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Review on Enhance Your Riding Experience with Cardo Motorcycle 45mm Audio Set - Black (Single Pack) by Josh Cardoso

Revainrating 4 out of 5

I was hoping they were no better than the Sena speakers. They are!

I did a comparison with the Shoei GT Air and they fit my ears perfectly. When plugged into a 3.5 front-facing connector without an adapter, the wiring looks fine. Obtaining the original Sena fork was a bit more involved than expected. Cardo JBLs are probably not suitable for some helmets as they are slightly larger in diameter than Sena speakers and some helmets do not fit Senas by the way. I spent a lot of time positioning the original SenaS speakers in the perfect spot and adding some more velcro to bring them closer to my ears. In a house with a helmet I had to turn off the Senas as they were too loud as did the Cardo JBL. Since I usually drive at full power with Senas, the Phone X and Sena Volume surprised me. I did a Yamaha Tenere Ride comparison and found that the Cardo JBL speakers sound surprisingly good at legal highway speeds. The only problem is that if you live where 75's are allowed they don't sound as good as they did with 65's. I used Tenere because it's not super quiet or super loud compared to bare bikes and full fairing bikes, what I also ride. On a quiet bike they will definitely sound better than the senas in my opinion and lets say you ride a 90+ they might as well sound better than the senas in my opinion less tinny but who rides? Since I have several helmets with Sena docks, the decision is how many I want to upgrade. If I'm driving long distances and only stopping to refuel every few hundred miles, I still prefer rubberized headphones and a balaclava for comfort. Helmet speakers are good in terms of comfort and some people prefer their comfort, but for better sound, I think you can't beat headphones. I haven't tried iASUS X3, but helmet noise that varies from helmet to helmet, vents open or closed, or absent, it it's hard to block the speaker, but still make sure you hear those sirens! I have a long drive to compare the battery life of the JBL speakers, but I don't expect them to drain the battery much more than the Sena speakers.

Pros
  • Rugged finish
Cons
  • Roughness