Cardo Packtalk Custom review: Paywall intercom everyone hated
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 มิ.ย. 2024
- When Cardo announced the Packtalk Custom it came in for a lot of flack, with many people complaining that it’s a terrible idea to have a subscription model on an intercom. But it turns out, that's not what it is.
But after using one for a couple of months, I've realised that it has the potential - with some serious caveats - to be an exceptional entry-level mesh intercom system, yet still give the option of Bluetooth if you need it.
In this video, we'll find out why the Cardo Packtalk Custom might be the right motorcycle intercom for you, and why Cardo themselves said that some people shouldn't buy it!
Read the full, honest and in-depth review here: www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial...
Looking for links to buy? This is NOT a sponsored videos, and I don't believe a review can be trusted if it has affiliate links that see the reviewer paid when someone buys the item they're testing.
Chapters
00:00 Why everyone hated the Cardo Packtalk Custom
01:08 What's included as standard: You DON'T need a subscription
05:32 Optional paid features explained
07:35 Alternatives to the Cardo Packtalk Custom: Sena Spider ST1 & ST2
09:35 How to pair with ANY intercom: WhatsApp, Discord & Ruroc Chain
10:15 Real worlds street prices
12:00 The best motorcycle intercom for you
13:12 Join us on the Bennetts BikeSocial Facebook group
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If any product has the word "Subscription" in it, i avoid it.
Yep. Unless it’s a small fee for the cost of running servers then I’m out
Ditto, unless you know there is some kind of licence that they have to pay. Say like paying a fee for access to some network or some proprietary wireless or audio standard that needs licencing.
But devices like Cardo Packtalk has none. So it's just ripping of clients
Completely agree re subscription u r at mercy of price rises Had the ixon airbag and realised I paid £12x36 months swapped to alpinestars techair 3 so much easier as no hot heavy back protector
I totally agree. Imagine buying a door knob for your house and having to pay every month to use it. So like the OP, subscription = don’t buy me.
Agree 👍🏽
It's not just the street price. I wouldn't buy the Custom on general princple. This creeping subscription model needs to stop. Vote with your wallets, don't buy crap like this.
Boggles the mind that stuff used 100% outside isn't waterproof by default. It's like bike luggage that has a waterproof cover. Great vid John thanks.
Cheers! All the best, John
A huge percentage of riders only ride in the dry. Especially those that ride in groups.
Meh, technically not waterproof only means they haven't certified it to any standard in Sena's case, I've been using my 20S for more than 5 years in everything, including proper thunderstorms, without any issue.
Hang on....we had three riders talking to each other on packtalk bold mesh. Then each one of those 3, switched to bluetooth and connected to 3 different makes of helmet comms systems. Then the packtalkn3 switches back into the mesh, taking their own Bluetooth partner with them. Therefore we had six, yes 6, riders all talking to each other and hearing each other perfectly well!! We just had to ensure the Bluetooth 'other make' riders stayed closed to the 'bold' rider they had paired with. Clever clever cardo👍
Well, call me antisocial but one of the things I like about bikes is not needing to talk to other folk. I find that my S1000XR provides ample entertainment and demands such concentration that I don't need other distractions. I've just come back from Europe (Vosgues mountains and Black Forest, Simon Weir routes) with three other bikes. Great to chat on the regular stops and wonderful to be in my own world on those blissful roads...
A trip to the Alps and Pyrenees is already being planned - no music or chatter required.
There seems to be a lot of hardware lockouts happening, especially with the likes of new KTM motorbikes. It's just another way of getting more money out of people once they've bought the product.
Software features I can kind of understand, but physical things fitted like heated grips should just bloody be enabled!!!
@@ILoveMyBikes but there are no physical features locked out by software except maybe the cruise control as the switch is on all bikes. But heated grips are a power part you need to add and have installed.
The Ktm thing is a blatant 2 fingers to customers. But you are nuts if you buy a new ktm, just wait 6 months and save 5k.
If Cardo (or KTM, or ....) want to sell or rent software features to you, they need to adhere to the good business manners of the software business. Which is opening up the devices to allow the customer or a competitor to install their own alternative software. And additionally provide a SDK (software development kit) cheaply or even for free that everybody can develop such software.
