RDB-120? Very expensive! http://www.shakercentre.com/aspbite/products/products.asp?intProductsID=13

or? http://www.shakercentre.com/aspbite/products/products.asp?intProductsID=12





I am using the RI-K28 rubber feet as per your link. These are quite soft but work well and on my 3 seat sofa have squashed to about 1cm (less than half an inch) so the sofa isn't obviously sitting on top off some add on feet. They seem to allow for plenty of movement which can also be a tad annoying if your partner is a fidget like mine. :)

I think the feet in the other link are firmer and larger.

The RI-K28 are BK feet, as are the RDB feet and both are listed on their website RI-K28 here (http://www.thebuttkicker.com/home_theater/accessories/RI-K28.htm)

The RDB feet come in a range of weight ratings from 120 to 330 lbs.

Just a quick update to keep anyone informed who may be researching the Buttkicker LFE kit....

I've had it hooked up for about a week now, and find that when I don't turn it on, it feels like something is missing. One BK shaker powered by the 1000 watt amp is plenty to shake my sofa. I can localize where the shaking is coming from, but then again, I'm the one who installed it. I have mine mounted to the underside wooden frame of my sofa. I tried the isolator feet, but since my sofa is on carpet, I didn't feel any difference. All in all I'm very happy, and will probably grab another shaker module for the love seat.

I really dont know where i can buy BK LFE KIT and shipped to finland... its really hard to find with "ok" price...
Any idea? Auras are maybe too "soft"shaking:(

I'd go with the BK or Earthquake if you want a proper job if it and especially so if you already have a infrasonic capable sub.

there is no bk lfe kit, i found that wireless kits only.

how powerful this is? http://www.shakercentre.co.uk/aspbite/products/products.asp?intProductsID=91

can i add more shakers later to amp?

Just a quick update to keep anyone informed who may be researching the Buttkicker LFE kit....

I've had it hooked up for about a week now, and find that when I don't turn it on, it feels like something is missing. One BK shaker powered by the 1000 watt amp is plenty to shake my sofa. I can localize where the shaking is coming from, but then again, I'm the one who installed it. I have mine mounted to the underside wooden frame of my sofa. I tried the isolator feet, but since my sofa is on carpet, I didn't feel any difference. All in all I'm very happy, and will probably grab another shaker module for the love seat.
Stephen.

Did you look into using the CMAK with your BK? - http://www.thebuttkicker.com/home_theater/accessories/cmak.htm - Combined with the isolations and located correctly I think it will help your isolation issue. You might have to turn up the amp a bit more but you'll have plenty of gas with 1 or 2 BK's and the BKA. In my emails with BK they recommended this versus mounting to the frame because of the localization issue. They suggested placing the CMAK under the back middle touch points of the frame and using isolators everywhere else. It might be worthy trying this before you invest in another BKLFE. Just a thought

there is no bk lfe kit, i found that wireless kits only.

how powerful this is? http://www.shakercentre.co.uk/aspbite/products/products.asp?intProductsID=91

can i add more shakers later to amp?
Did you try this location in the UK. http://www.networkmusic.biz/?gclid=COOWh8jSvJ0CFRwhnAodHn3Cjw their add sad they are exclusive supplier in UK. Shipping from them might be better.

I did find some on Ebay UK but again, they would ship from USA. Shipping will cost a bit if based on price because they things are very heavy but that's what you need to create a good effect

Did you try this location in the UK. http://www.networkmusic.biz/?gclid=COOWh8jSvJ0CFRwhnAodHn3Cjw their add sad they are exclusive supplier in UK. Shipping from them might be better.

I did find some on Ebay UK but again, they would ship from USA. Shipping will cost a bit if based on price because they things are very heavy but that's what you need to create a good effect

emailed.

I have a question if someone can help. I currently have bass shakers setup on a separate receiver (Thanks to this site). What I want to do is introduce to this setup is Turtle Beach Earforce X31 headsets for late night gaming which when is use, the only this I want in use is the bass shakers and the headphones. The headphones will plug directly into the xbox. I basically want the option to use the normal speakers with the bass shakers or use headphones with the bass shakers.

Sorry for the long post. We will be having a new baby in the house and I need to figure this out.

Thanks

Luis

I just got in 2 of the Aura bass shakers and im going to hook them up to a subwoofer plate amp.

My question is how do you know when they are reacing an over load point?

With a traditional speaker you can see the cone movement and you can kinda tell when its reaching its max movement when to back off on the levels.

How do you tell with these things? i dont want to over load it and blow it on accedent but i want to run it about as hard as it can handle.

Three methods:

1. use math. They are 4 ohms and "rated" for X amount of power. Exceed that amount of power for any amount of time and odds of damage is good. The "pro" shakes and the older non-pro are identical internally. Externally the "pro" model has "fins" to aid in their ability to dissipate heat. (I'm not sure I would believe this helps that much, but who knows, you may have better air circulation under your seat than mine.) Fed with the same power, they will shake equally. If you have two shakers in series they will be ab 8 ohm load. If "rated" at 50 watts each you can use a 100 watt plate amplifier. In reality, they will reach their excursion limits at far less power than this.

2. listen to them. They will make really disturbing sounds if near their excursion limits.
Since they will reach their excursion limit at their internal resonant frequency (near 40 Hz) with FAR less power, you might be able to only feed 15-20 watts to each shaker before they show audible signs of distress at some frequencies.

