Are all Bluetooth intercoms crap over 70mph

Nutty

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I've been using the Interphone F5 for a few months, and although its great for rider to pillion, phone calls, listening to music and rider to rider up to about 70mph, anything over these speeds and its very quiet.:blast I've adjusted the volume settings to manual, but they are still too quiet.:rob

Question is, are there any Bluetooth rider to rider systems that are likely to be any better at speed, or are they all like this? :nenau And its not like I can try any out before I buy, or are there any shops that offer this?
 
Nutty I've got the sena smh10 and they have just done a firmware update which increased the volume loads I found it loud enough but now I have to turn it down!!
 
u need the in-ear monitors to cut out the wind noise, i use etymotic er6's had them for years still going strong
 
Georgeeboi said:
Nutty I've got the sena smh10 and they have just done a firmware update which increased the volume loads I found it loud enough but now I have to turn it down!!
Click to expand...

That's the one I was thinking of. Have you used it as an intercom? At what speeds?
 
Denise and I use Scala Q2's. They lose clarity after 80 mph, but then at that speed we only use them sparingly anyway.
Normal conversation at 70 is possible, even with earplugs in.
Mark
 
:nenau I didn't think an air head could do 70 ??
 
The problem with any in helmet speakers is they have to compete with wind noise which obviously gets louder as your speed increases. Turning the volume up just increases the noise inside the helmet to the point where you can't differentiate between sounds.

2 ways of dealing with it. Get a bloody great screen and sit in a bubble of still air. Or get in ear monitors, these will filter out ambient noise and it's surprising how low the volume needs to be to hear music/conversation clearly.

I use the sena smh10 with the ear monitor plate and remote boom, works really well.
 
Happy to commend the Sena SMH10, loud as you like, still hear the music even passed ear plugs. If you have a decent screen (I have a TT lip on a standard GS screen) you should experience at least as good results.
They last a decent amount of time - 11 hours mixed MP3 and intercom before needing charge.
Range pretty good, got confused connecting four unit together but perhaps should have RTFM
 
Just bought this as described in another thread. Great value and the audio seems very clear at lower speeds. The Music seems very loud. The volume is controlled by the phone that it is paired with and I had to turn it right down when not on the bike. I will let you know how I get on bike to bike riding down to Spain at the weekend.
 
I've used pretty much all of them for some time or other. Fact - none were able to give adequate audio at motorway speeds if I was wearing effective hearing protection.

70MPH = circa 95dB = safe exposure time = 4 hours

Wear 30dB of protection - safe exposure time increases to over 12 hours which is great because if I go faster (on a track/closed road/German Autobahn on a dry day) the noise can double but I'll still have enough in reserve for the higher noise exposure (I don't do 12 hour days in the saddle!).

The downside is I can't hear any intercom effectively when I'm at motorway speeds wearing the hearing protection and frankly if I could just try and understand what volume is being put out if it to be able to hear it and how that would effect the noise exposure.

Put the speaker INSIDE the hearing protection and its all achievable. 31dB of protection and speakers in the ear and you only require low levels of sound to be able to hear clearly at the 70MPH + speeds.

So what if your Bluetooth doesn't have a socket for in-ear monitors? In most cases it can be modified to achieve the necessary connection.

If you haven't bought one yet then consider Scala Q series or Sena SMH10 with SMH-A0303 where the capability is out of the box.

Modifying your Bluetooth and wearing normal earphones is a very bad idea!
 
judge said:
I've used pretty much all of them for some time or other. Fact - none were able to give adequate audio at motorway speeds if I was wearing effective hearing protection.

70MPH = circa 95dB = safe exposure time = 4 hours

Wear 30dB of protection - safe exposure time increases to over 12 hours which is great because if I go faster (on a track/closed road/German Autobahn on a dry day) the noise can double but I'll still have enough in reserve for the higher noise exposure (I don't do 12 hour days in the saddle!).

The downside is I can't hear any intercom effectively when I'm at motorway speeds wearing the hearing protection and frankly if I could just try and understand what volume is being put out if it to be able to hear it and how that would effect the noise exposure.