Come on, Bold is still buggy after like almost 10 years of updates :)
One potentially important feature you missed about the Palktalk Edge vs the Neo or Custom is the fact you can charge it while you ride which you can not do with the speakers/mic plugged in to the less expensive units. I'm fine with my previous generation Palktalk Bold for now.
It's a good point of difference, though I did put in a caption here: th-cam.com/video/9jJykOWhsPM/w-d-xo.html
It also has 1 year more warranty than the Neo, but I went with the Neo anyway..
subscription based things like this can GET IN THE BIN, this, and KTM, hopefully both companies go bust
AFAIK KTM don't have subscription-based payments for products.They have is one-off payment to enable certain hardware. I know BMW (and others) have had similar things for years.
@@waynerobertson511 the parts are already on the bikes though, your paying twice, they can fuck right off
Got the Pactalk Edge. It’s fantastic. On offer everywhere. The Custom is for people who want it. Sales will determine its success. Cardo still offer a variety of units for everyone.
Exactly right! It's all about choice. But for now, the Custom doesn't make much sense due to street pricing as an entry-level device. Cheers, John
I avoid subscriptions like the plague. Maybe this will work out for Cardo, but it also may be their Bud Light moment.
Now what i don't get is all the subscription things. It's already build in but switched off while you paid for the whole thing. Another thing that bothers me is after a year, Cardo could decide that the intercom function is removed or the mesh talk is limited to 3 people. I don't want that and this hold me from ever buying the Cardo sets. How good working devices it might be, it's a big no no for me. I am using the HJC Smart 10B right now for my helmet and yes it is build for the helmet and it works fine. I can hook up 2 phones and still can connect up one intercom set. There is no mesh but honestly, how many times are you riding with a group? For me that is very often so i don't feel the need for a mesh setup.
Cardio like other manufacturers know they need to get a subscription model into the market. Yes they know there will be an initial backlash against it, but the marketing department will be pushing for it. So onto the market it goes, suffer the negative public reaction and wait……. Apologise, say we’ve been misunderstood, modify the offer slightly. BUT, you’ve now got it onto the market, and so the subscription model rolls on. I’ve seen similar strategies in other areas.
I have a packtalk, I was going to upgrade to a more recent cardo unit. But after hearing about the subscription model I won't be buying another. It's customer exploitation.
While I do think this has not gone down well for Cardo, if all the optional features were removed it would still compare well to the Sena Spider as an entry-level mesh intercom. The problem is that street-pricing is making that a very hard sell at the moment.
Good, boycott Cardo
Thank you for the excellent, fuss-free information and delivery. I’m currently using the Interphone Avant with others on the same system but it is very difficult to pair on occasions. I’d like to get this but will I need to get everyone to swap as well?
Let say I go for the basic silver at £2.99 a month then in 3 or 4 months time it goes up to £3.99 a month then the next year they put it up again to £4.99 a month along with all their other categories.
Sport bike shop did a really good article on this.
Also the cardo pactalk edge is £289.99 so you can buy this with all the features or buy the custom at £245.00 and then hire the platinum at £39.99 a year you do the maths. 😂
The prices of intercoms are going silly, Cardo can do what they like with what they like, but you can still get a Packtalk Bold for £219, so requests/sales for this unit, must still be good. Also, from looking in different forums/information, the newer units such Edge etc., seem to have far more issues/bugs, than even the Packtalks have. By the way, our groups Packtalks are all 5 years old and are still great bits of kit.
Great content cheers
I still use a Cardo Scala Rider Q2 Pro Multiset. Still going strong on my Schuberth. A Teamset Pro on my Bell. I have a G9x Powerset waiting to go on when the Q2 packs up. I swapped the batteries out for iPod ones and 32 hours talk time.
I ride on my own now and only have Peter and the Test Tube Babies on. I very rarely carry a pillion but if I do they're paired and ready to go.
My daughter worked for PAMA here in Bredbury, Stockport and got a lot of kit at staff discount prices.
I still use paper maps because satellite navigation gives the turn indication after the junction!
