Sound Quality on SaleTrains ET44

[wmcbride]

Can anyone report on the sound [read" speaker installation and sound quality] quality of the ScaleTrains ET44s now available for purchase?

I am specifically interested in the speaker installation ScaleTrains employs.

I have their first-issue GEVO in which the speaker container (fuel tank) was porous and the sound degraded without work to fix that.

Has there been any improvement in the speaker enclosure quality in the latest versions?

Probably my best experience in effective speaker installation and quality, and overall sound, from the factory has been the Rapido Dash8-40CM and Atlas SD35s.

Thanks for any input.

[MetroRedLine]

Can anyone report on the sound [read" speaker installation and sound quality] quality of the ScaleTrains ET44s now available for purchase?

I am specifically interested in the speaker installation ScaleTrains employs.

I have their first-issue GEVO in which the speaker container (fuel tank) was porous and the sound degraded without work to fix that.

Has there been any improvement in the speaker enclosure quality in the latest versions?

Probably my best experience in effective speaker installation and quality, and overall sound, from the factory has been the Rapido Dash8-40CM and Atlas SD35s.

Thanks for any input.

Also wondering about this since the original 2018 ET44s had an ESU LokSound 4 decoder, so also wondering if the new release has a LokSound 5.

[Jbub]

On the first run, Scaletrains just slapped the biggest speaker they could in that fuel tank cutout but put no enclosure on the speaker. I can hardly hear mine so I put another speaker in there with an enclosure and it helped a little but the sound file was just quiet. I'm going to guess they still just slap a speaker in there without an enclosure. The dash 9's and c39-8's had decent sound though.

[rrjim1]

Also wondering about this since the original 2018 ET44s had an ESU LokSound 4 decoder, so also wondering if the new release has a LokSound 5.

Web site states "ESU-LokSound™ 5 Micro DCC & sound decoder with “Full Throttle”

[wmcbride]

On the first run, Scaletrains just slapped the biggest speaker they could in that fuel tank cutout but put no enclosure on the speaker. I can hardly hear mine so I put another speaker in there with an enclosure and it helped a little but the sound file was just quiet. I'm going to guess they still just slap a speaker in there without an enclosure. The dash 9's and c39-8's had decent sound though.

Exactly; I had to build a speaker enclosure in that fuel tank that was an actual "enclosure" not one with openings to the universe.

I was just curious if they had improved the speaker installtion in their latest runs.

[jdcolombo]

I just don't get it.  For at least a decade, we all have been doing sound installs in diesels, and the fact that a speaker needs a separate sealed enclosure to sound decent is well-known to anyone who has tried to do this.  Why would a manufacturer produce a premium product with lousy sound? 

Yes, I understand that there are production issues.  But Lemosteam (John LeMerise) can tool up a 3D-printed speaker enclosure in about 5 minutes.  Print 'em or injection-mold 'em, but for God's sake, use them.  I also get that some human being will be required to put the speaker in the enclosure and seal it with some sort of adhesive, then wire it, and that increases assembly time, and perhaps the number of assembly errors.  So price that in.  For cryin' out loud, if you're charging $240 for a diesel engine, is $250 really going to cut into sales?  OK . . . make it $249.98 to avoid the $250 mental cliff. 

It's not just Scale Trains, although given the up-scale sales pitch for their products, they should be at the forefront of "best sound in N scale."  But all the manufacturers should know by now that popping a bare speaker in a fuel tank cutout is a recipe for . . . lousy sound.  Is doing it right really that hard?

John C.

[tehachapifan]

I just don't get it.  For at least a decade, we all have been doing sound installs in diesels, and the fact that a speaker needs a separate sealed enclosure to sound decent is well-known to anyone who has tried to do this.  Why would a manufacturer produce a premium product with lousy sound? 

Yes, I understand that there are production issues.  But Lemosteam (John LeMerise) can tool up a 3D-printed speaker enclosure in about 5 minutes.  Print 'em or injection-mold 'em, but for God's sake, use them.  I also get that some human being will be required to put the speaker in the enclosure and seal it with some sort of adhesive, then wire it, and that increases assembly time, and perhaps the number of assembly errors.  So price that in.  For cryin' out loud, if you're charging $240 for a diesel engine, is $250 really going to cut into sales?  OK . . . make it $249.98 to avoid the $250 mental cliff. 

