The XBi2 intercom housing is smooth with a solid polished-rock feel. The lower port is for the headset connection and the upper port does double-duty as the DC charging point and the auxiliary connection for wired devices (MP3 player, FRS/GMRS radio, etc). Two 3.5mm four-element connection ports with tight weather seals dominate the back edge of the module. The front pressure button is for the Intercom, the upper forward button controls Power On/Off, the lower left is for Mode selection and the two rear controls are Volume Up and Volume Down.
Chatterbox helmets Bluetooth#
The translucent XBi2 Bluetooth module has five controls on its face. The primary difference between the two kits is that the Open Face kit has the boom microphone pre-mounted on the metal clip bracket. The replaceable Lithium-Polymer battery is pre-installed. Everything needed for a complete installation is packaged neatly in the separate boxes.īoth kits include a BT module, a light metal clip bracket, a plastic base plate, an integrated headset and microphone assembly, an accessory bag with mounting pads for the speakers and microphone and three small screws, a bi-adhesive cutout and two plastic clips for mounting wire leads along the bottom edge of a helmet.Ī 110-240V AC adapter, the small 15 page guide and a popsicle stick for gently pushing wiring up into liners round out the packing list.
Chatterbox helmets full#
Of the two XBi2 systems on hand, one is an open face kit and the other a full face kit. It does not (appear) to support the Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP) however. The device supports the Headset Profile (HSP), Hands-Free Profile (HFP) and the Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP). A 3.5mm stereo input jack is available as well for wired connections. In addition to most of the features offered by the XBi, the XBi2 has additional power for Class 1 (100mW) duplex communications between three (3) riders up to 500 metres or 1640 feet.Įquipped with A2DP technology the unit allows stereo audio to be streamed from any compatible Bluetooth source on a device to device basis or by using a compatible Bluetooth Adapter (BTA) such as the iCombi AG12 or AG12 from non-Bluetooth devices. This latest rider-to-rider wireless intercom offered up by Chatterbox has some real enhancements over the standard but very capable XBi. Given the rider-to-rider configuration needed during travel to the 2009 BMW MOA and RA rallies and the traversing of curvy mountain roads in between, the XBi2 systems and the iCombi BTA got the nod for use, along with two other systems. Current Chatterbox offerings include transmitter and intercom systems in addition to alarm and radar and accessories that complement their other products. Much to my surprise, the ChatterBox package included two rider-to-passenger XBi kits and two of the new XBi2 system kits for rider-to-rider or rider-to-passenger intercom use and also two iCombi Bluetooth Adapters (aka BTAs).Ĭhatterbox intercoms are sold as either an XBi or XBi2 module and then an open-face or full-face microphone/headset must be chosen, which provides flexibility when ordering (see Summary Table below).Ĭhatterbox has been making good communications systems for a number of years now and they have always taken a slightly different approach in their use of technology and in integrating unique but useful features. Some years have passed since I had a new Chatterbox system to play with so I was eager to tear in to the box sent up by the Editor (he really is a nice guy).
The Chatterbox XBi2 system is in the ‘reward’ classification, for many reasons. So charger clag is a fact of life for me.Īs with any technology-specific product, some will reward, some will not and some will just frustrate. These other systems have been providing daily service as well as serving as the baseline for comparison. In addition to the XBi2 systems, I have four other systems undergoing evaluation or in the queue along with three others, including one that is a mix of wired and wireless connectivity.
Chatterbox helmets series#
This review of the Chatterbox XBi2 Bluetooth rider-to-rider system is the third in an ongoing series of reviews covering new market arrivals and updated Bluetooth or Bluetooth-based communications systems.
With other reviews ongoing and more systems coming out of the woodwork, the XBi2 might have challengers soon, but for now, it is my recommended pick. All of the new systems have leading edge features - some more, some less, but none of them have packaged it as well as Chatterbox.Īlthough the XBi2 doesn’t have the same media switching sophistication of other systems and the headset needs improving (most do - remember, A2DP…), everything else it does, it does better. There is not much to complain about here.
A new system from Chatterbox and a new contender for top of the heap for me.
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