Sena SMH5 vs SMH10: Differences and why you should just pay the $$ for the SMH10.

The Sena SMH5 www.spoiledbiker.com/product50... is a great entry level motorcycle Bluetooth intercom but the SMH10 has much better specs and features. Here we review what the differences are and why you should just pay the money for the SMH10. The SMH10 has better battery life, a usable bike to bike range, more robust clamp / microphone setup and better speakers than the SMH5 among other things. • Sena SMH5 vs SMH10: Di...

[@DeeMcQueen]

Thank you for your help. This has cleared up a question I had for ages about pairing to more than one other headset. I'll be going for the smh10.

[@jimevans2110]

Trying to decide btwn the 5 & 10 - your vid helped a lot.. Thanks,

[@thekelvin5000]

Very helpful. Thanks. I was trying to decide between the two... and I'm now leaning to the 10.

[@maribethcyarnell3530]

THANKS SO MUCH! clarified my purchase for our two-bike cross countries coming up in April and May. Seemed silly to spend an extra $35 for no reason... I see that for us, there is exceptionally GOOD reason to go with the -10

[@canukicecycle]

Great detailed review. Thank you for the walk through on these communicators.

[@gabigfoot]

I have the SMH10. You were right about the pins potentially breaking. I had one pin that got stuck and would not connect which caused the mic not to work. It took me days to figure out the problem and Sena tech support couldn't diagnose it either. Got it replaced but it was a hassle. Other than that one problem, this unit is super. It's very loud and clear with music and cell phone. I don't use the intercom feature.

[@friley7151]

Great Vid...exactly the info I was looking for!

[@jdemcee7904]

My friend and I each have the 5. It works great. We each ride our own bike and have had no signal loss yet. voice sounds good, high volume on the speakers. Speakers lack in the bass department. Still haven't figured out the music sharing feature. It's a good unit but if I could do it again I might opt for the cardo pack talk.

[@853massey]

SMH5 with firmware 2.0 (as well as other models) has also universal intercom feature for connecting to non Sena devices.

[@sparrow2a]

Very helpful comparison!

[@dunnd1]

Good info, thanks for helping me make my decision

[@tophat9106]

this was a very helpful vid thanks.

[@VasyaIvanovichPupkin]

The new SMH5 has the same large speakers as the rest of the lineup. Also, the new firmware adds multipoint pairing, universal intercom (pair it to absolutely any other intercom or even a regular Bluetooth headset), music sharing, etc. Really, at this point, the only difference is the battery life, the intercom range, and the 4-way intercom. I can't say that SMH5 struggles with either, for a commuter. It may be a different story on a longer trip, but you can always run a power cable as an option.

[@marcelberube6226]

Third Pedal

[@dimosk7389]

i just bought the SMH5 with the upgraded speakers. nice little device, very effective, does what it promises perfectly. i know i give up on multi user conference but i am not someone who rides with others all the time. the speaker quality is a bit of a dissapointment tbh. although they are loud and clear, they lack any kind of bass when playing music, even with bass boost switched on in my phone settings. not a deal breaker ofc, but just a small compromise they also mention a 400m range on SMH5, so its definitely not a rider-passenger only device for my situation, i dont think it s worth to pay almost double the money for SMH10 (120 vs 230 euros)

[@omarmabrouk5361]

good review man thnx alot

[@HoosierThrottle]

One plus for the SMH5 that wasn't mentioned is the built-in FM receiver, which works quite well, especially with the upgraded speakers. The SMH10 doesn't have a dedicated FM receiver, although your BT device probably already has an app. for it.

[@johnw7018]

Nice video thankyou!! So you can hook up you're own headphone to the SMH10?

[@renegadebiker24]

The SMH10-11 has a problem, I think in the design, and the one I had, I had to send off to Sena for repairs, because it was very staticy when I paired it to the GP10. I suspect that the quality assurance was missing on some of those units, and they did not do such a good job in functional testing those units. The SMH10-11 that I have also was not only staticy, but it did make random popping noises as well. I have a lot of videos that prove this on my channel. I hope to get my replacement soon, and this problem will be resolved. I suspect it probably is either a grounding issue, or a bad capacitor or resistor in the unit.

[@richardwasserman]

Thanks. This makes my decision easier to make.

[@jamesjohnson8289]

Good Info.....THANKS.!

[@FinlessBob]

Take a look at the new SMH5-FM. It allows 4 way conf like the SMH10 and has upgraded ears buds. That's what I went with.

[@motorunity9257]

Great video Thanks!

[@hadryden]

As of firmware rev 5.0 on the Sena SMH10 you can pair this device with the Scala Cardo g9

[@whioke]

super helpful. thank you.

[@jonathanyoung2879]

very helpful thank you

[@jeffbradshaw4942]

Question: I'm new to the idea of intercoms. The -11 also has the wired mic while the -10 does not. Seems in a tight full-face helmet, you'd want the wired over the boom. Am I right on that? Any other differences between the two versions aside from a few bucks?

[@vinnychoff]

thanks great video

[@boblacey3770]

thanks for the info

[@FaithisKey792]

Do I have to buy two units smh-10 for 2 helmets. Or does 1 unit come with the gear to connect or speak to my passenger. Great review. Thank you brother.

[@TheSamuraiRonin]

Can I use an external mic cord from my Ghost-s camera into the smh10 & use the boom as mic?

[@bsaenz1551]

I just picked up the SMH5 off amazon for less than $100. So far everything is working fine except for the mic. I am still using the stock one, and am really considering the boom. When testing a phone call in a quite room, the other side could hardly hear me. While riding, the system tells me error, try again later. The music quality is no where near as good as ear buds, but with wind and engine noise in effect, it does the job. Overall, it works, and is pretty good for about $100.

