The ASMAX Intercom Lineup Explained: F1s, S1, F1, Z1 — and the "S2" That Doesn't Exist
At a Glance
ASMAX sells four helmet intercoms, and the naming makes them easy to mix up. Here is the short version:
- F1s — the current flagship. Biggest battery, mesh for up to 10 riders, IP67. Around $140.
- F1 — older 10-rider model, still listed and still cheaper per feature than the F1s. Around $150 at list discount.
- S1 — the newest and lightest. Bluetooth 5.4, mesh for 8 riders, working FM radio. Roughly $90 to $95.
- Z1 — discontinued. The page is still up, but it is sold out.
There is no ASMAX S2. If you searched for one, you are probably thinking of the S1 or mixing it up with another brand.
Why the Naming Trips People Up
ASMAX uses one letter plus one digit, and then adds a lowercase "s" to mark a newer generation. That gives you an F1 and an F1s that are different products, one letter apart, with overlapping specs and a price gap of roughly ten dollars.
It gets worse in the accessories. The audio kit is sold as the "F1s/F1/Z1 Kit," which means three different intercoms share the same speakers and microphones — so seeing those three names bundled together does not tell you which models are current.
The front page of the ASMAX store lists only the F1s and the S1 under helmet intercoms. The F1 and the Z1 still have live product pages, but you have to know the URL or find them through a collection page. That is the single biggest reason people end up comparing models that are not really alternatives to each other.
The Four Models, Side by Side
Everything in this table comes from ASMAX's own product pages. Where ASMAX does not publish a figure, the cell says so rather than guessing.
| F1s | F1 | S1 | Z1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Status | Current flagship | Still listed | Current, newest | Sold out |
| Bluetooth version | 5.3 | Not stated | 5.4 | 5.3 |
| Mesh riders | Up to 10 | Up to 10 | 8 | 10 |
| Mesh range | 3–8 km | Not stated | 3–8 km | Not stated |
| CloudTalk (via app) | Up to 50 | Yes, count not stated | Up to 50 | Not stated |
| Battery | 1,250 mAh | Not stated | 980 mAh | 1,050 mAh |
| Mesh talk time | Up to 3 hrs | Not stated | Up to 3 hrs | Up to 3 hrs |
| Fast charge | 10 min partial, ~50 min full | Not stated | 10 min | 10 min |
| Water/dust rating | IP67 | Not stated | IPX7 | IP67 |
| Weight | 50 g | Not stated | 41 g | Not listed |
| Speakers | 40 mm | Not stated | 40 mm | Not stated |
| Noise reduction | ENC | ENC, rated to 160 km/h | Triple Noise Reduction / ENC | Not stated |
| FM radio | Listed as "Planned" | Not stated | Supported | Not stated |
| Offline voice control | EN · ES · DE · JA | EN · ES ("Hi Max") | EN · ES · DE · JA | Not stated |
| Warranty | 2 years | 2 years | 2 years | 2 years |
| Approx. street price | Around $140 | Around $150 | $90–$95 | Listed near $100, sold out |
Prices move with promotions and bundle options, so treat these as ranges and check the live listing before you buy.
F1s vs F1: What the Lowercase Letter Changes
Both do mesh for up to 10 riders, both carry a two-year warranty, both run ASMAX's offline voice control. On paper they look like the same intercom.
The difference is what ASMAX chooses to publish. The F1s page lists a full spec sheet: 1,250 mAh battery, IP67 sealing, 50 g, 40 mm speakers, Bluetooth 5.3, 3–8 km mesh range. The F1 page lists almost none of that — no Bluetooth version, no battery capacity, no IP rating, no weight.
That gap is itself the answer for most buyers. The F1 is the older design, it is documented more thinly, and at list discount it is not cheaper than the F1s. If you are choosing between them and both are available, the F1s is the one with a published spec sheet behind it.
The one spec the F1 page does give that the F1s page does not: ENC noise reduction rated as effective up to 160 km/h. Whether that reflects a real difference or just different copywriting is not something we can determine from the product pages.
Where the S1 Fits
The S1 is not a downgrade, which is what the lower price suggests and what catches people out.
It is the newest of the four, and it is ahead of the flagship in three places: Bluetooth 5.4 instead of 5.3, 41 g instead of 50 g, and an FM radio that actually works — the F1s page lists FM as "Planned." It also costs around a third less than the F1s.
What you give up: mesh for 8 riders instead of 10, a 980 mAh battery instead of 1,250 mAh, and IPX7 instead of IP67. The IP difference is the subtle one. Both ratings cover immersion, but IP67's first digit certifies dust ingress as well, while IPX7's "X" means dust was not rated. For a unit mounted on the outside of a helmet, that is a real distinction, not a spec-sheet technicality.
So the honest framing is a trade-off, not a hierarchy: more riders and more sealing on the F1s, lighter and newer and cheaper on the S1. We go deeper on this pair in our full ASMAX F1s vs S1 review.
