New Legacy E8s...anyone else notice this?

Can't hear anything other than the diesels idling. Maybe not enough volume on the video but what I hear sounds prototypical.

@cjack posted:

Can't hear anything other than the diesels idling. Maybe not enough volume on the video but what I hear sounds prototypical.

Hi Chuck, yeah maybe video not capturing it well but it’s like a snap crackle and pop and it’s constant... just something I’ve never heard before on a Legacy

JamesRx - Yeah, I think I hear it - after I turned my volume up FULL.  The sound is very 'faint' (kind of like white noise) and - to me - resembles tiny seeds (or something akin to that) falling on a counter top. A very faint tapping sound.

Having said that, if I owned one of these engines (which I don't) I'm not sure what I'd do about it.  With all the trials and tribulations expressed on this Forum these days about getting repairs for more significant things, I'd probably just run the trains and 'try' to ignore it.  However, in a perfect world it would be nice if this sound didn't exist I suppose.

Good Luck!

I agree, and if there were nothing else wrong I would just ignore the sound, even though, based on my other Legacy engines, it’s NOT normal. Unfortunately there are other major problems with the set. The trailing unit sometimes slows down or completely stops on its own while the lead unit soldiers on!

Dave Olson already addressed this. Its new "feature" that you just have live with. They have no fix for it.

Pete

It's worse in person.  Mine does it.  I'm calling for an RA.  About this and other things.

@Norton posted:

Dave Olson already addressed this. Its new "feature" that you just have live with. They have no fix for it.

Pete

You’re right Pete. I was just taking an informal survey.

It is probably the similar new sound feature that my LionChief Plus 2.0 CSX diesel has.  I sent it back to Lionel twice only to find out that the "noise" is in the sound file and represents clanging chains noise.  I drown it out by running three trains at once or lowering the volume on the engine.  I could have done without that feature!

I wouldn’t send it back unless lionel said there is a definite fix. Other than that if you are dissatisfied your only other choice is to ask for a refund.

@romiller49 posted:

I wouldn’t send it back unless lionel said there is a definite fix. Other than that if you are dissatisfied your only other choice is to ask for a refund.

Agreed...I wouldn’t send it back just for that but it has bigger problems

I just spoke with Aaron from Lionel.  He has been instructed to not issue RA's for the clicking/popping noise on these E8's.  It is considered normal.  Preposterous.  I spoke with my dealer.  He offered to look at the engines and see about a repair but admitted if Lionel says it's normal he's not sure what he can do about it.

So I guess my choice is either 1) have this E8 set on my layout as a monument to getting fleeced, or 2) get Visa involved which will (I'm sure) end my relationship with my dealer.

Great!   Feeling really good about Lionel right now (yes, sarcasm).

It sounds to me like audio distortion in the sound file.

Do you hear this noise all the time, even when the engine is revved up a little?

@JamesRx posted:

Hi Chuck, yeah maybe video not capturing it well but it’s like a snap crackle and pop and it’s constant... just something I’ve never heard before on a Legacy

Dave said on another thread this will be normal going forward and there is no way to eliminate it.  It replaces the faint beeping noises previous legacy engines had. My new b6sb features the static as well.  All sounds have just a tiny bit of static and when the engine is has sounds turned down, it's more evident.  We have to just live with it.

@Rich Melvin posted:

It sounds to me like audio distortion in the sound file.

Do you hear this noise all the time, even when the engine is revved up a little?

Yes.  The clicking does not get amplified so if you turn it up really loud, it gets drowned out eventually.

Well while I can't speak for anyone else, I can hear that static loud and clear, without turning up my volume or doing anything else. I can't advise as to what to do,like others have, but once I heard it and knew it was there I would always hear it and it would annoy the heck out of me.

@ConrailFan posted:

I can't advise as to what to do,like others have, but once I heard it and knew it was there I would always hear it and it would annoy the heck out of me.

Exactly.  I didn’t preorder because I was worried about the paint.  Once I determined that the paint was acceptable, I went ahead and ordered.  They found a new way to disappoint.

Gears, paint, trucks, couplers........and now sound??  Sheesh.

I remember when Lionels biggest issue was the smoke unit, but.... they have always been the leader in the sound dept.....until now.

TMCC stuff has never looked better, and its saving me a ton of money.

Having said that. I'll never part with the few "first gen" legacy locos I have.

IMO , these are the pinnacle of Lionels sound.

Is this "feature" also on the newest run of the ES44's?

Lionel  is just constant disappointment anymore.  And they know its wrong and don't care.

@tom21pa posted:

Lionel  is just constant disappointment anymore.  And they know its wrong and don't care.

I hate it but you're right.  In the past, if there was a problem, I only needed to be patient.  They were always great about issuing an RA and fixing things.  But this is a new wrinkle. 

@RickO posted

TMCC stuff has never looked better, and its saving me a ton of money.   Having said that. I'll never part with the few "first gen" legacy locos I have.    IMO , these are the pinnacle of Lionels sound.

  I have to agree completely.  The late TMCC, early Legacy equipment seems to be the sweet spot.  Details, durability, sounds, function, and cost are all hard to beat.

Tom

A local friend bought a Vision Genset and the sound, I think with the engine off, did some kind of deetle deetle noise. He sent it back.

But, I'm sensing some kind of "old guys" complaining going on here. What's positive though is that y'all still have great hearing.

Maybe they figure most of their customer base can't hear?  I'm in my 40's and can hear just fine.  In this case, unfortunately!