[@KUTTA1NONLY]

B Saenz got mines for $60, so I'm good either way. can make phone calls and listen to some type of music.

[@WIDERisBETTER]

I have the smh5. The speakers were terrible and distorted at full volume and actually the right one blew out on me after maybe 6 hours of use. I bought the upgraded speaker kit to replace that and it is a lot clearer and no distortion and has more bass. Honestly I would suggest using an EQ on your phone to adjust the settings for bass so that you aren't burning out the speakers. I will say tho the range is probably 500ft to 1000ft for the smh5 when riding with my buddy and fades out when maxed.

[@R1carib]

Will the SMH 10 speakers work on the SMH five unit? Thanks

[@mojo9291]

Is there a difference in audio from the microphones that come with the two units?

[@Cornel1001]

How they still sell them after 10 years ! BT improve massive in this period!

[@rodiborst]

The one thing i have not been able to find yet. With the SMH10/5/R, is it possible to connect to other intercom systems that are not from Sena. Like Scala or Interphone?

[@GoSutto]

Really helpful video. M

[@MrSuperpat]

I have both. The SMH5 speakers look the same size but they distort at higher volumes. The SMH10 has better sound quality.

[@jreicker1]

How does SMH5 perform in the rain with external plugs and jog wheel? Which adds more noise? Easy to pair with Zumo 550 or other GPS?

[@michaelbennett8847]

The SMH5 now has the upgraded speakers. For me, I want FM more than the other features (10 doesn't have FM). 20S was returned for horrific volume issues. Do you still think the 10 is better than the 5?

[@friley7151]

Hey Michael...So the "new" SM5 has upgraded speakers?

[@VasyaIvanovichPupkin]

The new SMH5 has the same large speakers as the rest of the lineup. Also, the new firmware adds multipoint pairing, universal intercom (pair it to absolutely any other intercom or even a regular Bluetooth headset), music sharing, etc. Really, at this point, the only difference is the battery life, the intercom range, and the 4-way intercom. I can't say that SMH5 struggles with either, for a commuter. It may be a different story on a longer trip, but you can always run a power cable as an option.

[@runtripfall]

great video, my only concern is i have a samsung galaxy s3 and i've been coming across bad reviews with this phone and the smh10. have you heard of any problems or no problems with usability with s3?

[@studs69jb]

I use that setup and honestly i have no problems. Music is clear, i can answer while I ride.

[@recepaktanhokkaomeroglu6198]

thanks a lot

[@hasnosouls]

I got the smh 5 and I have been having trouble with the mic. It picks up too much noise. if the bike is idling or any wind noise it completely drowns out my voice. I tried putting it behind the padding in the helmet and put it in foam padding but it didn't make a difference. any suggestions?

[@robrandonbee3430]

Sounds like what was happening to mine. Does the 5 come with a clip-on for the back on the mic? I put the clip on the side of the mic facing away from my mouth, then put on the foam cover. I eliminated noise and my wife said she could hear me better.

[@mrkngkhan]

Capabilities of receiving and placing calls, syncing bluetooth for music, don't have to keep pressing walkie talkie button to speak, if you have navigation on your phone you can listen to turn by turn directions, now a walkie talkie can't do that can it?

[@alanharrington]

Can the boom mike on the SH10 be removed (i.e. is it plugged in via a jack plug or is it fixed? I ask this because I really don't want the mike fixed to the helmet when I am not using the intercom as it is prone to damage due to wear and tear and weather unnecessarily...

[@Brandon-ob9rg]

SMH10-10 attached. SMH10-11 removable.

[@crickiit66]

If the speakers are too low can you upgrade them to anything else or do you only have those ones you can replace sorry that makes no sense

[@danieljuno810]

smh 5 has a lower range but works much father then this video states. 3 can be paired. maybe this is before firmware update

[@darkiconknight]

SMH5 isn' t for rider to passenger only, me and my mate have one. We get a clear sound up to 400 meters... Without any problems.

[@kevinsanchezusaga3851]

I bet it does. You can talk to a mate even with intercoms from china 😂

[@MrPontiacfever]

How much does the smh 10 cost and where to buy it.

[@thekelvin5000]

How do these hold up in rain?

[@Brandon-ob9rg]

Waterproof.

[@danielstoresund3110]

Still buying the Smh5

[@kevinfavela9185]

So with the SMH10 four people can talk at the same time right? Like if I say something everyone will here it?

[@OskarasNauseda]

yes

[@Brandon-ob9rg]

That is correct.

[@berniedmjm4108]

Hey! Can you please do one on the sena smh10r. SENA hasn't made any "How to" video on this device. I know people are saying it's an identical setup like the smh10 other than being low profile & having 3 buttons but it's still different. Different because it doesn't have a phone button. In any event, I just ordered mine & I want to be well versed on it when it comes in. Thanks

[@ericcota4641]

Do they pair together. Smh5 and smh10

[@cheekoo9449]

Eric Cota 4:35

[@jonathanvh09]

Not true.. it only allows 1 to 1 communication (passenger), and a 4 way communication, but not a conference like the SMH10. You have to switch between persons and you can only talk 1 to 1

[@CozmoNz]

Only downfall of the SMH10 is the fact that it cannot play FM radio.... Where as the SMH5 now comes with an FM Radio Built In

[@cobrajett11]

ive seen vids of the smh5 being used between 3 different bikes and it is good up to a few hundred yards so your facts arent really facts now are they...

[@richardbattles9122]

Why did you even watch the video????

[@cobrajett11]

lol jus lettin the ppl know its not all true