ORIGINAL: dedmonwakin
Good question.
From what I gather, most of the complaints seem to surround people seeking more realistic sounds rather than a dislike for the sound quality in general...at least in the newer boards. I want my speaker to drown out the grinding sound of my metal motors. It's like fingernails on a chalkboard. More bass would be lovely as well. My hope is to amplify the sounds coming from the built in amplifier in the HL board. Someone with and audio/circuitry background could probably do this for a few cents/dollars by modifying the board with new semiconductors and variable resistors, but I just don't have that knowledge. So, the only route is to purchase a speaker set with a built in amplifier.
Although Heng Long gears are not whisper quiet, you should be able to reduce the noise coming from them, so they don't sound like they are grinding. Chances are you will have to shim them with washers. Also try breaking them in using a a mild abrasive kitchen cleaner. The stuff used to clean glass cooktops is mildly abrasive and is water soluable for easy clean up when you are done. Lightly oil the bushings and apply teflon gear grease to the gears, and you should notice an improvement. You will still hear them, but they will whirr instead of grind.
I had one gear box that was extremely noisy, and I was sure it would self destruct if I left it. I had it apart about five times until I finally got it quiet. If they sound horrible then something is misaligned and you should spend some time tweaking them. OR buy an upgraded gear box set from Asiatam or Mato
