I don't want to buy something and then have to download sound files to it. The files should already be accessible in the decoder. However, I have heard good things about ESU; but, if I need to download files to make it sound the way I want, are ESU's decoders cheaper, due to the extra work needed by the purchaser?
Your question caused me to go and check ModelTrainStuff's site, specifically for the ESU Loksound 5 HO decoders they have in stock, and low and behold they have some new ones to announce across the top of this page that I prioritized to that brand. Just when I thought I had worked out what ESU was doing, they throw a curve ball
https://www.modeltrainstuff.com/dcc-sound-power/decoders/#/filter:custom_scale:HO/filter:brand:ESU
We see, that they have introduced what looks exactly what their previous decoder known as the "Select" with it's 8 pin NMRA plug and additional wires for other functions, and with specific sounds preloaded, priced at $91.99. If they hadn't flagged them as "New", I would have thought they had found some NOS somewhere.
The next line down are 2, 21pin decoders to suit those engines with motherboards to match and described as "Blank Decoder". They appear to be for use on two differently configured 21 pin motherboards. The one on the right says it's for another 8 pin , also "Blank", but showing a 21 pin type decoder, which would indicate that there are only 8 sockets of the 21 available that work. That is not unusual, Soundtraxx's so far only use 9.
The bottom line of 3, The left one looks like what I understood to be, the new Loksound 5, DCC/Sound board replacement for the lighting boards fitted to most DCC/Ready models. Presumably the "Generic" title refers to it's need to have sound files downloaded and installed. This one is priced similarly to Soundtraxx's one called the TSU2-PNP, also a board replacement type, but with a selection of sounds preinstalled.
The one in the middle appears to be identical to the ones in the top row but described also as a "Blank Decoder" but also "Ready for Programming", so I guess that's what those other "Blank" ones are too.
The right end one is the odd one out, It is not a '5' but from ESU's V4 range, which I believed was going to be exclusively for the Euro market now and "Blank" also, but I see this one has Alco 244 files preinstalled.
Don't ask me to explain what the heck is going on and I'm going to stick my neck out again. You will see Loksound V5 being advertised, but as I've seen, nowhere on the packets they come in is a "V" shown in the description. I believe this is a confusion caused by the "5" decoder becoming available several years after the V4.0. The V4.0 continues to be produced along with the "5" as separate products.