Wrote this one up b/c when I was trying to decide on getting shakers or not, how or where to mount, there wasn't a whole lot found. So maybe this might inspire, help, or trigger something for the next guy.

First thing I did after receiving the seats was to check out what room I had to work for mounting, quickly realized not much. Here is the underside of the 13175, very little room w/o being very creative. The only idea I kept coming back to for mounting the shakers under the seats was to make plate that would fit in-between the two bottom rails and mount the shaker on it in the center. For example,

http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv109/kevinjs1234/shakers/IMG_1395.jpg

Every other rail or possible mounting area / surface expands, contracts, moves, etc when the seat reclines (no matter how far or little). Since these two rails are only ones under the seat that do not move it seemed like the best option. My big concern was would that mounting area allow for enough of the affect to transfer up to the seat and back since all those rails didn't have much contact with the overall seat. So I decided not to go that route and risk it not really being worth it or only having to start all over again.

Flipped the seats back up and decide would mount them where they would have the most contact and chance to transfer, right where the seat and back meet. Removing the backs expose this area. A 4.5 x 8 inch plate ended up being the perfect size to mount the shaker. The 4.5 will put you flush with the back edge so doest stick out and right up against the last row of spring / coils. I used 3/4" MDF left over from the wall mount.

http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv109/kevinjs1234/shakers/1.jpg

Measured out the depth of what was able to be screwed into, center marked, split difference on the sides, 3 pilot holes, and counters so heads would not interfere with the shakers sitting flush.

http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv109/kevinjs1234/shakers/2.jpg

http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv109/kevinjs1234/shakers/3.jpg

Screwed down, now you can see why the 4.5" worked best, back is flush with edge and front is just before the coil row.

http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv109/kevinjs1234/shakers/4.jpg

Also allowed it to sit level

http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv109/kevinjs1234/shakers/5.jpg

Shakers centered and mounted

http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv109/kevinjs1234/shakers/6.jpg

http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv109/kevinjs1234/shakers/7.jpg

http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv109/kevinjs1234/shakers/8.jpg

A quick side by side getting ready to wire up

http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv109/kevinjs1234/shakers/9.jpg

http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv109/kevinjs1234/shakers/10.jpg

3 shakers wired in series that will be powered by a Audio Source AMP100 amp, bridged 150x1, each shaker 50w.



http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv109/kevinjs1234/shakers/11.jpg

"sub" = the 3 shakers

http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/yhst-5323690727015_2041_1429209

Wires tucked, finished, and all 3 together

http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv109/kevinjs1234/shakers/12.jpg

http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv109/kevinjs1234/shakers/13.jpg

http://i674.photobucket.com/albums/vv109/kevinjs1234/shakers/14.jpg

The backs go right back on w/o any rubbing, stopping, or interference. Even when in the fullest recline position!

So how do I like them? Great question, still need to finish the stand up front. As soon as that is done all components can finally be put on and wired up. Overall room should be done by this weekend.

Looks very nice. you definitely put more thought in effort into yours. I just cut some scrap plywood, screwed everything together and wired it up.

Same effect, but yours looks cleaner than mine. ;)

One thing to keep in mind... I believe that base section slides forward a few inches when you recline... make sure the wires don't get hung up.

I'd say given the placement that they will really be butt-kickers

One thing to keep in mind... I believe that base section slides forward a few inches when you recline... make sure the wires don't get hung up.


Yes they do! After finishing them the 1st time the speaker wires just dropped straight down and were really close to getting grabbed. That's when I tacked them so both met in the middle and have about 10 inches of slack running under the bottoms so the middle bar will not grab them. I almost learned that one the hard way

I'd say given the placement that they will really be butt-kickers

:D sounds good!

Are those 13175s power or manual recline?

Are those 13175s power or manual recline?

Those are manual recline seats. If they were power recline you would see power supply and the gray actuator bar that moves the recline mechanism.

What would be the perfered way to wire up four of those? Could I still do it in a series like that?

It seems like everyone that has those really likes them. I may have to get on board.

