Sena 20 versus Sena 10 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Sena 20 versus Sena 10

MacDoc

Well-known member
Site Supporter
First time going to Sena after an iffy experience with Scala quality over time.

Can any users comment on the difference as it's almost half price for a pair of 10s versus 20s and figure less on Black Friday.

TIA
 
I have the SMH10, great for what it is and been great the past couple of years. Got it for a steal at Crazy Al's.

Here's what I could find about the differences:

[h=2]Features exclusive to the Sena 20S:[/h]
  • Bluetooth 4.0
  • Built-in FM radio with seek/scan and station presets.
  • Dedicated headphone/earbud port on the front of the helmet mount (!).
  • Group intercom function.
  • Sena smartphone app (Android and iPhone).
  • Audio multitasking (music or GPS instructions play under the intercom conversation; volume can be adjusted).
  • Voice command system with adjustable "motion sensor"; tap twice on the intercom module to activate.
  • NFC (Near Field Communications) allows "tap and pair" with other NFC-enabled Bluetooth devices.
  • Ambient mode: press a button on the headset to hear sounds and conversation outside of the helmet (overrides internal connections).
[h=2]Updated Features of the Sena 20S:[/h]
  • Low profile jog dial acts as a button and the phone button on the rear.
  • 13 hours of talk time and 10 days standby time (claimed). SMH10 has 12 and 10.
  • 8-way multi intercom. SMH has 4.
  • 2 km distance for the 20S compared to 900 m for the SMH10.
  • Can be paired with up to 9 Bluetooth devices. SMH10 has 3.
 
The 10 is a solid unit -- I've had one for 2+ years with no complaints, besides the low battery warning (which only comes on about 30 seconds before it shuts down). If I were buying today though, I'd probably pony up and buy the 20 given the BT 4.0, and the ability to have multiple sources run at the same time.
 
Features exclusive to the Sena 20S:

Bluetooth 4.0
- some value as I use the phone in BT

Built-in FM radio with seek/scan and station presets.
- never have had satisfactory FM but would be nice...

Dedicated headphone/earbud port on the front of the helmet mount (!).
√√√√√√

Group intercom function.
meh

Sena smartphone app (Android and iPhone).
might br useful to config.

Audio multitasking (music or GPS instructions play under the intercom conversation;volume can be adjusted).
this is worth while

Voice command system with adjustable "motion sensor"; tap twice on the intercom module to activate.
maybe

NFC (Near Field Communications) allows "tap and pair" with other NFC-enabled Bluetooth devices.
So this was the "big deal" that really wasn't

Ambient mode: press a button on the headset to hear sounds and conversation outside of the helmet (overrides internal connections).
Yes officer I CAN hear you. :D...useful.

Thanks - I think it's the 20 for me. Appreciated - thanks for grinding the mental gears to interpret my contextualess post. ;)
 
I recently purchased a second SMH-10. Battery time on original (2+ yrs old) decreased to 7 hours from the normal 12 hrs. The 12 hr rating is accurate for listening to music and having the intercom on. Incoming phone calls are clear. No dropouts unless I'm more the 7 metres from the phone (iphone 3GS/4S) Voice control of the phone is limited by the voice recognition on the phone itself. I went with the Sena because it was the only intercom available at the time that had a earphone jack. Too much gun/arty fire, loud concerts and bitchy harpy g/f's have taken their toll on my hearing and needed earbuds to hear gps directions at highway speed. The large jog button is a great design. It give excellent tactile feedback if you use heavy riding gauntlets. I have had as many as three Sena's linked on the intercom function. Linking the other units was surprisingly ease compared to reviews I've read concerning other brands. The 20 was available when I got the second SMH-10. The priorities of the inputs on the 20s are not my priorities. If leading a group I want to be able to hear gps directions with the intercom. My work around I've been using for over a year works well for me and didn't justify the cost of the 20. New features on the 20 that would have been of value to me is the integrated earphone jack. The jack on the 10 is a poor design and I've broke three of them. (All replaced under warranty.) FM radio is a nice to have but on long rides I'm more interested in weather radio. Increased range would be a nice to have for a large group ride IF everyone is using the same model. If I'm reading the 20's owner manual correctly the increased range is possible 20 to 20. The Sena 10 & 20 will work with almost any other bluetooth m/c intercom device but the maximum range would be the range of the device with the shortest range, e.g. 20 to 10 would be 650 m. A nice to have feature on the 10 and the 20 for those do very long rides is both models will operate while being charged. An external power bank and the micro usb cable and it will work as long as the power bank charge lasts.
 
I pre-ordered the S20 and got a pair of them in June. I was upgrading from the Scala G4 and I've never used a Sena 10 so I can not help you with a comparison to the Sena 10 but....

compared to the Scala....

My 1st pair of Scalas faiedl halfway through an inaugural trip out west riding through a rain storm. Luckily the place I purchased them from replaced them under warranty and I didn't need to deal directly with Scala. Then the following year one of the volume buttons stopped working and when I contacted Scala for a repair or replacement they said buy another one or upgrade to their G6... what a disappointment.. I decided at that point it would be anyone but Scala..

The Sena S20 is amazing. You have listed many of its features but here are the highlights for me.

- connects instantly to blue tooth
- allow you and your passenger to listen to the same music or phone calls (or not)
- I love being able to use my own ear buds
- activating the external mic is brilliant
- getting gps directions from my iPhone without having to mount a gps on my bike and to be able to hear instructions overtop of my music running in the background is amazing.

The only con I have found with the design is hitting the jog accidently when doing shoulder checks. I have the until mounted almost on the front of my helmet to minimize this. I guess that's because I'm on a sport type bike. I don't think s an issue for a cruiser, naked or scooter.







. . What an improvement over the Scala
 
- allow you and your passenger to listen to the same music or phone calls (or not)

The original SMH-10 didn't have this feature, but earlier this year with a firmware upgrade it gave this ability... which my wife and I love. Wish we had that option during our Euro trips the 2 years prior. I love the SMH-10s... 1 lasted through 3 years, including a couple rough 2-week, all day riding trips through the alps (constant rain, and even snow). My set crapped out on me on day 12 of 13 in 2013. It was still under the 2 year warranty so I got a new unit replaced for free.

The other original one is still going strong, and no issues with the replacement one yet (after one season of riding).

I'm considering getting 1 SMH-20 for my second helmet (and bike) I'll have for next season... don't see swapping out the mount from helmet to helmet working out too well.
 
Last edited:

Back
Top Bottom