Pinball machines have evolved and been revolutionized by technology, including the addition of music, movie clips, sounds, and call outs being added along the way. Years ago they just made noises.
A MAJOR failure in the redesign of machines is the sound quality has completely lagged behind, IMO. Stern, and many posts I read, has missed the point that a pinball machine was designed for play, not as a speaker cabinet.
Until the speaker has a cabinet that is designed for it, improvement in sound will be limited.
Those that advocate an external sub are in the right direction, not so much because it's a bigger or better sub, but because it's a sub engineered to work in it's cabinet.
Back Box. Ever seen a 4 or 5" stereo speaker in a 28" x 28" x 8" cabinet? no.
Speaker companies spend tons of time and effort to properly design cabinets to fit the speaker.
Stern OR one of the pinball speaker companies could fix this by having speakers in proper cabinets. I realize that some speakers are designed for pinball machine but that doesn't compare with properly designed cabinets, IMO. Shout out to FF and PP and anyone else, build the boxes if you can. Thanks.
PINSIDE PLAYERS could experiment.
Maybe get a recessed encloure box for ceiling speakers and adapt it? build a box? Take quaker oat round box and stick it over the back box speakers? Maybe put a low profile enclosed sub in the pin cabinet or attached to the bottom? build a divider in the back box out of R-max rigid foam? (i'm not promoting these, just brainstorming)
For someone handy that might could help.
I think the easiest way FOR ME will be a 24" 2.1 soundbar with powered sub. If it feeds through headphone it would turn off the stock speakers.
If anyone has tried soundbar, please give me a shout out. Wouldn't work with a topper, but i don't have toppers.
And STERN, JJ, CHICAGO, AMERICAN AND ANY OTHERS, HOW ABOUT BLUETOOTH SO WE COULD EASILY CONNECT OUR MACHINE TO EXTERNAL SPEAKERS? THANKS!