(Topic ID: 305919)

SPEAKER UPGRADE- Missing the point, IMO

By DavidNOLA

2 years ago



Topic Stats

  • 7 posts
  • 6 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 2 years ago by DavidNOLA
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    #1 2 years ago

    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!

    #2 2 years ago
    Quoted from DavidNOLA:

    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!

    There is plenty of aftermarket stuff for you to customize your machine.

    I do not want bluetooth, wifi, etc, etc.. It is just another thing to go wrong and another thing to drop out, stop working, waste hours on, complicate a simple menu and the list goes on and on.

    We are happy with what comes standard.

    #3 2 years ago

    I've often thought the same about enclosure design (or lack thereof).

    Scott was headed in the right direction with TNA. Prototype shown here, but a similar box is present in the production model.
    20160603_191819-768x432 (resized).jpg20160603_191819-768x432 (resized).jpg20160604_135052 (resized).jpg20160604_135052 (resized).jpg

    #4 2 years ago

    I agree an enclosure for a sub would help the sound quality, but most people wouldn't care enough to spend the extra money it would require. Enclosures for the smaller backbox speakers seem like a low value proposition. When a pin is banging away, small audio quality gains are hard to notice. Having said that, I AM interested in if people are using sound bars. I'd never considered that, and now must go do some searching!

    #5 2 years ago

    10" powered polk subwoofer - done

    #6 2 years ago
    Quoted from cosmokramer:

    10" powered polk subwoofer - done

    Best $99.00 you could spend on a pin. Hands down!

    #7 2 years ago

    I will let you know how the sound bar works out.
    As far as enclosures for the back box, there are enclosed speakers that would fit if a bracket were made. Such as the JBL satellite speakers used for surround sound or other higher end enclosed small satellite cube type speakers. My JBL's sound great...about 3" mid and 3/4" tweeter with large sub.
    I'm going for the sound bar or maybe a sub and an enclosed speaker in the back box if i can get one that fits and is correct ohms. i'll take a couple of those jbl's i already have and see how they sound! I'll see if they sound good then go from there!
    I see some posts about ohms being important and some posts saying that either 4 or 8 is ok in modern stern.

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