3. feel/smell them. If they are really hot to touch, or smell like they are burning up internally, back off the power.

i dont want to over load it and blow it on accedent but i want to run it about as hard as it can handle.Sorry, can't have both... back off and be safe, or risk a sudden movie sound-effect to blow them.

Joe L.

Three methods:

1. use math. They are 4 ohms and "rated" for X amount of power. Exceed that amount of power for any amount of time and odds of damage is good. The "pro" shakes and the older non-pro are identical internally. Externally the "pro" model has "fins" to aid in their ability to dissipate heat. (I'm not sure I would believe this helps that much, but who knows, you may have better air circulation under your seat than mine.) Fed with the same power, they will shake equally. If you have two shakers in series they will be ab 8 ohm load. If "rated" at 50 watts each you can use a 100 watt plate amplifier. In reality, they will reach their excursion limits at far less power than this.

2. listen to them. They will make really disturbing sounds if near their excursion limits.
Since they will reach their excursion limit at their internal resonant frequency (near 40 Hz) with FAR less power, you might be able to only feed 15-20 watts to each shaker before they show audible signs of distress at some frequencies.

3. feel/smell them. If they are really hot to touch, or smell like they are burning up internally, back off the power.

Sorry, can't have both... back off and be safe, or risk a sudden movie sound-effect to blow them.

Joe L.

These things are cool, i didnt think they were going to work to good when i first got them i tried them on a stereo i was using when i was playing with the NXT type transducers and they didnt seem to have much shake.

I took them downstairs tonight while i was watching the football game and hooked them to a 4ohm kenwood powered sub. The one i tried didnt seem to have much shake.

My final setup was to mount them both and run them in series hooked to a 100 watt kenwood power amp. NOW its doing somthing! Not sure if i got lucky and mounted it in the right place or what but wow it shakes good now. WAY better then i thought.

I ran mine in series to give 8ohms and im not sure if that makes them a little more sensative or what but wow what an improvement. I had the amp about 3/4 the way up and it was rockin now its good and its less then halfway up.

I think im going to buy 2 more.

Man these things are costing me more money now.

Now that i hooked em up, i want better seating now to mount them into.

It turned my crappy old chair into a cool rumble seat now i want to find some cool leather theater seats to mount them into

ugggg:confused:

They should add a dedicated channel for these, these are the best thing since 5.1!

They should add a dedicated channel for these, these are the best thing since 5.1!

Especially when they're $29 a piece. :)

If they were that price two weeks ago, I may have gotten a pair or three of them instead of my Clark TST209. But I'll live with my Clark. :)

Especially when they're $29 a piece. :)

If they were that price two weeks ago, I may have gotten a pair or three of them instead of my Clark TST209. But I'll live with my Clark. :)

Yeah really! figures after i buy a set they drop in price $15.

My sister complained that she dont like them, she said its vibrates her tail bone and makes her butt numb.

Im planning to get some new chairs so ill relocate the shakers then.

Yeah really! figures after i buy a set they drop in price $15.

My sister complained that she dont like them, she said its vibrates her tail bone and makes her butt numb.

Im planning to get some new chairs so ill relocate the shakers then.If they are that annoying, you probably have them turned up too high. In my opinion, the effect should barely be noticeable most of the time, as if the subwoofer is shaking the entire room.

Joe L.

+1

hardly know they are there until the explosions start. Then its more shock and awe than sore and annoying.

+1

hardly know they are there until the explosions start. Then its more shock and awe than sore and annoying.

ok, the problem is im in a wheelchair. I cant really test them myself so i just have to feel the arm rest to make sure they are working. Its kinda hard to judge when you cant feel your legs.

Ill have to turn the chair over and test it with my hand on the shaker till i get it dialed in.

Thanks for the info.

I have cambridgeaudio azur 640a and i really want shake my couch!
My PE cart:

- #8 x 3/4" Deep Thread Pan Head Screws Black 100 Pcs.
- FMOD Crossover Pair 50 Hz Low Pass
- Aura Pro Bass Shaker X4
- Dayton SA100 100W Subwoofer Amplifier
- AR AP18100N 18 AWG OFC Speaker Cable 100 ft. Spool
- Belkin RCA Male to 2 RCA Female Y AdapterDigital Coaxial/Subwoofer Audio Cable 12 ft. CL2

What else do i need?
Is that splitter right or do i need something like "sub-splitter" etc ^.^

And about wiring, how?

I have cambridgeaudio azur 640a and i really want shake my couch!
My PE cart:

- #8 x 3/4" Deep Thread Pan Head Screws Black 100 Pcs.
- FMOD Crossover Pair 50 Hz Low Pass
- Aura Pro Bass Shaker X4
- Dayton SA100 100W Subwoofer Amplifier
- AR AP18100N 18 AWG OFC Speaker Cable 100 ft. Spool
- Belkin RCA Male to 2 RCA Female Y AdapterDigital Coaxial/Subwoofer Audio Cable 12 ft. CL2

What else do i need?
Is that splitter right or do i need something like "sub-splitter" etc ^.^

And about wiring, how?

Well, you shouldn't have to use the FMOD's because you can just use the adjustable low pass crossover built into the subwoofer amp. And you shouldn't need a Y splitter because you can just use a standard set of RCA's because that amp has R+L inputs. Those will connect right up to your amp's Pre-Outs.

As far as wiring goes, if you wire all of those up in a Series/Parallel configuration that will give you 4 Ohms... just right for that amp.

