50S when my friends got a 30K. We all got sick of the unreliability and I convinced everyone to switch to Pactalk Edge. The only thing I miss is the way the sena volume adjustment works compared to Cardo and the open mesh network (Cardo requires private group management).
Yeah the Sena volume management was really simple! I assume Cardo should update the DMC to open mesh if enough people ask. They seem pretty hot on their updates!
It's super weird for me how diverse the experiences are with these devices. Got my 30K about 7 years ago and use it basically 6 days out of the week, only ever had the battery die on me once like 4 years ago and the volume dial about a year ago (fortunately at Max) so I can still adjust via my phone. Range has been surprising at times and if we're way out we just call each other and it's actually cleaner. In the end, I use it 90% for music, 6% for calls (never from work), and 4 percent for bike to bike (mostly just, "Hey, I need to stop for gas and take a piss." I am looking but not really sure which one. Have you done a brand-to-brand connectivity tests?
Glad you've had a good experience with them! It's really hit and miss with the Sena's. Some people have faultless experiences and others have nothing but pain! I havent yet. We tried it previously with a mates packtalk Bold but it wouldn't work. I know more recently they have released an update where you can connect but most of the people I ride with now have Cardo!
I'm trying to decide between cardo edge and the Neo- i like that the a Neo is black, is the edge worth the magnetic attachment and charging while you ride. Can you talk to passenger, gps and both u and passenger to listen to music How clear is the mesh compared to bluetooth? Also I usually only talk to my passenger- does it make sense to still get a unit with mesh or should i go with more affordable unit
The Neo is meant to be really good. For me, the mesh is brilliant. Connecting instantly without issue. Always clear. Connecting all of those things together to work is going to be a faff on either device but in theory it is possible. I haven't had the need to do that as everyone I ride with has their own bike so their Cardo is linked to their phone for music etc. The only thing I'd be careful of is the Bluetooth has a limited number of connections. So 1 for other cardo, 2 for phone, 3 for GPS, 4 for bike might be too many so worth checking that first.
The cardo will connect to phones, bikes, GPS etc so I don't see why it wouldn't be compatible! I hopefully will have one of those screens on the way so I'll tell you if it does
100%! It has it's little things like if you're singing along to a song (not that I do that...), it sometimes decides to turn the radio on or call a speed-dial, but thats very uncommon. The rest of it... BANGING! Great battery life, no issues with waterproofing, connecting to other cardos is a breeze etc
What sat nav are you using and how’s it mounted if you don’t mind me asking I’ve got the previous 2018 sas and I have the Givi screen mount using my phone with ultimate addons case and it constantly wobbles thanks
I've only recently bought an 'Edge', but having voice command issues with turning on the radio, I've tried 30/40 times with voice commands but it still won't work..! Any advice appreciated Sam. I've changed the Cardo setting to 'British/English' but still won't turn on the radio. Great motorcycle channel by the way. Thank you. Regards. Peter Scotland
Hey Peter! Mine took a bit of faffing around to get it to work - seems like you need to say it clearly in a specific way annoyingly. I found the best way was to mess around with the settings in the app. Change microphone sensitivity and a few other settings. I know a few people have issues when it comes to accents. Worth looking up what the specific phrases are too - If you slightly change the phrase it won't pick it up. "Hey Cardo, Battery Status" vs "Hi Cardo, what's the battery status" for example. In the end, I turned it off as it started randomly dialing people while I was badly singing to music I was listening to haha. Thank you for watching and I hope that has some use for you
My cardo slim is a bit grumpy volume sometimes goes down for no apparent reason.. Radio I find is not that good & it'll make a call for no reason. Got an email from cardo saying their are updates for the edge and similar, I'll see how that goes.. But it is worth having anyway, I know its a bit of a moan.. But eh
Yeah the radio can be on and off with when it works. The wire is apparently the antenna so I had to reroute it to the top of the helmet. I assure you it's way better than my Sena was 😂
awesome review.. seemed to be one of the ones that you could tell wasnt sponsored.. yours might be, but if so I couldnt tell lol. One thing I havent seen answered is this... can you run bluetooth and not mesh if you only have 1 other rider and whats the battery life like when running mesh real world numbers?!
I wish it was sponsored 😂 would help the credit card a lot haha! You can just run it in Bluetooth mode and I think that means the battery life is far longer! I've just come back from a France trip with my mate. Both using Cardos. We had them on connected and chatting all day from around 9/10am through to 6/7pm minus stops for lunch etc, and they would both have around 25% battery left when we got home. We split the ride home into two days, did around 6 hours+ of riding connected each day with music playing too, and still had 50% when we got to the stopover! I'd say you're safe to have at least 8-10 hours of connected riding in a day, and you can also use it while it's charging, so add a power bank in your jacket pocket and you'll be sorted!
@@SamVBikes sounds good, was that you and your buddy connected in mesh or Bluetooth.. my wife and I feel the battery life is garbage with our Senas in mesh mode.
Both in Mesh! The connection is so much clearer with mesh on these. My old Sena 30k on mesh was absolutely trash! If you're on the same bike though, Bluetooth will probably save you some battery. I really like having the music playing on mesh though because it dips the volume when someone speaks, then puts it back up after
@@SamVBikes awesome.. yeah our senas are the same.. Bluetooth quality blows, you can play music and talk at the same time but my wife’s unit for whatever reason picks up so much ambient noise. We both have 50Rs, Shoei helmets and still.. horrible sound. On mesh it’s awesome, until the battery starts tanking haha. A big selling point for me will be I can opt to put earbuds in if I want and not need earplugs and speakers on high.