Thx good detailed video
Thanks very much! Cheers, John
Here's the rub: What ongoing service is Cardo providing for the subscription? What work are they doing, what expenses are they incurring? Answer: none. {And firmware updates don't count, because the product is advertised as doing XYZ and it should do that out of the box). THAT is why people hate 'subscription' services for stuff like that, it is taking money for nothing in return
One thing that needs to be mentioned is how ABSOLUTELY AWFUL Sena’s customer service is. It is truly dire! I have been trying for weeks to register my new Harley branded Sena 30K. Their system refuses to accept the model code on the form despite Sena telling me to use it and it being on each of the two units. Numerous email remain ignored or unanswered.
I don't like anything that has a requirement for a subscription. It means a continuous expense, and you rely on the company supporting the product - which they may decide not to do at any time, as we've seen repeatedly with 'smart' things. I've got a £50 TCOMM unit - it works fine and is waterproof. If I need to speak to more than one rider, then normally everyone has a phone, and there are lots of free conference call apps (e.g. Whypay) that don't use data and count as part of your free minutes.
I ride my bike to get away from all that kind of stuff! Imagine having to listen to my mates blab on all day lol 😉
You need some new mates
@@davidsandilands1285 😂😂😂
Same here. Everyone can fcuk off. I've got enough to do just riding the bike.
Confused when I started and only slightly less confused after. Why is this so hard and prices so expensive?
The problem is that hardware is cheap, and software is expensive to develop and almost free to distribute. So how do you make your money on an ongoing basis when you have ongoing costs as well as development costs to recover? I hate subscriptions but I get how businesses are trying to square the circle.
I'd love to see an open source comm device based on cheap hardware, like a Flipper Zero. I'm getting a Kickstarter idea...
Cardo just announced the interop on Bluetooth with Sena. Sena has not replied. It looks like Cardo went ahead and reverse engineered a solution. Also there is an alternative to Rurok called Crew Relay Chat, for riders. It offers a universal intercom (cellular) AND shared live position on the map. both android and iphones. any headset using bluetooth. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Whereas I bought a basic unit from Amazon, which fits entirely inside my Shoei Glamster, has Bluetooth 5.0 and will pair simultaneously with two devices and let's me use my voice assistant.
Yes, pressing buttons is slightly fiddly, they're on the end of the mic, but realistically how often do you press a button for anything once you've started aside from to turn it off when you can talk to your phone and get it to do everything.
And the really good bit about this, the price...
.... £22
Subscription based function on hardware is really, really bad...
So where does the Cardo Packtalk bold fit into this range?
It seems the Custom subscription features are what the packtalk bold has. Seems packtalk have tried to do an affordable comms unit which is as it says customisable.
Agreed... the problem is that the street prices simple don't stack up
What of Fodsport M1S
I wish there was a way to disable the fm radio. On my bold, my mates and people he rides with, the fm radio comes occasionally on its own Gwen voice command are enabled. Does this device have the same issue?
It’s much improved on the packtalk, but a lot is influenced by the mic audio adjustments made in the cardo app
As far as i can tell thier going backwards packtalk bold has all these features and it works realy well me and my brothers have had these for 2 year's with no issue
Makes you think what their up to😢
Any brand will need to keep its product lineup fresh. The Custom is meant to be an entry-level mesh device, and Cardo tried to offer users options if they wanted them. But, that hasn't really worked, and street pricing stops it making sense for now, even when the core intention becomes clearer. Cheers, John
I don't need mesh, bought a Spirit HD, couldn't be happier.
Gr8 vid. Ride safe, god bless u.
Thanks, you too!
Cardo just added a bluetooth bridge mode to join Sena Mesh groups with Cardo Mesh (DMC) groups.
The problem with the feature sets is that they make no sense. It's not 'mix and match' but you have to buy the highest feature set (and thus pay for features. you don't want) to get some single feature that you want. A matrix woudl have made sense where you can really select what you want
Another difference between the EDGE and Neo is that the EDGE comes with a three-year warranty, and Neo, like most Cardo products, has two years.
Get the Cardo Edge, which I have as one of the first users in South Africa when it was commercially available, their top of the line unit, and Basta with all this subscription shite of the Custom, as the latter's price and sub pricing is close enough to the EDGE to not make much sense.
PS: Edge has been working non-stop for almost 2 years now, waterproof, as it bloody should be (*cough* - here's looking at you Sena, 2 of my previous units, the 20S and 30K gave up the ghost in mere drizzle riding. Their voice activation algorithm too, on high way speeds, is more miss than hit compared to the Edge, which work rarely without fail, and then if so, due to my accent, I venture).
