Hi!
I've got 3 Stewart F ABBA consists with Kato drive and 3 Stewart FT consists with Stewart drive. I've got bitten by the "soundbug" and am looking to get the Stewart sound/power chassis for the B units.
I notice that they now offer either Soundtraxx or Loksound systems. I am only familiar with BLI's sound and know nothing about these two offerings. What can you tell me about them?
Also, I will be putting decoders in the A units, and figure on getting the NCE DASR for the F units and NCE D13SRP for the FT units. Is this a good way to go?
I know it would be cheaper to install my own sound system, but frankly I have too much on my plate with building the new layout, etc., to consider it now.
Thanks!
Mobilman44
ENJOY !
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
I would go with the soundtraxx or you could go with QSI solutions also. I have had lots of experience with loksound but find their horn to be lacking in volume.
Pete
I pray every day I break even, Cause I can really use the money!
I started with nothing and still have most of it left!
I personal love the sounds of my Loksound decoders. My PCM steam engines sound more real than my BLI QSI steamers.
Ulrich Models can program Loksound decoders and he ships fast!
Ken
I hate Rust
I have just received my brand new Bowser Stewart F-7a, factory equipped with a Soundtraxx Tsunami. I am more than impressed by the sound, This is just as close as you can get to the real thing. If I´d wire up a HiFi speaker to it, there´d be no difference to a real F-7.
For amazing slow speed performance and realistic engine "ramp up" before the unit moves, I swear by LokSound for my diesel fleet. After many hours (now months) of trying, I have not been able to come close the the perfomance with QSI, Digitrax, NCE (non-sound), TCS (non-sound), or Soundtraxx.
IMO, the motor control alone is almost worth the price premium.
Some of the functions can be confusing at first, if you are used to the other systems, but they can be changed. The biggest weak spot is the factory loaded horn, but you can change that as well.
True that the programmer is pricey, but you can then "drag and drop" sounds, and reprogram nearly everything in a graphical, "object oreinted" envirnment.