Take a look here if you don't know what I mean about a Series/Parallel wiring configuration.

http://www.bcae1.com/spkrmlti.htm

The only thing I would suggest is maybe upping your budget for the amp and get the SA240 subwoofer amp. With 4 shakers, 100W might be a little low at only 25 RMS a piece. The 240 will give you 60W a piece, and a little headroom is always good.

Good luck!

btw can i use that amp in europe 240v?

btw can i use that amp in europe 240v?

I'm not sure on that one... I'd check with PartsExpress directly.

I’m a newbie and want some shake. I have an Onkyo 703 receiver and SVS 10” sub. My plan is to get two shakers and an amp (maybe the Pyle 2x75) to run the shakers. I will connect a y cable from the Onkyo sub pre out, one end going to the line in on the SVS sub and the other end going to the line in on the Pyle amp. I will have 1 shaker connected to the R speaker out and the other to the L speaker out. 2 questions 1) do I need to connect another Y cable going into the amp or will a single cable connection suffice since it’s a mono signal 2) will the shakers be at the same crossover setting that I have set in the Onkyo receiver or is this somehow lost?

Does this planned set up appear to be correct?

I think I'd split the line into L and R inputs on the amp, Rich. The crossover will be whatever the 703 is set to. You can also add an inline RCA FMOD low pass crossover prior to the amp (say 50Hz or 70Hz depending at what level you want the shaking to fade out) so the she sub will pick up the upper base frequencies, but the shakers will only work on the lowest bass frequencies (and thus not sound as "fake").

I think I'd split the line into L and R inputs on the amp, Rich. The crossover will be whatever the 703 is set to. You can also add an inline RCA FMOD low pass crossover prior to the amp (say 50Hz or 70Hz depending at what level you want the shaking to fade out) so the she sub will pick up the upper base frequencies, but the shakers will only work on the lowest bass frequencies (and thus not sound as "fake").If it is a 2 channel amplifier, you will need the "Y" splitter to feed the same signal to both channels. If it has a "mono" input, you only need to feed it one input.

I tried to look for a manual on that amplifier, even went to pyleaudio.com, but they don't have an on-line manual, nor do they even give any specifications for frequency response. Are you sure it has any usable output below 50Hz? They have very small case sizes, and unless they are using a switching supply, they would be not be able to put much of a power transformer in the case.

If the transformer is small, large amounts of low frequency output is only possible in the dreams of the marketing dept. (Can't cheat physics) If it was using a switching power supply, it would be boasted by in their marketing material, so it is highly unlikely they would not take advantage of that selling point, if it was part of the design.

I'd try to find a web-site that did an actual measurement of the output before settling on it as your shaker amplifier. (unless you already own it, in which case, give it a try)

Joe L.

I didn’t buy it yet and I couldn’t find a manual either so I’m not sure. My guess is its two channels since it says 75W x 2. I assumed it would be compatible with 2 Aura 50 W shakers due to the 75W per channel but I’m rather new at this. The issue I have is size. I’m looking for the smallest footprint possible but I came across a Dayton APA 150W Power Amplifier which is pretty compact. This looks to be a good match but maybe I’m missing something? It even has an adjustable low pass filter which now I realize based on Tims comments is important. Do you have any experience or comments about this amp?
Thanks

And you shouldn't need a Y splitter because you can just use a standard set of RCA's because that amp has R+L inputs. Those will connect right up to your amp's Pre-Outs.

My cheap-o receiver doesn't have pre-amp or line outs. Can you run the lfe out to the Dayton? PE has a 300W Bash with an lfe input, but it seems the back is open circuit boards, and since I'm not building a sub and don't have any way to mount the amp, that won't work...

My cheap-o receiver doesn't have pre-amp or line outs. Can you run the lfe out to the Dayton? PE has a 300W Bash with an lfe input, but it seems the back is open circuit boards, and since I'm not building a sub and don't have any way to mount the amp, that won't work...

You can definitely use the LFE out into the Dayton, you might just want to use a Y-Adaptor at the end of the cable to feed into the Dayton R+L inputs. As far as the BASH 300 not having a closed back you could look at the Dayton 240W amp as well that does not have that particular issue.

You can definitely use the LFE out into the Dayton
Thank you! That's what I wanted to hear :)
I was thinking of mounting 4 aura shakers to 2 Berkline 90s (the dog's will go without), similarly to the ButtKicker mounting instructions. The wiring between chairs might be interesting... I barely survived my college electronics physics course so I'll have to do some experimenting with series-parallel wiring.

Thank you! That's what I wanted to hear :)
I was thinking of mounting 4 aura shakers to 2 Berkline 90s (the dog's will go without), similarly to the ButtKicker mounting instructions. The wiring between chairs might be interesting... I barely survived my college electronics physics course so I'll have to do some experimenting with series-parallel wiring.

Take a look at the link I posted up at the top of this page.

http://www.bcae1.com/spkrmlti.htm

About a quarter of the way down the page is exactly how you want to wire 4, 4Ohm shakers for a 4Ohm load in Series/Parallel.

Have fun!

Well this is the only thread I have completely read from start to finish, it took me 4 days LOL. Excellent read and thanks for everyones input. At first things were foggy but now "I can see clearly now" so I ordered up 8 of the pros. I have no idea why I have not seen these before??

