Cardo announces noise-cancelling motorcycle helmet

We don’t tend to do product news here at Bennetts BikeSocial as we devote all our resource to thoroughly testing kit. But this is one of those rare products that makes you say “bloody hell, this is BIG!”.

The news that intercom manufacturer Cardo is releasing its own helmet isn’t that exciting, but the fact that the new Beyond GTS and GT will include what’s promised to be effective Active Noise Cancelling (ANC), most certainly is.

If this technology does what it’s claimed, it could be the end of fatigue over long rides, and even earplugs…

Cardo Beyond helmet spec

The new Cardo Beyond incorporates the same Dynamic Mesh 2.0, Open Bluetooth intercom, wireless updating, voice control and automatic on/off features of the flagship Packtalk Pro intercom (reviewed here), but uses massive 53mm speakers instead of the current largest 45mm ones, and has the controls cleverly integrated into the visor side pods.

These large speakers are what will be a key part of the active noise cancelling, which promises to reduce wind noise without affecting the sound of traffic and sirens.

The main electronics are removable for ease of upgrading, though hopefully this means that they’ll be transferable to a new lid when it comes time to replace it.

The Beyond helmet – which was designed in collaboration with Kiska in Austria (the design house behind many of KTM and Husqvarna’s iconic models) – is manufacturered by the same company that produces lids for AGV, Alpinestars, Bell, Fox and Klim. It’s available in XS to XXL, with four different shell sizes. The interior has two different grades of lining depending on which model you buy, and Cardo says the lid suits an ‘intermediate-oval’ shaped head. As always though, you need to try it on to decide if it’s right for you.

The Cardo Beyond helmet has a five year warranty, with three years covering the electronics and two years for the battery in the EU.

There’s also what’s described as a ‘helmet health indicator’, which is claimed to continuously monitor and report on the lid’s condition.

The external differences between the GTS (left) and GT (right) are subtle

Below are the key differences between the two models, both of which are certified to ECE22.06 and DOT, have quick-release emergency cheek pads, anti-microbial removable lining and a customisable button on the side for your choice of function…

This active noise cancelling technology has the potential to be a genuine game-changer, but any helmet using it has to be designed specifically for it – there’s almost certainly no way we’ll ever see effective ANC in an after-market comms system as the speakers will need to be so much bigger, the lid itself acoustically tuned and the sealing around the ears must be carefully refined. Also of course, all that tech will have to be built in while still allowing the helmet to pass the strict ECE22.06 test criteria.

Both the Cardo Beyond GT and GTS have double-D straps with titanium buckles, which is a surprising choice for what appears to be a very promising touring helmet as a good micrometric ratchet buckle can offer all the safety with added convenience.

Cardo Beyond launch video

Check back soon for our first test video of this new helmet

How does active noise cancelling work?

Put simply, active noise cancelling uses microphones in and around the ear area to ‘listen’ to the noise coming in, then plays back a mirror image of it to cancel it out.

Imagine a steady sound as a sine wave, then overlay a flipped version of that sine wave and the two will cancel each-other out. Get it right, and unwanted noise virtually disappears.

This tech has been in Bose Quiet Comfort headphones for many years, and has found its way way into various brands now, with even in-ear headphones offering good noise cancelling.

Think about that for a moment… as sound travels at 343 metres/second, it means an ANC system needs to listen to it, process it and generate the noise-cancelling signal in about 15 microseconds.

That’s 0.000015 seconds.

How ANC works

A very quick video that does a good job of visualising the tech

It’s clever tech in a headphone, but imagine the challenges of doing it in a dome that covers your head and is being attacked from all angles by wind vibration that generates the noise you want to reduce.

What’s going to be important in a motorcycle system is that it’s tuned to reduce the unwanted and potentially damaging sounds like wind-noise and the buffeting caused by the bike’s screen, fairing and even your own clothes, without reducing the sounds we love – like the engine – or the noises we need to hear like sirens and other traffic.

It’s a real challenge to get right, but we’re very excited to try it…

Cardo Beyond helmet release date

The Cardo Beyond GTS and GT models are expected to be available in summer 2026, which is a rather large window but at least gives you a chance to hold off if you’re considering buying a new helmet.

Cardo Beyond helmet price

At the time of writing the UK price for the Cardo helmet is not available, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see it being the same numbers as for Europe and the US, which are surprisingly low compared to the currency conversion and given the current tariff situation:

A lot of money? Yes, but is the Cardo Beyond good value? Only you can decide that, keeping in mind that a Shoei GT Air 3 can cost £650, and if you buy a Cardo Packtalk Pro at the same time (so saving the VAT), that could add a further £341, making for a total of £991 – more than the Beyond GT, and not far behind the GTS if our estimate of the UK price proves correct.

Will the Cardo Beyond be any good?

Given the development work that’s gone into the Cardo Beyond, and brand’s reputation for quality intercom systems we have high hopes for the new helmet.

Will it eliminate the need for earplugs? It’s impossible to say at this point, but we hope so. And even if it doesn’t entirely, it still has the potential to make long rides far less tiring.

I’ll be trialling a demo of the Cardo Beyond at EICMA in November so will update this article with the video, and I’m also hoping to carry out a full and thorough review as soon as possible in 2026, so keep your eyes on the Bennetts BikeSocial homepage, and if you have any questions, catch up with me and the team at our friendly and helpful BikeClub forum.

The active brake light is a feature of the GTS – the GT just gets a reflector