Sena SMH 10

Labels: ,   |


I didn't like to answer phone calls while riding. Its a pain because I had to pull over to the shoulder, rush to take off my gloves (yea iPhone touch screens zzz) before answering the call. I also can't stand having a phone vibrate in my pocket where I can't turn it off. So I tried solving that issue by using a pair of earphones with a mic, where the mic is stuffed somewhere near the mouth under the balaclava.

Great! I can now listen to my favorite tunes and answer a call on the move. That is until the wire kept getting tangled or sat on, or I when I fumble to press that tiny button on the microphone. I sought a better solution.

Bluetooth Helmet Intercoms.

So I did some research and found some reviews on webbikeworld.com. Better yet, they've just published a 2010 comparo for the most recent bluetooth helmet intercom systems. That was when I had my sights on the Interphone F4 (which was sold locally), and the Sena SMH10 (that got rated top in the comparo). However, price tipped the scales for me and so I got the Sena off E-bay for just a little under SGD 400 with shipping.


A week later, a knock on the door, and behold! The Sena SMH10 Dual pack was sitting on my lap! Like a boy I was excited because; One, I didn't expect it to arrive that quickly as my previous online purchases took 3 to 4 weeks to arrive. Two, IT'S A NEW TOY! Gingerly, I opened its packaging and admired the awesomeness of modern technology and design (its a new toy!).

Installing the Sena SMH 10
It didn't take me long to start clamping it on to my Shoei X-11. I estimated the position of the mount by determining the mic location first. The flexible mic stem is not flimsy and gave it a high quality feel. Clamping the mount on was easy, with rubber pads preventing scratches on the helmet shell and 2 screws to keep it secure.

Next was to install the speakers. I hid the cables behind the helmet padding and took care not to twist their wires too much. The velcro hooks behind each speaker made the painful job of finding their perfect locations easier. Especially since they seem to adhere to the cloth of the helmet padding quite well, but your mileage may vary.


The Test
With mounting complete, I took it for a test the next day on my way to work. The SMH10 was paired to a Zumo 660 which was linked to an iPhone. Music played well from the Zumo, and the sound quality was great. The bass was soft but can be improved by locating the speakers closer to you ears. Sound is still good with earplugs, or you can turn the volume up (it goes really high). The bluetooth connection was strong and never flaked out. The jog dial made it real easy to change the volume without fumbling around buttons.

On to making and answering calls. The other party was heard perfectly over the wind noise and she couldn't believe that I was riding because of how clear I sounded! Of course microphone placement is key for this aspect, so nuff said about that.

Later on in the day I mounted the Sena for Grace as well and we were off to test rider to rider intercoms. One tap of the jog dial button and we conversing as we rode. "Where are you?" "Why so slow?" "I'm hungry." "How do you want to get there?" "Left or right?" No need for loud gesturing, no need to keep looking back. Fantastic!

True to its quality, we were able to hear each other clearly with minimal wind noise getting picked up (mic placement still being key for this). It is also cool that the Sena remembers separate volume settings for its different functions. Music - one volume, phone calls - another volume, and intercoms - yet another. The distance for rider to rider intercoms also seemed adequate. I'm not a very good estimator of distance, so what I can say was that I was too far ahead for her to see me and can still be telling her what I'd like for dinner.

Obstacles however seem to quickly reduce the intercoms effective distance. A corner round a building and the static starts coming in, few seconds later and the channel is cut, but that's still acceptable. The only peeve I have is a humming or buzzing sound that comes on and off only during intercoms . It could be due to surrounding interference but it's not too big a deal.

More tinkering later I learnt more about interfacing with the Sena. I paired the Sena directly to the iPhone and with a tap of the phone button, I initiated the iPhone voice control. The mic was fantastic enough for me to voice dial the right people on the go! I was banging my head when using the wired earphones with mic setup previously. Now, holding the jog dial button for a couple of seconds starts or stops music playing, and a combination of inputs did the next and previous tracks.

Battery life is fantastic. After using it for a week, it still does not give me the battery low beeps. Regardless, I still charge it on a weekly basis anyway. One week in between charges are a rarity these days.

One last thing, it goes through heavy rain storms just fine.

All in all, this is one thing I don't regret buying. I've come to rely on it for the convenience it brings and lived happily ever since.

For more information, technical details or an in-depth review:

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)