@MikeH posted:

Maybe they figure most of their customer base can't hear?  I'm in my 40's and can hear just fine.  In this case, unfortunately!

Well ,we know they figure most of their customer base can't see, or is, at the very least....color blind.

Fortunately (?) for me, these so-called static sounds are typically in the high frequency range...something that I resolve by turning off or not wearing my disappointing (for a variety of reasons) hearing aids.

You know, those Old-Phart-Bling things?

UNfortunately it appears this background quirk becomes more evident if the general volume is reduced...which is too bad since (IMHO) most people have their on-board sound volume set way too high in proportion to the apparent scale distance that the source/engine is from the ear.  That goes for O, HO, N, et al.

Again, IMHO.

KD

@ConrailFan posted:

Well while I can't speak for anyone else, I can hear that static loud and clear, without turning up my volume or doing anything else......

I ALSO HEAR IT.

@ConrailFan posted:

.....I can't advise as to what to do,like others have, but once I heard it and knew it was there I would always hear it and it would annoy the heck out of me.

AGREE.

I take it that this problem is new to this E8 run. If so, they changed something since the previous run. What was the problem before ?  If no problem with the sound - why make change ? Why change what’s working good ?  They did Something that’s a step backwards. Someone in the “chain” knows what was done and it Should Be Fixable by simply reverting back to what was used in previous run.
Whats next ?  Wheels that won’t roll ?  Oh. Just add more lubricant !!!😳😵😖

@TrainBub posted:

I take it that this problem is new to this E8 run. If so, they changed something since the previous run. What was the problem before ?  If no problem with the sound - why make change ? Why change what’s working good ?  They did Something that’s a step backwards. Someone in the “chain” knows what was done and it Should Be Fixable by simply reverting back to what was used in previous run.
Whats next ?  Wheels that won’t roll ?  Oh. Just add more lubricant !!!😳😵😖

The new Legacy boards are all new to accommodate Lionchief and Bluetooth. I am in the camp of if its not broke why fix it. These days newer is not always better.

Pete

@Norton posted:

The new Legacy boards are all new to accommodate Lionchief and Bluetooth. I am in the camp of if its not broke why fix it. These days newer is not always better.

Pete

Well I don’t know what the cost is but if this noise is so annoying, I’d consider bucking up and buying the previous board before it’s not available to replace the problem board. (Lionel at least could offer these AT COST !!!!!! )  These E8s aren’t Lionchief and I can’t imagine everyone wanting Bluetooth (lost of “old school” out there yet)

@Norton posted:

The new Legacy boards are all new to accommodate Lionchief and Bluetooth. I am in the camp of if its not broke why fix it. These days newer is not always better.

Pete

I assume that is all digital, not familiar with the Lionchief interface.  I good DAC "digital to analog converter" should filter all that out.

@rdunniii posted:

I assume that is all digital, not familiar with the Lionchief interface.  I good DAC "digital to analog converter" should filter all that out.

That would sure be great. . If it could work you’d have some smiling E8 customers !!!

I recently received the Lionel E9’s in Amtrak. A special run for Mr. Muffin. They run great and sound great. I have no issues. I am also 66 so maybe my hearing no longer hears those sounds.

Donald

@3rail posted:

I recently received the Lionel E9’s in Amtrak. A special run for Mr. Muffin. They run great and sound great. I have no issues. I am also 66 so maybe my hearing no longer hears those sounds.

Donald

I have the E9 UP set also from Mr Muffin. I have tested this set comprehensively and have detected no static or other background noise in the sound set. Of course, it's still brand new and might develop a fault, but it did not come to me with one.

That said, there was/is a distinct "buzz" in a couple of my early Legacy engines that was not present with TMCC - and these include two VL models, one being the Genset. I have raised this on the forum before and it's quite clear that the problem did not affect all engines in the production runs. I have wondered whether when the boards were encoded there was a mistake in some but not all, or whether the problem is really down to my transformer/control/home wiring setup.

Anyway, nothing of this kind is present in the E9s I have got and if it was I'd definitely hear it.

I have the Pennsylvania E8 A-A Legacy engine and also hear the static/popping noise when the volume is at it lowest setting. I do not have the sync problem with one engine fighting the other. There speeds, either accelerating or de-accelerrating, seem to be well matched.

Something I noticed with this Legacy engine and another recently released Legacy engine is that you cannot illuminate the cab light when the engine is moving. You can turn the cab light on/off via Cab 2 when engine is stopped. The light does automatically  turn off when engine just begins to move like all my other Legacy locos. My older Legacy engines have the option of cab light on or off controlled by Cab 2 when under way.

The paint color does seem to be off and does not match my Lionel Pennsylvania passenger cars. The engine is a great puller with both units having powered trucks. I was happy to have the engine work out of the box and will not send back to Lionel.

Jim

@Jim Riddle posted:

I have the Pennsylvania E8 A-A Legacy engine and also hear the static/popping noise when the volume is at it lowest setting.

Ah, had not thought about that. I ramped the volume down on my set but did not hear this - BUT I haven’t turned it right down (and never do). The TMCC buzz issue happens as soon as there is power to the track. With these particular Legacy engines, they are dead silent until addressed with the CAB.

@ConrailFan posted:

Well while I can't speak for anyone else, I can hear that static loud and clear, without turning up my volume or doing anything else. I can't advise as to what to do,like others have, but once I heard it and knew it was there I would always hear it and it would annoy the heck out of me.

Just canceled our pre-order for new E8's, at this price point that sound is unacceptable.