Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1541234
Noise-Canceling Helmets? W hile there were many attention-grab- bing motorcycles at this year's EICMA, there were several cool products as well. What caught our attention most? A couple of noise-canceling helmets. Wind noise is one of the most persistent challenges for motorcyclists, contributing to fatigue on long rides and potential hear - ing damage over time. Unlike the constant drone of a jet engine, wind noise is dynamic and unpredictable, making it significantly more difficult to cancel electronically. Now, the motorcycle industry's two leading hel - met communication companies are tack- ling this problem head-on with Active Noise Canceling (ANC) technology. Sena released the Phantom helmet ear - lier this year as the first ANC-equipped mo- torcycle helmet on the market. At EICMA, Cardo announced its entry into the space with the Beyond helmet while also licensing their ANC technology to Schuberth, which unveiled its modular C5 ANC helmet. The technology requires more than simply adapting existing noise-canceling headphones. While many in-ear devices like Apple AirPods include noise cancel - ing, they're not as effective as over-the-ear headphones popularized by Bose. The superior performance of over-ear designs comes from acoustic chambers that sur- round the speakers—chambers that tra- ditional motorcycle helmets simply don't have room for. That's why all three manu- facturers designed these helmets specifi- cally from the ground up to accommodate ANC technology. We had the opportunity to try both the Cardo Beyond and Schuberth C5 ANC helmets in simu- lated wind tunnels at the EICMA show, and both delivered a noticeable reduction in wind noise. We look forward to real-world tests soon. After years of development, this technology is finally reaching consumers. The Sena Phantom full-face helmet is available now with an MSRP of $649. Cardo's Beyond GTS and Beyond GT (both full-face models) are expected to arrive in the U.S. in summer 2026, priced at $1199 and $949, respectively. The Schuberth C5 ANC is also expected next summer with an MSRP of $1499 for the complete helmet and communications system kit. CN WIND IN THE P44 Cardo introduced at EICMA its full-face Beyond helmet that includes Active Noise Canceling (ANC) and a lot of other innovative features Schuberth licensed the Cardo ANC technology and built the new C5 ANC modular helmet to accommodate the system.