Sena SMART Helmet --- Coming Soon

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I like the look.... should be nice and light too. Must cost big bucks.

Knowing Sena, this'll cost.

I interviewed them at it's debut last weekend. All they had were prototypes on display but confirmed the price will be around $800 - but more importantly the next version will also have a built in camera! I can't wait for that, assuming it's good quality.

The main issue I would think would be battery life. The 10U can't be charged while riding like the SMH10 can so if you plan any long distance rides earplugs may be a better answwer

That's too cool.

I looked at noise cancelling technology for a Motorcycle helmet a few years ago. You need a really fast DSP, (Digiital Signal Processor) to make it work for the varying noise conditions on a motorcycle. Texas Instruments even had a white paper on it. They said at the time their DSP's were not fast enough.

Apparently DSP's are fast enough now.

Very cool. Assuming it works well.

If it works...

If it is a comfortable quality helmet...

If the BT (and camera) don't add too much to the cost...

If the camera is of comparable quality to the current run (i.e. Hero) of action cams...

If batteries last a reasonable amount of time or are swappable... (or can be charged while riding)

If the electronics can expected to hold up...

$800 doesn't seem all that bad. I hope they get it right!

I will be most interested in a review.

Riddle me this: how is noise canceling beneficial in the long run? I mean, sure , right now, it seems quieter while riding. But doesn't a noise canceling system generate a noise to cancel out the noise? Isn't that twice the work for the ear innards? How is it not damaging your hearing?

I ask b/c I tried noise canceling earbuds one time. Yeah, in the short term they worked great. But after a few hrs I got splitting headaches. Stopped using them--> no more headaches.

rbentnail said:

Riddle me this: how is noise canceling beneficial in the long run? I mean, sure , right now, it seems quieter while riding. But doesn't a noise canceling system generate a noise to cancel out the noise? Isn't that twice the work for the ear innards? How is it not damaging your hearing?
I ask b/c I tried noise canceling earbuds one time. Yeah, in the short term they worked great. But after a few hrs I got splitting headaches. Stopped using them--> no more headaches.

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Good questions, I was thinking the same....

?

Wondered when this was going to happen: helmet with built-in Sena. Wonder who manufactures the helmet and how difficult it will be to replace the speakers with earphones/plugs?

Kaelaria said:

I interviewed them at it's debut last weekend. All they had were prototypes on display but confirmed the price will be around $800 - but more importantly the next version will also have a built in camera! I can't wait for that, assuming it's good quality.

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Regular colors will be around $600, carbon fiber one will be $800.

…and that's WITHOUT optional communication.

rbentnail said:

Riddle me this: how is noise canceling beneficial in the long run? I mean, sure , right now, it seems quieter while riding. But doesn't a noise canceling system generate a noise to cancel out the noise? Isn't that twice the work for the ear innards? How is it not damaging your hearing?
I ask b/c I tried noise canceling earbuds one time. Yeah, in the short term they worked great. But after a few hrs I got splitting headaches. Stopped using them--> no more headaches.

Click to expand...

Interesting experience......had not heard this before.

metalman said:

rbentnail said:

Riddle me this: how is noise canceling beneficial in the long run? I mean, sure , right now, it seems quieter while riding. But doesn't a noise canceling system generate a noise to cancel out the noise? Isn't that twice the work for the ear innards? How is it not damaging your hearing?

I ask b/c I tried noise canceling earbuds one time. Yeah, in the short term they worked great. But after a few hrs I got splitting headaches. Stopped using them--> no more headaches.

Click to expand...

Interesting experience......had not heard this before.

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I get it. Not heard this. Noise cancelling. Very good.

I like the concept but think what Schuberth is offering might be a better way to go. Stick with what you're good at and team up with a helmet manufacturer or two.

What is wrong with something like this is putting all of your eggs in one basket.

Fred W said:

What is wrong with something like this is putting all of your eggs in one basket.

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Sort of how some people treat their smart phone!

I know what you mean, if anything stopped working or built-in batteries refused to hold a charge, you're screwed. At the very least, I would want to be able to remove any or all of the electrical components to replace or send for repair as needed. If user-swappable batteries are not part of the package, I would avoid this. As I mentioned, above, I would be interested in reading some in-depth reviews and would like to see what the street price is.

LKLD said:

Knowing Sena, this'll cost.

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Bell just came out with their new line and the top of the food chain, the Bell Star Pro is listing out at something like $1299! And you've got the Skully phantom helmet in the game as well. Add in a Dainese air bag suit ($2500) and you're talking about some serious KA-CHING!!!

RossKean said:

Fred W said:

What is wrong with something like this is putting all of your eggs in one basket.

Click to expand...

Sort of how some people treat their smart phone!

I know what you mean, if anything stopped working or built-in batteries refused to hold a charge, you're screwed. At the very least, I would want to be able to remove any or all of the electrical components to replace or send for repair as needed. ..

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Plus, remember that a helmet is only good for ~ 4-5 years of use before the EPS foam begins to break down and the safety provided by the helmet begins to degrade. Do you want to have to replace the audio system every time you replace a helmet?

Or what if you have a minor get off and the helmet does its job, now you need to replace both the helmet and the Blue-tooth communicator / headset?

While buying it all-in-one may be convenient up front, there is generally an excessive cost associated with convenience, and an attendant loss of flexibility in the long run.

FWIW - I have been using the same Starcom1 Advance intercom system and headsets for the past 7 or 8 years. The headsets have been transferred to many different (probably more than 6) helmets over that time.

rbentnail said:

Riddle me this: how is noise canceling beneficial in the long run? I mean, sure , right now, it seems quieter while riding. But doesn't a noise canceling system generate a noise to cancel out the noise? Isn't that twice the work for the ear innards? How is it not damaging your hearing?
I ask b/c I tried noise canceling earbuds one time. Yeah, in the short term they worked great. But after a few hrs I got splitting headaches. Stopped using them--> no more headaches.

Click to expand...

Interesting. I, along with many other helicopter pilots have been using noise cancelling headsets since the early 90's. They we're without a doubt the best equipment expenditure, I've ever made as the ANR system reduced fatigue greatly over many hours behind the stick. I'm not saying you didn't have a bad experience, but perhaps the system you tried wasn't functioning properly or was not designed for the conditions you encountered. Active Noise Reduction is awesome technology and it's about time motorcycle helmet manufacturers stepped up to the plate. Hopefully reviews are favorable indicating Sena got it right the first time around.