In-helmet music options

[VStarRider]

Having ridden GWs for five years, I have become used to having tunes readily available.

Within a few minutes of being perched on the Spyder, I miss my music!

What options do I have for a reasonable cost? I have a Schuberth E1 Pro helmet - similar to the C3 Pro. SRC makes an in-helmet communication system, but it is expensive and not highly rated.

I am also open to options for music outside the bike. Just looking for ideas.

My phone is an iPhone 8 - no 3.5mm jack.

Thanks in advance.

[troop]

Do you have a library of Itunes on your phone? Spotify or iheart ? These can all be bluetoothed from your phone to a helmet comm. Sena/Cardo/Uclear have reasonably priced options that would work..

[Gwolf]

I put a 64 gig mini-SD chip full of music in my Android phone and play them in the helmet with bluetooth.

[JimH]

I have a cardo-1 system and it works great. I have a Shoe GT AIR II helmet and it works great. I tried using the built in speakers, but once you hut 40 MPH you cannot hear anything, and it can be very loud and annoying to others around you. The Cardo is great, no one knows you are listening to music and you can take calls from it. I am an admitted fanboy.
Regards,
Jim

[Mazo EMS2]

We use our phones and Amazon Prime music for endless options. We use bluetooth earbuds. The earbuds make it worry free when swapping from full face to half helmets. I don't use the bluetooth for anything other than music.

[VStarRider]

Thanks. Yes, I have 1700 songs dowloaded on my phone, plus Sirius XM app, iHeart, etc, etc.

Do the Bluetooth earbuds stay in place when putting your helmet on?

I have never really care for earbuds ... uncomfortable and never seem to stay in my ears. Any other options?

[dklehman]

I use the cardo pack talk bold with jbl speakers. I have spotify premium so I can listen to my music offline.

[SpyderAnn01]

How did you listen to music on your Wing? I would think that the same setup could be used on your Spyder.

[Gwolf]

Thanks. Yes, I have 1700 songs dowloaded on my phone, plus Sirius XM app, iHeart, etc, etc.

Do the Bluetooth earbuds stay in place when putting your helmet on?

I have never really care for earbuds ... uncomfortable and never seem to stay in my ears. Any other options?

I don't have earbuds inside the helmet. My helmet has small speakers held in the space where you ears go by Velcro. They stay in the helmet all the time. They are very thin and do not touch my ears at all.

[VStarRider]

How did you listen to music on your Wing? I would think that the same setup could be used on your Spyder.

It has the built in stereo system with XM, four speakers. STS does not have integrated stereo.

[VStarRider]

Been doin' some investigating on Rev Zilla. I have had bikes with integrated stereo systems for several years, and I ride solo 100% of the time, so I have never taken even a few minutes to learn about helmet communicators until tonight. Honestly, I thought they were just Bluetooth-enabled devices for talking in a group ride or rider/passenger. I had no idea how much capability they had.

The Cardo Freedom 1 looks like a good option for me. I like that it has the FM radio option as well. As mentioned, I just want to stream downloaded music, or podcasts, while riding. If I can get my wife to go, maybe a helmet communicator sometime down the road.

[troop]

That'll work...

[spyder01]

When I had a GW I used the cable to my helmet and to wifes.I didn't realize how poor that was till I got Spyder RT.Now we both have the Sena system sold thru Motorcycle Dave who is a vendor here.He knows what youll need and has good prices and tech help if you need it.I can hear it loud at any speed,talk to wife or others nearby,take phone calls and it sounds as good as a landline(I am using a modular helmet so that is kinda quiet),I stream from my iPhone,amazon music,stuff that I downloaded and also Sirius digital version,also can use Siri,Waze,Google maps and Garmin Zumo that came with bike.The music quality is not concert quality but it is pretty good,no static or wind noise but again modular helmet helps.Figure on spending about an hour to do easy install on each helmet.BTW they say battery life is about 14 hrs and I think that is about right bc I have driven all day and never come close to running battery down.Sena does have FM built in.

[Pirate looks at --]

Been doin' some investigating on Rev Zilla. I have had bikes with integrated stereo systems for several years, and I ride solo 100% of the time, so I have never taken even a few minutes to learn about helmet communicators until tonight. Honestly, I thought they were just Bluetooth-enabled devices for talking in a group ride or rider/passenger. I had no idea how much capability they had.

The Cardo Freedom 1 looks like a good option for me. I like that it has the FM radio option as well. As mentioned, I just want to stream downloaded music, or podcasts, while riding. If I can get my wife to go, maybe a helmet communicator sometime down the road.

If you want good sound, then go Cardo Pack Talk Bold with JBL upgrade speakers. They are not ear buds but really nice speakers. Don't think the FM thing will work, mostly static unless you just ryde around the block.

