LS2 Helmets Advant X Carbon Modular Helmet

This helmet is pretty nice. I came from a carbon fiber Simpson mod bandit. Super light and weighs the same as the Simpson. This helmet fits great and is a lot quieter. Rode four days, over ten hours in the saddle and no neck pain or aches. I mounted a Cardo pactalk to it and the only downside is the helmet does not allow u to clip it on. You have to use the 3M, but the helmet only has one flat spot closer to the back. Great visibility and the modular chin flips to the back with one hand; easy use. For the price it is a great helmet and the modular chin gives u versatility in wear.

This is an amazing helmet. The fit is comfortable and secure. The wind noise is minimal. I like the drop down visor. The speaker pockets are the perfect size for my Cardo. I but 3k miles in during break in and it performed flawlessly. This helmet is built very well. Well worth the price.

What is advertised is what you get. I think there is a little more thought and sophistication built into this Carbon fiber trim over the standard KPA version. For the price point diff - there better be. The cushion design is upgraded (patented too), the air vents are slightly different and the locking for them and the front face (mine is modular) is better. The quick release chinstrap is def better and the inner visor deployment is solid and secure. On the standard model, the inner visor was bending and threatened to fall off Cool stuff, can’t wait for Spring.

This review will encompass both the LS2 Advant X Carbon helmet and the Cardo LS2 4x Bluetooth Headset. First, the helmet definitely lives up to its claim of being high quality and comfortable. The functionality of the chin bar is smooth and doesn't bind. It locks securely when put in the down position and a press of the button releases it without effort. With the chin bar down and visor up, the noise level is really low, even lower with the visor down. I really can't find anything to complain about other than the chin strap system they use. After 50 years of using D-rings, it's a PITA getting used to securing it, but the release is great. I knew this prior to buying the helmet so I can't blame LS2. Love the matte carbon finish too!! Now for the Cardo LS2 4x, I find this headset to be a step backwards for Cardo. I purchased this headset because it is a very slick compact design that incorporates into the helmet with ease. Other than it being aesthetically pleasing it falls flat and doesn't live up to the great experiences I have with my 5-year old Cardo Packtalk Bold headsets in my other helmets. My two biggest complaints is connectivity when using Android Auto and shorter battery life than my aged and well used Packtalk Bolds. I'll address the connectivity issue first. The bike I'm using this headset with is a 2018 Goldwing Tour DCT that has built in Android Auto. And no, it's not an issue with the bike. When I use Packtalk Bold it connects 100% of the time every time. With Pactalk Bold I don't even have to think about it. I turn on Packtalk Bold first and start the bike and it goes directly into AA. This procedure doesn't work with the LS2 4x even though the screen on the bike shows the headset is connected. Even after five tries it doesn't connect. I have a better chance of connectivity after the bike's system is fully initialized then start Cardo, but that isn't 100% and can take multiple tries. As for battery life, it's definitely shorter compared to my 5-year old Packtalk Bold headset. All things being equal, I would expect battery life to exceed that of a well used aged battery unless the unit is drawing more power or the battery capacity is smaller. Now for the overall experience with the headset. I love the design as it takes up less space than the Packtalk Bold. The sound quality is excellent and on par with the Packtalk Bold that I'm used to. As with all my headsets, I added a pair of 50mm headphone cushions to the JBL speakers (See picture). This dramatically increases sound quality and allows for using a much lower volume setting that minimizes distortion and improves frequency response. With the shorter battery life, I find the need to charge more often and find it inconvenient to have to carry the helmet to where I'm going to do the charging instead of just taking the headset body. I knew this was going to be the procedure before buying the headset, but was willing to live with the inconvenience. And since I use Cardo in conjunction with a two-way radio, I buried the full face microphone in the left cheek pad by sliding it in one of the holes on the back using a hemostat for the Cardo and use the boom mic wired exclusively for the two-way radio (see pic). The hidden mic has excellent sound quality for phone calls. For people that dislike the looks of the boom mic, you have the option of hiding the mic without having performance issues. And if you need tech support don't do as I did and call Cardo directly, you have to contact LS2 if you can find their number. After being on hold for 29 minutes with Cardo before getting a representative, I was then told that they don't give tech support for the LS2 4x and that LS2 will be the ones to support it. Cardo told me they would forward my contact info to LS2 and they would get in touch with me, which they never did. Just an all around bad experience and waste of time. Bottom line: I would not recommend this headset for anyone that spends a considerable amount of time on their bike, especially Goldwing riders. The shortcomings might be acceptable to people that take their bike for very short runs. Maybe the connectivity issue can be rectified with a firmware update? I really want to like this headset, but if Cardo doesn't get this resolved in a few months, I'll just toss it in the trash and buy the Packtalk Edge since the Bold is no longer made. I'm not going to allow the shortcomings of this headset to sour the phenomenal performance I've had with Packtalk Bold, but it definitely isn't ready for primetime and I will not recommend this to my friends.

I have a half helmet and another modular helmet but this has such a great fit I doubt I will use either of the others. The pinlock that comes with it did not fit the face shield so that was a bummer but all in all this us a super helmet! Light weight, comfortable and looks good. It is however pricy but your life is worth it!