Thanks
Phil

I ended up getting two more of these than I planned, and into more of a wiring fiasco than I bargained for, despite the great diagrams and info in the avs threads. My new question is, with 6 shakers, is it best to:
A - wire two shakers together in series (three times for a total of three sets of 2), then wire them together in parallel,
B - wire three together in series (twice for two sets of three), then wire together in parallel,
or C - wire two shakers together in parallel (three time for three sets of 2 in parallel) then wire them all together in series???

Ok some mistakes above...I think I'm going with option B, the http://www.bcae1.com/spkrmlti.htm series/parallel connection diagram, but extended to have 3 shakers in each of the two series circuits.

I ended up getting two more of these than I planned, and into more of a wiring fiasco than I bargained for, despite the great diagrams and info in the avs threads. My new question is, with 6 shakers, is it best to:
A - wire two shakers together in series (three times for a total of three sets of 2), then wire them together in parallel,
B - wire three together in series (twice for two sets of three), then wire together in parallel,
or C - wire two shakers together in parallel (three time for three sets of 2 in parallel) then wire them all together in series???

A = 2.6 ohm load
B = 6 ohm load
C = 6 ohm load

Joe L.

Amp installed in rack, mounting locations determined, mounting brackets made, Fmod at 50Hz ordered and waitng the Aura's...now where is Fed Ex LOL? I hope to have them tomorrow and have them installed for newyears eve. I have also decided to make a quick connect wiring hookup at the seats due to the fact that my room is a family/media room and the seating does get moved around some times. The main recliner/rocker that I use for X box will have two installed. Two in the love seat and four int he main recling couch. The wife kept asking me all night what I was doing with the other amp LOL but I just told her it was a suprize.

I will keep updating with pics.
Later
Phil

You can definitely use the LFE out into the Dayton, you might just want to use a Y-Adaptor at the end of the cable to feed into the Dayton R+L inputs. As far as the BASH 300 not having a closed back you could look at the Dayton 240W amp as well that does not have that particular issue.

I have a Dayton 70watt sub plate amp. I am using the LFE out of a velodyne subwoofer into the LFE (mono) imput of the Dayton plate sub amp. Should I use a y adaptor and run the LFE signal from the velodyne into the right and left imput of the Dayton? Will this give me a better signal? The LFE is crossed from my Yamaha receiver at 80hz.

Also in wiring series/parallel using four bass shakers to maintain the 4 ohm impedance, does that mean that since my Dayton plate sub amp is rated at 70 watts max, that each bass shaker is only getting 17.5 watts? Will that be enough to drive them?

I have a Dayton 70watt sub plate amp. I am using the LFE out of a velodyne subwoofer into the LFE (mono) imput of the Dayton plate sub amp. Should I use a y adaptor and run the LFE signal from the velodyne into the right and left imput of the Dayton? Will this give me a better signal? The LFE is crossed from my Yamaha receiver at 80hz.

Also in wiring series/parallel using four bass shakers to maintain the 4 ohm impedance, does that mean that since my Dayton plate sub amp is rated at 70 watts max, that each bass shaker is only getting 17.5 watts? Will that be enough to drive them?

You don't have to use the Y-adaptor, but some find it helps. If the Dayton Amp auto-turn on circuit is working without it then you should be fine. And yes, you're math is correct each Aura is seeing around 18 watts RMS. I haven't used the Aura's but some say they are pretty efficient. That may be enough wattage. I know my Clark seems power hungry and operated much better once I bridged my amp to 200 W at 4 Ohms. Only way to know is to try it!

Their efficiency (as with any shaker) is largely dependent on how and where they are mounted. If you take the time to experiment with them and depending on what is available in your furniture you may or may not have success. I determined that two per seating position were necessary to get an even sensation.

I think I am ready to jump into some shakers. 4 Aura pro's, a Dayton 240w plate amp, and some wire should be all I need. I already have an extra cable to run lfe from my receiver. I will run it in series/parallel like suggested above. Two questions; does the amp come with a power cord and how are you guys that have the Dayton plate amps mounting them? I was thinking just sitting it under the sofa mounted on a board or possibly mounting it to the sofa.

Thanks, Rob

ETA: One more question; do I need the Dayton amp with "bass boost?"

I just got mine installed......cha ching! I put two in my gaming recliner, two in the reclining love seat and 4 in the reclining sofa. When first running threw the DVD input there was very little response, but thanks to reading this entire thread all 60 pages of it in the past week I quickly switched to the phono input and wham there it was.

My first response was hmmmm that is it...60 pages of posts really gets a guys expectations up LOL I was running all 8 off the RXV-1000 in 6ch stereo mode which is 110W or 55W for each shaker at about 3/4 or a bit better. After 10 or 15 mins of Imax NASCAR I was soo turning the level down. After slapping in Base Mechanics I was running them at about 1/2 volume on the second receiver and half volume on the main. The two yamaha's are a little different in the range on the way the volume works so running the two volumes at the same time give me a direct corolation to each other. The 1000 is -100 to 0 and the 2700 is -100 tp0 +18 I think.

My gaming chair rocks I tell ya I have yet to play XBOX with the turtle beach X41's in it that is soon coming up but bang for the buck I think a good investment. Just over $300 shipped to Canada for 8 and quite a little novelity to have.

I do however think I have one shaker that is DEAD it is mounted in the three seater and is hard to tell with the other three in there rattling the hell outa the seating. I will have to take it off and test it with a 4ohm load if and when I get a chance.

I am glad to have stumbled upon this thread and want to thank everyone for all their input over the last 60 pages.

