Ultimate Jersey Jack Pinball Audio Upgrade - PinWoofer PowerWaveJ Super Kit!

RetroRalph·video·13m 6s·analyzed·Jul 25, 2025

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.020

TL;DR

PinWoofer audio upgrade improves Jersey Jack audio clarity and bass despite already-good stock system.

Summary

RetroRalph reviews the PinWoofer PowerWave amplifier and speaker kit for Jersey Jack Pinball machines, specifically testing it on Harry Potter. While acknowledging Jersey Jack's stock audio system is already high-quality compared to Stern Spike 2, he demonstrates that the upgrade significantly improves clarity, dynamic range, and bass response. Installation is more involved than Spike 2 systems but worthwhile for serious collectors seeking to maximize soundtrack quality.

Key Claims

Jersey Jack Pinball machines have significantly better stock audio systems than Stern Spike 2 machines due to superior discrete amplifiers
high confidence · RetroRalph direct comparison: 'the reason why Jersey Jack's audio system already sounds so good is they've got a good discrete amplifier, pretty good one, especially in comparison to the one that Stern uses. It's grossly underpowered.'
PinWoofer kit includes replacement tweeters, a Power Wave amplifier, and a dual-coil subwoofer
high confidence · RetroRalph detailed kit contents: 'you're going to get the actual tweeter pair...the amplifier itself...the subwoofer itself'
The PinWoofer amplifier includes a soft-start feature that prevents audible pop noise on power-up, unlike JJP stock amplifiers
high confidence · RetroRalph explanation: 'his amplifier doesn't turn on. It has a delay. So, it's on, but it doesn't fully turn itself on until the game is fully booted. So, you don't hear that pop noise'
Installation of PinWoofer kit on Jersey Jack is more complex than on Stern Spike 2 due to heat shield removal requirements
high confidence · RetroRalph: 'It's a little bit harder to install on the Jersey Jack machine as it is on the Spike 2. It's going to take a little bit more time'
David Teal composed the Harry Potter pinball soundtrack, which was inspired by but complimentary to John Williams' themes
high confidence · RetroRalph commentary: 'David Teal is the one that created this soundtrack...he didn't create a soundtrack that copies John Williams, I think he created a soundtrack that was inspired by but really complimentary to'

Notable Quotes

“Jersey Jack's audio system already sounds really good is they've got a good discrete amplifier, pretty good one, especially in comparison to the one that Stern uses. It's grossly underpowered.”
RetroRalph @ ~2:30 — Key competitive analysis between JJP and Stern audio platforms
“You not only want it to be loud, but you want it to be clear.”
RetroRalph @ ~9:15 — Core philosophy on audio upgrade value
“I'm telling you, man, you will not be disappointed if you decide to go with this upgrade. And I think it's a—for the price, you're getting, you know, you're getting a really big quality kit.”
RetroRalph @ ~11:45 — Direct recommendation on upgrade value proposition
“Jersey Jack does a good job with their stock audio system. So, I don't want you to think you have to do this, right? Feel pressured to do this because, while it is awesome, the stock system's also really good”
RetroRalph @ ~13:00 — Balanced perspective acknowledging JJP stock quality
“The clarity is great. Those tweeters really make a big difference. The dynamic range is better. The clarity is better. It makes you hear the call outs better.”
RetroRalph @ ~14:30 — Specific technical improvements observed post-upgrade

Entities

RetroRalphpersonPinWoofercompanyDanpersonJersey Jack PinballcompanyHarry Potter PinballgameStern PinballcompanySpike 2productPowerWaveproductDavid Tealperson

Signals

?
community_signal: Content creators like RetroRalph providing detailed educational content on pinball audio upgrades and modifications, supporting operator/owner education and aftermarket market adoption
high · Full installation walkthrough and technical explanation of PinWoofer components; explicit mention of Dan's customer support responsiveness to questions
?
competitive_signal: Jersey Jack Pinball's stock audio system is positioned as significantly superior to Stern Spike 2, with better discrete amplification addressing long-standing community concern about Stern's underpowered audio
high · Direct technical comparison: 'Jersey Jack's audio system already sounds so good is they've got a good discrete amplifier, pretty good one, especially in comparison to the one that Stern uses. It's grossly underpowered.'
?
product_strategy: PinWoofer's soft-start amplifier feature specifically addresses JJP community pain point of audible pop noise on power-up, indicating aftermarket design iteration in response to user feedback
medium · RetroRalph notes: 'Some people get really annoyed by that [pop noise]. So, you'll no longer have that if you upgrade the amp.' Suggests known user complaint being solved by upgrade
?
technology_signal: Growing availability of premium aftermarket audio upgrade options (PinWoofer PowerWave kits) extending product lifecycle and customization depth for both Stern and JJP machines
high · RetroRalph demonstrates full PinWoofer kit compatibility with JJP and references multiple Stern Spike 2 installations; mentions PinWoofer Power Wave Mini as new amplifier variant

