Cardo Freecom 4x Review

Admin · June 21, 2022

Testing the Freecom 4x in an Arai Ram-X while riding a BMW K 1600 Grand America. (Jeff Allen /)

As technology among in-helmet communicators has advanced, products seem to be split into two schools: those with long-range rider-to-rider intercom technology, and more simple devices just meant to connect a rider to their phone and occasional passenger. Cardo has been a leader in this space for years and with this latest product, it seems the company has continued to raise the bar of what a Bluetooth communicator can do. The new Cardo Freecom 4x is louder and clearer than previous Bluetooth devices, with a longer-lasting battery and costs $269.95. For riders who don’t often find themselves in large groups, the 4x integrates much of Cardo’s higher-end technology at a lower price, and in a smaller, simpler unit.

When Cardo introduced its collaboration with JBL Audio, it put the brand in a league of its own. The audio is clearer, louder, and more defined than any system I had tested prior to this collaboration and it just continues to get better. The 40mm speakers were engineered by JBL specifically for use in motorcycle helmets with a specially tuned music processor and three audio profiles: Bass Boost, High Volume, and Vocal. With this introduction, I went from being able to mostly hear my music if it was cranked all the way up, to listening to a podcast and hearing every word. But it has just been improved upon once again.

The Cardo Freecom 4x is available now for $269.95 on cardosystems.com. (Cardo/)

The new 4x introduces Bluetooth 5.2 which enables more efficient compression and decompression. More information can be transmitted to the device over lower bandwidths and at lower power. In short, more audio information means less degradation from the original source and higher-quality sound in your helmet. That said, it did require some tuning through the Cardo Connect app to get the system right where I wanted it.

The Cardo Connect app is a useful tool for getting the most out of your Freecom device. It lets you take advantage of universal Bluetooth pairing if you want to connect to a Sena, Lexin, or other brand of communicator. You can independently adjust audio levels between phone calls, music, FM radio, and intercom. It’s here that riders can also fine-tune Cardo’s Natural Voice Operation’s sensitivity, and take advantage of one of the most useful new features: over-the-air updates. No longer do Cardo users need to plug their device into a computer to update its firmware; now it can be done over the air through the app. Before pairing my unit to the app, music sounded a bit thin and tinny, with too much treble, too little bass, and not enough volume. But once paired with the app, adjustments and fine-tuning, including JBL’s Bass Boost audio profile, showed great improvement.

I was able to pair the 4x to another brand’s Bluetooth device, but I experienced some trouble trying to pair it to Cardo’s mesh intercom systems, both the Packtalk Bold and the new Packtalk Edge. Intercom is limited to four connections, hence the 4x, but if you’re riding with that many people, it might be a good idea to step up to a mesh unit anyway.

Cardo claims a range of 0.75 mile from unit to unit while using Bluetooth intercom. We found this claim to be accurate, though our time bike-to-bike testing was limited. Most of our intercom testing took place while riding two-up, where the 4x performed exceptionally well with loud, clear audio.

Aside from the mesh pairing issue, I had two minor issues with the Freecom 4x. The first is that the rotary dial on the bottom of the device is too easily triggered by accident. While mounted with the nonadhesive clip, looking left to change lanes would cause the collar of my leather jacket to turn the dial and crank the volume all the way up. Switching to the adhesive plate mount and securing the device higher up on my helmet solves this problem. The second issue is that the buttons require a hard push to work. You can feel the tactile click of the button, but if you don’t hear the “beep” in your helmet, you didn’t push hard enough.

The 4x can be detached from your helmet with a single button for convenient charging. The device is also completely waterproof and comes with a two-year warranty.

At $269, the Freecom 4x is $70 cheaper than the Packtalk Bold and $120 less than the new Edge, but if you mainly ride alone or with a passenger, there’s not a lot of reason to spend the extra money. The Freecom 4x applies much of the high-end features from the more expensive units, while keeping the overall package lighter, more compact, and more affordable. For many riders, the 4x is going to be the best choice of currently available in-helmet communicators.

For more information or to purchase a Freecom 4x, head to cardosystems.com.

The Freecom 4x is fully waterproof and can be easily removed for charging. (Cardo/)