Shake On Brothers
Phil

Oh my goodness is all I can say, two of these Aura's couppled with a set of 7.1 digital gaming headphones on the XBOX. Gamers delight! I turned the seconday amp up to about 3/4 and the main down just enough so you could hear it. The harrier strike in MWF2 unreal. I found myself chatting with people online telling them if they wanted to game that a 50" plasma, headphones and a couple of Aura's was amazing. Of course no one knew or gave a rats ass but WOW! I can't wait to have the guys over for split screen on the 106" screen. If these add half the element to movies they do for gaming they will be a great addition.

I also found myself believing it was very loud and checking every five minutes or so to see if I was waking up the kids LOL but you would never really know it was on just a light massage. A very different experiance with loud headphones it make the bass feel huge and without them your senses are out of sync looking for that sound.

Phil

I appreciate all the advice and help...got mine working recently, and am thoroughly enjoying the added effect. The beginning of Bolt (I know, not the best demo movie) was a completely different experience. I do find that I like to adjust the frequency and gain per applications (movie, tv, game, etc.)
Thanks all!

I have one aura installed in one of my ht seats(the one I sit on) hooked up to a dayton 70 plate sub amp. OMG! Just watched Transformers and the effect was unbelievable!

I also found myself believing it was very loud and checking every five minutes or so to see if I was waking up the kids
Phil

I feel the same way every time I play MW2 Sunday morning and one of those Stealth bombing runs happen in MP. Look toward the door, expecting to hear someone yell at me and then realize it's the shaking doing it's work! :D

Hey guys,

After reading the first couple of pages of this thread, I purchased a Dayton 70 watt sub amp and four of the Aura Pro shakers. I figured it would be pretty easy using Bob's diagram in the first post, but after reading through some more of the thread, all this talk of ohms and series and parallel wiring has me a little concerned that I might be in a little over my head. Will my setup really be as easy as following the diagram in Bob's post, or are there other things I need to do? Also, I read some things about how you can set the crossover on the first amp so that the LFE signal only kicks in at certain levels. Can I use the Dayton amp to control that for just the shakers, while having my SVS sub at a different level? Thanks a lot!

I just bought a Buttkicker LFE kit to accompany my dual SVS PB12 Pluses and it is simply amazing. I cannot believe the difference. That Buttkicker amp and shaker are extremely well built and shake the hell out of the listening area!:)

Can I use the Dayton amp to control that for just the shakers, while having my SVS sub at a different level? Thanks a lot!

From my amateur point of view, Yes, you can. Set the receiver/amp crossover "high", then you can limit what signal you send to the shakers with the Dayton crossover.

To rehash what has been said by people much more in the know than me...
I finally turned on my sub along with the shakers, and got a terrible hum. My sub only has a 2-pronged plug, but the Dayton amp has a ground. Using one of the 3 prong to 2 prong "cheater" plugs eliminated the hum. However I may look into the options suggested by parts express:

# When I hooked up the RCA cable to my receiver from my subamp, it began to make an audible hum. Is it defective? Likely it is NOT defective. What you are hearing is called a "ground loop" and is caused by uneven ground potentials at various locations in your audio system. These potentials cause small levels of electricity to flow through the ground paths, which will often be amplified as a 60 Hz hum.
# How do I stop it from humming? One of the first things to try is changing the outlet into which the subwoofer power is plugged. Since often a subwoofer is located away from the rest of the equipment, many times the outlet will be on a different circuit or have a different grounding point. Try connecting the subwoofer to the same outlet as the rest of your equipment via an extension cord or power strip. The next thing to check is the cable TV feed going into your system. While this at first seems like a silly idea, if you consider the web of connections in your A/V system, it begins to make sense. Temporarily unhook the main cable connection and see if the hum stops or is reduced. If it does, the easiest solution is to purchase a coax isolation transformer such as our #180-075. If this does not completely solve the problem, try unhooking the connections of different components in the system and see if the problem stops. If it does, consider using a line-level ground loop isolator in that location. Our #265-012 works well. If nothing seems to quite eliminate all hum, the #265-012 can be used directly on the subwoofer line-level feed and generally will solve most problems.

I just hooked up 4 Aura Pro Shakers in a series/parallel configuration for a 4ohm load to 1 channel. I unbridged my center channel amp channel to give it a dedicated 160w into 4ohms to the shakers. A couple of questions:

1. It seems like I need to set the sub level way, way up in order for the shakers to work. The amplifier has per-channel level adjustment and I have all of them set to mid-level except the Shaker channel, which I have it set to max. I also have the preamp LFE output set to +8 and the shaker level still seems too weak. I also have a subwoofer Y-connected to the LFE channel and have to turn the sub level very far down to work with the +8 setting. Does this sound normal that I have to boost both the preamp LFE and the amplifier level controls to get the shakers to have any kind of meaningful output (and it still seems too low)?

2. Also, is there any scientific way to set the shaker level? I tried using the test tones from the pre-amp and a sound level meter, and I actually was able to set the level with the shakers (wasn't sure they would produce sound for the meter, but they did); however, it still seems too weak. I guess I need to find a heavy sub clip and keep running it to adjust, but just wondering if there is a better way.

I just hooked up 4 Aura Pro Shakers in a series/parallel configuration for a 4ohm load to 1 channel. I unbridged my center channel amp channel to give it a dedicated 160w into 4ohms to the shakers. A couple of questions:

1. It seems like I need to set the sub level way, way up in order for the shakers to work. The amplifier has per-channel level adjustment and I have all of them set to mid-level except the Shaker channel, which I have it set to max. I also have the preamp LFE output set to +8 and the shaker level still seems too weak. I also have a subwoofer Y-connected to the LFE channel and have to turn the sub level very far down to work with the +8 setting. Does this sound normal that I have to boost both the preamp LFE and the amplifier level controls to get the shakers to have any kind of meaningful output (and it still seems too low)?

