I'm a fairly new rider. I've only had 1 helmet (Shoei GT-Air), and I've only used this bluetooth unit. So, I can't really offer a comparison helmet-to-helmet or bluetooth-to-bluetooth for this review. What I can say is that this bluetooth unit does about everything I could want, and does it well. I'm riding for work now, and put a LOT of time in the saddle for my job (approaching 3k miles, been less than a month since I got the bike), so I do feel like I can offer a good review for this product based on my usage and gear.Installation:Easy, easy, easy. Never installed any bluetooth or modified a motorcycle helmet in any way. I tried putting the velcro side of the speakers directly onto the ear pad of the helmet (they stick to the fabric with no trouble, nice and secure) but I didn't like the fit after a few hours of use in that way. The following morning I removed the padding that covers the ear cavity (pops right out, stuck 'em in a drawer where I have random motorcycle gear stuff in case I want them back in later) and used the velcro mountings that came with the Sena to install the speakers. Fits good, speakers sit right by my ears.The main part of the unit can go just about anywhere you want on the left side, so figure out a good spot and stick it there. A lot of folks have said they got the battery on the inside of the helmet, but as I mentioned I'm gonna put a lot of hours on this thing so I'm going to leave mine mounted on the rear outside of the helmet so I can carry a couple extra charged batteries with me.Finally the microphone. I haven't used the boom mic, figured I'd start with the other one. Stuck a piece of their mounting velcro in front of where my mouth goes in the helmet, stuck the mic to it, done.Last but not least, all these wires. Basically, I unbuttoned the padding and neatly ran all the wires around until nothing was sticking out more than it needed to, but none of the wiring was stretched tight. Looks good! Very inconspicuous.Sound:Works great for voice. I've listened to audiobooks through it, phone calls sound good, turn-by-turn navigation from the phone is clear. Music however... well, there aren't a lot of really AWESOME sounding speakers for motorcycle helmets out there. If you're after some really nice sound you may want to get the adapter that lets you connect earphones to it and get a nice pair of ear buds. I appreciate great sound quality, but not enough to drop the convenience of the helmet-mounted speakers. IMHO this quality can be tolerated while riding.What "THEY" hear:Great. I've got a bluetooth stereo in my car that includes microphone, used it for a long time for work. It does an alright job, but I've had complaints that it sounds like I'm in a wind tunnel while I'm at highway speeds. Not so with the Sena! I would have thought on the motorcycle the noise would be even worse than in the car, but because of the positioning of the mic folks on the other end don't even know that I'm riding, even at high speed! The first night I used it I called my girlfriend while riding around. Even with the face shield open she couldn't hear that I was riding. I got to a highway on ramp and when the light turned green I went from 0 to 60 fairly quickly and she said "I kinda heard that a little". I've got a Honda VTX 1300, not what I'd call "stealthy" but certainly not the loudest.Controls:Pretty simple, takes some getting used to. You've got 3 buttons, + , -, and a center button in between the two. Everything's done by tapping the buttons or by press-and-hold for various lengths of time and in various combinations. I'd advise actually reading the instructions when it comes to this, because aside from tapping + and - to adjust volume, it's not intuitive and you will have to memorize some stuff. It's not hard, once you use it a handful of times you've got the hang of it.Good luck on your quest for a bluetooth unit for your helmet. Keep the rubber side down folks!