First ride with the Tingler (initial review)
Just received my StimKits Tingler today, and I'm writing this shortly after using for the first time. I guess I'm throwing this out there to drum up some discussion for myself and anyone else new to stereostim.
I've had a 2B for years, and have gotten a lot of good use out of it. The 2B isn't a perfect box. I don't really like any of the built in signals, and stereo mode is certainly kind of dull or flat. Power output on the 2B has been mystifying at times - I've maxed it out several times during heavy / long sessions, and it really feels like anything above 50% is all the same. But I will say, the 2B has given me countless orgasms, and I'm familiar enough with it that I can pretty much set it up, and leave it to do its thing if I'm looking for a truly hands-free session (self bondage being a big kink of mine.)
However, the amazing world of "pure" stereostim has been alluring to me. I considered building a DIY box, but the Tingler comes in at a relatively affordable price, so I went ahead an ordered one after waffling on it for quite some time.
Notes about the ordering process from StimKits: setting up and account and placing the order was straightforward and easy. Their site is kinda dated / basic, but really no issues there. A day after placing the order, I got an email saying my order had shipped along with a tracking number. Minor gripe, but tracking sat at "label created" for like a week and a half. They say on their site that they don't actually ship until funds clear their bank, and I guess it could feasibly take that long, but I did start to wonder "okay, when is this thing actually going to ship?" But whatever, 2 weeks and some change from order to receipt isn't the end of the world when dealing with a small business.
So about actually using the thing. I did single-channel with a Stairway to Heaven from Joanne's. Pretty standard electrode configuration for me - one end going to the base around my cock and balls, the other just behind my glans. I went for audio I'm familiar with, and bounced between a couple Milovana teases (Estim Tower and Estim Hack.) I can definitely say that I felt "more" with the Tingler than I ever did with the 2B. There's a clarity and responsiveness in how the signal comes across that the 2B just flattens out. Where the 2B is just kinda "signal on / signal off," the Tingler had a whole variety of sensations that ranged from thumps to sparkles to squeezing to things I lack words for. At several points there were continuous signals that the 2B would have interpreted as simply "signal on," but with the Tingler there were nuanced pulses happening under the main sensation of current that had my cock twitching. I definitely get it now - most commercial boxes are like hearing just percussion; stereostim lets you hear the full orchestra.
I don't know if it's better for my use case though.
Because the Tingler produces a wider range of sensation, I felt like I really had to be constantly adjusting the output on the fly. Some parts of the audio tracks were significantly more intense than others. I'm particularly sensitive to "thumpy" sensation, so I really had to be on the dial, adjusting every new thing to feel good. I had several "oh fuck" jumps that had me hurrying to turn down the output. I know I'm new to this box, but it feels like I've introduced so many new variables that I feel very hesitant going hands-off without a - frankly - daunting amount of testing.
I am looking forward to going through that process, and delving into a bunch of the classic audio tracks I have saved. But I guess I'm just saying to anyone else out there that's been in the estim game for awhile and curious about stereostim - know that you're potentially opening a whole new can of worms. It's maybe not as "pick up and play" as you might be used to, but that is kinda fun if you treat this as a hobby.
So for anyone with a Tingler or into stereostim - what are your go-to audio sources / files? Are you adjusting output during your sessions? Or do you just hit play and go along for the ride?