# Upgrading to sound



## britblad (Jan 2, 2012)

I have a CN GP9 with a DH123 Decoder in it i want to upgrade to sound with digitrax what would be a good option that i can just plug in where the dh123 is now? 

(Just looking for a reasonable priced sound card from digitrax not a overpriced tusiumi)

Never mind i found my answer by accident i can use the SDH164D


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## Brakeman Jake (Mar 8, 2009)

Tsunami's aren't overpriced in my mind (ask Sean,NIMT),it's just the bottom end sound decoders that are lower priced with matching performance.MRC sound decoders have a high failure rate and Digitrax's sound poorly at best.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Well a Digitrax SDH164D is about $52.94 then the 1" speaker that comes with it is too big to properly fit in that engine so you'll have to replace it with another speaker for $8 to $10 the Old speaker was 32 ohm so when you replace it with the new 8 ohm speaker the sound output will be even less than original. So your investment will be $62.94 give or take.

I sell the whole set up in Soundtraxx Tsumani for $93.26 for that engine.

So for $30 more you could have upgraded from the Generic Yugo sound output of Digitrax Sound decoders, To the Engine specific Ferarri sound output of a Soundtraxx.


Overpriced? You get what you pay for with Soundtraxx!

Another little Note Digitraxx decoders are made overseas, some where???
Soundtraxx are 100% made in the USA!


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## britblad (Jan 2, 2012)

you wana flip the extra 30 bucks be my guest i'm not rich!

and forget the cost of a speaker cus Tsumani dont come with them and then you have to soder wires to a $100 board and chance messing it up.

I have watced alot of videos and one 1 tsumani and i dont see a diffrence other than it cost more!


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## rrgrassi (May 3, 2012)

You have to experience the sound difference in person.

I felt like you did until I got to hear the two side by side. 

Digitrax is good for the budget, and to see is sound is really for you. Once bitten, though...I now save my pennies up for Soundtraxx. I also will go to my LHS, and I have bartered stuff for the Soundtraxx.


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## britblad (Jan 2, 2012)

I think for now I am gona stay with in my budget to tell you the truth just comming up with the extra 60 bucks is gona be a pain unless somone wants to buy some hydocal rocks from me! (Still trying to decide what i want to charge for em)


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## Southern (Nov 17, 2008)

britblad said:


> (Just looking for a reasonable priced sound card from digitrax not a overpriced tusiumi)


Yes they do cost more. you get wat you pay for.



britblad said:


> Never mind i found my answer by accident i can use the SDH164D


I have Installed SDH164ds in trains I am going to sell. 



Brakeman Jake said:


> Tsunami's aren't overpriced in my mind .............. Digitrax's sound poorly at best.


I agree.



NIMT said:


> To the Engine specific Ferarri sound output of a Soundtraxx.


Sean when was the last time you heard a Ferrari. LOL


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## britblad (Jan 2, 2012)

like i said before if you want to shell out the money to buy me one go for it until then its my Railroad and my choice! I dont have 100 to just throw away 40 or 60 is even gona take me a bit to get i dont have unlimited income i have to work within my budget not to mention there is no tsu that has GP9 spefic sound. $100+ is for buying engines! Why the **** am i arguing with you you just gona think im wrong and im gona think or wrong STALEMATE. Can we just quit trying to sell me what i can aford please!


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## britblad (Jan 2, 2012)

Southern said:


> Yes they do cost more. you get what you pay for.
> 
> 
> I have Installed SDH164ds in trains I am going to sell.
> ...


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

britblad said:


> like i said before if you want to shell out the money to buy me one go for it until then its my Railroad and my choice! I dont have 100 to just throw away 40 or 60 is even gona take me a bit to get i dont have unlimited income i have to work within my budget not to mention there is no tsu that has GP9 spefic sound. $100+ is for buying engines! Why the **** am i arguing with you you just gona think im wrong and im gona think or wrong STALEMATE. Can we just quit trying to sell me what i can aford please!


This is why we are here to try and educate and inform.
Why are you getting so hostile when everyone is just trying to give you good advice.
EMD GP-9TSU-AT1000 EMD 567828040810113

That sounds like a specific prime mover sound to me.

No one is attacking your choice, we were just commenting and trying to claify on your comment of Tsunami's being overpriced! Let me sell you a Digitrax decoder for $100 that would be overpriced!


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## britblad (Jan 2, 2012)

NIMT said:


> This is why we are here to try and educate and inform.
> Why are you getting so hostile when everyone is just trying to give you good advice.
> EMD GP-9TSU-AT1000 EMD 567828040810113
> 
> ...


yes if Digitrax was $100 bucks then spending another 20 wouldn't be a big deal but $40-$60 that's $60-$80 (considering tsu's are about $119 and no speaker) bucks more that i could use towards say my riverossi Big Boy when it comes out at the end of the month!


Sorry partly my ex-wife's fault for me being crabby! that and it seems more like a sales pitch than helping no ofence. But seriously that extra 40-60 bucks is a big deal to me i'm on a budget and i dont need perfect sound im building a railroad for fun not to make it exactly protipical and if i buy a PR-3 i can change the sounds anyways and isnt a GP9 a bit small to be considered a prime mover?


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## dannyrandomstate (Jan 1, 2012)

My first dcc install was the digitrax low buck sound decoder. It was less than 50 bucks. I put it in a life like F-7. I picked that one because it was the easiest to install in. Once installed and running I was less than impressed. I boxed the speaker and the sound got crappier. I ran it for awhile but just couldn't really stomach the low quality 8-track sound. Alas, you get what you pay for. I am not building a layout to be prototypical either. Shoot... It's going to be far from it. But if I'm going to have sound running on it I want it to be good and not have everyone that comes over cringe every time I fire up an engine. 

