(Topic ID: 302128)

Pinwoofer Questions

By Spyderturbo007

2 years ago


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  • 33 posts
  • 14 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 7 months ago by jyeakley
  • Topic is favorited by 2 Pinsiders

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#1 2 years ago

I'm considering a PinWoofer speaker upgrade for my AIQ Pro. I have the FF kit in a few of my games along with an external sub and it sounds pretty good. I'm reading a lot of people who saw that the Pinwoofer kit blows the FF out of the water. I have a few questions I'm hoping someone can help me answer.

1. Are they really worth the premium over the FF kit? It's more than double the cost, so you'd have to be getting a lot more bang for the buck to make it worth the premium.

2. Do those of you that run the Pinwoofer kit also use an external sub?

3. It looks like you have to remove the coinbox for the amp?

4. Are there speaker lights that work with the Pinwoofer kit?

Thanks!

#2 2 years ago

Edit - will report back when I verify all settings are configured as stated in messages below.

#3 2 years ago

I can’t speak for its performance in AIQ, but I’ve installed a PinWoofer in 4 or 5 of my games - Sterns, Bally and JJP games, and it has improved the sound in every single one. Dialing in the cab woofer is key to getting balanced sound in these games.

There are multiple options available, so you may be able to get away with just the amplifier upgrade and not the actual cab speaker. The backbox speaker upgrade is not as necessary, IMO, although Stern’s speakers themselves are not all that great, so upgrading those may be worthwhile.

If you’re going more basic, definitely get the cab amplifier at minimum, and consider upgrading the speaker itself. Nothing wrong at all with PinballPro or FF - but I have found the PinWoofer amps give better dense bass and do not sound as boomy/midrangey as the other options.

#4 2 years ago

Thanks to both of you for the insight. I think I might just go with the FF kit so I don't have to worry about any audio cutouts.

#5 2 years ago
Quoted from PoMC:

A Pinwoofer kit came installed in my AIQ and to be honest, I'm not a fan of it. Even after adjusting the settings per their website, at regular gameplay volume, I have audio cutting out, music not being heard and popping sounds. If I crank it, it's fine, but not exactly the type of pin music that needs to be cranked up.
I'm going to remove the system at some point and move to Aerosmith or sell the system.

Greetings PoMC ! You likely just need to adjust the gain to get away from the noise floor. Here is a tutorial on how to do that:

If you can't figure it out from the video just PM me with your amplifier serial number and I can help.

#6 2 years ago
Quoted from Spyderturbo007:

I'm considering a PinWoofer speaker upgrade for my AIQ Pro. I have the FF kit in a few of my games along with an external sub and it sounds pretty good. I'm reading a lot of people who saw that the Pinwoofer kit blows the FF out of the water. I have a few questions I'm hoping someone can help me answer.
1. Are they really worth the premium over the FF kit? It's more than double the cost, so you'd have to be getting a lot more bang for the buck to make it worth the premium.
2. Do those of you that run the Pinwoofer kit also use an external sub?
3. It looks like you have to remove the coinbox for the amp?
4. Are there speaker lights that work with the Pinwoofer kit?
Thanks!

1. YES!!!
2. Yes
3.no, you can put the amp by cab speaker if you want. But it's better in place of coinbox
4.Yes, been running pinwoofer and Doug's light kits on most all of our games.
You will not regret this purchase and its easily removed and used on your next stern

#7 2 years ago

.

#8 2 years ago
Quoted from PoMC:

A Pinwoofer kit came installed in my AIQ and to be honest, I'm not a fan of it. Even after adjusting the settings per their website, at regular gameplay volume, I have audio cutting out, music not being heard and popping sounds. If I crank it, it's fine, but not exactly the type of pin music that needs to be cranked up.
I'm going to remove the system at some point and move to Aerosmith or sell the system.

Sounds like something is wrong with that setup, or the module yourself. Maybe the previous owner screwed something up? It absolutely should not be cutting out or popping and all that. It should be a transparent upgrade. I don't blame you for wanting to remove it

#9 2 years ago
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:

Sounds like something is wrong with that setup, or the module yourself. Maybe the previous owner screwed something up? It absolutely should not be cutting out or popping and all that. It should be a transparent upgrade. I don't blame you for wanting to remove it

Hey Rdoyle1978 - not sure if you are familiar with our new system since ~15 months ago but things have changed significantly. I'm certain this is a simple adjustment issue and I would not advise anyone to remove it until they have taken the steps shown in the video. I've also offered to help. Thanks for your consideration.

#10 2 years ago

I have pinwoofer in my DP and its awesome. Its a much nicer and more complete kit than FF

#11 2 years ago

Dan and pin woofer are top notch, do not hesitate.

#12 2 years ago
Quoted from Charger68:

Dan and pin woofer are top notch, do not hesitate.

It's just the price that has me hesitating. Do these things ever go on sale?

