INTRODUCTION

   Even though I’ve enjoyed watching powerful street motorcycles/bikes from a very early age (anime like Akira, Megazone 23, GTO and others clearly had an effect on me) i never got my very own, mainly because i was never very good with balance (this may sound silly but even riding a bicycle proved hard for me sometimes). Still, many of my friends did so I’ve been able to ride as a passenger since i was hardly 17 meaning that by now i have countless hours on a motorcycle. The one problem i always had however was that i could hardly ever hear my friends talking through both their helmets and of course my very own (let alone make/answer a call) something which has been resolved since then with the introduction of some very impressive communication systems. The PackTalk Bold Duo JBL by Cardo Systems is one of the most award winning bluetooth communication systems in the market today and that's what I’ll be looking at today.

   Cardo Systems specializes in the design, development, manufacturing and sale of state-of-the-art wireless communication and entertainment systems for motorcycle riders. Since inception in 2004, Cardo has pioneered the vast majority of innovations for Bluetooth motorcycle communication systems. The company’s products, now available in over 100 countries, are the world’s leading communication devices for the motorcycle industry.

   As its name clearly states the PackTalk Bold Duo JBL is aimed towards people who want to equip two helmets with an intercom (single version is of course also available). Each of the two PackTalk Bold communications systems consists by the main unit, helmet mounts, two 40mm JBL HD stereo speakers and a flexible noise-cancelling boom microphone complete with a wind screen. The main unit is IP67 certified (effectively water proof), features Bluetooth v4.1 connectivity, can pair with up to 15 other units (DMC mode) and has a maximum optimal range of 1600 meters (1000 meters under normal circumstances). An 850mAh lithium-polymer battery pack inside each of the two units can keep them going for up to 13 hours and as for extra features you can use the PackTalk Bold to answer/end calls, merge calls with the intercom (so others can participate), create private intercom channels, share your music with everyone else (via your smartphone), listen to FM radio stations (RDS is supported) and more (commands are voice, button and app controlled). So, let's see how well the PackTalk Bold Duo JBL does and of course how it compares to the Sena 5S model i reviewed a while back.