PRODUCT REVIEW: PinSound Board & Speakers

Knapp Arcade·article·analyzed·Oct 21, 2021

Analysis

claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.015

TL;DR

PinSound audio upgrade delivers excellent sound quality but requires careful technical installation.

Summary

A detailed hands-on review of PinSound audio upgrade components (Plus board, front speakers, subwoofer) installed on a Stern Monopoly machine. The reviewer documents the installation process, technical challenges (chip swapping, speaker desoldering, subwoofer bolt sizing), and concludes the final audio quality is excellent with clear, loud output and customization capabilities.

Key Claims

Stern Monopoly had crackly sound out of the box that motivated the upgrade
high confidence · Direct personal experience statement by reviewer
PinSound board installation requires chip transplant from original Stern Whitestar board via adaptor
high confidence · Detailed technical description of installation procedure performed by reviewer
Sound package installation requires website account creation and flash drive update process not clearly documented in instructions/video
high confidence · Reviewer's direct experience discovering process through trial
Final audio quality is clear, loud, and allows full treble/bass adjustment
high confidence · Direct assessment after installation completion
Stock subwoofer mounting bolts were too short for PinSound subwoofer replacement
high confidence · Technical issue encountered during installation requiring future correction

Notable Quotes

“As the popular MEME goes, 'Why Not Both?' so while the pin was still up in my work area and not down in the arcade, I fixed the sound with the new parts.”
Knapp Arcade (reviewer) — Establishes reviewer's collector philosophy and justifies upgrade approach
“The products work great and sound amazing. They're completely quiet when they're supposed to be and sound crystal clear and loud when in use.”
Knapp Arcade (reviewer) — Core positive assessment of PinSound product quality
“I always get a little antsy when I swap chips because I have a tendency to bend pins. I was super careful and everything went smoothly.”
Knapp Arcade (reviewer) — Describes technical anxiety around chip transplant procedure but confirms successful execution
“if I want to I now have the ability to create an entirely new sound package for Monopoly and upload it to the board”
Knapp Arcade (reviewer) — Highlights customization capability as notable feature of PinSound system

Entities

PinSoundcompanyStern MonopolygameKnapp ArcadepersonPinSound Plus BoardproductStern Whitestarproduct

Signals

?
design_philosophy: Collector preference for replacement over repair reflects broader enthusiast culture of upgrading rather than maintaining original components
medium · Reviewer's stated philosophy: 'I always would rather just chuck an old part and replace it with a new one than really fix a problem'
?
product_strategy: PinSound board and speaker upgrade addressing audio quality issues on Stern Monopoly; demonstrates aftermarket ecosystem continuing to improve stock machine specifications
high · Complete audio system replacement with multiple components (Plus board, front speakers, subwoofer) resulting in superior audio clarity and customization capability

Topics

Aftermarket audio upgrades for pinball machinesprimaryPinSound product ecosystem and installation processprimaryCollector approach to pinball machine maintenance and improvementsecondaryTechnical documentation and instructional claritysecondary

Sentiment

positive(0.82)— Reviewer is highly satisfied with final audio quality and product performance, expressing clear recommendation. Minor frustrations with installation complexity and documentation gaps are outweighed by positive outcome. Casual, humorous tone maintains upbeat presentation throughout.

Transcript

raw_text · $0.000

In an effort to tremendously over-improve my new Stern Monopoly pinball machine I recently decided to give it a complete sound upgrade, with a brand new top of the line PinSound Plus board, new PinSound front speakers 🔊 and a new PinSound Subwoofer. The sound on the game had been pretty crackly ever since I got it and I’ve always wanted to try out PinSound’s stuff. As the popular MEME goes, “Why Not Both?” so while the pin was still up in my work area and not down in the arcade, I fixed the sound with the new parts. As my collector friends like to joke, I always would rather just chuck an old part and replace it with a new one than really fix a problem anyhow lol. Installation of the board and speakers was not too complicated. However, it certainly isn’t not just a matter of just switching one wire and off you go. The board required an adaptor to use on a Stern Whitestar game. This adaptor required the installer to pull out a chip and re-install it on a new board. Doing that is not rocket science, but I always get a little antsy when I swap chips because I have a tendency to bend pins. I was super careful and everything went smoothly. After the chip swap, the board needed to be attached to the backbox and the proper wires swapped into it, three in total I believe. Once the board is all set up, the user then has to install the sound package on it using a flash drive. This step was not really spelled out in the instructions that came with the board or the video, but I eventually figured out that one has to go to the PinSound website, create an account and THEN they can download the necessary sound package for their specific game. I did that and updated the driver board with a memory stick as well and the board was in business. Not content to just have a new board, I swapped out the Monopoly’s speakers too. Doing this requires the installer to unscrew the old speakers, desolder the wires attached to them and resolder them to the new speakers x2. The same process needs to be done to the subwoofer in the bottom of the cabinet. However the subwoofer is attached differently. Rather than screws it is bolted to the cabinet with hex bolts. I was able to get the old woofer out but the screws that the game came with were really too short to bolt the new PinSound woofer in. I pushed it into its spot and it fit pretty snugly but I am going to eventually going to need to swap out the screws for longer ones. Booo. That’s it. The products work great and sound amazing. They’re completely quiet when they’re supposed to be and sound crystal clear and loud when in use. They have lots of adjustments for treble and bass. As an added bonus, if I want to I now have the ability to create an entirely new sound package for Monopoly and upload it to the board. I may give that a shot some day. Anyone who is having sound problems with a game or wants to upgrade the sound in their pinball machine with better sounding speakers and/or a new sound package should definitely check PinSound’s offerings out at www.PinSound.com . The author of this post was not given any free or promotional items by PinSound (but I wish I had been lol).