Is the amplifier upgrade something to consider? From the KO to the GT?

#13 2 years ago
Quoted from Spyderturbo007:

It's just the price that has me hesitating. Do these things ever go on sale?
Is the amplifier upgrade something to consider? From the KO to the GT?

Hey Spyderturbo007 - the KO amp is more than adequate for most guys and it has the same power rating as the GT. Since you menitoned price, and I'm getting the impression your goal is mainly to improve the presence and quality of the title, it seems like you would be best aligned to the KO.

The KO does have a line-out option for an externally powered sub but you can decide on that later on of course.

While I can't eliminate the possibility I don't see a sale any time in the future. Black Friday would be fun but it's all we can do to maintain current pricing levels in the face of the supply chain issue and material increases we're experiencing. (I've never seen anything like this is my 30+ years in industry.)

Good luck - reach out any time.

Thanks,

Dan
https://PinWoofer.com
[email protected]
+1 208-855-0346, 9am - 5pm MST, Mon - Fri

#14 2 years ago

Thanks for the help! I just placed my order for the kit.

Is there a recommended subwoofer that works well with this kit? Do I need any cabling for the subwoofer?

What speaker grill lights fit with this kit and do I need any special spacers or standoffs?

#15 2 years ago

I've made the recommended changes per the video and will play games later this evening and report back.

What about finer adjustments to Stern's audio controls? Do the speakers need to be changed from the Default 8 ohms to 4 ohms as marked on the subwoofer? Are the backbox speakers now 4 ohms too?

#16 2 years ago

Pinwoofer is awesome. If set up correctly, it will not “cut out”

I have it on 4 games and love it!

#17 2 years ago
Quoted from PoMC:

I've made the recommended changes per the video and will play games later this evening and report back.
What about finer adjustments to Stern's audio controls? Do the speakers need to be changed from the Default 8 ohms to 4 ohms as marked on the subwoofer? Are the backbox speakers now 4 ohms too?

You'll need to menu set 8 Ohms for both the cabinet and backbox speaker (the PinWoofer amp drives the speakers, not the machine so if you set to 4 Ohm it will result in inefficency).

Please send me a PM or email at [email protected] and we'll work to get you optimized if you don't figure it out. There are a LOT of potential adjustments, many of which are covered in the instructions. I'm working on a migration document for the blog and I'd like to make sure I capture what challenges you are having so I can cover them for someone similarly situated in the future. Looking forward to hearing from you.

#18 2 years ago
Quoted from Spyderturbo007:

Thanks for the help! I just placed my order for the kit.
Is there a recommended subwoofer that works well with this kit? Do I need any cabling for the subwoofer?
What speaker grill lights fit with this kit and do I need any special spacers or standoffs?

I've been using polk psw 10 and it's great, but the 12" klipsch is better

#19 2 years ago
Quoted from Hayfarmer:

I've been using polk psw 10 and it's great, but the 12" klipsch is better

I have two of them on other games and they seem to work well. Looks like Monoprice makes a 8" that's a good bit cheaper. Has anyone used that before?

On a side note, it looks like Pinnovators sells a kit that plugs into the board and then out to the subwoofer? I'm assuming that's instead of having to alligator clip speaker wire to the cabinet speaker?

I guess the only issue is that you'd need to buy their adapter box thing if you wanted to run more than one machine on a sub. The Polk only appears to have one line level input.

#20 2 years ago
Quoted from PinWoofer:

Hey Rdoyle1978 - not sure if you are familiar with our new system since ~15 months ago but things have changed significantly. I'm certain this is a simple adjustment issue and I would not advise anyone to remove it until they have taken the steps shown in the video. I've also offered to help. Thanks for your consideration.

Sorry Dan, I didn't mean to imply something was wrong with the PinWoofer product, just something gone wrong with that particular one. Ok, so don't remove it

#21 2 years ago
Quoted from Rdoyle1978:

Sorry Dan, I didn't mean to imply something was wrong with the PinWoofer product, just something gone wrong with that particular one. Ok, so don't remove it

LOL - not taken negatively for sure buddy - we've always regarded you as a very helpful guy! I just wanted to clarify.

#22 2 years ago
Quoted from PoMC:

Edit - will report back when I verify all settings are configured as stated in messages below.

Greetings PoMC ! While I heard back from you via PM (thank you BTW), I wanted to close this item out. You probably intended to report back but got busy - no worries.

To summarize, you made the recommended adjustments (did a factory reset also) and your AIQ now sounds great.

In the spirit of continous improvement we've blogged a new owner's migration note on the website at the below link for others in the future:

https://pinwoofer.com/blog/pinwoofer-migration-to-new-owner/

OK guys, have fun and play pinball!

