# High or Mega bass speakers worth it?



## Jima (Oct 28, 2018)

Can you guys tell me if the quality of sound is significantly better in the High or Mega bass speakers? I am considering one for a Bachmann HO scale Consolidation 2-8-0.

Thanks
Jim


----------



## Patrick1544 (Apr 27, 2013)

I’d get a 4000 watt subwoofer and stash it under the layout. You’ll really experience the feel of a locomotive.


----------



## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

I picked up some cheap 3/4" speakers from ebay (about $1 each?) that were listed as having a good bass output. The sound was 'meh', however after searching around a bit I learned something -- you need a baffle behind the speaker to get good quality sound. I 3D-printed some to fit what I have, but essentially it is a sealed plastic can where the speaker fits into the top, and it forces all of the sound to come out the front side. And I mean ALL of the sound. I have a Bachmann 4-6-0 that I put one in, connected to a tsunami2. I haven't even drilled any holes in the tender but the sound is so loud that I had to turn down the volume to about 200.

As for the sound quality, I can hear a slightly tinny tone to some sounds such as when they're shoveling coal and in the higher tones of steam during the chuffs. But at the same time I am getting an extremely surprising amount of bass out of this setup for the small size of the speaker, and I haven't heard anything better at the train shows. SoundTraxx and others sell speaker baffle kits, so if you're not able to 3D print your own then I suggest buying a kit and see what you think of the sound quality before investing in high-cost speakers.


----------



## flyboy2610 (Jan 20, 2010)

What a lot of people don't understand about speakers is that the cone sends out sound waves as it moves away from the magnet _and _as it is pulled back to the magnet. Without a baffle, these two sound waves basically cancel each other out. With a good airtight baffle, only the sound waves from one side of the cone are heard. This is why a baffle dramatically increases the volume of the sound.


----------

