I have heard very few people say good things about sound in N scale. Well, I'm about to buck the trend. This V300 has been rock solid, both as a locomotive and as a locomotive with sound. That is, even if it didn't have sound, I'd be very happy with it, and the sound performance has been flawless.
Is it loud enough: Yes. It's really loud. I have the volume set at 150/255 and find it really loud. I don't want to turn it up more.
Is the sound distorted? Does is sound bad when turned up? No! It sounds good, all the time.
How many sounds: Start up, Shut down, various rev ranges, wheel squeal, and air brake release, horn and whistle.
The DCC interface from the factory has been trouble free.
So, I've been very happy with this engine. I guess my only complaint is that when there's dirt on the rails that creates a power interruption you can hear this revving down when it stops, and then if it recovers it revs back up again as it pulls away. If you're not looking it it, by listening only, you may think something peculiar is going on, but it makes sense. If the alternative is it coming to a dead and silent stop I don't think I can complain much, and as is it's great for spotting trouble on your rails.
Overall, I'd give this a 9/10. This locomotive is singularly the reason I continue to believe in N scale sound, and keep rolling the dice looking for similarly good performers. I've preordered a new Fleischmann 460 with sound which I've read good things about, I just hope it lives up to this.
Here's a video I found on You Tube this will give you a good taste of what this thing sounds like:
From the Manufacturer:
German Federal Railroad (DB) class V 300 general-purpose heavy diesel hydraulic locomotive. Built in 1957 by Krauss-Maffei as the type ML 2200 C'C', remotored in 1959 as the type ML 3000 C'C'. The locomotive looks as it did from 1964 to 1968. Era III.
The locomotive frame is die-cast metal. The locomotive has a digital decoder for DCC, Selectrix, and conventional operation. It also has a sound effects circuit with many operating sounds, diesel motor, horn sounds, blower motors, and others. The locomotive has a 5-pole motor with 2 flywheels. 4 axles powered. Traction tires. The headlights and marker lights are LED's and can be controlled digitally. The engineer's cabs have interior details in relief. The locomotive has a close coupler mechanism. Length over the buffers 127 mm / 5".
Digital version for DCC and Selectrix, with sound functions.