The Z1: Still Listed, Not Buyable
The Z1 page is live and shows a complete spec sheet — Bluetooth 5.3, mesh plus Bluetooth intercom, 10 riders, 1,050 mAh, IP67, listed near $100. It is also marked sold out.
It is worth knowing about for one reason: it shares the audio kit with the F1 and F1s, so a Z1 owner looking for replacement speakers or microphones buys the same "F1s/F1/Z1 Kit" that F1 and F1s owners buy. If you already own one, parts are not a problem. If you do not, there is nothing to decide here.
There Is No ASMAX S2
We checked the ASMAX product pages, the accessory listings and the collection pages. "S2" does not appear anywhere.
If you arrived here searching for an S1 versus S2 comparison, the likely explanations are that you are thinking of the S1 and the F1s, or that you have another brand's S2 in mind. ASMAX's current pairing is F1s and S1.
What ASMAX Doesn't Publish
Worth knowing before you compare these against a Sena or a Cardo, where the spec sheets are more complete:
- Standby time is not published for any of the four. Talk time is given as "up to 3 hours" on mesh for the F1s, S1 and Z1, which is the figure that matters on a ride, but there is no number for how long a unit holds charge unused.
- Dimensions are not published for any model.
- Speaker brand and microphone sensitivity are not stated. The size is given as 40 mm on the F1s and S1; who makes them is not.
- The F1's spec sheet is mostly absent — no Bluetooth version, battery, IP rating or weight.
- Mesh range is given as a 3–8 km band, which is a wide spread and, as with every intercom brand, describes open-terrain line of sight rather than what you will get in traffic or on a wooded road.
We would rather leave these blank than fill them in with numbers we cannot source.
Which One Should You Look At
- Riding in groups of nine or ten, or riding in dust and rain: the F1s. The 10-rider mesh and the dust-rated IP67 are the two things only it and the F1 offer, and the F1s is the one with published specs.
- Riding in pairs or small groups, and price matters: the S1. Newer Bluetooth, lighter, FM radio that exists today, and a third less money.
- Considering the F1: check the live price against the F1s first. If the gap is small, the F1s is better documented.
- Looking at the Z1: it is sold out. Nothing to weigh.
If you are still deciding between mesh and classic Bluetooth intercoms in general, start with mesh vs Bluetooth motorcycle intercoms instead — that choice matters more than which ASMAX you pick.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there an ASMAX S2?
No. ASMAX's helmet intercom line is the F1s, S1, F1 and the discontinued Z1. No S2 appears on any ASMAX product, accessory or collection page.
What is the difference between the ASMAX F1 and the F1s?
Both support mesh for up to 10 riders and carry a two-year warranty. The F1s is the newer model and publishes a full spec sheet — 1,250 mAh battery, IP67, 50 g, Bluetooth 5.3, 40 mm speakers. The F1 page publishes almost none of those figures. At list discount the F1 is not cheaper, so the F1s is generally the better-documented choice.
Is the ASMAX S1 worse than the F1s because it costs less?
Not across the board. The S1 is newer, with Bluetooth 5.4 against the F1s's 5.3, 41 g against 50 g, and a working FM radio where the F1s lists FM as planned. The F1s leads on mesh group size (10 vs 8), battery (1,250 vs 980 mAh) and dust sealing (IP67 vs IPX7).
Can ASMAX intercoms talk to Sena or Cardo units?
All four models list Universal Pairing, which is the standard Bluetooth intercom protocol used for cross-brand connections, for example with a Cardo Packtalk unit. ASMAX does not publish which specific models it has tested against, so treat cross-brand pairing as a two-rider Bluetooth fallback rather than a full mesh group.
Do the F1, F1s and Z1 use the same speakers and microphones?
Yes. ASMAX sells one audio kit covering all three, listed as the "F1s/F1/Z1 Kit." The S1 uses its own kit.
How many riders can join an ASMAX mesh group?
Ten on the F1s, F1 and Z1; eight on the S1. The F1s and S1 also list a CloudTalk mode that extends group size to 50 riders through the ASMAX app, which routes over data rather than mesh.
Bottom Line
Four intercoms, two of them one letter apart, one discontinued but still listed, and no S2 despite people searching for it. The practical shortlist is two models: the F1s if you need 10-rider mesh and dust sealing, the S1 if you ride in pairs and want the newest radio in the lightest package for a third less.
The F1 sits in an awkward spot — same rider count as the F1s, thinner documentation, no price advantage at current discounts. The Z1 is not an option until ASMAX restocks it.
What ASMAX does not give you is the detail a Sena or Cardo spec sheet would: no standby figures, no dimensions, no speaker brand, and a mesh range published as a 3–8 km band. That is worth factoring in if you want to know exactly what you are buying before it arrives.