After doing a lot of research in the last 3 weeks, it seems like most sticks for the 360 crap out within a few months or at least have a high chance of crapping out within a few months, mostly with dead pcbs.
I have a hori EX2 that’s not even out of the box yet sitting on my desk but I feel like I should sell/return it after reading threads like this http://forums.shoryuken.com/showthread.php?t=177864 . My friend’s EX2’s B button died the second day he had his as well, which testifies about the crappiness of the EX2 even more. The average life span seems to be about 2 months on these
And now from reading the SE defect thread I’m seeing a lot of people’s buttons stop registering, and even the TEs seem to have weak pcbs http://forums.shoryuken.com/showthread.php?t=184068 Maybe it’s just because they’re made by madcatz, but does this exhaust my buying options if I want a 360 compatible stick that has a good chance of lasting a couple of years?
I’m not really in the market for a price-gouged HRAP EX btw. This would’ve been my first stick so I wanted a good experience but am I just better off buying a crappy madcatz fightpad at this point?
But a SE with a JLF is better than a stock EX2 stick right? I just took the EX2 listing off ebay and I’m conflicting so hard whether to open it or not right now
Personally, not a fan of the ex2. It’s an ok stock stick. However modding a SE/TE is WAAAAAY easier if you don’t like (oh god forgive the spelling) soldering wires etc. I currently have a HORI RAP EX Pro for the 360, stock stick, great, sanwa jlf.Stock buttons, not my play style, they don’t activate till a half push and they feel semi cheap. Can’t wait for my sanwa’s to get in.
As for life spans the EX2 is imo rather durable since it’s soldered together etc.
Dunno about the RAP EX Pro yet
SE/TE. Stock SE stick will die on you. Fast. The PCB will get 100% chewed to HELL and back. However, they are very easy to replace with a Seimitsu LS-32 (iirc) or a Sanwa JLF. The buttons also are cake to replace.
Thanks for the opinion. Really I’m not worried about stick failure/button quality as those can always be replaced. The main factor for me right now is the main pcb’s durability. I guess the bottom line for me right now is whether the EX2 or the SE has a higher main pcb failure rate
Well, your microswitch pcb on the SE is gonna crap out on the stock stick within a month. Almost 100% guaranteed, MadCatz is awesome like that. The EX2 I have never personally seen crap out. But like you said, sticks are easy to replace. Drop a JLF in the MadCatz SE and imo it’s better then the EX2. I haven’t seen a main PCB issue on either stick before personally.
As for PCB failure rate, I’d say the EX2 and SE should be about the same. If you’re in the US, you have a much better chance of getting an SE than elsewhere. So I guess just sell the EX2 now, since it’s in demand and sells for about $80. When the SF4 hype dies down, it’ll probably just sell for $40 or so.
BUT, if you really need a stick right now, then I see no reason to sell the EX2.
The reason why the Hori EX2’s are so problematic after a while is due to the mounting infrastructure of the pcb.
The pcb is mounted by soldering it directly onto the buttons. After a lot of use, there’s always a possibility the solder joints broke off.
That’s why sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesnt. The joints probably aren’t even connected and it’s constantly hovering around, touching and leaving the soldering point. Another strong possibility is that the microswitches in the buttons just gave out. They’re generic buttons for a reason.
The SE sticks have generic parts as well, and the joystick problems are probably just some neglected defect by the generic parts manufacturer. I rarely hear about any problems with the TE sticks though.
They use sanwa parts in the TE. I never said they used generic parts in the TE model.
I’m not sure. You should just use your ex2 and if there are any issues worry about it afterwards. No point in messing with it if there is no issue to begin with.
If you ever wanted to mod your stick, or if the buttons stopped working you will probably end up desoldering the buttons from the pcb and connect the points using wires.
I think you are looking at the wrong parameter. Main PCB failure rates for both are reportedly small and probably not atypical of other consumer electronics (launch Xbox 360 excluded). The mechanical components of both though are significantly more likely to wear out and get worse over time if not outright fail. This is where the ease of component swap ability of SE will play so much more important role over its lifetime. If MadCatz hadn’t screwed the pooch with their shitty QC on the knockoff parts, there would not even be a debate right now, as an SE at retail would be a slam dunk pick over an EX2 only a tiny bit less. Hell the SE’s retail price is cheaper than most build it yourself blank boxes on the market. If MadCatz does indeed fix the issues in second batch, this is the way you should go. The main PCB on the SE is exactly the same as that on the TE, and that should be the least of your worries. In terms of feel, the SE parts are no comparison to Sanwa, but neither are Hori. Like a wise man said, preferring one over the other is like preferring regular poop over diarrhea. Sure it’s an improvement, but at the end of the day both are shit.
My HRAPEX has survived multiple drops, 1000+ fights and has been abused by others who I let use my stick and they beat on it like the red headed stepchild.
So yeah…saying that the price ($120) is gouged on the HRAP really isn’t fair if it will hold up.
Plus the JLF stick it comes with is freaking amazing.