Vented or Solid pommel?

[Darth Xocni]

Which would be better for a saber with LITE obsidian sound?

[Vivectius]

Which would be better for a saber with LITE obsidian sound?

My first vote would be to not get the LITE soundboard, since it uses standard batteries and you cannot change either the sound fonts, nor adjust the volume.

However, between pommels I vote solid.  Since you cannot change the volume on the LITE soundboard, and it's really loud, I would go with a solid pommel.

Or you can go vented and pack the space with cotton or such to reduce the sound when you want it to be quieter.

Or you can get one of each and swap them out.

But my first choice would be a v3 or v4 soundboard.  However, if you're dead set on getting the LITE board, my first choice would be solid. I've got one on one of mine with Obsidian v4 sound and I find that it puts the volume down to just about where I would set it if I bothered to hook it up to a computer and adjust it.

[Darth Xocni]

My first vote would be to not get the LITE soundboard, since it uses standard batteries and you cannot change either the sound fonts, nor adjust the volume.

However, between pommels I vote solid.  Since you cannot change the volume on the LITE soundboard, and it's really loud, I would go with a solid pommel.

Or you can go vented and pack the space with cotton or such to reduce the sound when you want it to be quieter.

Or you can get one of each and swap them out.

But my first choice would be a v3 or v4 soundboard.  However, if you're dead set on getting the LITE board, my first choice would be solid. I've got one on one of mine with Obsidian v4 sound and I find that it puts the volume down to just about where I would set it if I bothered to hook it up to a computer and adjust it.

Thank you!! -1

I would prefer not to get LITE, but $$.

[Rapine]

Wait - did I read this correctly?

I've heard that using a solid pommel on a sound enabled saber wasn't recommended at all.  In fact, it states just that on the selection of said pommel...

The sound needs somewhere to go.  Otherwise, it could damage the internals I was told.  

Seems like Vivectius has been doing so though...

I'd be curious to know which hilt you were going with Darth Xocni, and choose one that compliments the hilt.

Different pommels treat the sound very differently.  I have a Scorpion pommel on the Warlord, and it's quieter than my Aeon - which has an open-ended pommel.  Both have V4 sound.

I don't think I'd recommend a solid one though...personally at least.

[scifidude79]

Which saber ar you ordering?  If it's one of the ones with a giant hole for a vent, you may lose anything you stuff in there to muffle the sound.  Of course, there are DIY things to fix this, or you can order a different pommel.  Anyway, as Vivectius said, putting some cloth in there to muffle the sound if you want it quieter is a good way to go.  Then you can take it out when it's loud time. 

[Darth Xocni]

Which saber ar you ordering?  If it's one of the ones with a giant hole for a vent, you may lose anything you stuff in there to muffle the sound.  Of course, there are DIY things to fix this, or you can order a different pommel.  Anyway, as Vivectius said, putting some cloth in there to muffle the sound if you want it quieter is a good way to go.  Then you can take it out when it's loud time. 

I am getting a Raven, which comes with vents automatically, but my brother is getting a Prophecy V3.

[Racona Nova]

Never - NEVER - get a sound saber with a solid pommel! Even if it's only the Obsidian Lite sound board, always get a vented pommel. Anything else will destroy your speaker and (possibly) the board faster than you can say "OBSIDIAN"! And I'm sure you don't want that to happen

[MavRick]

My 2 cents worth, I would get the Catalyst pommel for the prophecy with or without sound. I'm NOT a fan of the one it comes with (1 large hole in it for sound) I feel it lesves the speaker open to damage, but that's just me

[Darth Xocni]

Thanks!!

[Vivectius]

Never - NEVER - get a sound saber with a solid pommel! Even if it's only the Obsidian Lite sound board, always get a vented pommel. Anything else will destroy your speaker and (possibly) the board faster than you can say "OBSIDIAN"! And I'm sure you don't want that to happen

While I almost always bow to Racona's knowledge of all things technical, my DSI is going on 2 years old, with an Obsidian v3 board that works just fine and has had a solid pommel for all of that time. (I've also got one on a Liberator with a v4 board). That's my experience that I base my recommendation on.  Maybe I just got the most durable speaker/board in existence, but it's held up fine.  I've also dueled the heck out of it, and it survived a house fire last Feburary.

Now, from a physics point of view, yes, I can see where there is great potential to damage the speaker/board with a solid pommel, but, at least on my sabers with sound, there is 3-4" between the speaker and the pommel, and I would think that it would be less damaging to have a solid pommel at the end of that than pack the space completely full to muffle the sound.

Just so everyone knows, in case it's not obvious, and for everyone saying that the sound needs somewhere to go, having a solid pommel only cuts the sound down by about one third. It doesn't completely silence the saber, or confine all of the sound in the hilt, plenty of sound is getting out.

Fun fact:  Sound travels faster through a solid object than it does a liquid, and faster through a liquid than it does air.  This is why the speed of sound is variable, depending on where you are (it's 660 mph at ~30,000 feet above sea level, but it's 761 mph at sea level).

[Racona Nova]

Well, if it works...I'm always interested in new or curious facts But I think you're right, you would need some space between the pommel and the speaker. So it depends on the saber whether it's dangerous or not...seems that 3" is sufficient, and if you lower the volume, too, then it might even be completely harmless for the speaker.

[Rapine]

While I almost always bow to Racona's knowledge of all things technical, my DSI is going on 2 years old, with an Obsidian v3 board that works just fine and has had a solid pommel for all of that time. (I've also got one on a Liberator with a v4 board). That's my experience that I base my recommendation on.  Maybe I just got the most durable speaker/board in existence, but it's held up fine.  I've also dueled the heck out of it, and it survived a house fire last Feburary.

Now, from a physics point of view, yes, I can see where there is great potential to damage the speaker/board with a solid pommel, but, at least on my sabers with sound, there is 3-4" between the speaker and the pommel, and I would think that it would be less damaging to have a solid pommel at the end of that than pack the space completely full to muffle the sound.

Just so everyone knows, in case it's not obvious, and for everyone saying that the sound needs somewhere to go, having a solid pommel only cuts the sound down by about one third. It doesn't completely silence the saber, or confine all of the sound in the hilt, plenty of sound is getting out.

Fun fact:  Sound travels faster through a solid object than it does a liquid, and faster through a liquid than it does air.  This is why the speed of sound is variable, depending on where you are (it's 660 mph at ~30,000 feet above sea level, but it's 761 mph at sea level).

Well, there ya go.