Motorcycle Bluetooth communicators are a pretty heated arena these days. Sena, Cardo, Uclear, and even some helmet manufacturers have been waging an arms race against each other for the last few years. They keep one-upping each other with features, integration, ease of use, and durability.
I’ve had the opportunity to use a number of Bluetooth comms over the years, and my hands down favorite is the Cardo Freedom 2+. While not necessarily the best comm on paper, it hits a “just right” sweet spot that would make Goldilocks happy.
Update, March 2023: while Cardo no longer sells the Freecom 2+, the Spirit HD is essentially the same device, and the Freecom 2X builds on the 2+, so this review is largely applicable to those.
It’s easy to set up and use, sounds great, has a slim aerodynamic profile, and is one of the more affordable options on the market.
Design and Ease of Use
The Freecom 2+ immediately stands out for its sleek, aerodynamic profile. Installation is a breeze, and once installed, it doesn’t protrude awkwardly off the side of your helmet. Drag and wind noise is often an issue with comms, and Cardo solves that by keeping the design as aerodynamic as possible.
I have an issue with most Sena headsets and the large bump at the bottom of them that houses the electronics and audio connectors. That bump often interferes with the helmet sitting flush when placed on a desk, table, or shelf. It also catches on jackets with higher collars, as well as scarves, bandanas, and neck gaiters. Worst of all, it reduces aerodynamics and creates wind noise. The Freecom 2+ doesn’t have such a bump, so that problem disappears. The end result of Cardo’s design feels more thoughtful and refined.
Operability is simple and straightforward. The Freecom 2+ has four buttons on it’s face. These four buttons perform all functions of the headset. A single press, double-tap, or press-and-hold of one or two of the buttons handle all functions.
Everything from powering on and off, controlling the volume, playing/pausing music, and opening the intercom channel, are performed with simple button presses. Nothing’s hidden, and it’s nice and easy.
Sure, there’s a brief learning curve to it, but it all comes together pretty quickly. It’s only four buttons, and it doesn’t have a ton of functions, so it’s never confusing or overwhelming.
The buttons themselves are large, have ridges on them, making them easy to find with gloves on, and there is ample tactile and audio feedback from the headset. You know when you’ve pressed a button, and there’s rarely any guesswork involved.
Features
Overall, the Freecom 2+ is pretty straightforward and basic on features. From my perspective, this simplicity works in its favor to keep the headset small, affordable, and easy to use. There’s some downsides, though, and being basic and straightforward presents a few limitations.
Intercom
Intercom audio quality is generally great. At lower speeds it’s very clear, allowing for uninterrupted conversation. However, at higher speeds (70mph+) wind noise tends to overwhelm the microphone.
Plus, reception at the edge of its 500m (1600ft, or about 1/3 of a mile) range gets a little sketchy.
In those cases, the audio will break up a bit. That said, it still works fine for brief conversations and quickly sharing information.
Getting up and running is easy. Just pair the headsets, press the button to open the comm channel, and talk away. If you buy the Duo Pack they even come pre-paired. It saves a few minutes of setup, and allows you to just dive into using them.
Probably the biggest limitation is only being able to pair to one headset at a time. Connecting to multiple headsets is out of the question. You must unpair from one before pairing to another. This can be tedious if you have headsets on other helmets, or frequently ride with different people.
A Freecom 4+ or a Packtalk is necessary to pair to multiple headsets for group communication. The Freecom 2+ is clearly geared toward those who are predominantly solo riders, or only need the intercom occasionally.
Finally, the intercom can be voice activated. Start talking loudly, or just shout “hey” and it will open the comm channel. It sounds ok on paper, but honestly, I’m not a fan of this feature, and have it disabled. It’s too finicky. A cough, sneeze, or other loud noise can unintentionally trigger it, whether there’s another comm in range or not. When it opens the comm channel it interrupts your music, and if there isn’t another comm on the channel, you’ll get an annoying “not available” error from it.
Bluetooth and App Connectivity
Where the Freecom 2+ really shines is its Bluetooth smartphone connectivity for music and phone calls. It’s absolutely bulletproof. The Bluetooth connection to my phone has never failed after more than a year of daily use.
Music quality and volume are excellent. I’ve used much more expensive models that don’t sound as good. Among favorite features is the dynamic volume, which adjusts the volume of the music based on your speed; it’s quieter at low speeds, and gets louder as you go faster. This is a feature many cars have had for years now, and it’s cool to see it makes its way into motorcycle headsets.
Music sounds great through the included standard speakers. Upgraded JBL speakers are available if you want better output and audio quality.
The Cardo Connect app works great for managing you device settings, such as max volume output, dynamic volume threshold, and microphone sensitivity. Getting it dialed in and personalized just for you will have a big impact on getting the most out of the headset.
Battery Life
Battery life is also an important factor for a headset communicator, and the Freecom 2+ is on the verge of ridiculous. I use mine almost daily, for hours per day, and typically only charge it once every week or two. Cardo claims it’s good for up to 13 hours of talk time. In my experience, it easily meets, if not exceeds, that claim. To have a device that actually holds a charge for a long time is pretty awesome.
Final Rating
The Freecom 2+ may fall into the entry-level Bluetooth comm category, but it punches above its weight class. For a basic comm that just gets out of your way and gets the job done, it’s about as good as it gets. It’s sleek and aerodynamic, installs cleanly and simply, has great audio quality, long battery life, and is affordable.
The only drawback is that it can only connect to one other intercom, so it’s not well-suited for riders who regularly ride with large groups. It’s an impressive device overall, and perfect for the solo rider or daily commuter who just needs music and GPS.
