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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a helmet-mounted comms unit for talking to other riders and taking calls on the move, choose Cardo Systems Spirit Motorcycle; if you need lightweight open-ear earbuds for cycling, running and all-day workouts, choose PPBP Open Ear Headphones.
• Cardo Systems Spirit Motorcycle — biggest strength: It's a real helmet communication system, not just headphones. Bluetooth 5, cross-brand intercom pairing, a 400 m range, 32 mm HD speakers and a waterproof shell built for rain, mud, dust and snow.
• Cardo Systems Spirit Motorcycle — biggest trade-off: It's a specialist tool. At 150 g, with over-ear 32 mm speakers that mount inside a helmet, no noise cancellation and a 10-hour battery that takes 2 hours to charge, it makes little sense if you're not riding a motorcycle.
• PPBP Open Ear Headphones — biggest strength: Genuinely built for movement. 6.1 g per earbud, ergonomic earhooks, an IPX6 water-resistance rating, quad-speaker audio with 15 mm dynamic drivers, and a charging case that extends playtime from a single charge toward a 40-hour total.
• PPBP Open Ear Headphones — biggest trade-off: It's consumer audio, not a comms system. There's no intercom, no 400 m rider-to-rider link, and the open-ear fit means you're not getting isolation.
• Who Cardo is for: Motorcyclists who want to stay connected to a passenger, a riding group, their phone and their music inside a helmet.
• Who PPBP is for: Cyclists, runners and gym-goers who want audio that stays put, keeps their ears open to traffic and doesn't need a helmet to work.
The Cardo Spirit is best understood as a communication system that happens to play music, rather than a pair of headphones that happens to clip to something. The 32 mm HD speakers mount inside a helmet, the unit pairs over Bluetooth 5, and the headline feature is intercom: a 400 m range and cross-brand connectivity that lets it talk to any other Bluetooth headset regardless of brand. For a rider, that's the whole point — you're not buying this for the audio quality, you're buying it so you can actually hear your passenger or your riding partner at speed.
The practical details back that up. It's waterproof against rain, mud, dust and snow, which matters when your gear lives on a bike. Software updates come over the air through the Cardo Connect app, so the firmware doesn't fossilise. Battery life is a claimed 10 hours with a 2-hour charge time. It's a single pack, weighs 150 g, uses a plastic enclosure and is controlled through the app rather than a screen. There's no noise cancellation here — the design assumes you'll be wearing it under a helmet anyway.
Buy it if you ride a motorcycle and want phone calls, music and rider-to-rider conversation without juggling a phone at a stoplight. Skip it if you're a cyclist, a runner or a commuter on foot. The over-ear fit, the 150 g weight and the helmet-first design all point one direction, and it isn't a bike lane.
The PPBP set is the opposite philosophy: audio designed to disappear on your head and let the outside world in. The open-ear shape sits outside the ear canal instead of plugging it, and each earbud weighs just 6.1 g — the kind of weight you forget about after ten minutes. The earhooks are ergonomic and secure, which is the part that matters most when you're moving.
The audio hardware is more serious than the price bracket of "sports earbuds" usually suggests: a quad-speaker design with dual drivers per earbud, 15 mm large-diaphragm dynamic drivers and a dedicated headphone amplifier chip, with the primary drivers aligned toward the ear canal. Water resistance is rated IPX6, which covers sweat, rain and splashes, and the spec sheet mentions testing across 100+ hours of active use. Controls are a single multi-function button per side — press to answer or end a call, tap to manage music. There's also an AI translation / real-time mode listed, which is a nice extra for travel.
For cyclists specifically, the open-ear design is the selling point: you hear traffic, bells and your own surroundings while music plays. The charging case takes total playtime toward 40 hours, so a week of commutes doesn't need a wall socket. Buy it if you want workout and cycling audio that stays put and keeps you aware. Skip it if you want isolation from the world, or if you need to talk to another rider over hundreds of metres — this simply isn't that product.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for motorcycle riders → Cardo Systems Spirit Motorcycle. 400 m intercom range, cross-brand Bluetooth pairing, waterproof build, helmet-mounted 32 mm speakers.
• Best for battery life per charge → Cardo Systems Spirit Motorcycle. A 10-hour average life on a single charge, with a 2-hour recharge.
• Best for total playtime with a case → PPBP Open Ear Headphones. The charging case pushes the total toward 40 hours.
• Best for talking to other people on the move → Cardo Systems Spirit Motorcycle. Two-way Bluetooth intercom with a 400 m range; the PPBP set is a phone-call headset, not an intercom.
• Best for staying aware of your surroundings → PPBP Open Ear Headphones. The open-ear design is explicitly built for it; the Cardo sits inside a helmet.
• Best for running and gym work → PPBP Open Ear Headphones. Lightweight, sweat-resistant and hook-secured. The Cardo has no reason to be in a gym.
• Best for firmware that stays current → Cardo Systems Spirit Motorcycle. Over-the-air updates through the Cardo Connect app.
• Best for a single device doing phone calls, music and navigation prompts on a bike → Cardo Systems Spirit Motorcycle. That's its core job.
If I had to pick one, I'd pick based on the vehicle, not the spec sheet. For a motorcycle, I'd buy the Cardo Systems Spirit Motorcycle — the intercom, the 400 m range, the waterproofing and the helmet-mounted speakers are things no pair of earbuds can substitute for. For a bicycle, I'd buy the PPBP Open Ear Headphones: 6.1 g per bud, earhooks that hold, IPX6 and an open-ear fit that keeps you aware of traffic is exactly what cycling audio should be. They're not competitors so much as answers to two different questions.
can you bike with headphones
Yes, and open-ear models are the sensible choice for it. The PPBP set sits outside the ear canal at 6.1 g per earbud with earhooks and an IPX6 rating, so it stays put and shrugs off sweat and rain while letting ambient sound through. In-ear buds that seal the canal are the ones to avoid on a bike.
how to bike with headphones
Keep the volume low enough to hear traffic, and favour an open-ear design so your ears aren't blocked. The PPBP earbuds hook over the ear, pair over Bluetooth, and are controlled with a single multi-function button for calls and music — so you're not digging for your phone mid-ride. Check your local rules first.
what are the best cycling headphones
In my opinion, the pick here is the PPBP Open Ear Headphones, for one concrete reason: the open-ear design keeps you aware of your surroundings while the earhooks and IPX6 rating handle movement and weather. If you ride a motorcycle instead, the Cardo Spirit is the better answer — but that's a different sport.
can cyclists wear headphones
They can, though many places restrict covering both ears. An open-ear set like the PPBP sidesteps most of that concern because it doesn't block the ear canal, and the lightweight 6.1 g build means it won't distract you. Always check your local laws before heading out.
If you're weighing these two for cycling specifically, the PPBP set is the one I'd take. If your riding happens on a motorcycle, the Cardo Spirit is the one that earns its place — and either way, check the current price on Amazon before you commit.
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