Four should be two pairs in series connected in parallel

Four should be two pairs in series connected in parallel

Im no pro, but four 4ohms shakers in s/p would result in a 4ohm load.

http://www.colomar.com/Shavano/4sp-spkr.gif

So unless the amp that is being used is pretty high and is 2ohm stable (since when bridging the amp will "see" half of the load, 4ohm / sees 2ohm) I would say series all four.

http://www.colomar.com/Shavano/4s-spkr.gif

4 4ohms in series will be a 16ohm load, running bridged amp sees the 8ohm load.

Bridged @ 8ohm is the max ouput of the amp (for the AMP100 used here at least). So I series all to get the load high, amp see half, does max output.

If would have used s/p and gave it a 4ohm load it wouldnt even play since the 2ohm impedance is too low.

But again, if the amp being used is 2ohm stable when bridged, all prev details dont matter.

Right? No? :confused:

I bought the Clark synthesis transducers. Has anyone tried to mount this or any other transducer in a similar fashion to the 12003's? The backend platform just doesn't look very deep(not nearly as deep as the 13175s here) and it barely looks like enough space to mount a platform without extra bracket support.

Kevin, who said he (Shane) was going to bridge an amp? He may be using a butt-kicker amp that only has one output or a sub-woofer amp.

If he has a two channel amp couldn't he just hook two in series up to each output.

Kevin, who said he (Shane) was going to bridge an amp? He may be using a butt-kicker amp that only has one output or a sub-woofer amp.

If he has a two channel amp couldn't he just hook two in series up to each output.

Just assumed when he said Could I still do it in a series like that? .

Yep, could do 2 in series on each channel and would be a 8ohm per channel. Wiring would just really depend on whatever amp went with and its specs at the 4 and 8ohm loads

Using the AMP100 that I did and 4 shakers for example.

If doing 8ohm stereo will get 60wx2 (L/R). So 2 shakers per channel wired series would get 30w each.
LEFT http://www.colomar.com/Shavano/2s-spkr.gif RIGHThttp://www.colomar.com/Shavano/2s-spkr.gif

But if switch things up to mono (bridged) at a 8ohm load it will now do 160x1
http://www.colomar.com/Shavano/4s-spkr.gif.
All four shakers is series will now get 40w each Vs 30w each in stereo. Pick up 10w more per shaker by switching it up. Not a :eek: difference but 40 more is 40 more. Might as well take it if the amp is gonna offer it

Just want to say thanks Kevin for the guide. Also bumping this up in case anyone just bought shakers for their berklines.

Kevin, thank you for your illustration, look nice!

I have these same chairs with electric recline. I was wondering why the Bass Shakers couldn't be installed to the vertical board on the back? It's right below where you installed the wood plates. Any feedback?

I have these same chairs with electric recline. I was wondering why the Bass Shakers couldn't be installed to the vertical board on the back? It's right below where you installed the wood plates. Any feedback?


I mounted mine almost exactly how the original poster did.

I didn't mount them vertically along that back brace since that is where the velcro strip is and it would cause a bulge in the leather flap that hangs down. It would also cause the seat to stick out further which could be a problem for people who have a riser/step behind the chair.

Overall, I love the placement of the shakers as presented in this post. It gives a good effect and was very simple to do. Lastly, you can't tell the shakers are there just by looking at the chair except for the wires coming out the bottom.

Just assumed when he said Could I still do it in a series like that? .

Yep, could do 2 in series on each channel and would be a 8ohm per channel. Wiring would just really depend on whatever amp went with and its specs at the 4 and 8ohm loads

Using the AMP100 that I did and 4 shakers for example.

If doing 8ohm stereo will get 60wx2 (L/R). So 2 shakers per channel wired series would get 30w each.
LEFT http://www.colomar.com/Shavano/2s-spkr.gif RIGHThttp://www.colomar.com/Shavano/2s-spkr.gif

But if switch things up to mono (bridged) at a 8ohm load it will now do 160x1
http://www.colomar.com/Shavano/4s-spkr.gif.
All four shakers is series will now get 40w each Vs 30w each in stereo. Pick up 10w more per shaker by switching it up. Not a :eek: difference but 40 more is 40 more. Might as well take it if the amp is gonna offer it

Kevin:

I am trying to install 8 of these in my two rows each with four theater seats. My goal is to achieve 4 ohm total impedance to maximize the power output. I developed the attached design. I chose the 4 ohm goal because it delivers more power versus 8 ohms. Is that a correct assumption? I plan to use a 240W 4-ohm sub amplifier.