Dan

#23 2 years ago

I'm going to move the system over to another game. Still not entirely happy with the AIQ audio, but Stern's own audio seems to be the root cause of the crackling. Below is from the AIQ owner's thread and is exactly what I'm hearing. So, I don't think upgraded speakers and an amp is needed on AIQ. I also prefer to change the volume with the coin door controls instead of on the amp. Turning down the coin door volume causes the audio to cut in and out, minor inconvenience, but still inconvenient to look inside the cabinet for the amp and change the volume there instead of the coin door.

________________________________

Quoted from Sleal16:
Curious, hows most people's sound quality on the game? Since I got the game, its had some persistent rough artifacts kinda sounding like crackling. With most of the audio its a little subtle but with louder voices and other clips its more apparent. At first I thought it was the speakers and I was going to deal with them at some point later, but when I installed the headphone jack and had a few games off of that, its the exact same. I tried changing some of the random settings but still can't seem to clean it up. Not sure where to look exactly.

More
Yeah, me and a couple other Pinsiders have this same issue. I upgraded my speakers to Pinwoofers and I still get the "crackling" sound... Seems to be just a flaw in the game. They might address it with the new code that includes insider connected but who knows.

5 months later
#24 1 year ago

I just installed my Pinwoofer kit today in Ghostbusters, and everything sounds amazing. However, the fan on my PSU has completely turned off.

Has anyone experienced this on a spike 1 machine? Should I buy a replacement from Marco? The pin was powered off during install and everything looks good. There are no technician alerts in the menu. I'm kinda confused.

#25 1 year ago

Hey Redfield0009 - I replied to your email from last night and I'll help you to figure it out. I'm sure it's something simple.

#26 1 year ago
Quoted from PinWoofer:

Hey Redfield0009 - I replied to your email from last night and I'll help you to figure it out. I'm sure it's something simple.

Thanks! I'll talk to you via email

1 week later
#27 1 year ago

My Led Zeppelin came with the Pinwoofer kit. Sometimes the sound decreases during game play, doesn't turn off, but get really low volume and almost sounds like the bass has also turned off completely. I checked all the wires and they seem fine. Any suggestions on things to check. Thank you.

#28 1 year ago
Quoted from pinballjah:

My Led Zeppelin came with the Pinwoofer kit. Sometimes the sound decreases during game play, doesn't turn off, but get really low volume and almost sounds like the bass has also turned off completely. I checked all the wires and they seem fine. Any suggestions on things to check. Thank you.

I’d check that all the settings (game volume, speaker ohms etc) are good. Then compare the settings on the pinwoofer itself to the recommendation levels. You can find this on the Pinwoofer site under blog and look for your game.

Are you running stock or custom music files?

EE9C9219-B9BC-4B7E-8392-8033D031F1E2 (resized).pngEE9C9219-B9BC-4B7E-8392-8033D031F1E2 (resized).png
#29 1 year ago
Quoted from pinballjah:

My Led Zeppelin came with the Pinwoofer kit. Sometimes the sound decreases during game play, doesn't turn off, but get really low volume and almost sounds like the bass has also turned off completely. I checked all the wires and they seem fine. Any suggestions on things to check. Thank you.

You likely need to increase the gain setting. Here is a guide to doing that on your PinWoofer GT Amplifier:

This is also shown in our new owner migration guide on the site at PinWoofer.com:

https://pinwoofer.com/blog/pinwoofer-migration-to-new-owner/

This should break you loose!

1 year later
#30 8 months ago

Does anyone know if the pinwoofer spike super kit is compatible with the speaker light kit from Myth pinball?

#31 8 months ago
Quoted from whitebreadisu:

Does anyone know if the pinwoofer spike super kit is compatible with the speaker light kit from Myth pinball?

We've received multiple confirmations that we're compatible with that light kit. Below is a link to some additional reading on the subject:

https://pinwoofer.com/blog/pinwoofer-spike2-backbox-speaker-plates-and-light-kit-compatibility/

Thanks!

Dan
https://PinWoofer.com
[email protected]
+1 208-855-0346, 9am - 5pm MT, Mon - Fri

#32 7 months ago
Quoted from whitebreadisu:

Does anyone know if the pinwoofer spike super kit is compatible with the speaker light kit from Myth pinball?

Pinwoofer is compatible with our lighting kits. If you are using the adapter rings just note that they are not symmetrical and there is an indicator arrow that must be pointing the correct direction for our kits to clear the backbox latch.

#33 7 months ago

Have PinWoofer in a few of my games and although the provided tape has worked well for glass rattle, the back box translite rattle was killing me (especially on DP). I went to Home Depot yesterday and got some expandable foam tape...WOW what a difference, ZERO rattle. Just put this under the lip of the backglass (bottom) frame. Highly recommend this and super cheap...one roll and I did 4 machines with plenty left.

For those interested:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Platinum-Series-1-2-in-x-1-2-in-x-240-in-Black-Expandable-Foam-Tape-Weatherseal-for-Uneven-Gaps-03110/313961254

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