My Cardo Freecom 4X Review [VS Sena]
Featured Creator
left for contents
All right, quick review time. I was just talking about this online to some people and thought I’d throw up a quick review—give my opinion of the Cardo Freecom 4X, and also of the Sena unit I tried first. Let’s hit this intro and get into it.
This article is based on the video by Moto & Mangia.
Why I Chose the Cardo Freecom 4X
This unit here is called the Cardo Freecom 4X. I didn’t get it because I wanted to communicate with a group of four riders—honestly, that wasn’t the main draw.
The real reason? The JBL speakers.
Cardo has partnered with JBL, and depending on what model you get, you can choose to have those speakers or not. That’s why I went with the Freecom 4X. It’s not just about the number of riders you can connect with—it’s the features that come with stepping up a model.
The Cardo Freecom 4X is a premium Bluetooth communication system designed for riders seeking high-quality audio and reliable intercom capabilities without the complexity of mesh networks.
- Waterproof
- JBL 40mm speakers
- Voice control & Live Intercom
- No mesh support
- Limited to 4 riders
Cardo vs Sena: My Real-World Experience
I haven’t tried every comms system out there, but I did try one other Sena unit—because my buddy had one.
Here’s the thing: If you’re planning to use one of these to chat with someone—passenger, another rider, whatever—you kind of want to be on the same platform. It’s like Apple vs Android. Yeah, they kind of work together, but they kind of don’t. You’re not going to get the best experience mixing brands.
Sena and Cardo said they’d work together, but… yeah. Sometimes they did, sometimes they didn’t. It was annoying—especially while riding. You don’t want to be fiddling with tech while on a bike. You want it to just work.
My Sena Experience (And Why I Ditched It)
I wanted to be able to listen to music and have friends cut in when they talked—over the music—and then have the music resume when they stopped. Sounds simple, right?
Well… it worked sometimes.
Even when I was on Sena-to-Sena, it wasn’t consistent.
My buddy set his Sena to automatically transmit when he started talking—no button press needed. That was cool in theory, but every loud noise triggered it. Even when he closed his visor, it would cut in and interrupt my music. So I’m out there riding, vibing to music, visor snaps shut—boom, music cuts. Super annoying.
He eventually turned that feature off, but still—I didn’t love it.
What I especially didn’t like? The sound quality. It was just bad. Even cranked all the way up, it was quiet. And yeah, I know my helmet isn’t the quietest on the market—but still. The volume and clarity just weren’t there.
First Impressions of the Freecom 4X
When I switched to Cardo, it was a breath of fresh air.
One thing I want to show—there’s a button on the unit. I’ve seen reviews saying you could accidentally hit the release and knock it off mid-ride. I watched one guy demo that, and he seemed worried about it.
But for me? That’s never happened.
When you press the button, you’re pressing in—not out. You’d have to be really trying to hit it wrong. I’ve bumped it, sure—but never had it pop off. So I think that concern’s a little overblown.
Key Features I Use All the Time
Let’s break down what makes the Freecom 4X stand out in daily use.
1. JBL Speakers
I mentioned this already, but it’s worth saying again: Get the JBL speakers. It’s the single biggest improvement over the base models. Without good audio, what’s the point?
2. Control Wheel
There’s a wheel for volume and music control. Pressing up or down handles play, pause, etc. Super easy to use with gloves on.
3. Voice Control
One of my favorite features.
I didn’t expect to use this much—honestly, I was skeptical it would even work consistently. But it does. Not 100% of the time, but pretty close.
If you’re on iOS, you can even use “Hey Siri” to cue music. It works with apps like Pandora too. Even better, Cardo’s native voice controls let you say:
- “Hey Cardo, next track”
- “Hey Cardo, volume up”
- “Hey Cardo, mute”
You get the idea. It’s not flawless, but it’s way more convenient than trying to push buttons while riding.
Bonus Features I Don’t Use Much (But Still Like)
The unit also has FM radio, which I barely touch. Phone calls? Rarely—but when I have taken them, the mic quality was decent. People could hear me, even while riding. The microphone mounts inside the helmet near your mouth, and it does a surprisingly good job.
Intercom: Cardo to Cardo vs Cardo to Sena
To be honest, I haven’t used this much Cardo-to-Cardo yet. Most of my intercom testing was Sena-to-Sena, or Cardo-to-Sena—and that was… meh. Definitely not seamless.
If I was planning to use this heavily for intercom chats, I’d want my riding group to all be on the same brand. Mixing them just isn’t worth the trouble.
My Audio Hack: NoNoise Earplugs
Now here’s something Cardo doesn’t sell, but I highly recommend: NoNoise earplugs.
NoNoise Motorsport Earplugs reduce wind noise while preserving important sounds for motorcyclists.
- Reduces wind and road noise for a safer ride
- Allows communication and situational awareness
- Comfortable, washable, and reusable
- May not block all high-frequency noises
After riding for years and hearing horror stories from people with tinnitus, I started using these. I’ve tried foam plugs before, but those just dull everything. You lose all clarity.
NoNoise plugs are different. They’ve got a tiny acoustic channel that filters out certain sounds—like wind noise—while still letting through others like voices, sirens, and music.
The Weird Bit: Better Sound with Earplugs In
Here’s the crazy part—my music actually sounds better with the earplugs in.
Without them, it’s louder, yeah—but tinny. Like a cheap speaker cranked too high.
With the NoNoise plugs in, it cuts out the harsh highs and leaves you with smoother, more balanced sound. It lowers the volume a bit but increases the clarity big time.
If you’re looking for a way to improve audio quality without changing your hardware, this is it.
Final Thoughts
So yeah, that’s my take on the Cardo Freecom 4X.
If you’re on the fence about which comms system to get, and sound quality and ease-of-use matter to you—go with Cardo. Get the model with the JBL speakers, make sure to check out the voice control features, and if you’re a music-first kind of rider like me, consider those NoNoise earplugs.
That’s my experience. Let me know what you think in the comments—especially if you’ve tried other brands or had a similar experience. Always curious to hear what’s working (or not) for other riders.
The Cardo Freecom 4X is a premium Bluetooth communication system designed for riders seeking high-quality audio and reliable intercom capabilities without the complexity of mesh networks.
- Waterproof
- JBL 40mm speakers
- Voice control & Live Intercom
- No mesh support
- Limited to 4 riders
