New type of motorcycle helmet intercom system with a very low-profile construction may be easier to mount on a helmet.
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Sena SMH10R Bluetooth Headset Review
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cmantis
Junior Member
The smh10r is not easier to install due to the external battery but is lower profile because of this. The shm5-fm is also new.
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A few of us SD locals have ordered these, and will report back on our experience with them! :thumbup:
mrphotoman
Massive Member
I think it is bulkier because you not only have the unit on the side but also the battery on the back. It looks worse on the helmet than the standard unit because you have 2 blocks sticking out on the helmet instead of 1.
No thanks.
No thanks.
cmantis
Junior Member
No you can mount the battery inside the neck roll so only the communication unit on the side. However most likely this will mean you have to take your helmet to the charging site.
My unit arrived yesterday and I installed it last night. It took a few tries to route the various cables to get everything tidy and clean. I have a Shoei Qwest helmet and the seams where the hard foam and the shell meet up are very tight. I needed to use a credit card to carefully wedge the cables into the tight spots. About an hour. I mounted the battery on the outside in the back of the helmet (sorry, no pics yet).
The sound quality is very good. I paired it to my phone and tested out music and a phone call. Very good clarity.
Once Motogiro gets his unit up and running we'll test the intercom features.
The sound quality is very good. I paired it to my phone and tested out music and a phone call. Very good clarity.
Once Motogiro gets his unit up and running we'll test the intercom features.
Xdsxc
Junior Member
I have one of these and I mounted the battery on the inside of the helmet behind the padding. I can't even notice it's there.
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The sound quality is very good. I paired it to my phone and tested out music and a phone call. Very good clarity.
I got mine the same day Bryan did and did the firmware update. Revzilla got the units to us very quickly. I installed on the helmet today. I'm posting pics and as you'll see I was using a Chatterbox X1. The Chatterbox was a good performing unit except it was a large assembly as you'll see in the pictures.
For me the Sena SMH10r was a big change in removing mass from my helmet. To be honest the weight never bothered me and I never really noticed it except where I had the lay the helmet to keep the unit out of trouble. The X1 was purchased 3-4 years ago when I used to ride with a group that had a lot of the Chatterbox units. We used the GMRS radio feature but I stopped riding with this group and never used the GMRS again. The Bluetooth feature was always a handy tool.
Each install with the different helmets will vary in wire routing and time to do the job. The SMH10r is so much smaller than the X1.
Testing the SMH10r the bass audio response is less than my X1 but voice is enhanced. If you're wearing ear plugs or dealing with wind noise the human voice will be much easier to hear and that's what I need. I never used the X1 for music. When testing the unit with my phone and talking to my wife I had to turn it down, so there is plenty of punch!
This unit is tiny and since my X1 used buttons I won't be missing the jog dial that people talk about on the other Sena units. There's a + center - button. It's very simple to use and hopefully I'll get together with Goop to report back on the com link between units. Maybe Saturday Bryan?
The unit comes with usb cables as well as a 12volt micro usb deal which I would like to comment on. The 12 volt cigarette light unit says that it has 12 dc output and can not be used with anything other than the Sena SMH10r. Any micro usb plug should be 5 vdc and since I can charge the SMH10r from my usb on my computer I'm going to think the tag on this unit is incorrect about the output voltage. There is also a card that comes with the unit that says any third party usb charger can be used with Sena products so I'm thinking my thought is correct on the 12 volt warning. I will err on the side of caution and test this with an old phone by charging it in the car with the micro usb.
The micro usb plugs are the 90 degree type so they limit torque being exerted on whatever it's plugged into. I like this.The kit is high quality with all the quality Velcro and double sticky tape you might need. Before I stuck the unit and battery permanently I used some blue masking tape to hold the goods in case I needed to move something.
I'm sure I'll enjoy the change from a breadbox on the side of my head!:rockon:
One thought. The helmet and it's padding is designed to absorb impact from many directions. Adding an object under the padding will inflict additional forces between your head and the EPS liner where this battery exists. You might reconsider mounting the battery outside for your safety and well being.
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TYPICAL!!!
Guy gets a new toy, installs it, brags about it online, then goes out to play with it and we never hear about it again.:spank:
I'm interested in one of these so I can hear when my phone is ringing, and for the intercom - now that my wife is spending some time riding passenger.
Is the intercom voice activated or do you have to hit a button?
Did you find that it works well in a group?
In general, how well does the three button user interface work?
Envious,
Chris
Guy gets a new toy, installs it, brags about it online, then goes out to play with it and we never hear about it again.:spank:
I'm interested in one of these so I can hear when my phone is ringing, and for the intercom - now that my wife is spending some time riding passenger.
Is the intercom voice activated or do you have to hit a button?
Did you find that it works well in a group?
In general, how well does the three button user interface work?
Envious,
Chris
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TYPICAL!!!
Guy gets a new toy, installs it, brags about it online, then goes out to play with it and we never hear about it again.:spank:
I'm interested in one of these so I can hear when my phone is ringing, and for the intercom - now that my wife is spending some time riding passenger.
Is the intercom voice activated or do you have to hit a button?
Did you find that it works well in a group?
In general, how well does the three button user interface work?