Having sub to a product feature reminds me of the planned BMW car idea that it will cost you extra in a future released BMW to use your aircon, or pay to use it for a limited time.
Absolutely bollocks.
I use the Interphone Ucom-16 mesh unit and it's been great with my riding group (we all use the same) the only thing I don't like is it can't be removed from the helmet easily
Cheers! I haven't used Interphone for a long time, but good to know the new ones should also work with Sena.
I've got a UCom too, good comms
Nearly got Icom but they didn’t make battery swappable
@@drmengawyong I'm sure you can buy spares
@@mbrunskill it’s the hot swappability I wanted to keep charged during long trips
Nice review, I’ve never had a Cardo having gone down the Sena route many years ago. I only use the intercom to speak with my wife when she’s on the pillion and connection to a sat nav, it does connect to my phone as well but never use that connection so don’t know why I keep it. We still have the 20S from a few years ago and bought a few extra brackets for different helmets. I also have a Schuberth C5 with the intercom fitted think although it’s a Schuberth branded one using their app I believe it’s a Sena 50S. It works fine and is probably better sound than the 20S seems to have a few Bluetooth connections the only thing is it seems to need to be reconnected to my wife’s intercom every time we switch on once connected though it is very good clear sound, obviously there is no distance involved, well hopefully not or we have a problem.
Yes - Schuberth comms are made by Sena. There are loads of options out there, but not everyone needs all the features. This Custom compares well against Sena's Spider ST1, but only at retail price. Cheers, John
Hi there, I wonder if you could answer this for me, - with the choice of intercom that you use with your wife on the pillion, is the contact when either of you speak instantaneous, or is there a slight delay, giving you your wife's natural voice and then the relayed intercom so it sounds like an echo. The reason I ask is that I have just purchased a Cardo freecom 2 x duo, and no matter what I try, I cannot get an instant response. When I raised it with the supplier, I was advised " they all do that sir". This wouldn't be a problem if you were talking bike to bike, but is pretty poor in my view for close proximity. Thanks in anticipation. Rob Stamp
@@robstamp2793 Hi Rob, we’ve had the 20S since 2017 and I recently bought the Schuberth C5 with integrated comms that is also a Sena think it’s the 50S. We both use a combination of the two and never had any problem with out two way conversation certainly never had an echo. I’ve never been aware of any delay in the conversation it seems to be pretty instantaneous as if we were just talking together face to face, hope that helps.
@@SouthWest-jj8yu Bless you for that quick response, very much appreciated. We had an Interphone urban for several years until my unit died and this purchase was meant to be an upgrade. Many thanks for your time. Rob
I forgot to add, that our conversations were pretty instantaneous as well with the Interphone, hence the disappointment. Rob
Subscriptions are the beginning of the end of actually owning a product, big no for me !
How does Cardo stack up to what Sena has to offer? Really torn between which system to invest in..
I'm going to do a feature about the options to look for, but in many ways it comes down to what your mates have if you want group comms. Here are all the ones I've reviewed: www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/reviews/products/motorcycle-technology
I had two SENA’s die in the rain in Scotland. Units still in warranty. SENA told me to buy new ones. I told them to FO 😉
That's very disappointing to hear. Which models?
@@bennettsbikesocialThey were the 10U customs for the Shoei GT air. The battery unit at the back of the helmet let in water. Both units failed.
What’s the cheapest cardo with jbl speakers with mesh?
I go out on my bike so I DON'T have to speak to anyone for a bit. 🤣🤣
I use this as a student headset when training. It's fine. I haven't subscribed to anything.
The gold plan on my toilet is only 10 quid a month and let's me do a big flush whenever I want.
If the hardware is already on these devices, surely you can get a IT whizz to just unlock all the features without paying for the subscription - this has happened with Tesla cars I believe in some countries, individuals themselves have undertaken the task of unlocking the subscription service with the knowledge that the hardware is already installed.
It wouldn't surprise me, though it's a relatively small market. The Custom is actually a really good entry-level mesh unit, but its retail price doesn't stack up against the competition at the moment.