2. Also, is there any scientific way to set the shaker level? I tried using the test tones from the pre-amp and a sound level meter, and I actually was able to set the level with the shakers (wasn't sure they would produce sound for the meter, but they did); however, it still seems too weak. I guess I need to find a heavy sub clip and keep running it to adjust, but just wondering if there is a better way.

It seems like you should be giving them enough power. I'm just going by specs however since I've only ever used the Clarks.

My second thought would be to make sure that the Aura's are securely fastened to your seating. You didn't mention how this was being accomplished, but I've heard of some people using zip ties. This is a no-no because in order for them to work correctly they must be "made one" with the seating area in question. This is usually through wood screws or the like.

On a side note, the entry level Clark TST209 is the deal-of-the-day at 20% off at PE.

I think I might have to upgrade to two of them at that price! :)

It seems like you should be giving them enough power. I'm just going by specs however since I've only ever used the Clarks.

Thanks for the feedback. Hadn't seen the Clarks before, but they look interesting. I played around with the Aura Pro Shakers a bit more with a bunch of different channels, and I think it did end up being fairly well dialed in from using the sound level meter to set the seat shakers (separately from the sub). It seemed like the shaker level was too low initially, but when I switched channels the added effect (from a subwoofer alone) is amazing. In my channel switching I ended up hitting Hellbound Hellraiser (or something like that) and the bass in that movie is very, very strong -- the whole room was shaking. Almost too much shaking for that movie specifically, but everything else the shakers was a nice compliment to the existing sub.

I'm still not sure why I have to set the amp/LFE level so high, but I can compensate for it by turning down the sub level so it's an academic question only.

I have to say that these shakers are about the best bang for the buck you can get in terms of adding dimension to a theater with pretty minimal cost (especially if you have a spare amp channel sitting around)

I also tried to hook up a few Aura Pro Shakers to my system and didn't feel they were giving me enough shake. I have a Denon A/V receiver that has several sub outputs available. I configured it for front sub, rear sub and LFE. I have a a 150W per channel amp on the LFE channel. I turned the gain on the A/V receiver LFE channel all the way up and the gain on the amp all the way up and could hardly feel them move when I did the test sounds. I do not have them connected to the seats yet, but I thought I should feel more movement. I know the output is working because I can switch the cables to the other output and the sub works. Also if I touch the cable they jump so I know the amp has enough power. Is the test sound just not a good indication of how they will feel in a movie? I also thought I could get more gain by using a Y connector and go into both channels on my amp and then run it in bridged mode. Am I missing something here with the line level from a sub LFE being to low of a level for a normal amp? Does the amp need to be one made for a sub like a plate amp?

I just bought a Buttkicker LFE kit to accompany my dual SVS PB12 Pluses and it is simply amazing. I cannot believe the difference. That Buttkicker amp and shaker are extremely well built and shake the hell out of the listening area!:)

I have a second transducer arriving on Friday. I love these things!

Need help guys, i have read thru many pages of this thread and sounds very interesting and something I want to try. I have a few options and not sure which would be the best way to go, I have an extra Pioneer Elite Receiver w/amp of coarse that im not using or I am currently using an Integra DHC 9.9 which has 2 sub outputs on the back,1 rca and 1 balanced I assume both are active at the same time. Could I use either one of these and just buy the Aura shackers or would I be better off just getting the whole Buttkicker LFE kit? Any suggestions and even where to buy would be great. I also have an extra Klipsch 12" powered sub that im not using not sure if that could be used somewhere in the mix

I have a second transducer arriving on Friday. I love these things!

The funny thing for me was that most of the retailers I spoke to when looking for theater seats discouraged adding shakers. They said many ended up disabling them, I assumed they were just a gimmick based on that feedback and wasn't going to get them. My wife actually talked me into checking them out. Of course I checked here and saw the positive feedback. I have been amazed by what they add -- it just goes to show that feedback from first-hand experiences on a forum like this are invaluable for making decisions versus second hand feedback (even from someone selling the product).

Need help guys, i have read thru many pages of this thread and sounds very interesting and something I want to try. I have a few options and not sure which would be the best way to go, I have an extra Pioneer Elite Receiver w/amp of coarse that im not using or I am currently using an Integra DHC 9.9 which has 2 sub outputs on the back,1 rca and 1 balanced I assume both are active at the same time. Could I use either one of these and just buy the Aura shackers or would I be better off just getting the whole Buttkicker LFE kit? Any suggestions and even where to buy would be great. I also have an extra Klipsch 12" powered sub that im not using not sure if that could be used somewhere in the mix

I haven't tried the Buttkickers, so can't really compare but the Aura Pro's provide very significant shaking -- I wouldn't really want any more. The only downside I've seen is that when the level is too high, I've heard a little noise, but that was because they weren't adjusted properly. I don't know if Buttkickers handles overload better, but really won't occur if level is set right.

