Sena 20s Evo VS 30k: What Are The Key Differences?
Tied between choosing the Sena 20s Evo or Sena 30K? If yes, we’re here to rescue you from the dilemma.
As you already know, Sena is one of the top brands in the motorcycle intercom industry. They have a wide range of top-notch products, including the two mentioned above. And trying to decide which system to get can be really hard as both devices seem to offer great features and performance.
We have done some research on these two intercoms to help bring out the key differences between them and make it easy for you to decide which one to buy.
Table of Contents
Sena 20S-EVO vs the Sena 30K: Background information
Before we compare the two motorcycle intercoms, it’s worth noting that both of them share plenty of features and are almost the same. In other words, Sean 30K acts as a direct upgrade of the Sena 20s Evo.
Some of the features you’ll get in both models include Bluetooth connectivity, mobile phone pairing, stereo multitasking, audio multitasking, dual audio functionality, voice commands, and FM radio.
With the two devices sharing soo many features, it explains why you might be having a tough time trying to figure which of the systems will make a good motorcycle intercom for your motorcycle riding.
Sena 20S-EVO vs the Sena 30K: The Key Differences
Despite the two intercom systems sharing many features, they’re not without some notable differences. These are significant differences as they tend to affect how the two products deliver in terms of performance and reliability.
Let’s outline the main differences between Sena 20-Evo and Sena 30K below:
Communication Technology
One of the areas where the two motorcycle communication devices differ is the communication technology they come integrated with.
The Evo-20s, which was released a bit earlier, tend to stick to the traditional Bluetooth technology used in the regular intercoms. To be specific, the system features Bluetooth 4.1 technology that enables you to communicate with other riders or pair with your smartphone.
The Sena 30K, being an upgrade of the Sena 20, you expect it to come with something even better. And it doesn’t disappoint; it features Mesh communication technology, which is far more superior than Bluetooth.
While the Bluetooth technology requires all the riders to be connected to communicate smoothly, the mesh model riders can connect and disconnect at will without affecting the other riders’ connectivity.
Aside from the Mesh technology, the Sena 30k also features Bluetooth connectivity that lets you all the benefits that come with this tech, such as smartphone pairing.
Number of Users Supported
Another sharp difference that comes out between the two intercom systems revolves around the number of riders they can support.
When looking for the perfect motorcycle communication system, you’d want to consider the number of users it can support at a go.
For the Sena 20s Evo, it relies on Bluetooth technology to facilitate connections of up to 8 bikers.
For the Sena 30K, it uses mesh intercom technology, which facilitates limitless users to connect when (in public mode) and up to 15 bikers to connect (in private mode).
If you’re looking for a communication device for a larger riders group, then you’d want to forget about Sena 20s Evo.
Range
The Evo 20s deliver stable connections among connected riders for distances up to 1.2 miles (approx. 2km). In comparison, the 30K facilitates stable connections of up to 5 miles (approx. 8km) when in public mode…and up to 1mile (approx. 1.6km) when in private mode.
Note that these distances are tested on a clear line of sight. This means the range might get affected by trees, mountains, and other physical obstructions.
The 30K’s owes its extended communication range capabilities to the mesh intercom technology.
Again, Sena 30K would make an ideal choice for a large group of riders who are likely to get wider apart.
Talktime
One of the top reasons why bikers love the 20s Evo is its outstanding talk time capability. It delivers up to 13 hours of talk time and listening time for sound lovers. This makes it the ideal device for keeping you connected with fellow riders when going on a long motorcycle trip.
As for the 30K, it has a shorter talk or listening time of around 8 hours. This is because the mesh network technology requires a lot of power to function well.
However, some riders who own 30K use this trick to enjoy 13 hours of talk time from Sena 30K; they turn off the mesh technology and use the Bluetooth tech instead. But this comes at a sacrifice in the sense that you’ll lose the connection range between devices by up to approximately 6km.
Charging Time
The 20s Evo requires about 2 ½ hours to become fully charged. This is unlike its 30K counterpart, which takes a lesser charging period of 1 ½ hours.
The reason why Sena added a quick-charge feature to their Sena 30K model comes from the idea that you’ll need to charge it more frequently, hence the need to make it recharge faster.
Cost
Before you buy a motorcycle intercom system, you must check its price tag to see if it’s within your budget or not.
So, how do the prices of the two models compare?
As you’d expect, the Sena 20s Evo comes at a little cheaper cost, with its current MSRP standing at $355 for a single package or $649 for dual package.
Sena 30K comes at a bit higher MSRP cost of $399 for a single package or $699 for dual package.
The higher cost of Sena 30K is well worth it, given the integrated mesh network technology plus quick charge function.
If you want to know the in-depth comparison between Cardo vs Sena and which one provides the best intercom systems, you must check this out.
Final Verdict
Those are the key differences between Sena 20s Evo and Sena 30K intercom systems. From this comparison, we can clearly see that the most significant difference between them is that 30K users mesh communication technology while the 20s Evo uses the Bluetooth technology.
Other than the few differences we have outlined in this post, the two devices share similar features and will help you communicate smoothly and clearly with fellow riders.
