Cardo Packtalk-S comms - SAVE £59.49 when purchased with a new Shoei helmet

For as long as we have been involved with motorcycle apparel Shoei has had an exclusive relationship with Sena.

 

And, of course, Shoei has been at the forefront of integrating comms. systems into its helmets. The Neotec 3, the GT Air 3 and the J-Cruise 3 all take the same unit; it's called the Sena SRL 3.

 

Well there is now an integrated Cardo comms. that will clip into Shoei helmets. And that's a biggish deal because there are people out there who will swear blind that Cardo is better than Sena.

 

The Cardo Packtalk-S clips into the Shoei's interface the same way as the Sena one does, but according to Graham here who does most of our fitting it's nowhere near as straightforward. It's not rocket science, but it's a bit more involved, and if you want to go Cardo there is a case for getting us to do it for you. There's no charge!

 

Once installed the Cardo is not as streamlined as the Sena SRL 3. It's definitely smaller than a standard, bolt-on Cardo unit, but it doesn't sit flush like the SRL 3, and it will generate a bit of extra wind noise.

 

But there is an advantage to having a slightly larger interface. The buttons are going to be much easier to use than the buttons on the SRL 3, especially with gloved hands. 

 

Now the Cardo is based on Cardo's Packtalk Edge system. There is another system that sits above this one; it's their flagship Packtalk Pro. The major benefits of the Pro are crash-detection technology and 45 mm JBL speakers.

 

Just for the record, the Sena SRL 3 is also based on a slightly lower-spec. system; the Sena 50 as opposed to the Sena 60.

 

When in Mesh mode the Packtalk-S is Cardo to Cardo only in the way that the Sena's Mesh is also only Sena to Sena. Now technically, by using what is known as a Bluetooth bridge, you can get Sena to talk to Cardo, but frankly this is beyond most people. You could potentially, achieve the same result by using the Sena Wave App.. Again, high-end tech. that requires more than just the push of a button.

 

As with the Sena SRL the Cardo is meant to accept voice commands, but as with Sena we don't think it works well enough. If voice commands are important to you, don't buy the Packtalk-S. You might have more success with the Pro that we don't sell.

 

On the box the Packtalk states that it is IP 67 approved, which means that it's meant to be properly waterproof. There's no such marking on the SRL, but it's so integrated that we don't think water is an issue; certainly we've never had such an issue with one.

 

Using what Cardo calls DMC (Dynamic Mesh Communication) the Packtalk-S allows you to talk to up to 15 riders. In theory, at least, with 15 riders a five-mile range is achievable. All we would say is good luck with that! If you go with Bluetooth, the range can in perfect conditions be up to a mile.

 

As an aside, we reckon that, in Bluetooth mode, Sena will talk to Cardo.

 

Whilst we’re talking Bluetooth, the Cardo makes use of Bluetooth 5.2; the Sena uses the previous generation; that’s 5.0. The former is an upgrade in a number of respects, all of which are too boring to go in to here. You can Google the differences if you're interested.

 

The Packtalk-S supports over-the-air updates. The SRL 3 doesn't. 

 

The Cardo system is equipped with 40 mm JBL speakers; the SRL comes with 40 mm Harman Kardon ones. Subjectively, we reckon the JBL speakers are much louder; always a weakness on the Sena.

 

What's more, an upgrade to 45 mm speakers is available on the Cardo. And if you ride with earplugs this might be a worthwhile move.

 

There is one more thing you get with the Cardo that you don't get with the Shoei unit, and this will matter to some people. With the Packtalk-S the speakers connect by means of 35 mm jacks. And what this sets up is the possibility of connecting earplugs with built-in speakers. To do this with a Sena comms., you need to have extra work done to the unit. That’s extra hassle and extra cost.

 

There are, of course, other details we could talk about. Things like battery life and charging times. FM radio. The number of channels. And so on. But frankly none of this is going to have much of a bearing on which one to go for.

 

As ever, there’s no right or wrong here.

 

For many, the deciding factor will still be what your buddies ride with. If your friends use Sena, go with the Sena SRL. If they are Cardo people, go with the Packtalk.

 

The Sena is more integrated. You can barely tell there’s a comms. unit installed.

 

The Cardo is not as integrated. It sticks out more on the side of the helmet, but with its bigger buttons it will be easier to use on the move. The Packtalk might make your helmet a bit noisier, and it’s not as easy to install.

 

Technically, the Cardo does seem to have its nose out front, however.

 

We reckon the Cardo has better and louder speakers; and if you want more they can be upgraded to larger 45mm ones. The 3.5mm jack plug will also be a selling point for some.

 

Truth be told, the rest is just noise and chatter.

 

The fact is that both systems are darned good. They both do more than most of us will ever need.

 

The real news here is simpler. And it’s that you can now have a Cardo unit integrated into your Neotec, GT Air or J-Cruise. You don't have to go with Sena.

 

Of course, you would have gleaned that from the beginning. But at least now you know that whichever way you go you’re not losing out!

 

Out of interest, there is a standard version of the Cardo for those whose requirements are less. Let's say you only want to take and make calls or listen to music. Or it could be that you just need to talk to a pillion. There's no equivalent unit from Sena. Not that this unit, known as the 4X-S is relevant here. We will, though, be talking about that system soon.

 

Finally price. And the truth here is that, again, this probably won't be a deciding factor. At the time of loading this product on to the web the Cardo cost £339 including VAT. The Cardo was £357 including VAT. If your helmet comes from us, you can take 20% off that figure because we can remove the VAT.

 

Finally, if your a bit of a technophobe you can always come and see us in Guildford. We will install whichever system you buy. We will update the software and load the relevant App. onto your phone. We'll link it to a second helmet. We'll do the same to your bike's satnav or TFT. And on top of this we'll give you a full briefing; and won't let you leave until you know what you're doing!