Bluetooth, where to start!

As far as I know the Cardo Freecom x2 is the cheapest device in Cardo's lineup that gives intercom between two devices. This is the model that I have.

After having a Chinese knockoff, both my wife and I love our Cardo's. With one button we can open/close the intercom channel. So we can either be talking between both of us and if at some point we are tired of it, we can switch to listing our own music/podcasts/audio books. The battery last more than 8 hours
Thanks. Ordered.
 
ummm this is what the OP question was,
My question is, what do I get to be able to hear the directions in my helmet? I don't often ride in groups and never have a passenger. I just want to be able to pair with the GPS or possibly my phone. Where do I start?
And those IEMs will work just fine with any Bluetooth source - phone or GPS.
 
ummm this is what the OP question was,

And those IEMs will work just fine with any Bluetooth source - phone or GPS.
I think most people would find the IEMs too bulky and very uncomfortable inside a proper fitting helmet.
 
I think most people would find the IEMs too bulky and very uncomfortable inside a proper fitting helmet.
it can be hit or miss, but ive had more hits than misses through various helmets. the benefit is typically much better sound and noise isolation (comparable to a decent set of plugs) that do not wiggle or get moved around when putting on or taking off the helmet vs something like in ear bluetooth 'buds'
 
Exactly....sound fidelity is MUCH higher and -25dB suppression is very adequate. Not quite the -33 that foam earplugs provide but IEMs and the C3 Helmet is a good combo.
Loads of riders have used Shure215s - wired or Bluetooth. The big key is getting the correct tips for the IEMs.
A thin balaclava helps keep them in place and easy on and off but the ones shown don't even need that. With good tips the are snug.
The Shure tips are excellent.

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They wear well over time ....some tips wear out quickly. Silicone is useless for suppression tho they last forever
 
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Have a Garmin XT.
Had a Schuberth C3 Pro with a Cardo Freecom 4+, which worked well except that the music volume control was on the wrong device. Make sure you test, before a long ride, and not during one. The problem is that the Cardo is best stuck onto the Schuberth, which is technically illegal, since it protrudes more than the allowance.

The setup that MacDoc uses is technically illegal here, since you're not supposed to have two earbuds in while driving a vehicle. The in helmet speakers get around this by being external speakers. So I personally wouldn't go that route either. Is It Illegal To Drive With Headphones

The new C5 helmet that I have has everything built in, which may be the way to go. There are also some decent and relatively inexpensive Harley Davidson full face helmets with built in communications. All of the built ins seem to use Sena electronics.
 
The setup that MacDoc uses is technically illegal here, since you're not supposed to have two earbuds in while driving a vehicle. The in helmet speakers get around this by being external speakers. So I personally wouldn't go that route either. Is It Illegal To Drive With Headphones
While that article sounds authoritative, it doesn't cite an hta section and I can't find one. Was it amended? Was it never there and the article is poorly researched Crapola?
 
While that article sounds authoritative, it doesn't cite an hta section and I can't find one. Was it amended? Was it never there and the article is poorly researched Crapola?
Here's another from BC CTV that's the same:

I know that the M2X courses I've seen, they all used the single earphone.
 
Here's another from BC CTV that's the same:

I know that the M2X courses I've seen, they all used the single earphone.
I know nothing about bc and I choose not to wear two iems while riding but I can't find an applicable hta section for ontario so I think the articles are either wrong or dated. There are also news articles saying it is legal dating back at least a decade. Now, a cop could probably come up with something to charge you with but wearing headphones in both ears is not illegal in ontario.
 
I know nothing about bc and I choose not to wear two iems while riding but I can't find an applicable hta section for ontario so I think the articles are either wrong or dated. There are also news articles saying it is legal dating back at least a decade. Now, a cop could probably come up with something to charge you with but wearing headphones in both ears is not illegal in ontario.
I haven't seen any that say it's legal. Here's Quebec's where it's illegal, especially while cycling.

 
I haven't seen any that say it's legal. Here's Quebec's where it's illegal, especially while cycling.


In any case, I don't care what a bunch of wanker journalists say. Hta is the law. Whatever they say without actually referencing hta is useless hearsay.
 
