Takeaway: Midland is known for their popular CB radios and modern GMRS gear, and they’ve got another winner with the BTR1 Advanced helmet comms system, which includes a lot of features, high-quality sound, sharp design and a competitive price. The Midland Connect smartphone app is robust and easy to use, and installing the comms system is straightforward. It can also connect to other comms systems via Bluetooth, expanding its usefulness.
William Roberson
Full disclosure: I’m a long-time, old-school “Midland guy.” I was chatting with people via Midland radios when I was a teenager, long before there were chat rooms, chatbots, the internet, or the fancy computers we now use for chatting. Back then, we called those Midland devices “citizen band (“CB”) radios” and “walkie-talkies,” and I still have my portable Midland CB radio that goes with me on every long motorcycle trip since I tend to wander into areas with no cell phone coverage. Many rural folks still use CB radios – Midland still sells a bunch of them annually – and I still enjoy the random connection of chatting with truckers and other CB enthusiasts who still mix it up on the 40 frequencies I proudly got a license to use when I was all of 12 years old. I still have that tattered FCC-issued license somewhere…
Of course, Midland went on to expand its offerings beyond CB radios to include modern GMRS radios and such, and recently introduced the BTR1 Advanced helmet communication devices, which we riders typically call “comms.” They’re great for chatting with other riders, making and taking phone calls, and listening to music or other entertainment while riding. It’s another technology I used to dream about – and another layer of safety to have while riding.
The BTR1 Advanced helmet comms are similar in operation and appearance to offerings from market leaders Cardo and Sena, but at an MSRP of $249 for a single unit and $469 for a matched pair, they do come in at a lower price than most units from those market leaders. For this review, I installed a pair of BTR1 units in two different helmets.
Midland BTR1 Advanced: Features and Installation
Installation is fairly straightforward as comms go, requiring speaker and microphone installation inside the helmet and a mounting plate on the left side of the helmet for operation with the clutch hand. The control units themselves connect to the mounting plates on the helmets with strong magnets, allowing for quick removal for charging and theft prevention. Cardo offers a similar mount for their Edge comms, and it’s very handy on both platforms. The magnets are super strong, and I’ve never had a comms unit come loose. The BTR1 Advance also includes a boom mic option (below) for open-face helmets and 40mm in-helmet speakers sourced from audio company RCF. Other comms makers have also teamed with audio companies such as JBL and others for their in-helmet speakers.
Naturally, the comms connect to smartphones by way of the Midland Connect app, which includes settings and setup of the BTR1. There’s also an FM radio built into the units that, once set up with the app, do not require a connection to the app in case you want to ride sans phone. As far as apps for comms systems, the Midland Connect app is very robust and easy to use. Once installed, I had the two BTR1 comms units set up and talking to each other in less than five minutes.
Three large buttons on the BTR1 make switching modes and features fairly simple, but there are a lot of options to keep track of. Fortunately. The app does have a cheat sheet built in, and after initial setup, the comms are pretty much dialed in for must use case scenarios. Two smaller buttons on top control audio volume. A stubby antenna sticks up out the top of the unit. Competitors with a pop-up antenna allow it to fold down, but Midland’s is encased in a fixed but soft rubbery fin that’s essentially impossible to break, which I feel is a smart design choice.
Audio quality with the RCF speakers is quite good, even better than expected, but as with all comms systems, speaker placement inside the helmet is key to optimizing sound quality, so if the audio level is weak or the sound seems tinny, move the speakers around in the helmet, which is easy since it uses velco-like fasteners. Midland includes spacers for getting the speakers closer to your ears, but in my Bell helmet, they were a bit too close, so I just installed the speakers without the spacers and still had good sound quality. Like every comms system I’ve used that are not earbuds, bass response is quickly overwhelmed by road and wind noise, especially at freeway speeds, although the small circular pads on the speakers did help keep it minimized.
The BTR1 will also interface with onboard comms systems built into some motorcycles, such as BMW, Ducati, Harley-Davidson and others, but setup can be tricky. For best results (and full duplex chat capability), talking to another BTR1 unit seems like the best plan, but I do appreciate the flexibility to connect to other systems.
Using the Midland BTR1 Advanced while riding
Once set up, I mainly used the Midland BTR1 to chat with my passenger while we were both wearing full-face helmets, since the “yelling method” (also known as the “WHAT DID YOU SAY?” method) is rather tiresome. I also used it with another rider who was on their own motorcycle, and the BTR1 system will group duplex chat (like a phone) with up to four riders total using BTR1 units. If another rider is using a different brand of comms, the BTR1 will typically be able to connect to it, but they can’t join a group so it’s just one-to-one in that mode as long as they have Bluetooth capability (most all do).
I was able to connect the BTR1 to a Sena 50 C comms system with little trouble by using the Midland Connect app, but the range was limited mainly to line-of-sight or about a quarter mile at the most before the audio began to hash and drop out.
Otherwise, the Midland BTR1 worked well, including on a very long day of riding, where I listened to music and talked on the phone while heading into the boonies. Midland claims a 23-hour battery life for the BTR1, and I had it on for at least 12 hours. At the end of the day, the battery level was at 50%, which was impressive. Other comms I’ve used typically can’t do a 12-hour stint without some recharging. The BTR1 uses a USB-C connection for charging, and it will also work while connected to power, so using a small power bank would allow for pretty much unlimited usage time.
Sound quality is quite good with robust bass output from the 40mm RCF drivers, aided by the little padded donuts that help seal out wind noise – something competitors do not include. The comms generate plenty of volume, and the music doesn’t distort until it calls for a lot of bass response at maximum volume, which is, again, typical, but I rarely have it that loud. In urban riding, the sound quality with music is quite good and enjoyable.
When talking on the phone during city riding, callers had no idea I was on a motorcycle until I told them. The audio was clear, and the wind noise reduction, called DNK, seemed effective. At highway speeds, most people could tell I was riding, but conversations were still clear and didn’t require talking at high volume, thankfully. You can’t ask for much more than that from a comms system.
Conclusions
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the performance of the Midland BTR1 Advanced helmet comms system. It would be easy to say they’re the newcomer to comms versus Sena or Cardo, but in reality, Midland has been around for decades longer than either competitor, and they know a thing or ten about communications gear. For the price, you get a lot of performance, and they have a cool, sci-fi look as well, with small blue LEDs that strobe a bit while in operation. In my opinion, the rubber antenna, long battery life, magnetic mounting system, and earpiece pads are all bonus features at this price.
In the complaints department, I don’t have much except to say other brands are beginning to utilize cellular system piggybacking to enable long-distance intercom ability, which largely solves the issue of keeping in contact with other riders – as long as there is a compatible cell phone signal, which is most places these days. In places with no cell coverage, the range of the BTR1 is decent and competitive. Midland doesn’t appear to have a “mesh” system that leverages multiple comms units in a group to extend range, but for the price, I’ll give it a pass. I’d love to see a system like this incorporate a CB radio, but I know that’s asking a lot.
Even if you just need one unit, I’d recommend getting the twin pack for kitting out a passenger helmet or loaning one to a friend on a group ride.
Midland BTR1 Helmet Communication Systems, MSRP: $459 (for two units)
- Up to ¾ mile range per Midland in optimal conditions, real-world range is about half that
- Easy Bluetooth connectivity to smartphones and some OEM motorcycle display systems
- Midland Connect app is easy to use and effective
- Speakers by RCF provide decent sound
- Digital Noise Killer for clear transmission and clear audio works well
- Automatic volume control works well
- Voice alerts for some functions but no operation by voice command
- FM radio built in with digital radio access via Midland app
- Also available as a single unit for $229