Yeah my 30k battery seemed to last 3-4hours at best on mesh so we ended up canning that on trips and just using Bluetooth! I'm surprised the 50 series do the same! These still aren't perfect but you couldn't pay me to go back to a Sena haha
Hate Sena, had several of them including the integrated one fitting the helmet, but it remained the same crap equipment...Never had a problem with Cardo, even with the old system on my C3 Schuberth helmet...Now Cardo starts as well to have some integrated systems in some helmets
Brilliant intro to this upload Sam, you confirmed that cardo is the way to go, as most tubers that review coms agree with you. That's where my money is going this year for the next big purchase 👍 well done for making a potentially dry review entertaining and making me laugh out loud 👍
Thank you bud! Yes you're right it's a very easy vid to make boring so tried to do something a little more interesting! Glad you liked it! If you do get one, we can do a big group on the next rideout!
@@SamVBikes that will be great, I hope I can find the time to join in this year. I'm working solid at the moment to try and catch up. Today was my first day off since the 2nd January, there isn't much rest in the world of horology but I have pencilled in bike time for this year. A trip to Ireland and one to north east Scotland so far 👍
That opening sketch was fantastic! Ive been using the Packtalk Bold now for about 3 years and it has been fantastic. Im noticing that the battery isnt wat it used to. Ive never got the voice recognition to work, which doesnt really matter since i control the music trough the bike anyway. But besides that, great units. The next upgrade will certainly be the Edge.
😂😂 thank you! I definitely didn't mean to fall over though but it was too funny to take out haha! Yeah sounds like a good idea! Upgrade when it goes, but you won't notice too much of a difference moving to the Edge from a Bold!
You can run the Cardos while plugged into a portable battery pack. Other brands cant do that. Battery packs and a 36 inch cable are inexpensive on Amazon, and you can run the unit for days without a charge. We use them snowmobiling because the cold weather severely effects battery life.
Have both the 50s and Edge... the 50s is MUCH better than the 30k (which was a poor device all the way around) but the Edge is quite a bit better even than the 50s. Only reason I have the 50 at all is because one of my riding groups is Sena based and I couldn't stay with the 30k it was soo terrible. But going forward I'm done with Sena, the Edge just works.
I think even Sena know that the 30k was a failure haha! It seems like they are slowly coming around to the idea we should be able to group Sena and Cardo together, but seems its only Bluetooth, not on DMC
You definitely have to say it in a certain way. I got told it has to be set in your language. "US English" or "UK English" apparently makes a difference.. but yeah not the best
You need a reliable headset so you can guarantee you can answer her call while away on the bike, and it makes you nervous that you can't rely on your Sena.. how are you going to find out about her day when your Sena isn't working?!! (Hopefully that works 😂)
I'm sure I saw some leaked pictures of something similar, but I guess the market for that kind of thing isn't huge so they stick to what they are good at
Nice one, funny as f#£k. Got the Cardo. Not perfect, plays radio as and when it feels like it. But on the whole comms, connection and music is spot on..
Normally you can sort a few of those annoying things by changing a few of the settings. The radio coming on randomly doesn't happen anywhere near as much since I updated it. Happened all the time when I first got it so maybe that will help
I had a Sena made for my Neotech 2 (yeah, purchased in 18’) Hated it. Wasn’t used that much (have 10k miles on my T120 from same year)… went to turn it on one day at about the three year mark, and no life. Wouldn’t charge. Nothing. Tried getting a replacement battery off eBay. No go. Put a bad taste in my mouth. Just picked up a Tiger 1200 RP so going to be doing a lot more riding and getting updated gear. I may still go with Shoei again (Hornet… between that and Krios Pro I think), but I will never get a proprietary comm unit again, and definitely not SENA. I will be getting the Cardo Edge for whatever helmet I end up buying. I also just bought a Garmin XT2… not looking forward to figuring out all the connectivity options between the Tiger, iPhone (15 pro max updated from an XS), gps, and headset 😅 (will start with what you described in the video and see how that goes).
You're not the first person to complain about those inbuilt systems! But they seem to get pushed hard at sale of the helmet! It's going to be a pain to work out how it all goes together but it will be a great set up when you're done!
@@SamVBikes yeah, sounded like a good idea at the time. Live and learn. Bikes only a week old so lots to figure out. From what I’ve read, the tiger dash will be the weak link if anything. People having mixed experiences with the Triumph connectivity. Haven’t delved into that at all yet. Loving the bike overall though.
Ahh, congrats on the new bike! Glad you're enjoying it! My dad has a 1200 RP, and this is how he did it originally, although it stopped working after the update. He might just need to repair, but he hasn't had time. Connect phone to Tiger under devices Connect Tiger as Phone to Cardo Turn off Tiger BT temporarily Connect Garmin to Cardo He said sometimes when it connects, the volume is set to minimum so make sure you check that. Hope that helps!
Sena's experiences seem to vary so much. Personally I've been using the 50s for 2 years now with zero issues, every good thing you have to say about the Cardo applies to my Sena. Even riding in the rain hasn't given me any issues what so ever. I'd love to try the Cardo but it's kind off pointless if everybody you ride with has a Sena.
Have to disagree as I have ridden through all sorts of weather and my Sena Spider worked fine. My other helmet has the 50r on and had no issues there. We all have our opinion
Cracking review Sam! What annoys me is the cost when you got few mates who all need to upgrade as well. The companies should offer a bulk buy so the overall cost is reduced and they get a bunch of new customers in one hit.
Thank you mate! Yeah it's annoying that the units won't connect to each other - there's a way to connect on Bluetooth, but that's limited numbers, range and features so not the best. If they would all connect on DMC, that would be ideal. These units seem to sell pretty well on FB Marketplace or Ebay, so might be worth sticking old units on there too
Hows the ktm sam after the remap,I got mine in on Thursday with bhp
Love it! Smoother down low, more aggressive when you're going for it, and it pops and bangs more haha! You'll notice a big difference when you get on it, but it's not too much if you know what I mean. Should have come out the factory like that IMO!
They simply shouldnt cost what they due. Its easy to offer a great warranty when its 600 percent over cost
Thanks for taking the time to make the comparison. I was a sena user ever since they started with the SMH10. However, they have progressively gotten worse over the years and models and their support of my battery problems on my 50S was the last straw. I also purchased a Cardo Edge and it has been nothing short of great for me. Good bye sena and thanks for all the fish!!! Oh, and a BIG thumbs up.