If I'm going to stop wearing a Cardo because it sticks out of the helmet too much or not wear 2 earbuds because it's against a law, then I think my wife would leave me and my balls might follow soon after.

I wish I could wear the in-ear monitors for long rides because the sound quality can't be beat, but they just hurt too much after 8hours.
 
Grey Ghost
I know nothing about bc and I choose not to wear two iems while riding
an earplug in the other ear?
There are apps that allow ambient noise tho that seems self defeating.
Most IEMs have microphones for phone calls and the ambient apps just tap those.
My Momentum 4 over the head cans have that feature....when the noise cancelling is on EVERYTHING is gone except the music or video I'm watching. Apple has a transparency mode as well for the iPhones.
Transparency Mode lets you hear external sounds without removing your headphones. – Crystal-clear Calls – Four digital beamforming microphones ensure high quality voice pick-up and automatic wind noise suppression for optimized calls and easier voice assistant access.

I do find -33 earplugs are almost too quiet....can't hear anything. The Behind the neck units I use let me hear the bike and some ambient noises while keeping my ears from shutting down.
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Shane
but they just hurt too much after 8hours.
that is a factor but getting the correct tips is critical....I find the loops and wires are irritating at times ( the Shure 215s wired )
Everyone does understand that your ears "shut down" with ambient noise that is loud. Think about the aftermath of a loud concert. The world is muffled.

Oddly I have come to appreciate the C3 Helmet sound suppression since riding with no windscreen. Close the visor and the noise goes way down,

Baggsy your link is broken.
Here it's
Queensland. Queensland's rules mirror those of other states: it's not illegal to wear headphones, but you must maintain control of your vehicle.
Puts the onus on the rider....if there are cherries in your mirrors from an ambulance with sirens on and you are not pulling over you'll get nicked.
I've been pulled over a few times at random DUI checks and no cop has said a word about the IEMs.
 
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A buddy of mine has been stopped by the cops a few times recently in Toronto and vicinity. He has told the cops to wait until he removed his earphones because he can't talk to them, since he is listening to music. Never did a charge or even a discussion ensue.
 
A buddy of mine has been stopped by the cops a few times recently in Toronto and vicinity. He has told the cops to wait until he removed his earphones because he can't talk to them, since he is listening to music. Never did a charge or even a discussion ensue.

Oh man, this story totally reminded me of the motorcyclist who got arrested for wearing a helmet in a store. He didn't hear the store manager asking him to remove the helmet because he was wearing earphones underneath and the cops were called.

Totally nightmare story about police harassment. Where's the guy that said all cops are good guys?

 
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Shane

that is a factor but getting the correct tips is critical....I find the loops and wires are irritating at times ( the Shure 215s wired )
I've tried many different tips across many different IEM's. Most are fine under 8 hours. More than that and they hurt and at the 12hr mark they are unbearable. I rode that Solstice route for 17hrs this summer with soft foam earplugs and felt pretty much no pain. If I was a shorter distance rider I might have considered sticking with IEM's, but have to admit that newer JBL speakers make my helmet sound like a club if I want them to.

I'll never go back to IEM's now, with how far the helmet speaker quality has improved.
 
I do small grocery shops in my full gear with helmet on ...usually just need a couple of things and like continuing with the audio-book. It's nice and cool in the big grocers ...rather than leave jacket and helmet to cook in the sun,
The flip up on the C3 helmet is useful for that tho the AFC has such a big FoV it is just as good. Have cleared the border to the US with just the visor open on that helmet,
With my short riding days ...6 hours max - usually 4 I like the IEMs and besides ...my hearing is hardly up to being fussy :rolleyes:

I'll never go back to IEM's now, with how far the helmet speaker quality has improved.
or your hearing is going 😉
 
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It's all so individual. I have IEMs and can ride forever with them in. My wife has small ear canals and has been having a tough time finding a solution for long riding days. She's gone the custom route, smaller IEM tips, etc. Even the pink foamies start to irritate her ears after a few hours. Do they sell smaller foamies?
 
Silicone come in very small size but don't do much for isolation.
These look interesting - memory foam cotton !!??
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I use the bigger ones.
If you freeze foamies you can carve them.
 
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