It's not just Scale Trains, although given the up-scale sales pitch for their products, they should be at the forefront of "best sound in N scale."  But all the manufacturers should know by now that popping a bare speaker in a fuel tank cutout is a recipe for . . . lousy sound.  Is doing it right really that hard?

John C.

This is why I am yet to buy a loco with sound already installed. I know I can always do my own install and end up with far superior sound quality.

There still seems to be a vast lack of understanding with manufacturers regarding sound in N scale, which is why we still see speakers without enclosures and holes in the shell or fuel tank to "let the sound out".

I can sort of see how this can happen. If you are not acutely aware of the need for a proper speaker enclosure like a few of us are, it is easy to shrug it off as not being needed.

If you were to ask me about it before I got into N scale sound, I would've thought it probably wouldn't make much difference at all.

Edit/correction: I forgot I do have a BLI N NW2 with factory installed sound.

[wmcbride]

I just don't get it.  For at least a decade, we all have been doing sound installs in diesels, and the fact that a speaker needs a separate sealed enclosure to sound decent is well-known to anyone who has tried to do this.  Why would a manufacturer produce a premium product with lousy sound? 

Yes, I understand that there are production issues.  But Lemosteam (John LeMerise) can tool up a 3D-printed speaker enclosure in about 5 minutes.  Print 'em or injection-mold 'em, but for God's sake, use them.  I also get that some human being will be required to put the speaker in the enclosure and seal it with some sort of adhesive, then wire it, and that increases assembly time, and perhaps the number of assembly errors.  So price that in.  For cryin' out loud, if you're charging $240 for a diesel engine, is $250 really going to cut into sales?  OK . . . make it $249.98 to avoid the $250 mental cliff. 

It's not just Scale Trains, although given the up-scale sales pitch for their products, they should be at the forefront of "best sound in N scale."  But all the manufacturers should know by now that popping a bare speaker in a fuel tank cutout is a recipe for . . . lousy sound.  Is doing it right really that hard?

John C.

John,

You taught me how to fish (how to install sound in FVM GEVOs and Intermountain F units) many moons ago and I am forever grateful.

There are at least 2 N scale diesels I have purcahsed with factory sound (and factory installed speakers) that sound very good: Rapido Dash 8-40CM and Atlas SD35s. I also bought a few Atlas Silver SD35s with the preinstakked speaker and just added a Loksound board and they sounded great.

I was hoping someone may have some insight on whether ScaleTrains had "fixed" the open speaker installation in their GEVOs because the price has not gone down...!

[High Hood]

Well just after I ordered all three CSX numbers, I realized Scaletrains made a mistake on two of them. 3444 and 3451 should have angled exhaust compartments, but they shipped them with the square version. 

[crrcoal]

Is this confirmed they made this mistake? And if so are they going to correct it?

Well just after I ordered all three CSX numbers, I realized Scaletrains made a mistake on two of them. 3444 and 3451 should have angled exhaust compartments, but they shipped them with the square version. 

[ski]

Well just after I ordered all three CSX numbers, I realized Scaletrains made a mistake on two of them. 3444 and 3451 should have angled exhaust compartments, but they shipped them with the square version. 

My CSX 3444 that I just received is square as well.

[jdcolombo]

John,

You taught me how to fish (how to install sound in FVM GEVOs and Intermountain F units) many moons ago and I am forever grateful.

There are at least 2 N scale diesels I have purcahsed with factory sound (and factory installed speakers) that sound very good: Rapido Dash 8-40CM and Atlas SD35s. I also bought a few Atlas Silver SD35s with the preinstakked speaker and just added a Loksound board and they sounded great.

I was hoping someone may have some insight on whether ScaleTrains had "fixed" the open speaker installation in their GEVOs because the price has not gone down...!

Actually, I bought an SD35 just to see how Atlas was doing with their factory installs, and was pleasantly surprised at how good the sound was.  And Rapido did well on their GMD-1.  So at least a couple of manufacturers “get it.”  But there’s really no excuse for dropping a bare speaker in a cutout at this stage of the game.

John C

[High Hood]

Here is a video that shows the current sound quality on the ET44:

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Also, upon further review all three CSX numbers have the incorrect square exhaust. This is simply unacceptable for something under the “Rivet Counter” brand.

[tehachapifan]

I'm not hearing any audio in that clip at all.

Edit: I guess it's on my end. Walked out of the room for 10 minutes and now no sound.

[crrcoal]

If someone has both straight and angled exhaust can you post a side by side photo to show the difference?. Has anyone reached to ST to see if they will make this right?