No problem! Glad you've found your way over to Cardo. It's been a dream for me since owning it in comparison. I know others have had no problems with Sena but my was shocking! Safe ride!
Great real-world review, and I found your conversation refreshing, not boring. I have older SENAs and am looking to update today. Of all the reviews, yours is the one that has convinced me to switch from SENA.
Really appreciate the kind words, John! I've really not regretted the move over to Cardo!
mate your on another level your creativity is amazing, loved every second of this.
Haha thank you mate! Been in the works for a while. Getting Martin from Bikestop to agree to that grunt was the best thing haha
I totally agree with every word of your review. Two friends and I have struggled with Sena 20S units on dual-sport and dirt bikes for about the last 7 years. Finally we made the switch to the Cardo Packtalk Edge. After using the Cardo for just one ride we all agreed that we should have made the switch years ago. Yes, there's a learning curve just like any app, program or device but once you get is sorted out a little bit you'll be a happy camper. Pairing is instant. Sound quality is superior and the range far, far exceeds the Sena unit. If your on the fence regarding purchasing a communicator I would highly recommend the Cardo. I wish we would have done it years ago.
Haha its nice to see a comment which isn't someone saying I'm wrong 😂
Totally agree! Wish I'd have changed years ago! Been so much happier ever since
I upgraded from the Cardo G4 to the Packtalk edge this year. I’ve had two rides with the edge and quite a few with the G4. The Edge is a definite huge upgrade. Yesterday i was able to experience using the edge while my wife used the G4 and it worked flawlessly. I was able to use the app during the ride and i am truly blown away with how well it worked. My set up is as follows: 2013 BMW K1600 GTL, Packtalk edge, Tunai firefly, iPhone, Cardo G4. With this set up i was able to play music through the bike’s speakers or my helmet. I could also communicate with my wife via Bluetooth and go right back to my music. I never lost connection and i could hear everything clearly!!! I ran into one snag which had me befuddled before the ride.
I had turned on the edge and i was trying to use the app. The phone had paired to my edge but every time I went to use the app it said no device found. After about 45 minutes I decided to pair it again for the fifth time only this time I realized that there was two edge units in my Bluetooth section of my iPhone. It was then that i decided to “forget” one of the Bluetooth devices and that was the fix!!!! From then on, it was smooth sailing!!!!!
Had my sena 30k for over 4 years now, never had any of the problems you mentioned. But the Edge seems like an upgrade to me, and I'm seriously considering it.
I'm jealous! Haha! Some people have zero issues. No idea if I just bought into a bad batch! The Edge has been a game changer for me, but mainly because it does what my 30k didn't!
I got the Packtalk Edge as my first communication device and I'm excited to use it for chatting with friends and listening to music. Your review helped me choose this over the Sena 30K, which had some negative reviews and issues. Thanks!
No problem! Enjoy it!
Brilliant! You moved me over the tipping point - definitely buying the Cardo Edge!
Thank you! It's made such a difference for me!
I have the Sena 30K for about 4 years now, no issues at all and I’ll definitely upgrade it to the latest Sena model soon.
I was looking to replace my Sena 5s to packtalk edge... You just convinced me it was the right thing to do! Thanks!
Haha! You're welcome!
Your vids aren´t boring mate. Realy like all of them :) KTM Love
Haha thanks mate! 🧡
by the way, this is not boring video, we need that kind of reviews.👍
Haha thank you! Appreciate it! Cardo is definitely the way to go
I’ve got the Packtalk Edge on a Shoei nx2 riding a Multistrada 1200. It’s a great bit of kit, paired easily and the voice commands work really well. Only thing I have issues with is the radio reception but apart from that I use it for listening to music as none of my mates ride at the moment, occasionally use it for phone calls which I also find really good. Would recommend it, only been using it a couple of weeks so can’t say about the long term battery life…
I have the Cardo Packtalk Slim and very often I have to repeat my voice commands.
What I would like to have is the opportunity to teach the Packtalk with my own voice (using a PC and some Cardo software).
Best review I’ve seen 👍We bought Sena 20s egos what a load of shit had over 3 months of trying to get an exchange sorted now bought the edge duo set 🤞
Thank you! Worryingly the 20S was the best Sena I've had 😂 glad you've joined the superior side!
It is true it works very well and is great, but why are there only two bluetooth connections to intercoms with no Mesh?
In my group everybody have a old intercom and they have five or more bluetooth connections...
Good question - Most things nowadays will only have 2 or 3 Bluetooth connection slots! I guess it's the way every company encourages you to upgrade.. same thing with Apple and Samsung removing their headphone jack in favour of wireless... anyone using wired headphones can no longer use their phone with them!
your giggles are infectious
Haha thanks!
A bright spot in my life when I threw my Sena in the trash.
I found how you connect everything to the KTM (bike as a hub of sorts) works on my 890 Duke R as well. Otherwise, just as you said....everything fights each other. Good advice! Thank you for mentioning that.
Haha! Too right! I've never been so happy to get rid of something!
Hey, I paired my packtalk edge with the sena +mesh adapter and enabled the bridge mode. Now I'm in both meshes and the adapter can sit in the dry tank bag. So now I feel pretty badass
Just bought a cardo edge ... Brilliant review and no way boring 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
💪🏼💪🏼 thank you
Good review. I run packtalk bold with hard wired Custom Fit Guard (other brands available) ear plugs. Can hear all chat at all speeds. Its the very best audio solution with the Cardo IMHO. Ride safe.
Thank you! That's a great solution and what I've recently switched to! Brilliant set up
great video again Sam! keep it up mate.... need to create some content with you soon!
Thank you mate! Yes definitely! Hopefully I can get down your way soon
Great review.. Me and 4 mates have all brought the Edge each and we are going out tomorrow for the 1st time....Green Laning... That will be a good test off road in forests and stuff....
