Cardo Freecom 4x intercom
Tested by: Mikko Nieminen | £235 | www.cardosystems.com
Helmet comms have developed fast over the last few years, and even as I write this review of the Freecom 4x, Cardo has just launched a new product. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves…
The Freecom unit takes a lot of the popular features of previous Cardo products, and introduces some new ones to make this one of the top products in the market.
The design of the comms unit is new, and it looks sleeker and more discreet than the previous models, such as the Packtalk Bold. It still has the handy control wheel, but it has been turned sideways, so it takes less space. The case is fully waterproof.
Functionality on offer is impressive. You get live intercom, JBL speakers, FM radio, over-theair software updates, voice commands and universal connectivity. I’ll be honest, I don’t tend to do much other than use the intercom and phone connection (the radio is wasted on me), but being able to use the voice commands and just say, ‘Hey Cardo, volume up’ or something along those lines is so much easier than fiddling with the buttons. The speakers are very good too, and pump out enough noise for me to be able to hear the intercom with earplugs in. Battery life is a claimed 13 hours, and I have never run out of juice yet. Charging is fast too, thanks to the USB-C port.
There is also an app to help you control everything, and I have to admit that although sometimes the apps that come with these things are a bit of a bother, this one is genuinely handy. I have used the app to keep the software up-to-date, and to connect to friend’s comms units, which is much easier than trying to remember the button combinations you need to press to establish a connection.
The only niggle I have had with the Freecom 4x is that on a couple of occasions it has switched itself off in the middle of an intercom chat, but the connection was recovered after a restart.
Other than that, the unit has been faultless, easy to use, and it has made communication during group rides so much easier than trying to mime something like, ‘I need to make a quick stop to open my jacket vents, but don’t you worry about stopping, I’ll only be a second and catch you up in a bit.’ I’m really not good enough at charades to pull that off.