For your setup, seems like using your Pioneer with Aura Pro would be a good way to try it out. The Aura Pros are very inexpensive and you will have more than enough power to drive it since the max power is 50w per shaker. Just split the RCA LFE if you are also using a sub and feed it to an input on the Pioneer. You can connect each shaker to a separate channel for a 4 ohm load with the Pioneer in "all channel stereo" mode or wire the shakers in parallel/series to drive them with fewer channel amps. Since level setting is critical, you can use the Pioneer volume to adjust easily on the fly.

I also tried to hook up a few Aura Pro Shakers to my system and didn't feel they were giving me enough shake. I have a Denon A/V receiver that has several sub outputs available. I configured it for front sub, rear sub and LFE. I have a a 150W per channel amp on the LFE channel. I turned the gain on the A/V receiver LFE channel all the way up and the gain on the amp all the way up and could hardly feel them move when I did the test sounds. I do not have them connected to the seats yet, but I thought I should feel more movement. I know the output is working because I can switch the cables to the other output and the sub works. Also if I touch the cable they jump so I know the amp has enough power. Is the test sound just not a good indication of how they will feel in a movie? I also thought I could get more gain by using a Y connector and go into both channels on my amp and then run it in bridged mode. Am I missing something here with the line level from a sub LFE being to low of a level for a normal amp? Does the amp need to be one made for a sub like a plate amp?

My guess is that you need to mount them to evaluate because it takes very little power (<50w) to drive them to significant shaking. They don't make much noise, you just feel it, so probably that can't happen unmounted. I did need to crank up the LFE level much higher than I expected (versus the sub that shares that input), but once you have the gain right you will experience feel it in a major way. Also, be sure to watch a lot of different video material when evaluating. Most of the time the shakers are off, they only come in during intense scenes with deep bass. but it is not subtle when it hits.

Need help guys, i have read thru many pages of this thread and sounds very interesting and something I want to try. I have a few options and not sure which would be the best way to go, I have an extra Pioneer Elite Receiver w/amp of coarse that im not using or I am currently using an Integra DHC 9.9 which has 2 sub outputs on the back,1 rca and 1 balanced I assume both are active at the same time. Could I use either one of these and just buy the Aura shackers or would I be better off just getting the whole Buttkicker LFE kit? Any suggestions and even where to buy would be great. I also have an extra Klipsch 12" powered sub that im not using not sure if that could be used somewhere in the mixI have the Onkyo PR-SC886 which is the cousin of the DHC 9.9. I haven't gotten around to hooking up my buttkicker yet, but I was planning to use one sub output for the sub and one for the buttkicker. According to some experts, both outputs are active at the same time. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showpost.php?p=17183155&postcount=2318

They also say that it shouldn't make any difference whether you use the 2 outputs or a simple Y cable from the same output. Since I have 2 outputs on my 886, I am going to use them instead of the Y cable. :D

Whether you use the buttkicker amp or your Pioneer receiver it should work either way. If I were to do it over again and had an extra receiver around, I would save the money and not go with the buttkicker.

Good luck,
Murray

ok, after checking more into this madness:) I am kinda torn between just buying the wirless buttkicker kit for $297 and being done or would I be better off going the direction of using my unused receiver and say 5 or 6 Aura's and not be wireless? I would rather do it right the first time. The rep at Buttkicker says worst case I would need to buy 2 kits but have a better outcome than a bunch of Aura's and wires everywhere??????? HELP PLEASE

The funny thing for me was that most of the retailers I spoke to when looking for theater seats discouraged adding shakers. They said many ended up disabling them, I assumed they were just a gimmick based on that feedback and wasn't going to get them. My wife actually talked me into checking them out. Of course I checked here and saw the positive feedback. I have been amazed by what they add -- it just goes to show that feedback from first-hand experiences on a forum like this are invaluable for making decisions versus second hand feedback (even from someone selling the product).

Absolutely. I have two Buttkicker transducers in my loveseat now and they have been the single most exciting HT addition (even over my two new SVS dual Pluses).

Newbie to Bass shakers

I intent to do the following.
A/V prossessor sub output to the Input of one of my PB13 Ultra Input, then daizy chain to the second PB13 (my actual set-up). From there, I intent to use the sub output from the second sub to the input of a SMS-1 Bass Management System for volume control purpuse.
Then from the Out of the SMS-1 to the the Input of an Outlaw m2200 single channel power amp for the power(200w 8ohms- 300w 4ohms). Then of course to 2 Bass shakers in series or parellale to achieve either 4 or 8 ohms.

Any problems or sugestion with this set-up?

I also have my eyes set on the Clark TST209, are they any good or should I spennd more?

Thank You

Ray

Then of course to 2 Bass shakers in series or parellale to achieve either 4 or 8 ohms.

That setup should be fine. You would want to connect both 4 ohm shakers in series for 8 ohms (I think parallel would make it a 2 ohm load).

Then of course to 2 Bass shakers in series or parellale to achieve either 4 or 8 ohms.

That setup should be fine. You would want to connect both 4 ohm shakers in series for 8 ohms (I think parallel would make it a 2 ohm load).

Quote:
Originally Posted by darthray
Then of course to 2 Bass shakers in series or parellale to achieve either 4 or 8 ohms.

That setup should be fine. You would want to connect both 4 ohm shakers in series for 8 ohms (I think parallel would make it a 2 ohm load).

Thanks pjp

You are right about the the 2omhs load.

I presently got 2 m2200 doing nothing, but collecting dust. So I will use both of them and try to find a XLR (balance) Y spiter, 1 In and 2 Out to use the second power amp.