My problem is that some of these shakers will shake more and others less. I plan to address this by putting the shakiest ones in the money seats in the front row, and the least shaky on the back seats. Any thoughts on the feasibility of this design?

You could buy 9. Run three parallel strings of 3 each and the total load will be 4 ohms.

Then just mount 2 in one chair or anywhere else for that matter. That way only one chair gets something a little different.

OR maybe (need to check the feasibility) get a 4 ohm dummy load resistor and use it in place of the ninth kicker to even out the feeling in all eight chairs.

You could buy 9. Run three parallel strings of 3 each and the total load will be 4 ohms.

Then just mount 2 in one chair or anywhere else for that matter. That way only one chair gets something a little different.

OR maybe (need to check the feasibility) get a 4 ohm dummy load resistor and use it in place of the ninth kicker to even out the feeling in all eight chairs.

That's a good idea. I hope that two shakers (each 50W) on a single seat may not lead too much shaking. Thanks.

So how do I like them? Great question, still need to finish the stand up front. As soon as that is done all components can finally be put on and wired up. Overall room should be done by this weekend.

So how did they work out? How do these compare with Butt Kickers (LFE and Mini models)? Cheaper, and they appear to be lower profile, so probably easier to mount, but what about performance?

bump?

I would advise against mounting the shakers as illustrated by the OP. I have the 13175's (motorized) so I mounted some chairs with Aura shakers as outlined in this thread and was disappointed.

That mounting position produces a very localized shaking sensation (even more so when the chair is reclined) and I would later learn...somewhat diminished. Not to mention, the shakers will either rub on the fabric or be mounted out far enough to avoid rubbing but then stick out the back of the chair. You can see this if you study the images provided by the OP. Since I have two rows, this was not acceptable to me.

I later decided to mount the shakers directly to piece of wood long enough to span the width of the seat frame. I then securely fastened that piece of wood to the wooden frame underneath the seat....between the seat springs and metal framing/reclining track. Let me say, this was a challenge because the metal frame underneath the seat makes it a tight space when you are working with tools.

However, it was well worth the effort. If you have the motorized 13175's mounting options are very limited. The difference between the two mounting options is night and day. Attaching the Aura shakers as I outlined more evenly distributes the shaking sensation....I tried watching a movie the other day without them on and it seemed like something was missing.

I really like the Aura shakers and I have them dialed in perfectly. It takes some tweaking to get the right effect....you can't just "blast" the shakers, there is some fine tuning believe it or not. Also make sure you install the line filter to only reproduce the low frequencies.

I have some photos from mounting the shakers at home....they were not taken to be used as a full blown tutorial but provide enough detail to illustrate the point. If anyone would like me to post them please send me a reminder PM and I will get the upload this week.

As I stated, these photos were never meant to be a tutorial. In retrospect, I would have used larger brackets....and I actually did on later chairs.

Start with a one inch thick piece of wood and round off the corners. This is necessary because of the tight fit and the need to rotate the board once you clear the metal frame.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/muchuckwagon/DSC_0709.jpg

The board will be secured to the wooden frame of the seat between the black metal frame and springs/fabric below the seat.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/muchuckwagon/DSC_0708.jpg

This shows the board attached to the seat frame with 3 screws on each side directly into the chairs frame. As you can see, the board is attached to the seat frame before attaching the shaker.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/muchuckwagon/DSC_0710.jpg

Another shot of the board attached to the seat frame. Test the depth of the board placement to ensure the board is placed deep enough so the shaker doesn't rub on the metal recline frame AND it doesn't push up against the seat springs.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/muchuckwagon/DSC_0712.jpg

Screw the shaker to the board.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/muchuckwagon/DSC_0713.jpg

You want to ensure the wiring posts are facing the rear of the chair for ease of wiring.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/muchuckwagon/DSC_0714.jpg

Very nice! Always great to see someone taking the time to execute a clean, attractive installation.

