There’s just something about riding alone with a great soundtrack, carving up a back mountain road with some buddies while being able to alert each other of upcoming road hazards, or being able to talk to your passenger without screaming through helmets. In-helmet communicators have changed the riding experience for many of us and made high-quality audio substantially more attainable than a full sound system for your bike. Cardo has been in the game for 20 years, and since the company’s 2018 collaboration with JBL speakers, are the producers of the units with the highest-quality audio that we’ve tested. But now Cardo is introducing something totally new—a comms system with an IMU. 

Cardo just introduced the PackTalk Pro helmet communication device, which is the same size and shape as the Packtalk Edge, and shares all the same features, but adds larger and higher quality speakers and an inertial measurement unit with crash detection. Software to manage this IMU and crash detection was still in Beta during our test, so we could not test any of the Crash Detection performance, but even without that, a couple of key elements improve quality and functionality.

I wish that Cardo would have pushed the test back however long it took to figure the product out and show us what it can actually do, but we got what we got—and really, I realized I may not care all that much about this crash detection thing. 

The PackTalk Pro is priced at $459 compared to the Packtalk Edge at $399, and in short, you get better speakers and an auto on/off. Crash Detection was emphasized throughout the launch, but being unable to test it made us also realize how easy it is to disregard. I have an iPhone 14 Pro Max which has crash detection with satellite SOS—which would seem to provide better off-the-grid protection than this new Cardo which relies on cell service to send a text message. If you run an Apple Watch, chances are that’s got crash detection, too. And both of these go directly to emergency services, not just your pre-programmed contact. Redundancies are often necessary when considering your safety, but again, we’re unable to tell if this works better or differently or has anything to offer over the crash-detection devices many of us already carry. All that remains to be seen when production models and consumer-facing software are released on July 7th, 2024. 

But how many times have I forgotten to turn off my Cardo when I got home? Or worse, after a full-day trip my lady will leave hers on and forget to charge it and then she’s all upset that she doesn’t have music or comms in the morning. While the new Packtalk Pro offers some nice safety and quality features, the new auto on/off feature is wildly valuable and may just save a few relationships. If the helmet doesn’t move for a minute, it will shut itself off. Pick it back up and you hear the “BONG BONG BONG, Phone connected!”

I’ve been using this unit for over a week now and I don’t even turn my comms off anymore. Why would I? It seems like a small convenience but when it’s something you deal with every day and worry about—it’s just one less thing on your mind. Knowing that it works like it should and naturally disconnects my phone when it shuts off after one minute is a game-changer, especially considering I use this device every day. . 

Compared to Edge models, the Pro comes standard with 45mm speakers which are deeper, louder, and more robust than the 40mm units. Every rider on the test ride remarked on the quality improvement. I wore a somewhat loud helmet and with 40mm speakers and my earplugs in, music was too quiet. With the new 45mm speakers, I’m totally happy with the clarity of music behind earplugs. It’s a $60 difference between the Edge and the Pro, and crash detection be damned—just this auto on/off and the larger speakers make it easily worth the upgrade. The 45mm speaker kit on its own is $99. 

Cardo has shown a pattern of doing the work and improving its products over time, so there’s hope to see more thoroughly developed crash detection on launch. An internal IMU opens up incredible potential for a device like this, and we’re excited to see how this will change the comms game moving forward. If you’re between the Edge or the Pro, buy the Pro for its better speakers and convenient auto On/Off.

Photos: Moneeb Nain, Courtesy of Cardo.