@@bennettsbikesocial I've just obtained a Shoei X- SPR Pro, my first helmet in 33 years with a view to return to riding, but unsure which comms to use - cost isn't a factor, however I do not want to faff around having to upgrade or change units for features I may need. Certainly do not want to pay for a subscription service.
As an "IT whizz", I think you're 1) massively underestimating the time it takes for someone to do that, and 2) assuming it's even possible. Particularly re #2, they could've easily added something like hardware crypto verification, where they require software running on the device is signed by Cardo's keys or it bricks itself, at which point the hack likely starts involving some soldering, not just a basic firmware reflash.
I have a Cardo Freecom 4X and my wife (pillion) has a Freecom 2X. In my experience, the Cardo voice activation is a total waste of time. It turns the radio on randomly without ever asking for it. Thus, if you only have a pillion, there’s no point buying a mesh enabled or the voice command Freecom 4X. Subscription models are a joke.
Freedom 4 was a nightmare for me... did the same. Upgraded to the Packtalk Bold Black Edition.... Works superbly. Must be cheap now. Worth the upgrade mate.
Honestly, comms are quite a conundrum for me.. People do speak highly of Cardo, but most that i spoke to online have the Edge, that's way out of my budget..
I currently have a Sena 3S Universal, but when i tried to use it riding with my friend who has the same, he complained about there being a perpetual crackling from my end, no idea what's going on there!
Now my other 2 friends who ride have Interphone "Connect" units, but we can't figure out how to get mine to pair to either of theirs.
I just want something easy to use, that i can speak to my friends with, and i can use for directions via google maps off my phone, any ideas?
Judging from the info contained in the video, i'm going to have to go with Sena or Interphone, i know Sena do a unit specific for my Shoei Neotec 2, but i don't know much about it.
As your mates have Interphones, normally I'd suggest looking at one of those for yourself - pairing different brands even through Bluetooth can be tricky - but the Connect appears to be a single rider-to-rider system, from what I can see, which means it'll not accept a third rider into a group. You could all try using an app to each connect to your phones, then run a conference call.
If you were all buying, I'd say just make sure you get mesh, but it is expensive kit. The Sena Spider is currently the best value entry-level mesh that I've tried. The RT should be more waterproof than the ST as well. Cheers, John
I'll stick with my Packtalk Bold.
Tight, the palktalk bold is much better in many ways. The custom is only an option
There is no chance I will be using a subscription service like this. Its a test to see how much customer resistance there is before it gets rolled out on everything. Bad call from Cardo
I think the test has probable shown Cardo something, but actually this really is a good entry-level mesh intercom with no need to payt anything extra. It just needs the street pricing to settle
@@bennettsbikesocial Agreed. Its decent tech, just someone in executive is wanting a bigger bonus. Unfortunately history shows that if they get away with it once it becomes the new standard.
Gave away my Pactalk Bold when I heard about the subscription buffoonery coming down the pipe. Hadn’t even installed it yet. It starts one way and always turns another, just look at the Sena/Harley fiasco.
I’m a solo rider the Lexin is working great for me. $100 installed. I can grab a call or turn on the tunes toward the end of a long ride.
No need for a subscription. The only comm subscription I’m willing to pay is for my cell phone and Garmin inReach.
I bought the Cardo Spirit HD a few months ago and I'm completely happy with it. Far cheaper than the custom and same functionality if you don't need the subscription options. I use it on my commute to and from work so no need for the mesh functionality. Why pay more for what you don't need.
Exactly! The Custom is meant to be another option available, but it's important for people to think about what they need. The Spirit HD is the one I find myself recommending most. Cheers, John
The street prices at the moment make this thing completely pointless.
A friend and i split an Edge Duo box for about £375.
We got some older Bold units for £125 'new' each... bit more feature laden than the custom...
All FM radio options are crap- we need DAB in the UK.
I use internet radio not podcasts
The hardware should be Free if they want to charge a subscription model, this is a silly add for subscription, just keep using the old Cardo devices 🎉
Packtalk BOLD Black Edition here. Never looked back. Think I will hold on to it after watching this rubbish (Great review though!)
You buy something then have to pay a subscription when did that happen 😤
Why does interphone always get overlooked ?