Enjoy! Hope you've got some waders! I went out last weekend and could do some lengths in the water 😂
@@SamVBikes we are having a ride around Monmouth on enduro bikes,,so its not to bad for water...
Sounds like a great day out! Enjoy it
I 've been using Sena for a years now but I have so many issues with it like battery life. I am going to buy Cardo because of good reviews from several motorcycle riders
It really has been a great upgrade. They aren't perfect as nothing electrical is, but the instances where it won't do what I want it to are very few and far between. Battery seems to last a solid day of riding connected to a mate and listening to music too. Plus you can use it while it's charging so a battery pack in the top pocket works
I have a Sena 10s unit since 2017, ride in the rain, what little we get, Vegas heat, sandy winds, I have done updates which is so damn easy, if you can plug in a toaster, you can update. It works fantastic, battery life great, updated speakers that will blow you out of the helmet, comms work for me, usually only ride with 4 or less people. One of our team has the Cardo, has to follow trends and "what's hot" he has lost one unit messing around while riding, Sena 10S not going to happen cause of how mounted. He also looses connection with other riders who have DMC/ Mesh comm, so seeing in real life with several people who use from the Spirit I think it's named to the Edge unit, not that impressed compared to an old ass unit, that out performs them all.
My HJC RPHA 90S was set up for a Sena system. I didn't even bother, went straight for the Cardo PackTalk Edge. Little bit of a trick getting the people in a Group to all hook up, the instructions are particularly vague. Not a very intuitive system.
Agreed! I've found a way to do it with just having one person start the grouping then others do it too. Have 1 person as the group owner and that seems to work
With that Bluetooth connection setup, I do not hear navigation instructions from the Garmin. Do you hear your Garmin audio through your headset?
No I don't! I don't have instructions on anyway as the voice annoyed me with rltge frequency so I chose not to pair it. You can scroll back on the jog wheel and pair a GPS too, that should help
I had a Sena built into my Shoei Neotec. It was rubbish, and eventually died due to water ingress.
I got a Cardo Edge. Great bit of kit.
Ahh really?! I've heard way better things about the in-built Sena's so shocked that thats also died! Nice upgrade though arent they?!
Ahh really?! I've heard way better things about the in-built Sena's so shocked that thats also died! Nice upgrade though arent they?!
Like you say... connects instantly. No buttons to press. Audio instructions are brill too. Love your reviews of the 1290 SAS. I'm on the 2016 version and still love the bike 6 years on.
So much easier than sitting at a petrol station for 20 mins trying to get the Sena to connect to another one 2ft away 😂 ahh love it! They are such great bikes
I hope I don't jinx myself here. I have had a Sena 20EvoS and now the 50S, and have been though some pretty horrendous storms and rain here in Australia. Touch wood, I have never had an issue. I have been looking at Cardo as few other mates have them. Initially I used Sena as the guy who taught me to ride had Sena. No troubles thus far, but with me now riding with a more Cardo group, it would be nice to be able to connect with them. I have 2 helmets, so I would have one for each group, depending on who I ride with.
Thanks for the review, it has helped me to make a decision.
Glad you've had no issues with the Sena! I would have likely kept mine if it wasn't for all the issues. My biking friendship group and family all had Senas so was expensive to change. But.. super happy we did!
As Sam returns home and opens the door... he looks towards the counter.... the SENA greets him. RUN!!!!
😂😂😂
Or the police, after he nicked that Cardo in broad daylight from a store where they know him by name.
Do you believe everything you see on the Internet?
I bought the pack talk black. Everything seemed good until I went on a 3000 mile trip with some friends. I could hear them really well but they had problems hearing me from time to time. They had the edge. After trouble shooting I come to realize the software for the Mike didn’t hardly work cardo did a test and also found a problem with the mike software. They were going to give me a new one but then I asked them how about I get the edge a pay the difference they went for it the black had some problems but most is happy with it.
Nice to hear that they bothered to try fixing it and diagnosing it. So many companies won't bother nowadays!
Sounds like we need a cardo for how it works and a sena for the functionality of the device itself.
I’m considering getting a set this summer and still figuring out which to get.
It's a hard choice! Especially with Cardo bringing out do many new devices with different available features
@@SamVBikes seems like the sena spider might be a good option if just u and a buddy. Just not waterproof.
very well explain, thanks for the review, now i know wich one to buy👍👍 cardo is the way to go , thanks again
A couple years ago I got the Sena 50s and haven't had any problems with it, but I'd be interested in purchasing the Packtalk Edge to communicate with my two buddies with Packtalk Bolds. The best add-on that I bought for my 50s was the M6 Pro noise isolation earbuds.
I’m really curious what you nah but using m6 pro noise canceling. Is it just a noise canceling feature with no output so the speakers in the helmet are clearer?
@@robertduffner6346 I only use the M6 Pro when I want hearing protection and to listen to music on long-distance road trips. When I don't wish to listen to music I wear my EARPEACE MOTO PRO earbuds.
A Good video, interesting points made about your experience
Thank you
Thank you for watching!
Cardo are a great product - as you said, they deliver whats on the box!!
Spot on! Not perfect but very close
brilliant intro!, also Invest in the CFG Speaker with dual drivers :)
I'll DM CFG and ask for some love 😂
Where can i find them? Thanks
There's a link in the description to this video for CustomFitGuards. Have a look on their website for the ear plugs with the speakers built in. Think they are called in ear monitors. I have a 10% discount code too which should be in the description too!
Ive got the CFG's with dual driver. Best audio solution IMHO
That intro was hilarious! I share your Sena hatred. Me and my buddies had 10s/20s and they were absolutely horrible. The auto reconnect never worked and we frequently had to stop and try and re-establish the group. Audio was shit, connection was shit, voice control didn't work. We all swapped to cardo together and never looked back. It's literally no competition, most reviews still give the sena alot of slack even if they say the cardo is best, in my opinion it's not even close.
Yeah I totally agree... the Sena, especially the 30k was just a waste of money. Wish I never bought it! The Cardo does everything I want it to and it was sold to do which is great!
@@SamVBikes It's strange how in a market with basically only two players, the inferior product is somehow still competitive sales wise. I guess that's a testament to their marketing.
I'm sure it works really well in California where everything is pretty flat, and bone dry haha... but in the rest of the world, it's not competitive at all! Glad I've swapped now, and I wont be going back
I've never owned a Sena, I do have a cardo Q3 that I've owned for a few years now, it's never let me down, however as you have mentioned you need to say commands in a certain tone, now that's hard for me as I have a broad Glaswegian accent 😜, it has actually paired to non Cardo or Sena sets, I think it's time to upgrade now, thanks for another great review video, keep up the good work Sam 👍
Hahaha! Just had a poor attempt at doing the Glaswegian accent while saying "Hey Cardo"... you're right! Thanks for watching bud!
@@SamVBikes 🤣😂🤣, should have recorded that pmsl, catch up soon 😁
Great review! Thank you for the information.
Thank you!
I’ve got the older Sena 20S and so far over five years not had a problem. Probably don’t use as many functions but connections have been easy, bike sat nav etc. Don’t ride in a group just connect to my wife’s Sena on the pillion. It did have a problem a few years ago in rain but that was two days of constant heavy rain, went very crackly but recovered once dried out. Have a Schuberth C5 with the dedicated system, that’s Sena as well think it’s a version of the 50S not used it much yet but hopefully ok.
I had the Sena SMH10 and 20S and had no issues at all, as soon as I upgraded to the 30K, I had problems to no end!! No idea why. Hopefully the 50s is better than my experience for you
Sam, I need your help!!!
Can you select an Audio priority source on the Edge? When I'm connected to a group I can't get audio directions from my sat nav. I'm guessing it's because the Edge is taking priority....... Help !!
Is everything connected to the Edge in the right group? I.e. bike connected as bike, GPS connected as GPS etc. In the app, there are volumes for each device and also the option for how much it dips other audio when another device starts emitting noise
@@SamVBikes Hey mate. I believe so ,its a BMW so nothing is simple. Been on a ride today and when on group chat I don't get any sat nav instructions in my lug hole. All I want is to be able to talk to my mate and when sat nav kicks in it dips so I can hear it.
That should be easily doable. Is it connected to your phone too? I found that always messes with my connections
@@SamVBikes yes it is mate. I was thinking of just connecting phone,cardo to Nav 6 and forgetting the bike. A box of matches and petrol nearly happened earlier. There was an Audio source priority setting on the Bold but can't find it on the Edge.
Ahh thats so infuriating! I had to go back into my settings on the phone and basically turn off priority for everything except the bike, then turn the garmin audio on too
Hi Sam
How have you mounted the speakers in your Arai, I’ve fitted a system in my Arai but the speaker positions are behind the cheek pads and I struggle to hear anything above 50mph.
I found they were too far back (behind my ears rather than next to them). I removed the pad liner, and cut a small section of the padding out just on that cheek pad. Maybe 2cm off the front of the padding so I could bring the speakers forward. I now have no issues!
hope the edge is better than the bold, i have nothing but problems with 2 off 3 i own . disconecting parring while you drive, thats pretty bad when you have a kid on the back and suddenly no sound, at least tap on shoulders works.
wifes loses sound in left side, tried changing speakers ect, but must be a unit error.
sound is way to low when you use earplug
Sounds like you have a faulty unit! I've not heard any stories similar! Hope you get it fixed
Great video... subbed you mate
Thank you! Appreciate the sub too!
For me, range is less about line of sight, and more about how it performs when there is no line of sight. If I’m travelling through a small village I can be 50 yds in front of a friend but out of sight if the road is really winding. That’s when I want it to work most. Have just ordered the Edge. Hopefully it works with the above scenario
Yeah I definitely agree! The Edge seems to work well in these scenarios. The only time it seems to cut out is when there is a big land mass between riders. For example going around a headland with a mountain etc between you in Scotland or Wales etc. Other than that, it's been great
Definitely a great comp. vid. Really enjoying your style!
But can i ask, what kind of nav system is that? and why do you prefer a nav over e.g. Phone nav.?
Thank you!
It's a Garmin Zumo XT!
To be honest, there's not a huge amount in it for me. Either phone or nav works. I often use my phone too.
Having said that, I suppose the reasoning would be that the nav is always there and always charged, whereas phone may be in the pocket while riding, or low battery. If travelling abroad, there isn't a limit to a nav's use, whereas my phone contract has a fair use policy for data so could cost quite a lot to use for nav.
Love my cardo bold, no issues at all.
Great things aren't they!
Hello I just got one, have problems with volume, an idears, cheers
Not loud enough? If you roll back on the wheel when that thing is playing. I.e. on a call, roll back. You can do it all through the app too. Also make sure your phone volume is up too
@@SamVBikes ok thanks will try out cheers, love the vids keep them coming 👍
Cheers bud! All the volumes seem to be independent so you have to turn them all up! Thanks for watching
I had issues with volume at motorway speeds. Ended up using a pair of wired in ear headphones and it’s a lot better. Can have all volumes low and can hear everything crystal clear. Just need to make sure headphones don’t stick out to much
The usb c thing is not a rumor that law is already in place and passed its just not in affect yet
Great review. I wanted to make sure it will work for me as well, before I spend 350.00 US. These things are not cheap. I own 2020 Goldwing DCT Tour. I, also must have the Bluetooth on my phone off to connect to the bike. The bike is the hub. I am going to order one.
Thank you! Yes it will, you may have to play around with which is the control like I mentioned but a mate of mine has an Africa Twin, with I assume a very similar system to the Goldwing and his works well!
Good video brother
Thank you!
