Cardo vs sena

#1
Im looking to get communication helmet bluetooth.. the sena 50s or cardo packtalk.. both the same price.. im looking for some hands on experience riders have had. And which one to purchase... i do IBA runs with 1 other rider.. we want to communicate back and forth and be able to answer phone ,listening to music.. etc...
 

Nomad

Premier Member
#2
I got the Cardo packtalk last month (Feb. 2021), the dual pack. The set up was straight forward, and insanely easy. The communication between my lovely bride, on pillion, was flawless, and she liked the luxury of listening to her own phone calls and music. Went on a couple of other runs with friends which had both sena 50, and cardo and the connection was solid for up to 1 mile distance of clear view. Plus on a subsequent ride the connection was automatic, didn't have to re-pair. Not ever having the sena 50 I really can't compare the two, but for the price I paid for the dual pack, ease of set up and dependability, I feel very good about my purchase and highly recommend the Cardo. By the way one of the rides was in a heavy down pour and I had no problems. The voice activations, I would like to add were a bonus, not having to use my hands.
 

Marc11

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#3
I've used both, and although I own the 50s due to most other riders I often travel with all using the 50s, I'd not hesitate to buy the Cardo again over the Sena.

Both work very well, especially when using mesh mode across multiple headsets.
However I found the Cardo to have better sound, easier to use controls and functions and having better battery life.

The Sena 50s is a very good unit, but the Cardo with the upgrades speakers was just a touch better.
 
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Greg Rice

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#4
I use the Sena headsets because you can charge them while using it. In the past you could not charge a Cardo headset while using it so I started using a Sena headset. I don't know if the newer Cardo's are able to be charged while using them.

I carry a Anker portable charger in my jacket vest pocket and after 8+ hours I plug in to the Sena to charge it and at the next gas stop it is charged for another 10 hours.
 
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#5
I use the Sena headsets because you can charge them while using it. In the past you could not charge a Cardo headset while using it so I started using a Sena headset.

I carry a Anker portable charger in my jacket vest pocket and after 8+ hours I plug in to the Sena to charge it and at the next gas stop it is charged for another 10 hours.
I have a portable charger myself... you cant charge the cardo while its on and riding?
 

CB650F

Premier Member
#7
I have a Cardo, but not the Packtalk. I almost never ride with other people, so it's mostly just so I can listen to music and get directions from my phone via bluetooth. The "lesser" models do that just fine. My Cardo has worked very well so far and I like it. I wouldn't hesitate to get another one.

That being said, I'd probably have the same impression of Sena had I purchased a Sena instead. From what I can tell from my research, just buy the one that your buddies have so that pairing it is easier. Both are more than adequate for riding and chatting. It's basically different flavors of the same ice cream.
 

Russ Black

Premier Member
#8
I use Sena. Why? Because there as a great deal on Amazon for a dual pack of SHM-5’s. If Cardo had a good deal at the time I was ready to buy, I’d be using Cardo.

The reason I went with the dual pack was that it allows me the ability to swap out units during my several thousand mile trips across Americas back roads so I can charge one unit while using the other. Or on shorter day rides the ability to communicate with my passenger or another rider. I now own three SHM-5’s and a Sena Outrush helmet with the Bluetooth communicator built in.

My SMH-5 can connect to three other headsets, but can only talk to one of them at a time. Before “Mesh”, my friend, who owns two Sena 20’s, and I created our own version of mesh communications allowing for me, my passenger, him and his passenger to all talk and hear each other at the same time. This was done by connecting each of my SMH-5’s to a different one of his 20’s and his 20’s to each other. I don’t know if we could add any more into our group or not. We never tried.

I do know that the Packtalk is limited to 15 members in a group, which sounds like a lot. However, let’s say that you regularly ride with a group consisting of 15 people but today, one or two of those members decided not to ride and you have two new members that do and you want them to be included into the group. It should be as simple as deleting the two that didn’t show up to ride and adding the two new riders that did. Seems simple enough, but you can’t. You can’t delete selected individuals from the group. You can only delete an entire group. To add these two riders would require creating an entirely new group and have all of the riders reconnect into this new group. They cannot simply be transferred from the old group into the new one either. This may or may not be a problem for you. Sena has several ways to connect more than two riders into a group. You can try something like we have done above or you can user their Ride Connect app. It allows you to communicate with fellow riders all over the world using your smartphone. It's like a telephone call but with more than two people. You are not limited by the range or number of intercom connections as with Bluetooth. As long as you have cell service you can create private groups. You can talk to any of your friends anywhere in the world as long as they are using a Sena headset too. They can not dial onto the group nor connect without using a sena bluetooth headset paired to their phone. You also have to let them know the group name and the access code. It is compatible with all Sena communication devices including my ancient SMH-5’s. Or you can use one of their Mesh or Open Mesh options.

