Sena 10C and 20S helmet communication system review

When you switch it on, you’re greeted by the device – a nice personal touch. Connecting the phone is as easy as holding down the phone button on the Sena until it prompts you. Once connected, you can access all the functions of the phone. You can also control the device using voice commands, which can be initiated by either saying “Hello Sena”, or double tapping the surface of the device, or pressing the phone button.

The boom mic can be positioned easily to the position you like. It is quite sensitive, eliminating the need to shout into the mic to be heard. Your voice on the other side does side a little muffled at times, but that is because of the position of the mic and helmet, and not the unit. In fact, when it is positioned well, the person on the other side does not even realise you’re in traffic, which was evident when I was speaking to Rishad while I was stuck in peak-hour Pune traffic!

It does isolate you from ambient noises, but you can also choose to allow sounds from the outside to reach you. This is really helpful in situations like when you're at the petrol pump and have to talk to the attendant. All you have to do is double press the ambient sound button, and you can get access to everything happening outside. The sound is like that of a PA system, but it gets the job done.

The main function of the Sena is to enable communication between helmets, and it does the job well. Pairing is as easy as pressing the jog dial for six seconds on each device, and one can pair up to 8 devices at a time. The Sena SMH10 is a great device, and the 20S is a step above that, and increases the distance of communication by 20 percent. It relies on Bluetooth 4.0, which uses very low energy, and as a result, the total talktime is claimed at 8 hours. However, in my experience, I haven’t charged my unit in over a week with moderate usage and it still is at half charge.

Sound from the speakers is crystal clear. The Sena system is primarily a communication device, and despite that the speakers handle music really well. Highs and midtones are good, but lacks good bass, which can be excused.