I'm prepping my gaming seat (not exactly a HT, but close) and want to attach 2 bass shakers to increase the experience when driving a car.

I've a spare Logitech Z-3 2.1 speaker set in the closet. This set contains 2 speakers and a subwoofer. The "amplifier" is mounted into the woofer box.

I was thinking about using the speakers and replacing the subwoofer with the bass shakers.

So, the speakers will still be used for what they are meant to do: produce sound. But the subwoofer will be kicking my butt when I mount the bass shakers onto the chair.

Can I simply replace the subwoofer speaker with the bass shaker or do I need an extra amplifier (as I see in almost every setup schema).

I'm undecided on the bass shakers at the moment, but I've found a set of Aura AST-1F-4 (25W RMS - 4 Ohm) bass shaker on a local second hand website. (In Belgium we don't have those cool big electronics stores with loads of parts)

Specifications of the Logitech Z-3:

Total RMS Power: 40W

Satellites: 17W RMS (2 x 8.5 w) into 3 ohms at 1 kHz at 10% THD
Subwoofer: 23W RMS into 4 ohms at 100Hz at 10% THD

Total Peak Power: 80W at <10% THD
System THD: Better than 0.05% THD before clipping
Signal to noise ratio: >92db
Frequency response: 35 Hz - 20 kHz


I suppose that the subwoofer will be OK for this 35W bass shakers? I've seen 100W versions, but they probably need more juice...

Just informing.

Thanks in advance!

Kind regards,
Niels R.

Hey Niels,

In the absence of any other replies I thought that I'd throw in my 2 cents!

I'd be surprised if you found anyone that has done what you're looking to do on the forum (then again....), but from first principles I see no problem with what you're about to attempt.

You don't need a separate amp, but you'll need to get access to the back of the subwoofer cone assembly to locate the two connecting wires, disconnect them, and then extend the length to reach to your shakers. The nice thing about what you're proposing is that all the cross-over related work (to filter out the higher frequencies) is already taken care of.

In a seat, the Aura's should be great.

Make sure that you're presenting the internal amp with as close to the original 4 ohms as you can get (a single shaker would do this, but it sounds like you're planning to use more) - there are many threads relating to calculating the load from different series/parallel combinations - you should be able to dial in a suitable load.

Best of luck!

Dave

Hey Dave,

Thanks for the feedback.

I've been searching the web and been looking through the forums for more information.

My main conclusion is: I'll just have to try it out.

I was planning on using 2 bass shakers, but when putting in series they are 8 Ohms, in parallel they are 2 Ohms. I'm not sure if the amplifier is powerful enough to drive them both in series (parallel probably will blow the amp), so I'm first going to test the seat with 1 piece.

Another option (if 1 bass shaker ain't enough) is putting a small amplifier in between. I was thinking about some simple Velleman kit or an ILP Electronics. This makes it a bit more difficult as I'll have to change the power supply too.

Anyways. I'll just have to experiment on how to get the most out one bass shaker to make it an easy installment.

Kind regards,
Niels R.

Hey Niels,

I think 'going for it' is a great decision!

My limited experience with the Auras suggests that even one shaker would be sufficient for a gaming seat. The key will be to find the optimal location on the chair to attach it - so that the whole thing vibrates, and not just a very localized area (you may need to fabricate an additional cross-member to get this).

Especially in a single seat, you'll be surprised at how little power/movement is required to produce an acceptable sensation - in this situation, 'more' does not necessarily equal 'better'!

Good luck with the project - I'll be fascinated to hear how it turns out!