# QSI stereo titan sounds like crap....help



## Artieiii (Apr 25, 2011)

I ordered the new QSI titan with the dual prime mover sounds for my Athearn U50. I installed it in the model and I get terrible sound and crackling noises from both speakers. It sounds like crap. I got the decoder from Tony's train exchange and these are the speakers they recommended. I have had similar bad sounds from my Digitrax SDH164D sound decoders when small metal filings get stuck to the magnet. When that happens I use masking tape to get the junk off the diaphragm and the sound improves. That did not work for the titan's speakers. I sent an email to Tony's but am waiting to hear from them. Any suggestions?
-Art


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## waltr (Aug 15, 2011)

Have you tried decreasing the sound volume? If that helps then the speakers are being over driven.
Is the speaker's impedance matched to the QSI output impedance? 
Are the two speakers wired as recommended? Series or parallel?
Are all the solder connections good?
Is the power clean and the pick-up solid?
Are the speakers in enclosures?


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## Artieiii (Apr 25, 2011)

waltr said:


> Have you tried decreasing the sound volume? If that helps then the speakers are being over driven.
> Is the speaker's impedance matched to the QSI output impedance?
> Are the two speakers wired as recommended? Series or parallel?
> Are all the solder connections good?
> ...


Waltr,
I will try decreasing the volume but even the soft sounds have a crackling sound. The speakers are 8 ohm 2 watt speakers (recommended by the manufacturer and recommended and sold by Tony's train exchange).
The speakers are wired as suggested by the manufacturer. 2 wires from the decoder to each speaker (it's stereo) not in series or parallel. No enclosures.
I don't know what you mean by "is the power clean and the pick-up solid" Solder connections are good.
-Art


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Put the speakers in enclosures!
Then you will want to turn down the sound, it will get a lot louder!!!!
Are both speakers making the same noise?
Check the pickups too!


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## Artieiii (Apr 25, 2011)

NIMT said:


> Put the speakers in enclosures!
> Then you will want to turn down the sound, it will get a lot louder!!!!
> Are both speakers making the same noise?
> Check the pickups too!


No Sean speakers make different sounds. Both have the primer mover sounds bell and horn come mostly from front speaker but you can hear that they are not making exactly the same sounds. Ok I will fabricate some speaker enclosures tonight out of some plastic containers and see how that works. If it gets louder holy crap!!! It's pretty loud now. Not sure what you mean by check the pickups. You mean track pickups? The engine is brand new, no crud on the pickups yet. Thanks for your suggestions, I was getting pretty frustrated!
-Art


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## gc53dfgc (Apr 13, 2010)

Art,

You did not know about the enclosures that you put every speaker into? Wait till you put them on every sound engine you have done, they will make a world of difference instantly.


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## Artieiii (Apr 25, 2011)

no luck. made enclosures still sounds like crap. turned down volume. tons of static. wtf? sounds like rice crispies.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Do you have any other speakers to swap out with?
I don't think I've ever had one scratchy???or even crackling???
My guess is bad decoder???


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## Artieiii (Apr 25, 2011)

NIMT said:


> Do you have any other speakers to swap out with?
> I don't think I've ever had one scratchy???or even crackling???
> My guess is bad decoder???


I swapped out the decoder with a Digitrax SDH164D and that sounds 100% better. I also noticed that with the Digitrax decoder the lights work properly. It's gotta be a bad decoder. I don't have any 8 ohm speakers to swap but both front and rear speakers make the same horrible crackling noise even then the engine is at idle. Not sure if I need to contact Tony's Trains for an exchange or QSI. I will start with Tony's first and see what they say.
-Art


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## sstlaure (Oct 12, 2010)

FYI....My Dad used some old laptop speakers on a sound conversion he did for my GP15. He made a styrene enclosure and it came out great.


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## Artieiii (Apr 25, 2011)

Talked to Tony's, they said to send it back to them for repair/replacement. They said that since both speakers make the same crackling noises that it's probably something wrong with the built in amplifier in the decoder. I guess this engine will not be running around the tree this christmas  It sucks but these things happen sometimes.
-Art


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## Artieiii (Apr 25, 2011)

sstlaure said:


> FYI....My Dad used some old laptop speakers on a sound conversion he did for my GP15. He made a styrene enclosure and it came out great.


I made enclosures last nite out of the child proof caps on sample medicine bottles. The inner piece fit perfectly around the speaker. I sanded the cap thin with my belt sander to fit in the available space in the model. I may still drill holes in the top of the cap will see when my replacement decoder arrives.
-Art


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

NO holes in the "cap", enclosure! It works much better sealed up!


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## Artieiii (Apr 25, 2011)

NIMT said:


> NO holes in the "cap", enclosure! It works much better sealed up!


Gotcha Sean thanks again.
-Art


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## gc53dfgc (Apr 13, 2010)

Sean's got this one. Even the holes drilled for the wires should be sealed up with glue or epoxy to ensure the best possible sound.


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

You can even put the baffle or enclosure over the speaker side of it. Not exactly what you would expect but it works really well and it boosts the bass up a lot, I've put 2 speakers (one forward one rearward enclosures on a digitrax decoder and it sounds incredible!
Oh yea as Scott said if you can find laptop speakers they work really well too, they put out high quality sound!


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## Artieiii (Apr 25, 2011)

Sean there is not enough room to mount the speaker facing upward in the enclosure. I will have to mount them pointing downward. My home grown speaker enclosures came out really good. Time to make some more for my other Digitrax sound decoders.
-Art


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