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Sena

smithr

smithr

Member
Member
So I was thinking of buying the 20s for all the wonderful stuff it does.  Then I realize I don't use much of that stuff now.  All I want is good clear music from my phone, to hear the GPS when it talks to me and on rare occasion hear what the SO wants.

I was looking at the Sena 3s and thinking it may do all that for less than $100 when the 20s is over $250.

Has anyone used one?  Can you pair two things and hear the GPS over your music?  Is the sound quality anywhere close to acceptable.  Is it anywhere near as good as the 20s sound quality?  Is there other units that I should look into?
 
Bob, my first Sena was a 3S. I don't have a GPS, so I'm not sure how well that works. For music and for cell conversations, it worked perfectly. I had acceptable (but not amazing) sound levels in my helmet with my earplugs in. Phone conversations were clear on both ends.

I upgraded to a 10S to get the better battery life and the FM receiver, then put the 3S on my wife's helmet for the intercom so she could scream in my ear when we rode two-up at the National last year. :)

I think that Sena shares a lot of technology up and down their line so the big thing you give up with the 3S are extra features, not the quality of the features included.
 
I have a Sena SMH-10, has anyone found anything better.  I know Cardio has the Pack Talk now, but I was trying to wait for the Sena 30k to stay brand loyal.  The Pack Talk has been out for about a couple of years now which says Sena has really fallen behind.
 
Wife asked what I wanted for my birthday and I told her a bluetooth set up for my motorcycle helmet.  I also am looking for the ability to play music, make/receive calls and hear navigation instructions all linked to my iPhone 6 plus.  I don't ride with anyone else, so the intercom between headsets is not needed.  I was looking at the Sena's as well.  Can't decide whether the S20 is worth the extra $100 over the SMH-10.
 
Just bought a Sena 20S and I have to say it's a wonderful unit and does everything I need. That having been said, I use about 33% of what it can do.

- Listen to music as I ride.
- Answer phone when the wife calls to ask where I am ("Oh good, your still alive.").

It can handle 8 intercoms connections at the same time and it does this through a smart-phone app that controls all config. It's pretty handy if you ride in groups. I don't. The only other thing I use a lot is "Ambient" mode. It turns on an exterior mic and pipes the sounds directly to your speakers. Great for when somebody wants to strike up a conversation at stoplights about how their (insert relative) was (insert injury) while riding a motorcycle.

The next Sena iteration will have a "mesh" network setup as I understand. It lets EVERYBODY join in and allows intercom skips to distant members by going through people between yourself and the one you want to talk to. This is tech-candy for somebody like me. Not buying it though...because

- Listen to music as I ride.
- Answer phone when the wife calls to ask where I am ("Oh good, your still alive.").
 
The Sena SMH-10b connects to my phone and GPS simultaneously.  I listen
To music off the iPhone, and the GPS cuts in and out for directions.  A phone
call can be made/received seamlessly as well.  Then there's the actual intercom.

The added features of the 20s seem nice, but not esential to me.
 
Mcfly said:
The Sena SMH-10b connects to my phone and GPS simultaneously.  I listen
To music off the iPhone, and the GPS cuts in and out for directions.  A phone
call can be made/received seamlessly as well.  Then there's the actual intercom.

The added features of the 20s seem nice, but not esential to me.
Click to expand...


I have a pair of SMH-5FM headsets that I used with my pillion.  She no longer rides so I sold her set to my brother 2 weeks ago.

I listen to instrumental jazz over the Internet while riding.  GPS directions from Google Maps to known places.  Phone calls are clear and sharp (unless the Wife calls to ask when I am coming home, and then my phone mysteriously cuts out)

I do not have a GPS anymore but my iPhones does not (yet) have a GPX route-reading app that works.  Right now, I am using Navigon for my iPhone to use converted GPX files into mappoints.

The charge on the Sena is pretty good for 6-7 hours.  I have a USB outlet connected to my front accessory leads for charging both the iPhone and Sena as needed.

my two cents.....

(Pics available if desired)
 
I really like my Sena 10, works great.
Related question please, when using GPS from your I-Phone, google maps for example, is that using data, I have to think it does.
I'm with Verizon and seem to have family data usage issues at times, have always thought using GPS on longer rides would burn lots of data.

That said I love the idea of hearing turn by turn directions via my Sena, sure would beat my scribbled notes on top of the tank bag!
Cheers!
 
I used the Garmin app on my Iphone for a while.  If you have loads of storage space it will put the maps on your phone and use no data.  I was just not able to upload routes to it.
 
Clem said:
I really like my Sena 10, works great.
Related question please, when using GPS from your I-Phone, google maps for example, is that using data, I have to think it does.
I'm with Verizon and seem to have family data usage issues at times, have always thought using GPS on longer rides would burn lots of data.
That said I love the idea of hearing turn by turn directions via my Sena, sure would beat my scribbled notes on top of the tank bag!
Cheers!
Click to expand...