Envious,
Chris
Chris,
I love my SMH10R. The big difference from the earlier models is the 3 button is less glove friendly. I'm totally used to it but if you wear heavier cold weather gloves you might not like it. You push a button to connect and it connects to different group people you're paired with. They've since updated the firmware and the unit can do last number dial as well as other calling features. It's also updated to pair up with some non Sena units.
The battery lasts for a long time and can be charged on the fly. I've run my unit on continuous talk for about 5 hrs plus normal standby hours before the battery died. I bought a spare battery for long trips but I've never needed it.
All in all a great unit!
These are great little units. Both Cliff and I use them paired together when we ride. You actually can set the intercom to be voice activated as well as voice activation to answer a phone call. I like to stream music from my phone but find this eats the battery up quickly.
I had a friend call me once while out on a ride and he was amazed by the noise reduction and quality of the sound. He could hardly tell I was on the bike.
I notice they have a 20S model that looks really cool too!
I had a friend call me once while out on a ride and he was amazed by the noise reduction and quality of the sound. He could hardly tell I was on the bike.
I notice they have a 20S model that looks really cool too!
tejkowskit
Gold Member
I have the smh10. Although it's bigger I don't notice it on my helmet even at speed. It doesn't create any noticeable drag, wind noise, or weight on the side it's mounted on. Is easy to use and great when riding with someone else who has one. As mentioned also good for listening to music/audio books!
Voice quality is great on the other persons end and the speakers are loud enough (I wear earplugs too)
Voice quality is great on the other persons end and the speakers are loud enough (I wear earplugs too)
Do you use the SMH10 with a full-face helmet? I've read that one of the advantages / differences of the ''r" - for full-face helmets is that it uses the thin wired mic rather than the boom version. I've wondered how the boom would work.
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I think the SMH10 is also a great unit. Before I had the SMH10R I had a Chatterbox X1 bluetooth with intercom and GMRS radio That unit, although lightweight to me, was like having a breadbox attached to my helmet. It worked but the SMH10R was much better in respect to phone calls. Like Goop, my outgoing audio is so good my wife hardly knows I'm doing 80 MPH. Great noise reduction software! The headphone audio on the Chatterbox had better frequency response for listening to music but I wear earplugs because of wind noise. I don't like listening to part of the music and don't listen to music that is obscured. That means I don't listen to music while riding.
I think any Sena product is going to be a win. SMH5, SMH10 and SMH10R. The SMH10R comes with boom type mic. and a velcro (inside the helmet mic.)
tejkowskit
Gold Member
I wear a full face and my smh10 has a boom mic. It has never gotten in the way when donning or doffing, and it doesn't touch my lips unless I stick my lips out. In other words, its not obtrusive and I don't even know it's there.
Yeah. My main concern was wind dragging the left side of my helmet. 80+mph and I haven't noticed it the slightest bit!
I don't listen to music, but I have done audio books on long rides, so music quality at speed isn't a concern for me. One of my friends listens to music and says it's good. Ear buds would be better, but I choose earplugs over ear buds for the same reason as you.
elus1ve
Member
I have the smh5 with the boom on my spare modular helmet and the small microphone in the passenger helmet. I have the smh10r on my main helmet. All my buddies have the smh10 and one have the sph10h with the boom for those Harley/ww2 helmet.
They are all great units.
The 5 is cheap and does most of what the more expensive models can do. Upgrade the speaker though as the smaller speaker sucks. The cable that attaches to the unit tends to come out at speed which is annoying but that has been fixed in the refreshed models. The main feature that was removed from the 5 is the ability to chat with multiple persons at the same time.
The smh10, sph10h and smh10r all have the exact same features. The smh10 has the longest range and battery but it is huge. For those who like leaving their helmets on the bike, the smh10 can be detached easily. The siZe never cause any turbulence at speed.
The smh10r is very slim as it was intended to but it has the most cables. A bit more of a hassle to install but doesn't bother much once done. The size and button configuration make it harder to operate than the other models. Some getting used to but even then it's not as efficient at the other models. The slim model cannot be detached easily once installed.
The sph10 is just plain ugly lol but it works fine.
The boom or the small microphone both work just as great. The boom microphone is of course required for open helmets. The noise cancellation on both microphones work superbly even at speed.
They are all great units, even the budget 5. Just have to figure out the configuration that fits you best.
They are all great units.
The 5 is cheap and does most of what the more expensive models can do. Upgrade the speaker though as the smaller speaker sucks. The cable that attaches to the unit tends to come out at speed which is annoying but that has been fixed in the refreshed models. The main feature that was removed from the 5 is the ability to chat with multiple persons at the same time.
The smh10, sph10h and smh10r all have the exact same features. The smh10 has the longest range and battery but it is huge. For those who like leaving their helmets on the bike, the smh10 can be detached easily. The siZe never cause any turbulence at speed.
The smh10r is very slim as it was intended to but it has the most cables. A bit more of a hassle to install but doesn't bother much once done. The size and button configuration make it harder to operate than the other models. Some getting used to but even then it's not as efficient at the other models. The slim model cannot be detached easily once installed.
The sph10 is just plain ugly lol but it works fine.
The boom or the small microphone both work just as great. The boom microphone is of course required for open helmets. The noise cancellation on both microphones work superbly even at speed.
They are all great units, even the budget 5. Just have to figure out the configuration that fits you best.
