Cardo really set the standard for helmet communications and audio with the Packtalk Bold launched a few years ago. The company recently re-engineered its hit product to keep up with electronics trends and the Edge is the result. Not only is it just as easy to use as the old unit, but it incorporates higher quality bluetooth, louder JBL audio, and scads of tiny updates to make it fit your life better. If you’re a frequent rider looking for a good comms device, or just like to set your ride to music, you need a Packtalk Edge.
Full Disclosure: Cardo sent me the Packtalk Edge Duo Pack to test out as an upgrade from my old Packtalk Bold setup. I installed one of these units on my old Shoei Neotec 2 helmet and one on my brand new Sedici Duale helmet.
Pretty much everything good I had to say about the Packtalk Bold still rings true with the Packtalk Edge. Sounds good, easy to install, buttons are easy to find even with gloves on, voice commands system works great, these are all positives of both units. The Edge adds Bluetooth 5.2 which transfers higher quality audio signal while consuming less battery. The charging cable is now USB-C for faster charging and easier-to-find cord compatibility. My favorite upgrade, however, is the magnetic clip in. The Bold was slightly fiddly to clip into the helmet mount, and doubly so if you were already wearing the helmet and had gloves on. The Edge will find its home on your helmet even if you only get it in the right zip code, but once on it isn’t going anywhere.
The JBL audio is crisp and quality, even at speed. The Edge can allegedly go 30 percent louder than the Bold could, which I’m not sure was needed as I never had an issue with volume. Maybe my new-to-me Ducati with aftermarket pipes will have something to say about that. I’m not exactly an audiophile, but a motorcycle helmet at highway speeds is hardly a solid soundstage to play from.
Installation is almost identical to the Bold. This time I chose to use the stick-on mounts for my helmets as I am almost never riding without a Cardo. Installing the speakers into helmets is fairly easy these days as most helmets are pre-designed with pockets for them, as my Sedici was. The pockets in my Shoei were a bit bigger than the speakers, so it took a bit of velcro shimming to get them to stay in place, but they’re a tight and forceful fit into my Sedici and don’t seem to be going anywhere.
The Packtalk Edge isn’t cheap with a current list price of $389.95 (Revzilla has them at $359), but I paid almost as much for a set of Sony WF-1000XM5 wireless noise-cancelling earbuds last week, so if you want good quality audio in a niche situation, you’re probably willing to pay for it. You can get the Duo kit, if you and a family member ride together and want to chat on the ride, for $656.96. Honestly, it’s nice to have a second unit anyway, because most riders have more than one helmet, and it allows you to have a backup unit with a full charge for long road trips. If you’re riding a full day, you’ll go through a Packtalk Edge battery as they’re supposed to last 13 hours.
If you are going to have two of these things sitting around your house, however, I recommend marking them to differentiate, and re-naming each one in your phone’s bluetooth list.
I scribed a subtle Roman numeral I and II into my new units to keep them separated, and renamed them Packtalk 1 and Packtalk 2 in my phone. This will save a ton of time in the future, and will help me know which one is dead or charged at any given time. It’s a small thing, but it’s very useful.
These things come in handy, and I highly recommend them if you’re an avid rider who can’t be trusted to be left alone with their thoughts for too long. I will put on a long playlist or a podcast and just cruise for hours at a time, it’s super nice. I know some riders don’t like audio for safety reasons, but these don’t block any outside sounds, and I’ve never had an issue with hearing cars or other bikes around me. And this way I won’t be bored to tears on hundreds of miles of interstate hauling.
An added benefit for the kinds of folks who read Jalopnik and drive extremely loud cars, like Aston Martin Valkyries or Lotus 7s, Cardo developed a new piece of kit called Edgephones (above) that allow the Packtalk to clip into a pair of over-ear headphones with a microphone. They are ostensibly for communicating with a rider as an instructor or something, but a pair of these in a loud car (or airplane?) would work wonders.