They're mentioned in here. Cheers, John
I think a lot of interphone stuff, is actually SENA, the software looks the same and they work with each other, very happy with my UCom
@@mbrunskill I did notice that some of the voice announcements on the devices seemed similar in the past, though I'm not aware of any definite tie-in. If there is, they're keeping it quiet well!
There were a lot of knee-jerk reactions when the Custom was announced, and I was one of them too. But that's really because Cardo failed to explain clearly that the Edge was going nowhere, and the Custom was just another option for those happy to have a reduced feature set and pay for a subscription model if they want extra features later. Had they done that, everyone's shoulders would have instantly dropped.
They only said that after they realised nobody wants this subscription bullshit, I'd imagine it was what they planned for every model in the future if their wasn't so much backlash
I do think it was a miscommunication, as the packages haven't been changed. Once you get a chance to use it, the potential as an entry-level unit becomes clear. BUT the street pricing doesn't allow it to make sense for now at least
@@bennettsbikesocial throw glitter on a turd, it's still a turd, and Cardo have smothered themselves in shit with this subscription rubbish, Sena must be cleaning up now
Got Sena 50s ridden all year in awful thunderstorms for years. I suspect mots people haven’t fitted or used these properly My mate 50s played up because his Mike got soaked he has open mouth Mike in front of mouth air vent on arai tour 4 in rain . So annoying that not all brands work together . Agree since Sena changed their app it’s awful
There are a lot of variables. I seemed to have a problem where the unit meets the connectors, but on the Spider ST1 I took it apart and found moisture got in through the jog dial.
Ill stick with my Tcom there's no subscriptions
We do indeed all like a big butt. :)
Cardo can absolutely go get fucked with their subscription though, I'd get it if they were maybe hiding some software features behind a paywall, but connecting to 2 devices is literally the only reason people would upgrade to BT 5+, which needs an actual new chip. They're artificially hiding HARDWARE features, not software ones.
Subs can and are increased, not mentioned in the video
The sub really isn't needed in what is an entry-level mesh device. But street pricing means it makes no sense at the moment.
why don't people just use a walkie talkie in your pocket with 3 mile range?
having worked in audio for over thirty years ive zero clue why people spend two or three hundred quid on these devices when a simple RF walkie talkie can do pretty much the same job for a fraction of the price.
when you do your bike test the instructors dont use packtalks they use walkie talkies.
I dont understand what hes talking about pay by the month i have the cardo edge pack talk bought it thats it
He's (I'm) talking about the Cardo Packtalk Custom. A different model to the Edge and one with a pay-per-use feature set
Just get a cardo edge and forget about subscriptions! Done!
I use fodsport. All these prices are just stupid.
imo this common nowadays business strategy of many companies, charging a monthly fee for the features they offer is something i find unethical and am not willing to support. so no "custom" for me thank you very much. Maybe no Cardo at all.
Packtalk bold has all the features,definitely wouldn’t be paying subscription
I cannot believe the Sena stuff isn't properly waterproof.
I've had a Packtalk Bold JBL for 3 years now, and if I change it I'll for the Edge, especially at £300 all in
Some is, but not all of it unfortunately.
Subscription is stupid.
An to be honest I have had the pack talk slim and an now the edge an there completely shit house.
Had nothing but trouble not even remotely loud enough at road speed.
40 punds a year for basic features is insane... I still hate it. it's like the commenter said "beginning of the end" they are testing out people.. 1.5 years sub and you would be better off with the normal edge. im starting to like sena more and more. used to be opposite since cardo used to be the underdog. they are just a possible wolf in disguise
No way I'd pay to unlock that stuff. If its got the capability then enable it. It's wasteful if not.
Pointless. I’d buy a sena spider and get more out of the box including mesh, and if on a budget would go sena 10s or 20s and benefit from extra intercom connections as well as phone snd gps. Cardo need to think again if they expect people to pay a subscription.
How do you know it isn't the start of a slippery slope towards hardware lockouts? Just labeling them temporary upgrade options isn't too convincing. At least for me it is enough to avoid Cardo, wouldn't want to invest into a system that's likely going to continue to move into that direction.
Given how non standardized these mesh intercoms are, and how poorly they work across brands deciding on one with our riding buddies is a long term choice - unless your entire riding group decides to switch again. It just doesn't seem sensible to pick any Cardo at this point, given the anti consumer, paywall trajectory they are on.
