[ExOblivione]

Originally Posted by shabih

Another question, did you pick it up from India or got it from outside? I see it on FCMoto for 9k but additional duties and delivery charges will bring it to roundabout the same price as what it is available locally for which is 14k.

I got mine from FCMoto. At the time, no one had it in stock in India. For some reason customs let it through without charging import duty on it . Whereas I have been completely reamed on other stuff by them. So I guess it balances out.

My friends bought theirs a few months ago, by then it was in stock, so they got it locally.

If you want to gamble, go for FCMoto. Otherwise, for peace of mind, get it locally.

[gtx2]

Originally Posted by ExOblivione

I have been using a Spirit HD for nearly 2 years now (since May 2022), so any questions you have, ask away. My usage too is mainly music/podcasts while touring, and taking calls.

Personally I am really happy with it. So happy that I have had two other friends get it.

The music quality is good, more than enough for the noisy environment bike riding is. One of the aforementioned friends, before buying the Spirit HD, tried others (Parani etc.), and disliked their audio quality immensely, but liked the Cardo's sound. He is also good classical singer, so his opinion might hold more weight.

Call quality is excellent too. Even during spirited riding (pun intended), the other party can't even tell you are on a bike. Anyone I inform of this while talking to them is taken aback.

It has a few features that I absolutely need.

Waterproofing - Cardo waterproofing is highly regarded, and I have ridden in heavy downpour with it without worries.

Adaptive volume - as your speed and wind noise increases, the unit increases its volume to compensate, coming down as the speeds decrease. I don't have to keep fiddling with the volume, either having my ears blasted or not being able to hear.

For group rides, we have taken to joining a Discord call. Network connectivity has become so good that it's rare to find places where you don't have it. Maybe in really remote areas in the upper reaches of the Himalayas that might be an issue, but haven't come across that yet (haven't gone to Leh yet with the Cardo).

In addition to all this, the Spirit HD unit is slick and half the width of something like BlueArmor C30 which I personally prefer. Also, Sprit HD comes with a flat profile mic which is convenient to place inside helmet vs the boom mic C30 comes with.

Only thing is you lose on mesh which I have never personally missed because whatsapp/Discord group voice call we have always on during ride.

[shabih]

Originally Posted by ExOblivione

If you want to gamble, go for FCMoto. Otherwise, for peace of mind, get it locally.

Originally Posted by gtx2

In addition to all this, the Spirit HD unit is slick and half the width of something like BlueArmor C30 which I personally prefer.

Thank you for your enthusiastic feedback. I think I will go for it and purchase locally for peace of mind

[t3rm1n80r]

Originally Posted by ashishk29

Review on the Bluarmor C30 after a ~1100km ride:
4. Build quality
This is probably the only part I was dissatisfied with.
Rating: 6/10.

Originally Posted by ExOblivione

Waterproofing - Cardo waterproofing is highly regarded, and I have ridden in heavy downpour with it without worries.

Originally Posted by gtx2

the Spirit HD unit is slick and half the width of something like BlueArmor C30 which I personally prefer.

Thank you @ashishk29, @ExOblivione, and @gtx2 for sharing your experiences with the products.

My requirements as I understand are the below:
1) Calling - Having very good quality incoming and outgoing calls hassle-free. I don't listen to music while driving. And I ride solo most of the time, so I don't feel the need for a mesh system.
2) Build quality and size - The more compact the better. It should be able to withstand high heat, heavy rains, mud spray from the vehicle in front, and a drop or two from table height.
3) Style - Subtle looking. Nothing flashy.


So far, I'm inclined towards Spirit/Spirit HD for its size and design. However, I'm unable to decide because of the VFM factor of the C30. Which would you suggest? Or is there any other intercom that you know of which fits my requirements?

[ashishk29]

Originally Posted by t3rm1n80r

1) Calling - Having very good quality incoming and outgoing calls hassle-free. I don't listen to music while driving. And I ride solo most of the time, so I don't feel the need for a mesh system.
2) Build quality and size - The more compact the better. It should be able to withstand high heat, heavy rains, mud spray from the vehicle in front, and a drop or two from table height.
3) Style - Subtle looking. Nothing flashy.

1. The overall audio quality on the C30 is very good. Back when I used to commute on my bike, I be on phone calls almost daily while on the way, and the call quality was exceptional. So much so that a couple of times the other end asked if I was in the car today.
2. The C30 is certainly not compact, but IMO it shouldn't matter once it's on the helmet. It's not something that hits the line-of-sight frequently. Rugged, the C30 definitely is.
3. C30 is not flashy at all. Just large.