Put the speaker INSIDE the hearing protection and its all achievable. 31dB of protection and speakers in the ear and you only require low levels of sound to be able to hear clearly at the 70MPH + speeds.

So what if your Bluetooth doesn't have a socket for in-ear monitors? In most cases it can be modified to achieve the necessary connection.

If you haven't bought one yet then consider Scala Q series or Sena SMH10 with SMH-A0303 where the capability is out of the box.

Modifying your Bluetooth and wearing normal earphones is a very bad idea!
Click to expand...

So maybe ear plugs with built in headphones, that connect to the Interphone could be the way forward?
 
The Nutty GSER said:
So maybe ear plugs with built in headphones, that connect to the Interphone could be the way forward?
Click to expand...

Shure SE425 at £200 are pricey but very good, I have older set from lower down the range - cost about 85 smackers, better sound isolation than the pink/yellow earplugs and incredible sound too.

As others have said, a base that allows these to plug in is available for the Sena (at least - not sure about the F5)

The SenaSMH10 was reviewed alongside a number of others in Ride recently and was beaten only by a grands-worth of Autocom kit, can't remeber the details but it certainly reinforced my decision to go Sena:thumb2

Will be sourcing the alternative base to try with the Shures but for the moment (and the recent assault on the Alps) the standard helmet speakers are great
 
Popell said:
Shure SE425 at £200 are pricey but very good, I have older set from lower down the range - cost about 85 smackers, better sound isolation than the pink/yellow earplugs and incredible sound too.

As others have said, a base that allows these to plug in is available for the Sena (at least - not sure about the F5)

The SenaSMH10 was reviewed alongside a number of others in Ride recently and was beaten only by a grands-worth of Autocom kit, can't remeber the details but it certainly reinforced my decision to go Sena:thumb2

Will be sourcing the alternative base to try with the Shures but for the moment (and the recent assault on the Alps) the standard helmet speakers are great
Click to expand...

Ok, good to know. I'd rather stick with the disposable ear plugs, so will see if I can have a try of a Sena from somewhere, to see if it's any better than the F5.:thumb
 
Georgeeboi said:
Nutty I've got the sena smh10 and they have just done a firmware update which increased the volume loads I found it loud enough but now I have to turn it down!!
Click to expand...

Plenty loud enough on the Sena smh10

I don't have the volume all the way up and I use ear plugs for riding

One thing to bear in mind whatever system you have is to fine tune speaker placement as this makes a huge difference I've found to how loud they are
 
+ 1 for the speaker position . My F5s was fitted by the shop and I thought the volume was pants , till I realized the speaker weren't opposite my ears ! Doh
 
Talcum powder up your ears, put on your helmet, see where the imprint of your ear is in relation to the actual helmet speaker is located. If it isn't optimum according to the manufacturer's instructions (and for many of us due to the position of our ears and the location of the 'pods' in our helmets it won't be).

Autocom is particularly fussy, but I don't need to do all that faff now. :thumb
 
well .....

I have just fitted my Sena SMH10 to both lids at home, and have spent hours walking round the house and garden like the stig testing it out with her indoors. First impressions are that it's a pretty good bit of kit - buttons easy to use and I just love the Iphone siri press of a button thing - bloody amazing :bow

Am I right in thinking that if I pair both lids to my phone, we can both listen to the music on it at the same time??

:thumb2
 
Intercoms

Hi,

Just got a system for me and the misses

Scalarider Team set pro and well impressed.

On the motorway I can say well impressed over 70 mph

Easily fitted to our Givi,s and sit really neatly.
 
Giles said:
well .....

I have just fitted my Sena SMH10 to both lids at home, and have spent hours walking round the house and garden like the stig testing it out with her indoors. First impressions are that it's a pretty good bit of kit - buttons easy to use and I just love the Iphone siri press of a button thing - bloody amazing :bow

Am I right in thinking that if I pair both lids to my phone, we can both listen to the music on it at the same time??

:thumb2
Click to expand...
you cant share a bt connection, sena make a dual splitter about £100 i think its a sr10
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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