Just bought a kato engine on ebay awhile back and it has a lok sound decoder in it. But it sounds like total garbage. I checked the speaker size and it seems like a nice speaker. So does the decoder have a low quality? The instruction booklet for the decoder says 2005. Was lok sound bad then and better now? Not sure why it sounds so bad. The sound is really low and rattling. I checked the CV's and the levels are maxed out, I tried lowering the volume and it sounds just as bad.
Is the speaker inside an enclosure ? If not, that's the cause of the poor sound quality. Kato did not make locomotive with LOKSound decoders, so someone has added it.
The Kato Kobo models use a Digitrax Sound FX decoder, which I found to be very unsatisfactory, too. I replaced it with a QSI Revolution and properly baffled speaker.
My two PCM steam locos with Loksound decoders sound great. Rattly sound usually means blown speaker or maybe the speaker is not tightly held in place and is just rattling. There have been a coupel versions of Loksound decoders, my PCM steamers have a Loksound 3.5 decoder, the original sound equipped Trix Big Boys used the Loksound 2.0 decoder which didn't have an many features.
Since as was noted, this had to have been installed by someone prior to your purchase since no KJato US prototype locos came with Loksound decoders, there are many steps that could have been messed up resultign in unsatisfactory sound. Couple of obvious ones - Loksound 3.5 decoders use 100 ohm speakers. If the installer used an 8 ohm seaker, it will sound bad up until it most likely eventually blows the amplifier on the decoder. Lack of a baffle will result in poor volume and a complete absence of what little bass frequencies you cna get out of a small speaker. Not mounting the speaker sucurely int he loco will allow it to rattle around against the body shell, making buzzing noises.
And if this was one that came with a Digitrax sound decoder and it was replaced with the Loksound - it would have the wrong speaker, unless the speaker was changed.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Try Ulrich Models, Steve sells Loksound and know his stuff.
http://www.ulrichmodels.biz/servlet/StoreFront
I like Randy have Loksound 3.5 decoders in big steam and they are the best sounding engines I have.
Cuda Ken
I hate Rust
johngriffey18ca1The sound is really low and rattling.
Rattling is a sign of a bad speaker. The speaker cone may be torn, or, has been suggested, the speaker may be loose in its housing. Speakers have magnets in them, and they sometimes pick up stray bits of metal which will interfere with the sound.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I have a PCM F3 with single factory installed 3.5 LokSound decoder that powers two 50 ohm speakers in the A unit and two speakers in the B unit.
A Spectrum 44 ton and 70 ton with 3.5 LokSound that also sound great.
All have baffles.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.