First Look & Install Of The All New 2022 Cardo Freecom 4X & Cardo Spirit Blue Communicators - Available Exclusively At Chong Aik

If you're anything but a solo rider, one commonly overlooked aspect improving the 'quality' of riding or touring with your friends, aside from the motorcycle and riding gear, is having a Bluetooth communication system. The 'comms' as it is more commonly known as in Singapore, is something that not many riders think about but once you have had it once, you'll wonder how you've ever lived without one.

Amongst its many features, it allows you to operate your phone hands-free, make and receive calls, listening to music via Spotify or other mediums, even tune in to the local radio stations, and also speak with your fellow riding kakis. Sure, if you're just riding around the city on a night ride it might be cheaper to shout through your helmets, but that's not very feasible when riding on the highway or touring up North to Malaysia and Thailand, and that is where the beauty of an integrated communication system comes in.

Cardo is distributed exclusively in Singapore by Chong Aik International Pte Ltd

45 Desker Road, Singapore 209576
Phone: (+65) 6294 2532/1
Open on: Mon-Fri: 09:00am-06:00pm / Sat: 09:00am-05:00pm

For the year 2022, leading comms manufacturer Cardo Systems launched a fully revised range of entry and mid-tier products to better position themselves in the market and these are now available here in Singapore via the exclusive distributor - Chong Aik International Pte Ltd. Cardo has always controlled the premium end of the market via their Cardo Packtalk Bold range, which is universally acknowledge within Motorcycle reviewers as edging above their counterpart to be the #1 choice if money is no object.

ICYMI - Check out @Motorgrapher's review of the Cardo Packtalk BOLD here:

For the other ranges however, at the lower end of the market, you have generic no brand comms system from China which you can get from AliExpress for under $100, or you have to head towards the higher end of the market where a single Packtalk Bold will cost you in the region of $300+. With Cardo's new 2022 line up however, there is no a product for you, whatever your budget might be and also depending on your usage requirements.

Today, we will look at the:

1) Cardo Spirit Single Unit - RRP Priced at S$120 - https://www.chongaik.com.sg/home/2579-cardo-intercom-system-spirit-single.html

2) Cardo Freecom 4X Duo Pack - Sound by JBL - RRP Priced at S$576 ($288 each) - https://www.chongaik.com.sg/home/2512-cardo-intercom-system-freecom-4x-duo-sound-by-jbl.html

Special deals are linked at the end of the article, keep reading on to find out more!

The Cardo Spirit is the replacement for the Freecom 1+ and the Cardo Freecom 4X is the replacement of the Cardo Freecom 4+.

Difference between the original Freecom 1+ and 4+, versus the new 2022 Cardo Spirit and Freecom 4X courtesy of Chong Aik:

• Unboxing

Both the Freecom 4X and the Spirit comes in distinctive Cardo packaging that you'll be used to by now. What i like about premium brands such as Cardo is that they provide everything you need to install the communication system into your helmet, and even comes with EXTRA stickers, velcros, and cables to make your life that much easier. Both the 4X and Spirit are charged via the latest USB-C standard which means if you have an Android phone, they all use the same cable!

The Spirit allows for pairing of up to 2 comms system and the 4X allows for up to 4. Depending on your usage and size of your riding group, you might want to splurge a little bit more for the 4X as this gives you the buffer should your riding group grows. Another positive point about Cardo units are that they are fully water/dust/snow-PROOF. Unlike other brands in the market, they often market themselves as just water-resistant, which is not the same as being water-proof.

• Installation

We've got to admit, when we were using comms system in the past, we always got the shop to do the installation for us as to the new rider, this might seem a little daunting. However, since Chong Aik kindly provided us with these review units, we thought we might take on the challenge to do the installation ourselves to better understand the product and the process. In the famous words of Jeremy Clarkson, "How hard can it be?".

We were pleasantly surprised. The entire process from opening the box to completing the installation took no longer than 20 minutes. In fact, the longest part of the process was waiting for the unit to charge fully via the supplied USB-C cable. The Freecom 4X came out of the box with a charge of about 40%, and within half an hour it was fully charged.

Most modern helmets comes with the cut out of bluetooth comms speakers so installation was a fairly straightforward affair. In order, we completion the installation via the following process.