You’ve convinced me mate
Used to Sena SRL and now Sena ARK (fitted for AGV), cost a lot and give sadness. Cardo Edge is already orderded and i hope you're right :)
I love my cardo! Its great
Nice review! Love my edge on my shoei Rf-1200 street helmet. What Klim helmet are you using for the review. I checked your more section but it mentioned an Arai.
Thank you, that is the Arai Tour X4, not a Klim one. Looks very similar to the Klim Krios helmets
Nice video. Too bad cardo doesn't make industrial units like the sena cast
Awesome.Great review
Thank you!
I have the Bold version . they are fantastic not that good with my MX O'Neal helmet lol . i will stick to my N2 shoei mod lid for touring . great review . Not sure about the KTM tho ha ha .
Thank you! Haha!
Beautiful video thank you so much I've been looking at the center and cardo now for a while trying to figure out which one I should get and this cinches that I'm definitely getting a car though I just don't know exactly which model quite yet! When I get the money I'm going to surprise my sister I'm going to get a twin pack of them so we can communicate easier when she rides as my backpack
Glad it was helpful! That's a great gift! The twin packs are such a good idea! Everyone I know has a twin pack divided between friends or family haha! Definitely could save yourself some money on the new versions with the optional features!
Great review, and certainly persuaded me to go and get one. Have set it up as you said and now don't hear anything from the Sat Nav (Zumo XT). Any tips? Currently to hear it I have the bike and the GPS connected to the Cardo and the Satnav to the phone. Not ideal as the bike is not in control and does not use the functionality around the phone.
Thank you! I don't personally have the sat nav instructions on so never bothered to set up the garmin being part of the loop. I'd suggest trying to toggle the permissions of each Bluetooth device on your phone first. Make sure the garmin is only set for audio, and the bike is set as the input device
Convinced me :) I’ll be shopping around :)
Haha! Enjoy!
Question for you. With your setup of Garmin connected to Phone, Phone connected to Bike, and Bike connected to Cardo can you still use the phone to setup DMC groups and Siri commands to the phone?
Yes, using the bike as the control reduces the functionality of the voice commands to a degree, or maybe it's more fair to say I've had less success with them working, so single press the lower button and Google assistant comes up (or siri)
I had a Sena 10R and it was great, rain or shine. But that was 8 years ago. Packtalk is 4 atopa away.
Good vid
Great kit
I bet George hears your infectious giggling/i love this bike all day long 🤣
Don't blame ya mate,looks like your having fun.Thats what counts in my book👍
Haha yes! I'm sure he will turn off his Cardo sometimes and blame the battery!
@@SamVBikes me and my mate both got the bold black,2 weeks after cardo announced the edge.
Can't not laugh and ramble on about utter guff.
I reckon if id of waited for the edge,it probably would of still been on my lid after my massive rtc last year.
Instead my bold went to the stratosphere.
Just means i get to get another lid and coms
Any excuse for a lid🤣
Keep on popping n banging 😂👍
Haha! You're not missing a huge amount from the Edge over the Bold. I very nearly bought a bold until I saw Cardo post about a new release coming up!
Haha thanks! Safe riding !
@@SamVBikes only the strong magnet
Stay safe ya self mate👍
what is the size difference with Sena30K ? because i looks like the sena coms are a lot bigger than cardo one
It's similar in thickness with and without the backing plate, roughly the same. The cardo is definitely smaller in size though. The Sena is taller and generally a larger size
I had a 20S and begrudging upgraded to a 50S when my friends got a 30K. We all got sick of the unreliability and I convinced everyone to switch to Pactalk Edge. The only thing I miss is the way the sena volume adjustment works compared to Cardo and the open mesh network (Cardo requires private group management).
Yeah the Sena volume management was really simple! I assume Cardo should update the DMC to open mesh if enough people ask. They seem pretty hot on their updates!
It's super weird for me how diverse the experiences are with these devices. Got my 30K about 7 years ago and use it basically 6 days out of the week, only ever had the battery die on me once like 4 years ago and the volume dial about a year ago (fortunately at Max) so I can still adjust via my phone. Range has been surprising at times and if we're way out we just call each other and it's actually cleaner. In the end, I use it 90% for music, 6% for calls (never from work), and 4 percent for bike to bike (mostly just, "Hey, I need to stop for gas and take a piss." I am looking but not really sure which one.
Have you done a brand-to-brand connectivity tests?
Glad you've had a good experience with them! It's really hit and miss with the Sena's. Some people have faultless experiences and others have nothing but pain!
I havent yet. We tried it previously with a mates packtalk Bold but it wouldn't work. I know more recently they have released an update where you can connect but most of the people I ride with now have Cardo!
I'm trying to decide between cardo edge and the Neo- i like that the a Neo is black, is the edge worth the magnetic attachment and charging while you ride. Can you talk to passenger, gps and both u and passenger to listen to music
How clear is the mesh compared to bluetooth? Also I usually only talk to my passenger- does it make sense to still get a unit with mesh or should i go with more affordable unit
The Neo is meant to be really good. For me, the mesh is brilliant. Connecting instantly without issue. Always clear.
Connecting all of those things together to work is going to be a faff on either device but in theory it is possible. I haven't had the need to do that as everyone I ride with has their own bike so their Cardo is linked to their phone for music etc. The only thing I'd be careful of is the Bluetooth has a limited number of connections. So 1 for other cardo, 2 for phone, 3 for GPS, 4 for bike might be too many so worth checking that first.
hi, now people are using this chinese screens with android auto, aliexpress sell a lot, do you know if this cardo is compatible?, thanks
The cardo will connect to phones, bikes, GPS etc so I don't see why it wouldn't be compatible! I hopefully will have one of those screens on the way so I'll tell you if it does
@@SamVBikes thanks I,ll be waiting for
Still a happy 🐰 Sam? I’m thinking of jumping onto cardio 🤔
100%! It has it's little things like if you're singing along to a song (not that I do that...), it sometimes decides to turn the radio on or call a speed-dial, but thats very uncommon. The rest of it... BANGING! Great battery life, no issues with waterproofing, connecting to other cardos is a breeze etc
What sat nav are you using and how’s it mounted if you don’t mind me asking I’ve got the previous 2018 sas and I have the Givi screen mount using my phone with ultimate addons case and it constantly wobbles thanks
It's a Garmin Zumo XT mounted on the Touratech metal backing plate and in the Touratech locking mount. Really good bit of kit and it's solid!