[carbonation]

You can load music on your iPhone.
HS Player works well, and allows direct import of FLAC files to the phone and hi-res playback.
There are many lo-res MP3 solutions too.
Or if files are Apple ready, ITunes can import to phone and Siri can manage playback through bluetooth commands.
Or a standalone player on a handlebar mount.
Bluetooth to helmet.

[Navydad]

Been doin' some investigating on Rev Zilla. I have had bikes with integrated stereo systems for several years, and I ride solo 100% of the time, so I have never taken even a few minutes to learn about helmet communicators until tonight. Honestly, I thought they were just Bluetooth-enabled devices for talking in a group ride or rider/passenger. I had no idea how much capability they had.

The Cardo Freedom 1 looks like a good option for me. I like that it has the FM radio option as well. As mentioned, I just want to stream downloaded music, or podcasts, while riding. If I can get my wife to go, maybe a helmet communicator sometime down the road.

We have the Freecom 1 duo and they work great for us. My wife has her music (which is what you want) and then we have the intercom to talk with each other. I don't listen to music on the bike, but I like the intercom because the extra set of eyes have come in handy more than once and she can communicate quickly if need be.

[Raprider]

Been doin' some investigating on Rev Zilla. I have had bikes with integrated stereo systems for several years, and I ride solo 100% of the time, so I have never taken even a few minutes to learn about helmet communicators until tonight. Honestly, I thought they were just Bluetooth-enabled devices for talking in a group ride or rider/passenger. I had no idea how much capability they had.

The Cardo Freedom 1 looks like a good option for me. I like that it has the FM radio option as well. As mentioned, I just want to stream downloaded music, or podcasts, while riding. If I can get my wife to go, maybe a helmet communicator sometime down the road.

We have the Sena 20S EVO...used as rider/passenger communication and for music (his/hers). I've made and taken just a couple phone calls...not my idea of fun whilst riding but needed to be done. Overall, very pleased with audio quality inside our Scorpion modular helmets...though on occasion, my SO forgets to tuck her boom mike inside...so when I hear the static, I gotta ask her to check

[al0vely]

I ordered the Cardo Packtalk Bold duo w.JBL speakers and FM this week $408 for a pair ... MotoMummy best price I could find. I purchased The Sena 30 last year and returned as the music sound was horrible. I have feedback from many with the Cardo who have high regards for these and they work with more than 2 riders in a group.

[VStarRider]

I ordered the Cardo Packtalk Bold duo w.JBL speakers and FM this week $408 for a pair ... MotoMummy best price I could find. I purchased The Sena 30 last year and returned as the music sound was horrible. I have feedback from many with the Cardo who have high regards for these and they work with more than 2 riders in a group.

How is the music quality with Cardos ... unless you have not received them yet. Is there a way to shuffle songs on your phone while it is playing downloaded music, without using the phone itself?

[Gwolf]

Is there a way to shuffle songs on your phone while it is playing downloaded music, without using the phone itself?

Not on mine. I have to click "Shuffle All" in the Library before starting the player to make them play in different order.

[al0vely]

How is the music quality with Cardos ... unless you have not received them yet. Is there a way to shuffle songs on your phone while it is playing downloaded music, without using the phone itself?

I will receive my Cardo on Thursday and will use it on Friday. I stream music from my phone and have no music stored on my phone. I have some music on a flash drive ... not sure if I would ever use it though.

[Pirate looks at --]

With Cardo, if you have your iTunes set to shuffle and a song comes on that you want to skip you just say "hey Cardo nest track" and it moves on. The sound quality is head and shoulders above Sena. The JBLs actually deliver Bass lines in the songs.

[troop]

Until Cardo/JBL release their specs, I'll stick with my UClear digitals in my Sena. Nice specs at half the cost ... https://www.ucleardigital.com/shop/h...lmet-speakers/

[japgen]

For those of you using the Cardo Pack Talk Bold (or Packtalk Slim or Freecom 4+) with an iPhone, are you pairing the Cardo with the Spyder or just with the iPhone? Some of the comments make it sound like the pairing is just between helmet and phone, in which case you aren't using the Spyder joystick at all, right? And of course no BRP Connect with that setup.

I'm trying to decide which setup to go with as I"m very unhappy with the sound quality of my current rig (BMW Motorrad Communication System).

[al0vely]

For those of you using the Cardo Pack Talk Bold (or Packtalk Slim or Freecom 4+) with an iPhone, are you pairing the Cardo with the Spyder or just with the iPhone? Some of the comments make it sound like the pairing is just between helmet and phone, in which case you aren't using the Spyder joystick at all, right? And of course no BRP Connect with that setup.

I'm trying to decide which setup to go with as I"m very unhappy with the sound quality of my current rig (BMW Motorrad Communication System).

I have a 2016 F3L - I am connecting directly from the phone to the Cardo system - no BRP connect on my Spyder.