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The Ultimate Stern Pinball Audio Upgrade - PinWoofer PowerWave Super Kit!

RetroRalph·video·14m 46s·analyzed·Sep 13, 2024
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claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.020

TL;DR

PinWoofer audio upgrade dramatically improves Stern Spike 2 pinball sound quality.

Summary

RetroRalph reviews the PinWoofer Spike 2 Powerwave Super Kit, an aftermarket audio amplifier and speaker system for Stern pinball machines. The kit includes an amplifier, backbox speakers, and subwoofer for approximately $350-400. The review demonstrates significant audio quality improvements over stock amplifiers through before-and-after comparisons and a blind test with friend Rudy, who immediately notices the enhanced bass, clarity, and overall sound quality. Ralph concludes the kit is a worthwhile investment that unlocks the full audio experience of pinball game soundtracks.

Key Claims

  • Stock Stern amplifiers are not powerful enough to fully deliver the audio experience designers intended

    high confidence · Jon opening statement: 'The problem is a lot of the stock amplifiers just aren't quite powerful enough to really unlock the experience the way they intended when they wrote the score.'

  • PinWoofer Spike 2 Powerwave Super Kit costs approximately $350, plus brackets and installation materials

    high confidence · Jon states: 'His whole kit is about 350 bucks and you get a new sub, you get two new back speakers and an amplifier. And then give or take because you need brackets and shit. It's a little bit more.'

  • The PinWoofer amplifier can be daisy-chained across multiple machines to share a single external subwoofer

    high confidence · Jon explains: 'let's say I had this amp in every machine with one external sub... I can share one external sub with four machines.'

  • The system includes an anti-glass vibration kit to prevent rattle from speaker vibrations

    high confidence · Jon: 'there's this playfield material that he gives you so that you can put it. It's basically like an anti-glass vibration kit.'

  • The amplifier integrates directly with Stern's CPU via connector cables (CN4, CN1) without requiring modifications to stock components

    high confidence · Jon during installation: 'You basically just disconnect the CN4, CN1, right? Yeah. And then this... then you basically put this on and then reconnect everything.'

  • The kit can achieve very high volumes with no distortion

    high confidence · Jon: 'You can push this system to some very high volumes with no distortion. So I was really impressed with that.'

Notable Quotes

  • “Like my face is vibrating. All right, we'll give it a shot.”

    Rudy@ 7:08 — Blind test reaction demonstrating the physical, visceral impact of the upgraded audio system

  • “You can feel the sound in your face. I love it.”

    Rudy@ 7:04 — Quantifies the sensory difference experienced by an experienced pinball player unfamiliar with the upgrade

  • “It is just face melting. It's so good. That is the only description I can think of.”

    Jon@ 10:50 — Emphatic final assessment of audio quality improvement

  • “The backbox speakers are just so clear. The subwoofer so clear, clean bass.”

    Jon@ 13:23 — Specific praise for speaker quality and clarity upgrade

  • “I kind of wish the manufacturers would maybe focus a little bit more effort on creating a better sound system for the home, but it is what it is.”

    Jon@ 12:55 — Implicit criticism of Stern's stock audio capabilities and suggestion for manufacturer improvement

Entities

RetroRalphpersonDanpersonRudypersonPinWoofercompanySpike 2productPinWoofer Spike 2 Powerwave Super KitproductKenwoodcompanyBoom Boom 3000productStern Pinballcompany

Signals

  • ?

    community_signal: Aftermarket equipment designers (Dan/PinWoofer) actively collaborating with content creators for product validation and audience reach

    high · PinWoofer provided full kit for review; Dan recommended specific games for showcase; supporting documentation and installation videos provided; RetroRalph invited to feature product

  • ?

    design_philosophy: Stock Stern amplifier hardware insufficient for delivering full sonic experience of professionally composed game soundtracks; represents gap between designer intent and home listener experience

    high · Jon opening statement about stock amplifier power limitations; recurring theme that upgrade 'unlocks' intended experience; Jon's closing wish that manufacturers focus more on sound systems

  • $

    market_signal: Growing demand for audio quality upgrades in home pinball machines; $350-400 price point for complete audio kit suggests viable aftermarket segment

    high · RetroRalph considering installation across multiple machines; Rudy's strong endorsement after blind test; explicit recommendation to viewer base; Dan (PinWoofer founder) selecting specific games to showcase audio benefits

  • ?

    product_strategy: PinWoofer differentiation strategy emphasizes engineering details (airtight speaker seals, daisy-chain capability, external sub connectors, anti-vibration kit) not typically highlighted by competitors

    medium · Jon's emphasis on speaker bracket design preventing air loss; multiple technical features explained (daisy-chain architecture, CN4/CN1 integration, external sub capability); inclusion of anti-glass vibration kit shows ecosystem thinking

  • ?

