Sena and Cardo are the biggest brand names in the Bluetooth motorcycle intercom systems world. These manufacturers took motorcycle communication and riding to another level, making it much better and more accessible.
Every rider who uses these intercom systems has his own preferences and what one rider likes, another may not like, and vice versa. With that being said, we will give you both advantages and disadvantages of both intercom systems.
So which intercom system is better? As a general rule, every rider who uses an intercom system needs to define what unique intercom system features to suit his needs. This means that the answer to this question is not determined because it depends on each rider’s preferences, so everyone has a different taste.
Further in this article, we will show you the differences between Sena and Cardo intercom systems. Stay with us to learn more about these systems and decide what system will best satisfy your needs.
Table of Contents
The Ultimate Comparison: Cardo Vs Sena
In this section, we will compare these two intercom systems, and we will compare them using different standards, compare how they need to be installed, interface, and lastly, their overall performance.
Installation
So let’s start with the Sena pack, which comes with a boom microphone, speakers, mesh intercom antenna, and charging or docking station. This entire set weighs only 2.15 ounces, only making it barely noticeable since it is really easy.
The Cardo Scala Rider intercom system comes with speakers, a microphone, and paired unit.
You should know that the installation of both of these systems is pretty easy to perform, and you shouldn’t have any problem if you follow the instructions and do everything as written.
You need to put these systems between the shell and the helmet liner, which shouldn’t take you more than 10 minutes, and that’s it for the installation process. Both of these intercom systems are easy to connect to your smartphones, and it doesn’t matter if you use an Android or Apple smartphone; you will connect it without any problems.
You can use applications like GPS, talking calls, music, and many others both on Cardo and Sena systems.
Winner: Draw
Here you can watch an excellent video review from RevZilla about Sena 50S and 50R:
Interface
The Cardo Freecom 4 is a great intercom system that weighs only 1.5 ounces. Although it is a very light and small system, it is a very powerful system indeed. It is limited to four users in the network, which means if you ride with up to three motorcycle buddies, you will have excellent communication.
This is an excellent product for riding in extreme conditions like rainy and dusty areas because it is both waterproof and dustproof, so you don’t need to worry that these two elements will cause this system to malfunction.
The Cardo Freecom 4 has a simple interface, which has a single button that is responsible for simply powering it up and connecting to other users with a maximum number of 4 users to join the communication network (you plus 3 more riders).
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The only downside you can think of is that this single button is not easily accessible. There is a chance of losing your Bluetooth connection easily, so there is a possibility that you will need to pair it a couple of times.
Sena is known for its compact editions. Its power button can be accessed easily, and you can activate the entire system simply by lifting the antenna. If you want to connect to Bluetooth, you need to hold the button to join the network and enjoy your system.
Winner: Draw
Here you can watch an excellent video review from RevZilla about Cardo Freecom and Bluetooth Headsets:
Overall Performance
The Cardo Scala Rider is a perfect choice for motorcycle groups. Four to six riders can connect to its system. Bridge technology is used in its intercom system, which allows users to switch from Bluetooth to Dynamic Mesh Communication (DMC) in no time.
The Sena 30K has a great option of allowing unlimited users to join their network and enjoy an open communication network. On the other hand, only two to three users can participate in closed communication.
Noise-canceling features are available on both brands, which means that you will be able to hear the audio transmitted to you clearly without any interruptions. These systems also make you sound clearer without any disturbing sound in the background, like the sound of the wind that occurs while you ride. It isolates all of these sounds so the riders you speak to will hear you perfectly clear.
Looking at the audio quality, we notice that the Cardo unit has a little disadvantage regarding its speakers since it can be unpredictable. The Sena unit will be a great choice for riders who look for a great sound since it has sophisticated features like the open network presence for many riders to connect or audio mixing.
Winner: Sena
Battery Life
The Cardo packs battery can take up to ten hours, making it a great choice for long road trips, and it won’t let you down. It is very impressive that its battery performance can take so many activities like phone usage, audio listening, and group communications with other riders.
On the other hand, the Sena pack has a little longer battery life that can last up to twelve hours long of talking time.
Winner: Sena
Summary
You can find many various motorcycle intercom systems on the market, and Sena and Cardo offer you many different models that will satisfy different riders’ needs. You should do a thoroughly research on intercom system models since they are very expensive and you want to find the one that fits your needs and has everything you want.
Make a list of five to six intercom system models, write their pros and cons, and do comparison research. After doing so, you will be able to make a far better decision on which system will be the best possible option for you.
Also, you should write down your needs and assess your motorcycle needs before buying one. There is no need for you to get an advanced Sena model if you are a beginner rider who likes solo riding and doesn’t have any rider friends to ride with.
So to sum this up:
- Both of these models can be easily installed inside your motorcycle helmet.
- Both of these models have a user-friendly interface and are easy to operate.
- Sena model is better for longer trips with more riders
- Sena model has a little longer battery life and better sound performance.
Conclusion
While riding a motorcycle presents a lot of fun and joy to many riders, and I would even say to all the riders since I have never met a single rider in my life who doesn’t enjoy his riding time. With that being said, there are many riders who enjoy long rides that can take more than a few hundred miles and take for many days. This means that a rider can feel some monotony on highway roads and straight roads.
Intercom systems can help a rider in dealing with that monotony and staying alert and cautious at all times while on your bike. There are many systems you can get on the market, and these were two I find one of the best on today’s market.
I hope this article has helped you with understanding the intercom systems and deciding what system would be the best for your bike and riding style.