audio system advice please.

[fairbrother1969]

Hi all, i'm looking for a intercom system for the @, i want the main system to be fitted to the bike with volume control on the bars, it also needs to be able to plug in the garmin zumo sat nav, mobile phone, i-pod, and needs to have very high stereo quality sound with some kind of amp as i find the i-pod a little on the quite side. I've been looking into the autocom pro and the starcom digital, but have never heard either.

All input and advice welcome.

[angelo]

Do you really want all that noise and distraction - I can see the need for a bike to bike communication or even a rider to pillion. Also having Sat Nav may be useful but high quality and loud stereo and mobile are recipes for disaster. How will you hear engine noise, car horns etc

I would rethink your needs and if you really do need all this on what is a a smallish adventure trail bike. gold wing well yes if you have to but AT ! I don't think so. unless of course you do something with it that needs all this.

Think of your ears as well - I have worn earplugs for the past 20 years and even with that I have some tinnitus now - to get good sound you would be riding with iPhone ear plug speakers which have to be less effective as well as bombarding your ears with extra loud noise.

But hey ho I am just one of those old bikers (but still here)

[fairbrother1969]

Hi mate, thanks for the reply but i've been using a portable stereo for over 20yrs and never had any probs hearing traffic or engine noise ( which lets be honest you can feel things going wrong way before you can hear it with a good fitting helmet and ear plugs ) and yes my hearing is not the best but i'd say that has more to do with over 20yrs loud rock music and working in a noisy machine shop lol, i understand what you mean about the disstraction though, thats why i would want a volume control on the bars, sometimes you just want to hit the mute button and with a stereo in your pocket means the hassle of pulling over normally in a busy city centre lol. As for the phone, it would be handy to have the option of knowing when someones trying to get hold of you when your on the move. I'm only looking at running 2 things at once anyway ( prob sat nav and i-pod), due to the possible power drain with also charging either the phone or the laptop while on the move.

[Whealie]

I have the Starcom Digital. It will do what you want and more. The company also took over Autocom. People with Autocom love them. I have had niggles with this Starcom - mainly about wind noise form pillions microphone - but it does do all the things you need.

[fairbrother1969]

How much of a volume increase do you have available on the digital compared to just your mp3? And compared to a half decent car stereo how does the sound quality compare? I'm assuming your using the helmet headphones and not the ear plug style.

[Whealie]

You can deafen yourself. I have mis-set it and had to stop because it was hurting my eardrum.

With the setting right it is great - and it automatically gets a little louder as you go faster. There is a remote control unit but they do now do a simple volume control and I think I will buy that as settings are complex.

[fairbrother1969]

Cheers mate, sounds like the starcom is just what i'm after, could do with hearing from anyone who use's the Autocom to make a complete comparison.