I've only recently bought an 'Edge', but having voice command issues with turning on the radio, I've tried 30/40 times with voice commands but it still won't work..! Any advice appreciated Sam.
I've changed the Cardo setting to 'British/English' but still won't turn on the radio.
Great motorcycle channel by the way. Thank you.
Regards.
Peter
Scotland
Hey Peter!
Mine took a bit of faffing around to get it to work - seems like you need to say it clearly in a specific way annoyingly. I found the best way was to mess around with the settings in the app. Change microphone sensitivity and a few other settings. I know a few people have issues when it comes to accents.
Worth looking up what the specific phrases are too - If you slightly change the phrase it won't pick it up. "Hey Cardo, Battery Status" vs "Hi Cardo, what's the battery status" for example.
In the end, I turned it off as it started randomly dialing people while I was badly singing to music I was listening to haha.
Thank you for watching and I hope that has some use for you
My cardo slim is a bit grumpy volume sometimes goes down for no apparent reason.. Radio I find is not that good & it'll make a call for no reason.
Got an email from cardo saying their are updates for the edge and similar, I'll see how that goes.. But it is worth having anyway, I know its a bit of a moan.. But eh
Yeah the radio can be on and off with when it works. The wire is apparently the antenna so I had to reroute it to the top of the helmet. I assure you it's way better than my Sena was 😂
I was really hoping you were going to get on one of the pink swan pedalos😂
😂😂 I'm sure those things are diseased haha
Just like chicken pox best to get it early then you don’t get it again
Ordered my cardo packtalk edge today, should have it in about a week.
Nice!! Let me know how you get on with it
Appreciate the info! I was definetly leaning towards cardo but now im for sure sold! Lets get you affiliated! haha
Haha! That would be great!!
awesome review.. seemed to be one of the ones that you could tell wasnt sponsored.. yours might be, but if so I couldnt tell lol.
One thing I havent seen answered is this... can you run bluetooth and not mesh if you only have 1 other rider and whats the battery life like when running mesh real world numbers?!
I wish it was sponsored 😂 would help the credit card a lot haha!
You can just run it in Bluetooth mode and I think that means the battery life is far longer!
I've just come back from a France trip with my mate. Both using Cardos. We had them on connected and chatting all day from around 9/10am through to 6/7pm minus stops for lunch etc, and they would both have around 25% battery left when we got home.
We split the ride home into two days, did around 6 hours+ of riding connected each day with music playing too, and still had 50% when we got to the stopover!
I'd say you're safe to have at least 8-10 hours of connected riding in a day, and you can also use it while it's charging, so add a power bank in your jacket pocket and you'll be sorted!
@@SamVBikes sounds good, was that you and your buddy connected in mesh or Bluetooth.. my wife and I feel the battery life is garbage with our Senas in mesh mode.
Both in Mesh! The connection is so much clearer with mesh on these. My old Sena 30k on mesh was absolutely trash! If you're on the same bike though, Bluetooth will probably save you some battery. I really like having the music playing on mesh though because it dips the volume when someone speaks, then puts it back up after
@@SamVBikes awesome.. yeah our senas are the same.. Bluetooth quality blows, you can play music and talk at the same time but my wife’s unit for whatever reason picks up so much ambient noise. We both have 50Rs, Shoei helmets and still.. horrible sound. On mesh it’s awesome, until the battery starts tanking haha.
A big selling point for me will be I can opt to put earbuds in if I want and not need earplugs and speakers on high.
Yeah my 30k battery seemed to last 3-4hours at best on mesh so we ended up canning that on trips and just using Bluetooth! I'm surprised the 50 series do the same!
These still aren't perfect but you couldn't pay me to go back to a Sena haha
Hate Sena, had several of them including the integrated one fitting the helmet, but it remained the same crap equipment...Never had a problem with Cardo, even with the old system on my C3 Schuberth helmet...Now Cardo starts as well to have some integrated systems in some helmets
How long does it last if you are playing music/getting directions non-stop?
Used it in France for that exact thing whilst connected to my mate too. Got a solid 6/7 hours of riding in and got back to 25% battery
Brilliant intro to this upload Sam, you confirmed that cardo is the way to go, as most tubers that review coms agree with you. That's where my money is going this year for the next big purchase 👍 well done for making a potentially dry review entertaining and making me laugh out loud 👍
Thank you bud! Yes you're right it's a very easy vid to make boring so tried to do something a little more interesting! Glad you liked it! If you do get one, we can do a big group on the next rideout!
@@SamVBikes that will be great, I hope I can find the time to join in this year. I'm working solid at the moment to try and catch up. Today was my first day off since the 2nd January, there isn't much rest in the world of horology but I have pencilled in bike time for this year. A trip to Ireland and one to north east Scotland so far 👍
Definitely hope you can come along! Always good to make time for an escape even if its for a long weekend! Got to protect the 'me' time too
@@SamVBikes I agree, if it's possible. Have a good week mate 👍
You too bud!
🤣 the Yeet intro was awesome! I think I'll get rid of mine here in a bit.
Haha! It's where it belongs
Sam, what happened at 1:39 what caused that giggle?
Back end stepping out accelerating hard with traction control down on minimum haha
Point and grunt, perfect
That opening sketch was fantastic! Ive been using the Packtalk Bold now for about 3 years and it has been fantastic. Im noticing that the battery isnt wat it used to. Ive never got the voice recognition to work, which doesnt really matter since i control the music trough the bike anyway. But besides that, great units. The next upgrade will certainly be the Edge.
😂😂 thank you! I definitely didn't mean to fall over though but it was too funny to take out haha!