[list type=decimal]
[*][size=12pt]I too like my Sena headset with FM radio
[*][size=12pt]Doing GPS work does not take up much data, I believe, due to updates in position comes from cell tower ranging, not satellite coordicates.
[*][size=12pt]I have yet to run an app on my iPhone that can read a true GPX file without conversion to waypoints first
[*][size=12pt]I do listen to turn-by-turn directions from Google Maps overriding streaming jazz radio (Streaming music does use data)[/list]


My two cents...
 
ManWorkingHere said:
Clem said:
I really like my Sena 10, works great.
Related question please, when using GPS from your I-Phone, google maps for example, is that using data, I have to think it does.
I'm with Verizon and seem to have family data usage issues at times, have always thought using GPS on longer rides would burn lots of data.
That said I love the idea of hearing turn by turn directions via my Sena, sure would beat my scribbled notes on top of the tank bag!
Cheers!
Click to expand...

[list type=decimal]
[*][size=12pt]I too like my Sena headset with FM radio
[*][size=12pt]Doing GPS work does not take up much data, I believe, due to updates in position comes from cell tower ranging, not satellite coordicates.
[*][size=12pt]I have yet to run an app on my iPhone that can read a true GPX file without conversion to waypoints first
[*][size=12pt]I do listen to turn-by-turn directions from Google Maps overriding streaming jazz radio (Streaming music does use data)[/list]


My two cents...
Click to expand...

Modern smartphones have a GPS radio and use it as the primary location method. Since that is only a receiver and not using cellular frequencies, no data from your plan is used.

Where the other radios—cellular, WiFi, and Bluetooth—come into play is in helping to initially fix your position and then to refine it. That may use a small amount of data if the phone needs to determine the exact position of a WiFi access point (one of the ways the phones use to rapidly get an initial fix before the GPS fully locks in on the satellites).

Two articles, one from Apple and one from Macworld, have a little more information:

http://www.macworld.com/article/1159528/smartphones/how-iphone-location-works.html
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203033

(This was written from an Apple ecosystem point of view since that's what I use, but I suspect Android is very similar.)
 
I have the 20S but like many, only use a small amount of the features. I did have the SMH-10 but that's now on the spare helmet. If I were to buy today, I'd probably go with the new 10S if for no other reason than battery life. A friend got the SMH-5(?) due to its "frugal" quality and the battery only lasts about 3 hours. Be sure and check the battery life spec for whichever one you lure interested in.
 
I've got the SMH-5 and while its battery doesn't have the life of some of the pricier models, it's more than 3 hours; more like 5-6 (depending on how much you talk).  Overall, I'm pretty happy with it, though I may upgrade to another model sometime.
 
i'm thinking to buy a Sena 10S dual set.

i want to talk with my wife on my back seat, talk with other riders in my group, listen FM-Radio, and listen the commands of a bluetooth navigation system, and at least, take or answer some calls on my cellphone.

is this the right product for me?
 
Clear audio from any Sena requires earbuds. Period. Off the shelf or custom. I listen to audio books, podcasts, a variety of music, and gps chatter from a Zumo and iPhone google maps. The 20 allows the use of earbuds or the speakers. I used both on a recent trip and the unit performed very well. Earbuds on the pavement and earplugs off pavement. Works great for my needs. YMMV.

I have a smh-10 that has served me well. Tried the integrated 10 on the schuberth and did not like it. No earbud port or option and the speakers did not provide clear audio for audio books or podcasts.

HTH,
Randy
 
on the last OtP-Tour with Mark and Dan, i listen musik via earplugs from my smartphone (fm-radio function) but the earplugs come out of my ears every time i put my helmet off my head..
 
handyman said:
Clear audio from any Sena requires earbuds. Period. Off the shelf or custom. I listen to audio books, podcasts, a variety of music, and gps chatter from a Zumo and iPhone google maps. The 20 allows the use of earbuds or the speakers. I used both on a recent trip and the unit performed very well. Earbuds on the pavement and earplugs off pavement. Works great for my needs. YMMV.

I have a smh-10 that has served me well. Tried the integrated 10 on the schuberth and did not like it. No earbud port or option and the speakers did not provide clear audio for audio books or podcasts.

HTH,
Randy
Click to expand...

I currently use the SMH-10 on my Shoei RF-1100.  I have the speakers mounted in the helmet.  With ear plugs in, and the volume up,
it is loud enough to hear music, phone/comms and GPS directions clearly, but as Randy said, fidelity has much to be desired.  Still, music is better than
no music when you're dronin' highway miles.
 
Coming in a little late on this thread, but Mcfly and I rode together from Melbourne, FL to last year's National in Helen, GA. Both of us had SMH-10's, yacked all day, and the batteries were just about done when we got to Helen. We both wore ear plugs and had no issues with fidelity - not concert hall quality, but fine for me. HTH.
 
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