Install JBL speakers via supplied velcro -> Install mic at mouth area of helmet -> Run wiring via the main unit to connect the speakers and mic -> Re-install padding of the helmet

And that was it! All in all a very simple process and definitely a great sense of accomplishment once all is said and done. Once you understand the basics of how everything connects up, it is a matter of plugging in the items. As the plugs are proprietary, there is no worry of plugging something in the wrong way. Being OCD obsessed, we spent a further 20 mins tidying up all the wires and making sure that it was as clean an install as possible.

Once all was said and done, we turned on the unit and used the Cardo Connect app to make sure everything was working and VOILA! That crisp, clear, and loud sound through the JBL speakers were music to our ears. Oh and did we mention that the units come with automatic volume adjustment to adjust the volume base on external noises? What a smart feature!

• First Use & Software

The only thing left to do after installation is complete, as with most tech products in 2022, is to pair the unit with your phone. You have to download the Cardo Connect app:

iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/cardo-connect/id1333553210

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cardo.smartset&hl=en_SG&gl=US

And pair your Bluetooth comms system through the app. The first thing the app will ask you to do is to update to the latest firmware, and this is something that Cardo has made extremely seamless and not what you will get from other brands or China OEM style systems. Updating to the latest firmware gives you all the latest improvements and bug fixes that Cardo has rolled out and keeps your Cardo unit in tip-top condition.

The app gives you all the functions of the unit (which you can control through voice command as well) but what i did was to use the app to setup the unit as i wanted to use it before setting off on a ride. The phone + app combo is still easier to navigate rather than remembering the voice commands or button combinations on the actual unit itself.

From the main screen, you can see option for "Radio", "Phone", "Intercom", or "Music", which gives you a very simplistic idea of what you can use the communication systems for. The battery indicator is also very useful to let you know how much battery life you have left. Cardo has a quick-charge feature built into its new products and they claim up to a talk time of 2 hours with just 20 mins of charge!

Should you wish to dabble more into the settings, the "Audio Profile / General Settings" page is also very intuitive and easy to navigate and you can be up and running in as short as 5 minutes after your first setup. The unit will remember your settings so you do not have to go through the process everything you go for a ride. Set it just once and forget!

Verdict

Over here at SingaporeBikes.com, we are a strong believer in buy it right and buy it once. Cardo has been represented by Chong Aik exclusively for many years and Chong Aik has shown to stand behind their products. In fact, they are the ONLY comms distributor in Singapore to offer up to 3 years warranty for the Packtalk BOLD Black edition and 2 years warranty for everything else.

For those of you who do not ride in HUGE riding groups and require up to 2 miles of range, the Freecom 4X sits in very nicely at just $200+ per unit. Comes with all features you could ever ask for and like to like, there is no better comms system on the market. The Freecom 4X comes with an impressive 1.2 miles range which no other comms system in the same price range and feature comes close.

The Spirit and Spirit HD is also a very nice edition, with its retail price at just over $100, i'd go as far as to say that there's no reason to go for a China brandless OEM comms system now as they are usually priced at around $80. Just for a little bit more money, you get the assurance of Cardo's support and update, 2 years warranty, complete water-proof for worry free riding in the rain, and the build quality of Cardo cannot be disputed. Again, buy it RIGHT, and buy it ONCE. There have been way too many horror stories of brandless comm systems failing within the first few months and incurring more cost!

SPECIAL DEALS & PROMO!

Follow Chong Aik International Pte Ltd on their Facebook Page for the latest promo on Cardo products!

For purchase of SELECTED* Trax helmets, get 25% OFF the Cardo Spirit Single or Duo pack:

As Cardo’s SOLE AUTHORISED DISTRIBUTOR in Singapore, Chong Aik provide:
3-Year Warranty (For Packtalk Black)
2-Year Warranty
1-to-1 exchange (For parts deemed faulty not due to wear and tear)
*With proof of purchase: Invoice

Try the CARDO Spirit and CARDO Freecom 4X (Sound by JBL) with Chong Aik, the SOLE AUTHORISED DISTRIBUTOR at:

Helmets & Apparels Showroom
45 Desker Road, Singapore 209576
+65 6294 2532/1
9am-6pm | Mon-Fri
9am-5pm | Sat
Powerstar Motor P/L
151 Jalan Besar, Singapore 208869
+65 6392 5803
10:50am-7:30pm | Mon-Sun

If any of these new Cardo products tickle your fancy and also for more information, do check out Cardo's international press launch of the Cardo Spirit and Freecom 4X range which is now uploaded to YouTube: