CW EVALUATION: Scala Rider Q3 MultiSet

They say silence is golden. And it is, but a quick phone call, intercom discussion with another rider/passenger, or music playing in your helmet isn’t so bad at times either.

The Scala Rider Q3 MultiSet zip-case comes with two complete Q3s that are pre-paired for voice-activated direct communication (if you choose to set it up that way) up to 3,200 feet, and as many as four Q3s can be connected like this.

It’s surprising how great it is on group rides to simply be able to talk with other riders, and it’s nice to be able to voice-activate a conversation (or press a button).

Pairing to equipped motorcycles, phones, and GPS units was reliable, simple, and generally quick. It was sometimes fussy with my Garmin zūmo 390, but I’ve also had that trouble with other headset brands. The Q3’s two channels mean you can pair two devices, and your smartphone’s voice-command system can be activated by button taps on the helmet-mounted unit. Which brings up one of the challenges with so many features operated by a total of four buttons: Controlling the unit’s many features is a bit like learning Morse code.

Earplug wearers might find the audio “code” tones tough to hear. Voice calls/intercom/music were just loud enough with volume maxed (at which point the bass notes began to distort).

There is also a Music Sharing feature that allows an A2DP Bluetooth stereo signal to be shared with the paired unit. An FM receiver is built in too.

Battery life was a nonissue: Standby is about a week, and the Q3 generally can handle more than seven hours playing music and conducting a few phone calls.

Overall, it’s an excellent, reliable, user-friendly pair of headsets.