autocom v bluetooth - advice please!

macker1974

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Probably been asked a thousand times but here goes anyway!
I have been using an autocom system for the last few years and find it superb with the exception of the obvious hassle associated with a wired system. I should add that I use the system primarily for rider to pillion comms and sat nav. I've just changed my bike and before I start wiring in the autocom I want to consider changing to a bluetooth setup.
I'm drawn towards the Sena 20 s as it seems to be a pretty good system. My question to you knowledgeable folks is will I have to compromise on sound quality? Has anyone on here made the change from Autocom to Sena and if so what have you found to be the pros ad cons?
Cheers
Macker
 
My pillion and I have the Sena 20s for sat nav and pillion to pillion comms, and occasional music from my Nav V. I can thoroughly recommend the Sena: works well, good comms, clear, and enough volume, even with earplugs in.

Highly recommended.

And easy to fit to a Schuberth C3 Pro and a Shoei neotech
 
No change in sound quality for rider to pillion comms and satnav, in fact I think the rider to pillion is better that the Autocom. Has the benefit of working off the bike too so I can fill up, my wife goes in to pay and we can still talk. I leave the mic's on 'open' all of the time so there is no 'clipping' of speech and the batteries last all day.

We can still talk whilst the Satnav is giving instructions but my wife cannot hear the Satnav, she misses that, and I don't know of a way of achieving it. As soon as you connect your phone to the satnav then seemingly you cannot talk to the pillion whilst the satnav is speaking, you are cut off for about 15 seconds, seems like an age. Also if you start to factor music in then it gets a whole lot more messy.

Pro's and con's to both but for me, I don't use the phone via bluetooth, I don't listen to music, therefore I can receive instructions from the Satnav and wife simultaneously.
 
i use the autocom, and as said above there are pros and cons to it, i looked at bluetooth and decided it would not do for me, with the setup i have it covers everything i need it to, with the only downside being cables. I can listen to music from the nav get directions and talk to my lady all at the same time as can she, and all this can be recorded onto the video camera whilst filming. I looked at the downsides of bluetooth and for me there were to many in comparison. But when riding solo i do use one of these Sony Ericsson MW600 Stereo Bluetooth Headset, for music and directions from the nav,
 
I ditched Autocom earlier this year after using it for rider/pillion comms for years and went to the Sena 20s. We'd previously tried Scala Riders but didn't get on with them so went back to autocom, but the 20s looked like it would do all that we wanted. We both use in-ear monitors rather than in-helmet speakers and the 20s allows those to plug in direct, we use the system for intercom, satnav and music/audiobooks. We left the autocom installed on the bike for a few months until we were happy the 20s worked as advertised.

We recently did a 5000 mile, 3 week trip and the only issue we had was my microphone getting soaked on a long rainy and foggy day, it stopped working until it dried out the next day but I've had the same problems with autocom mics. We had no problem with battery life for riding days of up to 12 hours and charged the sets most evenings.

It is true that you can't share audio from the satnav, but that's a bluetooth issue that's not specific to Sena. We used audio multitasking to share music whilst keeping the intercom on without any problems and also there is a way to connect the satnav so it doesn't cut other audio off but mixes it for the rider with the intercom and music.

The only con I can think of (compared to autocom) is that the initial setup was more complicated. We tried a few different pairing combinations until we settled on the one that we wanted, but now we've got a working setup we're both very happy with it.
 
I swapped my AutoCom AVI Pro (err or something like that) for a Sena 20 about 2-3 years ago

Pros-
Can be used on multiple bikes
No wires
Intercom is MUCH clearer than Autocom.
easier to setup, I got so fed up of trying to get the Vox right on the autocom.
It pairs to my personal phone for music/audio books (and I can pause, skip and volume adjust) sharing (or not) music with pillio. My work phone connected at the same time. Personal phone stays in my pocket and the work phone in the bag in my topbox.
the range means I use it to talk to my son when he is on his bike too. amazing how it can remove all engine noise from the intercom
Easier to fit to the helmet, the autocom mic boom is massive.
Voice dailing - I can call the Mrs and let her know what time I'll be home

cons-
the volume isn't quite as good as the autocom (its close), but still 70+ with earplugs
the reliability is err unclear. I've had one unit fail - which was replaced without issue by Sena
the FM radio is pointlessly awful (but the autocom didn't have one)
You do need to charge it. (but battery life is excellent. Mine does a week of commuting or to Germany. I've only ever run out when I forgot to charge it, never because the life between charges was too short)

So for me its a no brainer - the Sena every time. My son has just got a sena 10r. Its a bit cheaper and seems to be as good (few less features which you may not need) and has a lower profile on the helmet.

the writing is on the wall for a wired autocom. Analogue technology will always be superseded by digital, unless you are one of those your still want to buy vinyl records...
 


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