Inline Performance Magazine

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Street Testing Scala Bluetooth Headset Posted: 01 Oct 2011 10:00 PM PDT

We've been putting our Scala Rider Q2 MultiSet Pro though the paces over the last couple months. While the device has worked great as a Bluetooth headset when paired with a cell phone, we still hadn't tried using the Scala the way I suspect most riders will—as an intercom between two motorcycles.

But finally we managed to get three of the IPM staff and their motorcycles together in place to put the Scala to the test. The first step was to sync the two headsets with each other, which was a snap—just put both devices in "discoverable" mode, press the "control" button, and you're good to go. (Check out the video for syncing the Scala with a cell phone for a step-by-step, the process is essentially the same.)

Once synced, we were ready to hit the road. The Scala does offer voice activation, but for this first test, we opted to leave them in "manual" mode. All it took to start our conversation was a press of the control button.

The Scala isn't too loud. Lets just get that out of the way. Even with the volume turned up to the max, it's far from blowing your eardrums out. While I found the volume adequate, my fellow road tester Paul struggled intermittently with the low volume, although subsequent testing will be required to determine whether it was an issue with the headset, the helmet, or operator error. One thing that did make a difference, though, was the headset's dynamic volume, which gets louder as the ambient wind and road noise gets increases.

After riding around for hours in foggy San Francisco, we found that the Scala's range was about one city block before the reception started to deteriorate. Range was marginally improved outside of the city, but once you get more than a couple hundred yards apart from each other, and you'll have to press the control button again to restart the conversation once you're back in range.

That's all for this time, but keep it tuned here as we continue to put our headsets through their paces.

Stay tuned for more updates, and be sure to order your copy of the 2011 print edition of Inline Performance Magazine HERE at the pre-order price until supplies last.

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