It's all the same mechs, cabinet and basically the same game as the premium. The operator could take more care with their LEs as far as set up and maintenance but really they shouldn't feel any different than the premiums.

There zero difference in playfield or parts quality. Pure placebo.

When I buy a game, I will typically leave it in the living room for a month or two because I want to play it every day. At some point I move it into the basement that has a floating floor over concrete. It's jarring to me every time how different a machine feels between the living room and the basement.

This is probably what you're experiencing, the environment is different.

Also everything feels quieter in an arcade with tons of other games playing. I stayed late one night to play Venom and I was shocked at how loud it felt when I was playing it with the rest of the machines off. I finally heard the power supply noise people complained about whereas with the rest of the machines on it seemed whisper quiet.

I agree with you. I think the games feel different as well. A few years ago, we bought a Star Wars LE and our friends bought a Star Wars premium. Both games were side by side and the LE definitely felt different. I cannot work out what it is.

It’s gotta be something like setup, tweaks, maybe even how tight the legs are attached, leveled, the environment…Prems & LEs are literally built from the same parts. Same cabs. Same playfields (there’s no extra clear). Trim has powdercoat, but that shouldn’t affect play or noise. LE has better speakers, but again - shouldn’t affect anything tangible.

I can understand this. I’ve noticed it on some games, too. My thoughts were that the playfields seemed to have a thicker clear on these machines. YMMV. Just what I noticed.

The extra $3.5k you spend on the LEs is for the Inconel 718 for all the metal parts, Brazilian Rosewood for the playfield/cabinet and spray foaming of the entire inside of the cabinet to quiet everything. LEs...it's more than just a numbered plaque...

SuperNoid:

FWIW: We have a Bond LE. Whenever I play a pre or pro at location or someone's home, I think "Jeez. This just feels so much cheaper in terms of the quality of the PF, cabinet, etc - but it MUST just be in my head."

Maybe it is in my head, but I'm not the only one.

Reminds me of the fact cop cars get their own special parts. When I was in HS, a friend worked at a local garage. He'd tell me how all the police cars they serviced had specially-designated parts: Cop-shocks, Cop-struts, Cop-drivetrains, etc.

You joke, but that reminds me of something else...

It would be nice to think LEs aren't just $3K for a signature. But, that signature may mean more than one usually thinks. I bought a really nice classical guitar in Madrid from Ignacio Rozas (back then it was $2K, now it's worth $4K). It was made with Brazilian rosewood. But it was "modelo 2a" - which meant it was made by one of Ignacio's apprentices. I couldn't afford a 1a, so I asked Ignacio if he would sign the inside of the guitar I was about to buy from him. He declined. Even though his name was printed in big letters on the label inside the guitar, he only signed his 1a modelos. The ones he made himself.

Some LEs even have the exact same playfield as a pro. For example Foo Fighters, completely interchangeable among all models. If you guys are noticing something different it's because of who set it up or the conditions they are set up in. There is absolutely no difference in the parts used that would effect gameplay.

I learned this years ago from watching the Blues Brothers.
: )

I might be jumping to conclusions as well but…I’d swear most of the Spike 2 LE’s I’ve previously owned, either have had softer springs in the flipper buttons (compared to pro/prem) or, noone at all.
Buttery smooth/light action either way.

Deadpool LE especially!
Man, I miss that game.

Yes I have definitely noticed this as well.
I can’t put my thumb on it but there is a difference.

It’s definitely the powder coat. I have noticed the same thing. Just feels right compared to the rough texture pro/ prem

Having the game level and tightening the leg bolts a little extra makes a huge difference in how it feels. Add in some rubber footies and my games feel like they weigh 1000 lb. When I play games and they move all over the place they just feel cheap.

Seriously. It’s the powder coat

It’s just the difference in environments between your game room and the arcade. Acoustics, floor type, ceiling type, ambient noise, etc, all
Make a big difference. If you play the same pin in a plush carpet and furnished room it will feel smooth and butter compared to in an empty room with tile floors. There’s no difference in the pins and nothing the arcade operator is doing special to account for this. If there was, we’d all be doing it.

While I agree that P-C'd games have a better feel/look (all four of our machines are P-C'd and our Zilla and AIQ premiums definitely feel more like LEs because of it), I've played premiums and pros that were PC'd and they simply look and feel like they are made of cheaper materials. None of this makes objective sense, of course, but it does make me wonder. Placebo effect?

I know a pinsider with an awesome game room who P-Cs all his games, mods them to perfection and puts in high-end audio components. Yet, when I played his Bond pro I thought the PF and plastics looked/felt lower quality from our LE. I don't pretend to have an answer to the OP's question. I only have the same question...

So funny. We got sidetracked by pinball but I was planning to watch Blues Brothers this past weekend with my kids (now 13 and 11, so about the age I was when I saw it). The only teasers they have so far are the songs from the movie I play in the car and the scene at Chez Paul: "how much for the little girl? Your daughters? Sell me your children!" They love that scene and, surprisingly perhaps, often request hearing Minnie the Moocher, Sweet Home Chicago, Think and the Theme from Rawhide in the car.

They have no idea Carrie Fischer is in the movie. Can't wait for them to be like "whoa! That's Princess Leia!" (notice my avatar from Halloween a few years ago)

Yeah, with a flame thrower and a machine gun, LoL.

The more money you spend, the better a game plays, simple as that.

It’s all in your head. I’ve been intimate with pros, premiums, LEs, there all the same parts except for the very specific differences called out in the feature matrix.

I had a GOT premium that I got powder coated and it felt way more solid afterwards. I went to a motorcycle shop to have it done.

It's not like you don't know what is inside a LE game vs premium/pro. It's exactly the same core parts. You think Stern is special building these games? Lol no. If there was anything they would certainly be advertising it to sell more LE's.

It was a while ago. But all the hinges rails, legs and coin door was like $275

If You like the way the LEs play You should try a CE,those suckers play by themselves.

I have have/had Stern Pros and Premiums, and have temp traded and/or gotten extensive time on single LEs in private settings. They play exactly the same.

HOWEVER, it is my experience that well kept games in public locations play better than games in private collections. Something about getting worn in/dialed in that makes them play smoother/better/faster. People that have LEs on location tend to be on average much more likely to take excellent care of their pins.

Hmm. I’ve never played a pin on location anywhere that plays as well as well as my home games. There is always something that should work better, be maintained, or be dialed in more. And to be expected, I don’t expect an operator to match my anal retention with my own games.

I think the powdered trim does something to make it feel better