# Less expensive sound decoders



## gerard488 (Mar 10, 2013)

I can`t help but wonder why the Chinese haven`t come up with a sound decoder that sounds better but costs less than digitrax or any of the others


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## feldon30 (Dec 30, 2012)

It does seem puzzling that QSi, Soundtraxx, and TCS all cost in the realm of $90 with a speaker, but I think there's a noticeable dropoff in sound quality on the cheaper ones. I haven't done side-by-side comparisons though.


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

I'm sure the Chinese will soon be along with a cheaper nastier knock off, they usually do.


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## Mark R. (Jan 26, 2013)

Has nothing to do with the Chinese being able to make a cheaper one .... I'm positive they could, but what are they going to put in it for sound ? Truth be told, that's where a lot of the cost is. Somebody has to travel the country-side to get the raw recordings of whatever engine they need. Then somebody sits in front of a computer - sometimes for weeks - editing all those sounds and creating the file system structure. It's not a simple task. That is where a good percentage of the cost of your decoder goes to.

As for the cost of the decoder itself ? Go right back to square one, and the base cost to make that decoder is probably around $10 or less. Tack on manufacturer mark-up, wholesaler mark up, distributor mark up and retailer mark up and you get what we have.

There's no way any Chinese manufacturer will come in with a similar quality product for half the price .... oh - wait .... there's MRC ! ....

Mark.


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

Ah! But there would be no trips to record the sounds, the savings would be made in a cheap Chinese sound decoder by a the guy making chuffing sounds, slapping his cheeks and blowing on a tin whistle in his bathroom.


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