Yeah sounds like a good idea! Upgrade when it goes, but you won't notice too much of a difference moving to the Edge from a Bold!
@@SamVBikes The fall over and the later point/grunts made the sketch :)
You can run the Cardos while plugged into a portable battery pack. Other brands cant do that. Battery packs and a 36 inch cable are inexpensive on Amazon, and you can run the unit for days without a charge. We use them snowmobiling because the cold weather severely effects battery life.
Have both the 50s and Edge... the 50s is MUCH better than the 30k (which was a poor device all the way around) but the Edge is quite a bit better even than the 50s. Only reason I have the 50 at all is because one of my riding groups is Sena based and I couldn't stay with the 30k it was soo terrible. But going forward I'm done with Sena, the Edge just works.
I think even Sena know that the 30k was a failure haha! It seems like they are slowly coming around to the idea we should be able to group Sena and Cardo together, but seems its only Bluetooth, not on DMC
The voice recognition is brutal, in 2 years the Cardo hasn’t responded once
You definitely have to say it in a certain way. I got told it has to be set in your language. "US English" or "UK English" apparently makes a difference.. but yeah not the best
Yeah make sure it's set to UK English. Mine works flawlessly 🤩
Sam, just about to order the Cadro edge. Still pleased with the unit? Looking at upgrading from Sena 10s(Don't laugh) 👍
I wouldn't go back to Sena if someone paid me to do it! Super happy! The 10s was the only Sena I kind of liked haha
@@SamVBikes Cheers Sam, thanks for the reply. My wife will now say"why do you need a new headset ...blah blah blah"😂
You need a reliable headset so you can guarantee you can answer her call while away on the bike, and it makes you nervous that you can't rely on your Sena.. how are you going to find out about her day when your Sena isn't working?!! (Hopefully that works 😂)
@@SamVBikes 😂😂😂😂😂
Great review but can't justify the cost would rather keep my Sena 10S and invest in a better Satnav
Thank you! Yes you're right, if yours is working, no need to swap out. I had a 10S before my 30k and it worked really well
It’s a shame tho that Cardo do not do a camera version like Evo 10c 🤔 Waterproof is an issue without doubt
I'm sure I saw some leaked pictures of something similar, but I guess the market for that kind of thing isn't huge so they stick to what they are good at
Nice one, funny as f#£k. Got the Cardo. Not perfect, plays radio as and when it feels like it. But on the whole comms, connection and music is spot on..
Haha thanks! Yeah sometimes mine has a mind of its own but overall soo happy with it!
My Cardo keeps connecting to the local radio stations, annoys the hell out of me
Haha! I don't think I've ever had that! Have you tried turning the radio off completely in the app? Mine randomly turns the radio on sometimes 😂
@@SamVBikes I need to connect it to my laptop and update it ,, I think it’s just set up wrong ,
Normally you can sort a few of those annoying things by changing a few of the settings. The radio coming on randomly doesn't happen anywhere near as much since I updated it. Happened all the time when I first got it so maybe that will help
@@SamVBikes I’m a bloke and I didn’t even read the instructions , lol, I’m gonna update it , cheers
😂😂
Brilliant 🤣 - need to practice your jumps 😜
Haha! Old age getting to me
What Sat Nav is that you have please?
This is the Garmin Zumo XT
You forgot to mention the over the air update ability of the edge 😊
You're right!
@@SamVBikes I know, that's why I said it 😊👍🏻
I had a Sena made for my Neotech 2 (yeah, purchased in 18’) Hated it. Wasn’t used that much (have 10k miles on my T120 from same year)… went to turn it on one day at about the three year mark, and no life. Wouldn’t charge. Nothing. Tried getting a replacement battery off eBay. No go. Put a bad taste in my mouth.
Just picked up a Tiger 1200 RP so going to be doing a lot more riding and getting updated gear. I may still go with Shoei again (Hornet… between that and Krios Pro I think), but I will never get a proprietary comm unit again, and definitely not SENA. I will be getting the Cardo Edge for whatever helmet I end up buying.
I also just bought a Garmin XT2… not looking forward to figuring out all the connectivity options between the Tiger, iPhone (15 pro max updated from an XS), gps, and headset 😅 (will start with what you described in the video and see how that goes).
You're not the first person to complain about those inbuilt systems! But they seem to get pushed hard at sale of the helmet!
It's going to be a pain to work out how it all goes together but it will be a great set up when you're done!
@@SamVBikes yeah, sounded like a good idea at the time. Live and learn. Bikes only a week old so lots to figure out. From what I’ve read, the tiger dash will be the weak link if anything. People having mixed experiences with the Triumph connectivity. Haven’t delved into that at all yet. Loving the bike overall though.
Ahh, congrats on the new bike! Glad you're enjoying it!
My dad has a 1200 RP, and this is how he did it originally, although it stopped working after the update. He might just need to repair, but he hasn't had time.
Connect phone to Tiger under devices
Connect Tiger as Phone to Cardo
Turn off Tiger BT temporarily
Connect Garmin to Cardo
He said sometimes when it connects, the volume is set to minimum so make sure you check that.
Hope that helps!
@@SamVBikes thanks! I’ll try that.
I used my cardo the other day with my mate found the range not to be that great on b roads trees and buildings mess up the signal
Sena's experiences seem to vary so much. Personally I've been using the 50s for 2 years now with zero issues, every good thing you have to say about the Cardo applies to my Sena. Even riding in the rain hasn't given me any issues what so ever. I'd love to try the Cardo but it's kind off pointless if everybody you ride with has a Sena.
It's strange isn't it! I know people with 30k's who have had years of a pleasurable experience. I couldn't be paid to go back to Sena though haha
Have to disagree as I have ridden through all sorts of weather and my Sena Spider worked fine. My other helmet has the 50r on and had no issues there.
We all have our opinion
Quality content, fucking hilarious 😂😂
Haha thank you! I'll show my girlfriend this comment to prove to her that I'm funny