Transcript

youtube_groq_whisper · $0.044

0:00
Hey guys, welcome back! Okay, today we're going to cover something that's really exciting. This is a product by a company called Pinwoofer. It's the power wave amplifier for the Stern Spike 2 system. The thing about pinball is, if you enjoy it, you know a large part of the experience is the musical soundtrack and score that goes along with each game. It really brings you into that experience. The problem is a lot of the stock amplifiers just aren't quite powerful enough to really unlock the experience the way they intended when they wrote the score. So that's what we're going to check out today. We're going to check out the Pinwoofer Powerwave Amplifier. Now I'm going to use this with the Kenwood speakers I put in and the Boom Boom 3000. Those are marginal speaker upgrades. They're not great. So I'm going to do it and we're going to install it. We're going to see how it performs on that. And then Pinwoofer was gracious enough to send along their speakers as well. I'll tell you what the difference is, at least to me, on the Kenwood Boom Boom combination and the pinwoofer speaker combination. Now let's install the pinwoofer amplifier.
1:24
Thank you. Okay, I made my final adjustments to the amplifier and I'm ready to fire this thing up. Now keep in mind, this is using the Boom Boom 3000, which is a marginal upgrade, and the Kenwood speakers that they put in the Stern LE machines. So this is not using the upgraded speakers. So let's see how much of a difference that amplifier makes.
2:56
Okay, so I'm gonna lower it, it's actually really loud. So the first thing you'll notice is, you just don't get like real crisp mids and highs from the back box on the stock amplifier. The call outs are just really, really good. Let's quickly cut to a different clip so you can get a better idea of how this thing sounds.
Jaws
game
John Wickgame
Godzillagame
Invisiglassproduct

technology_signal: PinWoofer amplifier represents viable aftermarket approach to addressing widespread stock audio limitations in Stern Spike 2 systems, enabling hobbyist adoption of professional-grade audio without full system replacement

high · Complete kit integration with stock Stern components; integration via CPU connectors without modifications; daisy-chain multi-machine capability suggests growing ecosystem of Spike 2 modular upgrades