Overall, I was also considering the Spirit HD originally. But the VFM factor of the C30 just beat out everything for me.

[ExOblivione]

Originally Posted by t3rm1n80r

My requirements as I understand are the below:
1) Calling - Having very good quality incoming and outgoing calls hassle-free. I don't listen to music while driving. And I ride solo most of the time, so I don't feel the need for a mesh system.
2) Build quality and size - The more compact the better. It should be able to withstand high heat, heavy rains, mud spray from the vehicle in front, and a drop or two from table height.
3) Style - Subtle looking. Nothing flashy.

1) Calling - Call quality on the Spirit HD is exceptional. No one can tell you are riding, even at fast highway speeds. I don't have real world usage experience for the C30, so I can't comment on this, but from others usage the call quality seems to be good. However, keep in mind that the C30 only comes with a boom style mic, where as the Spirit HD comes with both boom and a flat, low-profile wired mic (which I use). The boom style mic will interfere with chin, lips.

Cardo also has adaptive volume, where the volume of the audio adjusts with external noise (wind/vehicle). C30 doesn't.

2 & 3) This is where the C30 loses me completely. Personally, I like these kinds of things to be as invisible as possible. C30 is too big, too unsightly. The Spirit is tiny, low profile, and just goes with the lines of a helmet. From the durability and usage standpoint too, the C30 has buttons clumped up together, which makes it difficult to use with gloves, while Spirit has buttons on each edge of the unit, integrated into the body (you literally press/click the edges, so no dust/water ingress possible). The C30 also uses a MicroUSB connector for headset, which is notorious for its lack of durability (why they didn't just go USB C for that too, I don't know, since they are using it for charging).

Whether these differences are worth it to you, only you can decide.

Personally, I look at these things as long term items. It's not a consumable, where a bit of a change in price will be recurring. Barring a mishap, these should last for years.

[CaptMavrick]

Has anyone used the Headfox N2 Raptor Bluetooth enabled helmet, they claim 48h endurance & a noise cancellation tech as well; looking for reviews on it?

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Originally Posted by CaptMavrick

Has anyone used the Headfox N2 Raptor Bluetooth enabled helmet, they claim 48h endurance & a noise cancellation tech as well; looking for reviews on it?

Not ECE Certified, don't even bother. Here's a link (Which Helmet? Tips on buying a good helmet)to a relevant thread on how to choose a helmet.

If you really want something sleek, then pick up the Cardo Spirit HD if you have the budget for it.

If not, then there's a small Bluetooth intercom by this company called Route95 which I've come across, which is very low profile, however, I'm not too sure about the performance.


If you want mere Bluetooth functionality and aren't too bothered about intercom functionality, then there are many generic options on amazon which had small outer control modules.

[samyakmodi]

Any Cardo Packtalk edge users here?

I have been using the backtalk edge for over a month now and have noticed a few peculiar things. To connect the Packtalk edge to a mulitstrada - you have to first pair your phone to the bike and then the headset to the bike. This way you can control the system with the bike's controls (joystick and screen)

Few peculiar problems I have been facing
1. If you receive a WhatsApp call, after that if you receive any call - the other person simply can not hear you. You can not control the music volume (neither with the bike nor with the physical roller on the system) At times you can't hear the music as well
2. No voice commands do not work when connected via bike
3. At times the volume simply gets stuck. You can not change it no matter what
4. Without a WhatsApp call also - there has been numerous times when the other person can not hear me while I can hear them clearly.

Has anyone else also been facing these issues? What is the way to overcome this?

[skviknaraj]

Originally Posted by samyakmodi

.......

Not a Packtalk user here.

I am using a Freecom 4 (not the Freecom 4X, mine is a pretty old unit.) connected to ADV 390.

I had an issue where the Freecom unit recognizes the KTM as a GPS unit and also had issues with attending calls and music playback.

I would suggest connecting the Packtalk unit to the phone directly.

By connecting the bike to phone and the headset to the phone, I am able to take calls over the headset and also control music using the handlebar controls.

Also, when I get a call notification, I use the headset buttons to attend the call and not the handlebar buttons. If I use the handle bar buttons, then the audio gets routed to the KTM unit and no audio plays on the headset.

[girimajiananth]

Originally Posted by ashishk29

Got a pair of Bluarmor C30 headsets for myself and my usual riding buddy.