So with that as I move forward with my layout I am putting off things to save up for those quality sound decoders. I get kinda bummed when I see something and have to perform restraint because I know that I have to save for the sound. But that's what being on my budget is all about.


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## britblad (Jan 2, 2012)

dannyrandomstate said:


> My first dcc install was the digitrax low buck sound decoder. It was less than 50 bucks. I put it in a life like F-7. I picked that one because it was the easiest to install in. Once installed and running I was less than impressed. I boxed the speaker and the sound got crappier. I ran it for awhile but just couldn't really stomach the low quality 8-track sound. Alas, you get what you pay for. I am not building a layout to be prototypical either. Shoot... It's going to be far from it. But if I'm going to have sound running on it I want it to be good and not have everyone that comes over cringe every time I fire up an engine.
> 
> So with that as I move forward with my layout I am putting off things to save up for those quality sound decoders. I get kinda bummed when I see something and have to perform restraint because I know that I have to save for the sound. But that's what being on my budget is all about.


well i would like to have one diesel have sound and i don't have the extra to splurge right now and i know the Digitrax will plug right in without rewiring and it really is my choice in the long run so i guess i will do what i want no matter what anyone else s opinion is!


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## Southern (Nov 17, 2008)

britblad said:


> Southern said:
> 
> 
> > Yes they do cost more. you get what you pay for.
> ...


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

I always thought I heeded good advice. I have slipped. I know what you guys say about digitrax sound. I recently purchased a sdh164d decoder. I know, I know. I have 3 dcc sound engines, soon to be 4 with the digitrax. I have a bli sd40-2 with factory qsi sound
(not bad), a spectrum 4-6-6-4 with tsunami sound, I know its a watered down version of tsunami, (not bad), and then I have an athearn bb with a tsu 1000 tsunami I got from Sean and installed myself (love it and my favorite decoder). But I guess I have to try the digitrax for myself. I have good sound so I will know if it is poop. I got it right at $40.00 and it is worth it to try it. If I get a decent horn sound the rest will be ok. I must admit it stings a bit to spend 100 bucks on a $30 athearn engine. For the same amount I bought the bli sd40-2 with factory sound and ready to run (much smoother than the athearn) but you can't always get them for $130. I just have too many good dc locos and it would cost too much to replace them with good factory installed sound locos. I will let you know how the digitrax works out when I install it. Not sure where it is going.


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## dannyrandomstate (Jan 1, 2012)

I am by no means bashing the digitrax. Whatever makes one happy is key. 

And know what you mean about converting the fleet. I know it'll never happen here. Maybe a few but other than that it'll be mostly non sound engines.


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

There will be alot of non sound here also. In a perfect world they would all
be sound. I am going to use digitrax 163 for non sound. It is supposed to be
a bit of an upgrade on the digitrax 123s. Has the back emf or whatever it is 
called. Supposed to be better to consist with.


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## dannyrandomstate (Jan 1, 2012)

I boughta couple of the Soundtraxx #852002 from our supplier here. The price was great and the action of everything is soooo smooth. I even put one in an old AHM BL2. On setting one that thing creeps along. After toying with soundtraxx I'm sold on them.


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

I will check them out. Thanks.


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

Shazam !!! I went to sound traxx site and found the 852002. They have the bemf
also. And a cheaper list price than the digitrax 163. Ok, so I will have one digitrax 
decoder. LOL.


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## britblad (Jan 2, 2012)

i think i am gona go with the digitrax for now i can always upgrade down the road when i have more money slap it in a different engine and so on lol or leave it in the gp9 altho since im in no hurry to get my SD40-2 Mid running i may wait and put a TSU-1000 in there if i can get someone to solder in the other 2 LED's for since i cringe at soldering to a $100+ board that is quite small but that will have to wait for a bit since there are 3 engines i want atm all with sound on board but i will only get 1  atm


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## Prospect193 (Nov 30, 2011)

britblad said:


> i think i am gona go with the digitrax for now i can always upgrade down the road when i have more money slap it in a different engine and so on lol or leave it in the gp9 altho since im in no hurry to get my SD40-2 Mid running i may wait and put a TSU-1000 in there if i can get someone to solder in the other 2 LED's for since i cringe at soldering to a $100+ board that is quite small but that will have to wait for a bit since there are 3 engines i want atm all with sound on board but i will only get 1  atm


Yup!! His name is NIMT nobody installs decoders better than he.

Cheers
Pat


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

I will let you all in on another Soundtraxx advantage.
Sound and non sound decoders can be speed matched.
You can not do that with anyone else's Decoders.
So you can take a Soundtraxx Tsunami equipped Engine and MU it with a non sound Soundtraxx decoder and you can make them run at the same rate.
Huge cost savings!


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## britblad (Jan 2, 2012)

NIMT said:


> I will let you all in on another Soundtraxx advantage.
> Sound and non sound decoders can be speed matched.
> You can not do that with anyone else's Decoders.
> So you can take a Soundtraxx Tsunami equipped Engine and MU it with a non sound Soundtraxx decoder and you can make them run at the same rate.
> Huge cost savings!



You mean making 2 engines run at the same speed so you can consist them?

if thats what you mean all you have to do is ajust the speeds in JMRI easy as pie with any decoder


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Not as easy as you think!
When you get a Digitrax sound decoder try and speed match it to a Digitrax non sound decoder, You might get it close, But you will not get it to match.
I've been doing DCC installs and programming for years and It just can't be done with Digitrax!


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## britblad (Jan 2, 2012)

i'll have to try that


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