3:21
And then I can tell immediately when I hit the start button that the bass coming out of the cabinet is much deeper than it would be with the stock amplifier. So I going to just play the ball a little bit and then I thought just for you guys to see on your end I going to actually take the game out of the game mode and put it in the mixer mode so we can listen to some of the soundtrack real quick I only have it on 10 right now. I can't hear it! okay first impression is freaking awesome but what we're gonna do is i'm gonna cancel the game out i'm gonna play the music because i think it'd be easier for you to really hear the soundtrack over that just because I'm not capturing this with like amazing microphones all over the place. So what we're going to do is if you don't know this, you can hit both flipper buttons on your game, and then it gives you a mode you can go into in most of the games called DJ Mixer, and this allows you to hear the soundtrack. So like right now, like holy crap, you can really hear the bass hitting. Now I actually like bass heavy, so I lowered the back box a little bit, But it's just the overall sound is awesome But it just the base of it is so much better So I'll go to like this is the intro theme when you first plunge the ball the overall sound is just really really good I'm gonna take these speakers out and put the pin woofer speakers in and I'm gonna invite my friend Rudy over But I'm not gonna tell him what I did. I'm just gonna have a walk up hit the start button I want to get his instant reaction because he's gonna know he is someone that owns pinball machines He's gonna know right away like what the heck my reactions my reaction but I want you to get his. Do the upgrades real quick and then invite him over and see what he thinks.
5:38
so like i said i've invited rudy in i did not tell him what i did to the pinball machine as a matter of fact the thing is I just feel my reaction but it was before I did like what you're about to experience is better than what I did okay or it's supposed to be better you legitimately don't know right I just assumed I was going to be punched in the pants when I got no no there's no punching in the balls okay I hope it should be very apparent when you hit the start button what I've done to this machine but I'm gonna I'm gonna get this other don't hit it yet so I'm gonna get this other camera so I can get your reaction from a different angle. That's nuts. Unless you think it totally sucks, in which case then it's going to be a totally stupid video. All right, are you ready? Yeah, I think so. All right, hit the start button.
6:49
Whoa! Oh my God! Okay. That's awesome. So what do you think I did to it? The speakers, everything is amazing. Okay. You can feel the sound in your face. I love it. Like my face is vibrating.
7:11
All right, we'll give it a shot. That is awesome. Oh my God, that's so cool. Oh yes This is so much better Okay so I explain to you what it is while you playing What I know can you hear me okay Yeah, I can hear you. Okay, so this is the, um, so the company's called Pinwoofer. Yeah. And they make an amplifier that piggybacks off the CPU, so it like, it attaches to the back, and I'll show it to you in a minute. It's so much better than you think it would be. I know. So it's an amplifier. His whole kit is about 350 bucks and you get a new sub, you get two new back speakers and an amplifier.
7:53
And then give or take because you need brackets and shit. It's a little bit more, but that's about it. But isn't it like, it's crazy, right? Take my money. That's what I'm saying.
8:05
Don't tell me numbers. You're actually playing pretty good. Clearly you're not at a tournament because you would have already drained the ball.
8:11
20,000 points in and I'd be done. I only have it turned up to 15, too. And I have the shaker motor turned down so you get the full effect. Really? Yeah. With this much kick? Yeah, the shaker motor's turned down a little bit. Why are you playing so good? I don't know.
8:29
Oh, the dogs have spotted you. Oh, no. Hi, puppy. They're going to ruin everything. They don't like loud noises. I don't know what's wrong with them. But, I don't know. So far, I think... So, what would be your, like, initial thoughts? I would say spend it. $350? Dude, you already have two balls locked in everything. To feel this. I feel like I can absolutely feel it in my face. And that's not a joke. It's a literal feeling. I love it. It's amazing. I needed to get your reaction because... Oh, dude, look at you. This clearly isn't tournaments because in tournament you'd never get a ball save. You'd just be like, oh yeah, you suck, Rudy. You're actually doing really good.
9:12
Rudy's going to finish his ball, and then I'm going to show him what this whole configuration looks like, and then I'll give you my final thoughts. These are his front speakers, so these are new front speakers. Okay. So these are his, but the thing that he did that's kind of genius is he said, the way Stern does it, it's not an airtight seal for the speaker. So he built brackets, and then the way he designed his speakers is when these all screw down, they make an airtight seal right here, so you don't lose any air. Which is the sound that's actually coming out. No reverberation loss. And then that's the amp. So the amp attaches... I think it's huge. So you basically just disconnect the CN4, CN1, right? Yeah. And then this... I can't remember which one this was. I can't remember which one it is. Then you basically put this on and then reconnect everything. And it's all tied into your stock stuff. The only time you have to go in here is if you want to set your levels and everything. So once that's set, it's good. But here's what's crazy that he did. So he has a connection so you can actually, not that you'd need it, but you can connect an external sub to it. And then let's say I had this amp in every machine with one external sub. Yeah. I can share one external sub with four machines. So if this machine's off and I'm not playing it, it has like a cable that goes to this one that says, okay, that's the active machine. And it'll leverage. It's awesome. The guy, it's freaking awesome. And he told me, he's like, when. All right. So when Dan and I, who's the guy over there, when he was telling me, he goes, try it with your stock speakers first. And then he's like, trust me, it's going to be ten times better. And when I turned it on to do this, I was like. It's face melting. It's so good. That is the only description I can think of. It is just face melting. It's so good. All right. Well I melted Rudy face I going to give you some final thoughts And then I let Rudy finish his game which will probably beat my eye score and then I be pissed and then I kick him out of the house I hate to interrupt my own video but there are a couple of things that I forgot to mention One is the kit is really easy to install and there's a bunch of supporting documentation and videos to help you along the way. So you'll have no problems installing it. The other thing is you can push this system to some very high volumes with no distortion. So I was really impressed with that. The other thing is there's this playfield material that he gives you so that you can put it. It's basically like an anti-glass vibration kit. It's just like this material you put in. I'm using Invisiglass on my game, so that glass is just a hair thicker than the Stern stock glass. So I don't have that problem, but if your glass has a little bit of wiggle room within the channel, you can put in this kit that he provides with it, and then that way you won't get the rattle. So thanks again to Dan over at Pinwoofer. He makes so many awesome products to enhance the audio experience of your pinball machine, so definitely check him out. Now the kit that I featured in this video is actually called the Pinwoofer Spike 2 Powerwave Super Kit. So the Super Kit comes with the amplifier, the five and a quarter inch backbox speakers, and the subwoofer, and everything you need. So it has everything, and I would definitely encourage you to get that kit because honestly it sounds so much better than the Kenwoods and the Boom Boom. It blows them out of the freaking water. Like Rudy's reaction, hopefully you can kind of get that he was like, whoa, this is out of control. But man, this is like something that really, you know, the initial question I had was, does this unlock the capabilities like so we can fully appreciate the soundtrack of the game? And because pinball is so reliant on the soundtrack and the sound effects and the call outs, it just makes the game that much more enjoyable. I kind of wish the manufacturers would maybe focus a little bit more effort on creating a better sound system for the home, but it is what it is. But for me, this kit is absolutely worth it and I probably will put it in one of my other machines. I'm thinking probably either John Wick or Jaws. And the funny thing is, is when Dan and I were going through what game I should showcase, he chose Jaws and I chose Godzilla, but I can totally see why he would have chose JAWS. I'm just I'm blown away by the clarity. The back box speakers are just so clear. The subwoofer so clear, clean bass. And the thing is you can adjust it all from from the amplifier itself. So once you make your final adjustments in there, you can just control it from either the volume control if you have the stern volume control and headphone kit, or you can just open up the door and do it from there. So so I like that it feels integrated from that regard. And then the other thing that's cool that we didn't even really talk about is you can hook up an external amplifier, like an external subwoofer to it. I don't know why you would, but if you want that extra oomph, you can do that. And then you can link your machines, you can link all your pinwoofer amplifiers and leverage that subwoofer on multiple games. So he's really thought of it all. Dan is definitely a hardcore audiophile, and you can see he put his heart and soul into this. So if you're looking for an audio upgrade for your machine, I cannot recommend this more. It's that good. Anyways, guys, if you enjoyed the video give me a thumbs up consider subscribing the channel if you enjoy content like this put your comments below I know what you think about about this kit and that's it for now guys we will see you oh