.

Originally Posted by ashishk29

Review on the Bluarmor C30 after a ~1100km ride:

Originally Posted by Biker Ram

Purchased a Bluarmor C30 recently. It's an overkill for my use case, which is:

Hello all, I am planning to get bluearmor for myself. I tend to get office calls while I am riding bike . Everytime, I need to stop, remove my gloves, helmet and my balaclava maks, speak and then gear up again.

Please let me know how blue armour is holding up . I see your initial reviews are an year old.

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

Originally Posted by girimajiananth

Hello all, I am planning to get bluearmor for myself. I tend to get office calls while I am riding bike . Everytime, I need to stop, remove my gloves, helmet and my balaclava maks, speak and then gear up again.

Please let me know how blue armour is holding up . I see your initial reviews are an year old.

I've been using the bluarmor for about 4 months now. I'll post a detailed review a little later on, but as of now, I'll comment only on the aspects that pertain to your use case. For Calls, the sound is loud and clear enough, even with a balaclava and at speed. The person on the other end cannot even tell that you're riding a motorcycle. I've tested this at 110 kmph and my friend has tested this at 130kmph. The wind noise cancellation is out of this world. That being said, usage with winter gloves is next to impossible as the buttons are quite small. With the viaterra grid that I use, its usable, with a slight learning curve.

However, if you're looking for an intercom for just office calls, the c30 might be overkill. Bluarmor in partnership with TVS has a Bluetooth only version called the TVS S10X which may be better suited for your needs. It also has better button placement.

[ashishk29]

Originally Posted by girimajiananth

Hello all, I am planning to get bluearmor for myself. I tend to get office calls while I am riding bike . Everytime, I need to stop, remove my gloves, helmet and my balaclava maks, speak and then gear up again.

Please let me know how blue armour is holding up . I see your initial reviews are an year old.

Holding up pretty good. Battery life is still strong, the unit itself is in good shape. Nothing broken, nothing fallen off.
My buddy is also happy with his C30. He uses it literally daily.

[Biker Ram]

Originally Posted by WhiskeyTangoFox

I've been using the bluarmor for about 4 months now. I'll post a detailed review a little later on, but as of now, I'll comment only on the aspects that pertain to your use case. For Calls, the sound is loud and clear enough, even with a balaclava and at speed. The person on the other end cannot even tell that you're riding a motorcycle. I've tested this at 110 kmph and my friend has tested this at 130kmph. The wind noise cancellation is out of this world. That being said, usage with winter gloves is next to impossible as the buttons are quite small. With the viaterra grid that I use, its usable, with a slight learning curve.

However, if you're looking for an intercom for just office calls, the c30 might be overkill. Bluarmor in partnership with TVS has a Bluetooth only version called the TVS S10X which may be better suited for your needs. It also has better button placement.

Spot on.

Originally Posted by girimajiananth

Hello all, I am planning to get bluearmor for myself. I tend to get office calls while I am riding bike . Everytime, I need to stop, remove my gloves, helmet and my balaclava maks, speak and then gear up again.

Please let me know how blue armour is holding up . I see your initial reviews are an year old.

I'm very happy with my purchase. But only for taking calls it's an overkill and over priced. There is a newer model of BluArmor without the intercom just for taking calls. Retails at around 3k I think. Should perfectly fit a lot of use cases.

A different topic on the general usage of intercoms. It's good to stay connected with other riders and makes the ride interesting. Sometimes makes the ride safer too. But on the downside it takes away the calmness and solitude of a bike ride. This solitude and feel good factor is why I ride. Not a big deal, can disconnect at the press of a button

[girimajiananth]

Originally Posted by WhiskeyTangoFox

With the viaterra grid that I use, its usable, with a slight learning curve.

However, if you're looking for an intercom for just office calls, the c30 might be overkill. Bluarmor in partnership with TVS has a Bluetooth only version called the TVS S10X which may be better suited for your needs. It also has better button placement.

Thanks for this. I will consider the TVS model as well.

Originally Posted by Biker Ram

Spot on.




I'm very happy with my purchase. But only for taking calls it's an overkill and over priced. There is a newer model of BluArmor without the intercom just for taking calls. Retails at around 3k I think. Should perfectly fit a lot of use cases.

I saw the basic model with 3k online. I felt the buttons are too small. Not sure how easy it would be to operate using gloves.

I might upgrade my wife's helmet to something better and get her one of these two. It would be convenient to talk without slowing down or opening my helmet visor.