Personally, I would have gone with the Buttkickers, but I'm sure you will enjoy the Auras just fine.

Again, GREAT JOB!

Very nice! Always great to see someone taking the time to execute a clean, attractive installation.

Personally, I would have gone with the Buttkickers, but I'm sure you will enjoy the Auras just fine.

Again, GREAT JOB!

I went middle of the road with most of the equipment in the theater, for example - Epson 8350 projector, Pioneer 1120 receiver and Seymour AT screen.

Everyone builds a theater with the best intentions and they think it will get a ton of use....and it usually does for the first few months. I just was fearful after the "newness" of the theater wore off it might not get used as much....leading to a dead space and dead money.

I think that happens more than people realize and my guess it has to do with poor room design leading to issues with the image quality, audio clarity, viewing angles, seating comfort or lack of adequate temperature control.

Again, I went middle of the road just in case my theater didn't get used as much as I anticipated. The same is true with the shakers, the Aura shakers cost $50 each and can be wired to an old receiver which you can get off of Craigslist for $25. So for 7 chairs, I invested $375 for shakers.

For me, I can't tell a significant difference to justify the additional cost of the butt-kickers and part of me thinks you are paying for the brand name rather than improved performance...but that is just my opinion.

I'm happy to report my theater gets a ton of use and if this usage pattern continues I can justify spending more on the next projector, receiver and screen and move up the food chain when I do a technology refresh in 3 or 5 years.

For me, I can't tell a significant difference to justify the additional cost of the butt-kickers and part of me thinks you are paying for the brand name rather than improved performance...but that is just my opinion.


Hey, I completely understand why you went the route you did. It makes a lot of sense in some regards. Regarding the ButtKickers, though... I definitely feel that they are fairly priced, and the technology that separates them from other transducers really sets the standard in value-priced units.

Of course, I consider the ButtKicker a "value-priced" transducer when you have Clark Synthesis and Crowson dominating the high-end market. And while I feel like the "you get what you pay for" adage applies to all of those components, it's my opinion that the ButtKicker is the best bang for the buck.

But to each his own! I know quite a few satisfied Aura customers, so they are obviously doing something right! :)

I think we are on the same page. My wife would have killed me but going high-end would have meant taking a serious look at the D-Box. I must admit, I have never used one just did the research and really like the concept.

I hope the technology continues to evolve, expand and come down in price. What are your thoughts on the D-Box?

(For those of you not familiar with the technology, take a look - http://www.d-box.com Warning, the price point is a little shocking. :-) )

Hey, I completely understand why you went the route you did. It makes a lot of sense in some regards. Regarding the ButtKickers, though... I definitely feel that they are fairly priced, and the technology that separates them from other transducers really sets the standard in value-priced units.

Of course, I consider the ButtKicker a "value-priced" transducer when you have Clark Synthesis and Crowson dominating the high-end market. And while I feel like the "you get what you pay for" adage applies to all of those components, it's my opinion that the ButtKicker is the best bang for the buck.

But to each his own! I know quite a few satisfied Aura customers, so they are obviously doing something right! :)

I hope the technology continues to evolve, expand and come down in price. What are your thoughts on the D-Box?

I don't think anything compares to the D-Box. It's in a class all its own. What it does is entirely different than anything else on the market.

My only problem with the D-Box is that I am unsure of how practical it is when it comes to home theater. The technology seems way ahead of its time in the sense that there really aren't a lot of films out right now that could push its potential.

Every time I hear of the D-Box, I think of those coin-operated "roller coasters" that my kids like to do at Chuck E Cheese haha. Maybe when the technology is more accessible to your average consumer, filmmakers will shoot with that in mind, just as they are doing now with 3D technologies.

With that said, I doubt I'll buy one any time soon. Maybe next decade. :)