Don’t believe any of the manufactures range claims. 1/4 to 1/2 mile is really all you can reasonably expect. The Pack talk can reach further as long as you have bikes close enough to each other to act as repeater or link between those in front of them to those behind them. Sena’s Ride Connect app has no range limitations but does require a cell connection. No cell service, no communicating.

If you only ride with a friend or two, it really doesn’t matter what manufacture you choose. They both have the ability to connect to each other.
 

CB650F

Premier Member
#11
On my last long ride, I learned that my Cardo battery lasts about 18 hours while streaming music and navigation. Not sure if that matters or not, but I figured I'd let you know. Seemed to charge up pretty quick too.
 
#12
I use the Sena headsets because you can charge them while using it. In the past you could not charge a Cardo headset while using it so I started using a Sena headset. I don't know if the newer Cardo's are able to be charged while using them.

I carry a Anker portable charger in my jacket vest pocket and after 8+ hours I plug in to the Sena to charge it and at the next gas stop it is charged for another 10 hours.
My cardo packtalk bold can be used while charging
 
#13
I have the Cardo Freedom 1+ and it works great. I got a phone call from my daughter while traveling down the freeway and understanding each other was not a problem.
 

Tcmcnomad

NoMaD
Premier Member
#14
I use an open face half helmet. There is a pair of cardo G4S available on marketplace that I think have half helmet earmuffs in them but what I'm wondering is how well and clear the mics are without the full face guard? How bad is the wind noise?
 
#16
I was also having the same confusion as some of you guys here, but then I come across a very thorough review of both of these brands and their products on the internet. And after reading that review I made up my mind and went for Sena 50s as per my requirements. You can check the review here >>> https://revcorner.com/cardo-vs-sena/
 
#17
I have the Sena 30S and now the 50S, and I've been relatively happy with them both. I have never been successful connecting a Cardo to my Sena, even in the controlled environment of a brew-pub. I regularly spend a day riding while listening to music, podcasts (Long Rider Radio is a personal fav), using GPS (AppleMaps and Rever or Scenic), and I've never run the battery completely down in a day. But I do carry USB cables so I can recharge on the go if the need arises. I think it would take a real audiophile to tell the difference between the speakers... in a helmet... at speed. The advantage, for me, of the 50S over the 30S is better Siri-integration. Your mileage may vary.
 
#18
... I think it would take a real audiophile to tell the difference between the speakers... in a helmet... at speed. The advantage, for me, of the 50S over the 30S is better Siri-integration. Your mileage may vary.
Just an update... my buddies and I all upgraded speakers this year. One guy need a new mic since his cable was frayed, so we all got the Harmon/Kardon (HK) speakers. Coincidentally, I also started using EarPeace earplugs, and that is a vast improvement in my quality of life after a long ride.

The earplugs minimize the wind noise which helps keep me from feeling hungover the next day. But, it also blocks some of the frequencies from my speakers... so I'm really not getting full advantage of premium speakers at highway speeds. When it's a short local ride, and I skip the earplugs, I can hear better quality, but hard to say it is a good value.
 

Russ Black

Premier Member
#19
Here is an interesting experience I have had using earplugs at a NASCAR race. I couldn't hear the Public Address system over the roar of the engines without them but could with them. I own/use both Sena and Cardo units and have found that, just as with the NASCAR race, I hear better with earplugs. On the Cardo's, the speakers seem to be slightly bigger and slightly louder. I like that the Cardo's (Packtalk Bold/Edge) and Sena 50s allow you to use a standard 3.5mm phone jack which allows me to use the speakers for quick short rides or use earbuds. I use MEE audio M6 PRO Noise Isolating Professional Earbuds for Musicians and I can ride multi day rallies using them without making my ears soar or giving me a headache and the sound is much better than using the speakers.
 

MidTNJasonF

Premier Member
#20
I have a Cardo Pactalk Bold and A Cardo Packtalk Black. Both have been flawless for me.
On multi day trips I have had phone calls with my wife back home that were so clear she could not tell if I was moving or stopped getting gas. No wind noise and crystal clear voice. I stream music often and even the JBL speakers lack a little low end fidelity but are still very acceptable. I wear ear plugs for wind, engine, and road noise but still have no issues hearing the cardo speakers for music, gps prompts, or voice calls.

I will say the limit of the battery is about 8~10 hours depending on usage. If I am on a IBA ride and solo I take both of them and just hot swap when the first one dies. I have charged on the go as well so the Pactalk series can charge while in use.