Jump to content
IGNORED

Cardo Systems Packtalk Bold Intercom with JBL


MotoNews

Recommended Posts

Published in: Gear

Packtalk_Bold_1INTRO.jpg

Not often does a motorcycle-related manufacturer partner with another manufacturer to create an outstanding product for the motorcycle enthusiast. Well, Cardo Communication System and JBL have done just that with the Packtalk Bold they’ll be releasing sometime in early December 2018.

Packtalk Bold Product900BODY

Cardo is noted for its wireless helmet communication systems. And, you might be familiar with Harman who provide high-end speaker systems for BMW automobiles. They’re also responsible for JBL and a few other high-end speaker systems. In other words, they know much about quality audio sound systems.

Packtalk Bold900BODY

After a scenic promotional ride through picturesque Italy with Hertzride.eu, I had the pleasure of a sit-down chat with Oliver Bourdeau, Senior Manager Business Development at Harman, and Shachar Harari, VP Business Development at Cardo. Cardo had also sent Sagy Shlemovich who set up our comm systems for the nine-rider group.

Not only does the joint-venture of Cardo/JBL provide awesome sound, but the controls are user intuitive. This sleek all new waterproof IP67-certified unit allows you to connect up to 15 riders using their proprietary frequency called “Dynamic Mesh” or using the Bluetooth 4.1 system to utilize their universal connectivity. The voice interaction between all nine riders AND the music came through crystal clear with a deeper complexity than any system I’ve used in the past.

Our ride consisted of both rolling Tuscany countryside hills and high-speed blast up the toll roads in the rain for some of the journey. We remained connected with our accordion-like gaggle of riders. As for battery life, it not only held up to ALL our demands throughout each day but exceeded them. I’d estimate there was someone talking at least 80% of the time over the three days for roughly eight hours per day.

The beauty of this experience was aided by getting to know the other riders from all over the world as we rode through the majestic Italian landscape with clear audio communications between us without having to ask anyone to repeat what they just said due to a bad connection or dodgy audio even with all of our various accents. Or to expedite route changes and pull over photo/potty stops from our ride leader. Each night, we topped off the batteries with micro USB chargers provided by Sagy. The units are said to hold 13 hours of talk/standby time.

Packtalk Bold and Accessories900BODY

After the ride, I sat down with Oliver and Shachar at EICMA. They told me how they’d started the partnership about ten months previously and had moved forward with production since then. Although the units we used were prototypes, the guys said they were looking at adding individual speaker volume control for those who lack hearing in one ear over the other, along with adjustments for those who ride with earplugs. They’re also considering noise cancellation. Oliver assured me that the speaker components remained on par with their reputation and that they devoted their attention towards the best possible fidelity in their speakers. And Hertzride.eu will be partnering with them for their fleet of helmets used on their group led tours throughout Europe.

Shachar also said that they intend to grow the U.S. market for their product which will definitely heat up the game of building even better helmet comm systems.

MSRP: $329.95 For the single and $427.95 for the Duo (2 units)

CardoSystems.com

PROS:

  • Battery life
  • Awesome sound system
  • Compatibility with other communication systems
  • Two year warranty

CONS:

  • No video/still camera
  • A bit pricey
HiK6gHFNNPk

View the full article

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...