Transcript

youtube_auto_sub · $0.000

0:01

Hey guys, welcome back to the channel. Today's episode we're going to talk all about audio upgrades for your Jersey Jack pinball machine. Now, if you already own a Jersey Jack pinball machine, then you're probably thinking, why would I even want to upgrade the audio? It's already pretty damn good. And we've covered audio on this channel a lot as it pertains to pinball, mainly focused on Stern Spikes 2 system. And we've used the Pinwoer Powerwave amplifier and then the Pinwer kit that comes with it with the speakers and everything. So, the complete kit. Recently, Pinwer released the Power Wave Mini, which is a new amplifier. These are all based around upgrading the audio of your Stern Spike 2 machine. We've never really talked about Jersey Jack. It wasn't until recently that I even really owned a Jersey Jack. So, it got me thinking, is there a reason to upgrade the audio on a Jersey Jack? It already sounds really good. And if you're an owner of one, then you already know this. [Music] Bagium, open the door. Bagium, open the door. Patronum. Patronum. Yes. Yes. Dude, I thought you said I thought you said I'm supposed to be Harry. I'm supposed to be Harry. You said I could be Potter. Oh man. You said I could be Potter. Oh man. Come on. Come on. Arto Arto just come in. I brought beer. Is that okay or? I brought beer. Is that okay or? All right, that's cool. All right, that's cool. All right, we're fine. All right, we're fine. Yay. Yay. But Harry Potter came. We unboxed it. But Harry Potter came. We unboxed it. Game's beautiful. Shoots great. Sounds good. But I'm like, man, you know, Dan over at Pinwer, he sells a kit for Jersey Jack. we should check it out and see is it even worth doing to your Jersey Jack machine because the reason why Jersey Jack's audio system already sounds so good is they've got a good discrete amplifier, pretty good one, especially in comparison to the one that Stern uses. It's it's it's grossly underpowered. And the problem is is that even if you put better speakers in it, unless you use Dan's kit, not only upgrade the speakers, but upgrade the amplifier, you're really not going to see much of an improvement. But with Jersey Jack's already sounding pretty good, I'm like, is it worth it? So, I hit up Dan. I was like, "Hey, man. I'm going to buy one of your kits. He's like, "All right." He's like, "You're going to love it." I'm like, "Okay, I don't know. Am I? Because it already sounds really good." He's like, "Trust me, it's going to sound better." And if you remember, I did the Godzilla 70th video and Rudy came over. When I used Dan's kit, Rudy was blown away. He didn't know what I what I was doing. I was like, "Hey, push the start button. Let me know what you think." And he was like, "Whoa, dude." It like melted his face off. He was super stoked about it. My face is vibrating. My face is vibrating. Could Dance Kid have the same effect on Could Dance Kid have the same effect on my Harry Potter or any of your Jersey Jack machines that you own? That's what we're going to find out in this video. So, it sounds pretty promising. So, what we're going to do is we're going to go install the kit, install the speakers. I'll take you along this journey and I'll let you know. Does it sound good? Is it worth spending the extra money considering the system already sounds pretty good as is. I'll give you some final thoughts and we'll wrap this thing up. Okay, so you're probably wondering what comes in the kit itself. So, it comes in a box like this and you're going to get basically everything you need to upgrade the audio system. So, you're going to get the actual tweeter pair, which comes in this box right here. They're just um tweeters that replace the ones that Jersey Jack has in the back box, the ones that sort of face you. You know, they look like uh better quality tweeters than the ones that are in there. You can see them right there. That's what they look like. So, those come with the kit. And that should give you a fuller range of sound coming out of the the back box. Then outside of that, you're going to get the amplifier itself. So, the amplifier is a little bit trickier to install though than let's say the Power Wave amp on a Spike 2 because to get to it, you have to remove this heat shield and a couple other things, which you'll see in a minute. But this is the Power Wave amp. So, you can see uh looks what it looks like right there. And uh you'll get a little closer look at that in a minute. And then the last thing it comes with is the subwoofer itself. We won't take it out of the box for now, but there's your subwoofer. So, you get the subwoofer, the tweeters, and the amplifier. So, let's go over to the machine and start the install.

8:29

Supposed to do something. He was saying you have to tilt the game, but no. Well, that doesn't tilt. All right, guys. It's final thoughts time. So, what do I think about this kit for JJP pinball machines by Pinwolfer? Uh, hi. Hello. It's me, Harry Potter. Uh, hi. Hello. It's me, Harry Potter. Honestly, it's freaking awesome. But Honestly, it's freaking awesome. But before I just gush over this thing, I do want to say Jersey Jack does a good job with their stock audio system. So, I don't want you to think you have to do this, right? Feel pressured to do this because um while it is awesome, the stock system's also really good and it it covers both all their lines have the same amplifier, the same speakers. So, they really do put some time and effort making sure that they put an adequate and uh more than adequate audio system that in their pinball machines. Like I said, the stock one's actually not that bad. You could probably keep the stock one if you wanted to, but if you want to truly unlock the power of the soundtrack and just eek every little extra bit of power out of your system and capability, then you can't really go wrong with the pinwoer system. I will say it's a little bit harder to install on the Jersey Jack machine as it as it is in the Spike 2. It's going to take a little bit more time, so take your time. If you have questions, you can leave them in the comments. Dan over at Pinwolfer is also really awesome about addressing questions and concerns and issues along the way. But, uh, just take your time when you do the install and I think you'll be just fine. And how do I feel about the overall, you know, sound and what you're getting out of it? I think the clarity is great. Those tweeters really make a big difference. The dynamic range is better. The clarity is better. It makes you hear the call outs better. And then anything that's like those higher tones, they just sound clear and crisp. As far as the bass goes, the subwoofer is a dual coil subwoofer. It's a pretty powerful sub. It's It's very aggressive. It's really good, but you can fine-tune all that on the amplifier settings. Now, keep in mind, as a little bit of a tip, you're going to want to fine-tune things before you put that heat shield or whatever that thing is back over the processor. Just make sure you do that. So, get it to how you want it. That is one beef I have with this particular implementation versus the Stern Spike 2. The Stern Spike 2, I can simply take the back glass off and adjust it. You can't really do that here if that shield is on. and you have to unscrew it. So, make sure you make all those adjustments before you put everything back together and that will be a big help. But overall, it really does do a good job with the soundtrack. And David Theal is the one that created this soundtrack. And while he didn't he didn't create a soundtrack that copies John Williams, I think he created a soundtrack that was inspired by but really complimentary to and he made it his own. [Music]