Locking features behind a subscription… I can't wait for someone to hack these.
Imagine having your mates talking between stops…..nooooooo
If I'm paying any money for a product I expect all its features included.. the new subscription world isn't for me and I'll never support it.
All you need is 40mm speaker drivers (old headphones), a £2 Chinese bluetooth "handsfree" device and a little 3d printing and soldering - if you just want music and calls. I have to fix the wiring every couple of months, but that's part of the fun. Cardo and Sena seem over complicated, and now suffering more from feature creep and product teams trying to find new ways to monetise them.
This comment takes me back 30 years ago when we used cannibalise Tandy baby monitors and walked talkies. What a nightmare. These mesh units are state of the art micro electronics. Amazing tech and facilities. It’s changed biking for our group, it’s not perfect but over the years it’s got better and better. We run Cardo units
Subscription for basic headset features is absolute bullshit cardo can swivel.
ill certainly not be buying any of their products, EVER, because of this
Much too complicated 😢 ill carry on talking to my self,
The brands make it all really confusing...
It is, and I'll be working on a feature explaining all the choices as soon as I can. Cheers, John
Subscription based products are a big NO
Wish some governing body would turn around to Cardo and Sena and say 'Allow them to talk to each other or loose the right to sell in this market place...'
I use Cardo because its waterproof, wont even consider Sena because they are not, so when friends get new helmets with built in comms we will have issues.
Cardo says that it would be open to working together, but I haven't been able to talk to Sena to see if they say they same. I'd imagine both will say that they would but the other won't! The problem is, Cardo released the first mesh, Sena developed its own (probably around the same time), and now the two have different systems.
@@bennettsbikesocial VHS & Betamax all over again !
@@russcattell955i Perfect analogy
Very unfortunate that a market leader like Cardo has gone done the path of subscription for features - one of the most universally hated practices in the hardware biz. Hope their customer base votes with their wallets to teach them not to go there. Really too bad as I love their products and Sena is terrible by comparison.
Msking a press conference for a cardo talk-system sounds pretty cringe.
Cardo will never move to a subs model only, it’s a younger generation thing that they are trying to offer. If the go subs only they will be finished and they know that, their not that stupid
The worry is that this is just the beginning
Bacon slicer capitalism. A gentle introduction to a subscription model which, if accepted by users, will become more and more invasive.
Stamp it out before it starts.
Man i hate cardo , all their units are defective and there is no aftersales support
Under no circumstances would I pay for a subscription service.
If people give in and pay soon every aspect of life will be pay to use. It's incideous and frankly evil.
Bike social don't reply to emails 🤬
Which email are you referring to, who did you send to, and when? If you'd like to get in contact then this is the best place: enquiries@bikesocial.co.uk
I will never buy a subscription based product. No one should, you payed for it and your getting half a product? It blows my mind even thinking about it. It's just a legal form of scamming.
Screw that! I'm not paying subscriptions on anything at all!
I really dislike this subscription model. I hope it dies a swift death and in the meanwhile I’ll stick with the stuff I already have.
Me too - and I'll avoid it anywhere I can. However, I do think that this has the potential to be a great entry-level intercom with no payments necessary, when the street price matches the competition. But, the problem is that it takes a lot of explaining to realise the benefits of this unit as an option for entry-level mesh.
I am disappointed in this video. I understand that you need to get paid as a content creator but one has to draw the line somewhere. The problem everyone has with subscription based products is that companies may slowly transfer all their future products to that model. So if people start buying these products in the future there may not be a choice. Unrelated but on one of my Packtalk Blacks the DMC stopped working after 2 years. The retailer I bought it from sent it to cardo for repair but when it came back after 2 months they checked it and the problem remained. The retailer offered me a new Cardo Edge unit out of their own pocket (props to my retailer for that). TLDR Cardo sucks. Too bad there are no better alternatives at the moment.
I get paid by my employer - makes no odds to me what you buy or which manufacturer I upset / please. Our experience in the UK with support and distribution could be very different to yours.
@@bennettsbikesocial Fair enough. I am happy to be proven wrong in the first part of my comment. However my opinion stands on subscription based models and the service I did not receive from Cardo.