Thanks


Ray

Hello, me again

Just need your toughts on should I go with 2 Buttkicker or 2 mini-Buttkicker for a 2 chairs Berkline home theater seats.
I won't bother with the backrow 3 seats on a riser since they are hardly use.

Is 2 mini enough or should I go with the big brother version?

Also, any advise on how to mount them up to seat and/or what not to do ?

Ray

Hello, me again

Just need your toughts on should I go with 2 Buttkicker or 2 mini-Buttkicker for a 2 chairs Berkline home theater seats.
I won't bother with the backrow 3 seats on a riser since they are hardly use.

Is 2 mini enough or should I go with the big brother version?

Also, any advise on how to mount them up to seat and/or what not to do ?

Ray

Heya Ray, I had one Buttkicker LFE in my loveseat but I was pushing it to its limits so I addded a second, therefore I would use the larger version for the headroom if you happen to need it.

Buttkicker recommends that you install them sitting up or down, but not on their sides.

As a side note, I bought the Buttkicker LFE kit less than a month ago from Buttkicker Direct and started to have problems with the amp. When it's driven hard it tends to 'squeel' and make a terrible sound. Also, the transformer hums more than it should due to a loose wire (part of the coil). I made one phone call to Buttkicker and they've sent me a replacement unit free of charge with no hassles. Now that's great customer service! :)

Thanks for reply d m1010

Great info.
I guess, I will get 2 of the bigger ones and also a couple CHAIR/COUCH MOUNTING ACCESSORY KIT since I can't figure out how to mount them up or down on the Berkline Home Theater chairs.

I guess I could always put a piece of wood between the left and the right metal railing at the bottom, but I think it would defeit the purpuse.

I see your are from Canada, any suggestion for a Canadian retailler?

Thanks again

Ray

Thanks for reply d m1010

Great info.
I guess, I will get 2 of the bigger ones and also a couple CHAIR/COUCH MOUNTING ACCESSORY KIT since I can't figure out how to mount them up or down on the Berkline Home Theater chairs.

I guess I could always put a piece of wood between the left and the right metal railing at the bottom, but I think it would defeit the purpuse.

I see your are from Canada, any suggestion for a Canadian retailler?

Thanks again

Ray

I bought the LFE kit from Buttkicker Direct, but I found a Canadian distributor for my second transducer. The address is www.hd.ca . They are great to work with and the shipping is very fast. Here is the LFE kit: http://www.hd.ca/buttkicker/bklfekit.php

I'm considering getting some aura bass shakers for my berkline sectional.
The 4 end seats recline, there is a non reclining chair, and a corner piece.
I'm considering getting 4 of the aura's from parts express and pair them with the dayton sa240. If wired in parallel this will give each shaker 60 watts rms which will be right between suggested rms and peak power.

I'm looking for any input from other sectional owners. I'm thinking of mounting them to the seat of each of each of the recliners. I'm unsure if I will be able to just use wood screws and bolt them to the fram or if I will need to use some wood to span the area across the frame where there is a cut-out for the webbing in the butt support.

Is this what others have done? I don't think mounting to a leg is that good of an option due to the nature of the feet and seperate parts of the sectional.

Additionaly, of those who have mounted under the seat as I have suggested above, who have theirs on somewhat thick carpet? This is what I have and I'm unsure if rubber isolation feet on the bottom of the feet will be worth the money.

Would this be the correct wiring format for my 4 shakers to get the correct 4 ohm load to the amp (of course there would be only 4 shakers rather than 6):
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=151767&d=1252112124

or is this the correct set-up:
http://www.bcae1.com/images/gifs/spk4sp4.gif

Your input is appreciated.

Here's a pic of the sofa in question:

recliners out:
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e251/mg14136/ht008.jpg

recliners in:
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e251/mg14136/ht009.jpg

I'm considering getting some aura bass shakers for my berkline sectional.
The 4 end seats recline, there is a non reclining chair, and a corner piece.
I'm considering getting 4 of the aura's from parts express and pair them with the dayton sa240. If wired in parallel this will give each shaker 60 watts rms which will be right between suggested rms and peak power.

I'm looking for any input from other sectional owners. I'm thinking of mounting them to the seat of each of each of the recliners. I'm unsure if I will be able to just use wood screws and bolt them to the fram or if I will need to use some wood to span the area across the frame where there is a cut-out for the webbing in the butt support.

Is this what others have done? I don't think mounting to a leg is that good of an option due to the nature of the feet and seperate parts of the sectional.

Additionaly, of those who have mounted under the seat as I have suggested above, who have theirs on somewhat thick carpet? This is what I have and I'm unsure if rubber isolation feet on the bottom of the feet will be worth the money.

Would this be the correct wiring format for my 4 shakers to get the correct 4 ohm load to the amp (of course there would be only 4 shakers rather than 6):


I don't know if the Berklines have them, but the Palliser Pacifico has a 1x4 wood brace going across the back of the chair to each side at the bottom of the seat. Mounting the Aura Shakers at the center of this works very well both from ease of mounting and shaking effect. I don't know if you would get the same feel mounting it to 1 leg versus a position in the middle of the chair. It seems like they would work better in a center position, but the shaking is pretty powerful so mounting to one leg might also work well if it's a solid mount. When mounting them, you need to also look at how the chair moves as it reclines to be certain the shaker doesn't catch on anything. With the Pallisers, I had to be very careful with mounting height so that it would clear (if the shakers were a 1/2" bigger, they probably wouldn't have worked in that location with recline). The 1x4 on the Pallisers does not appear particularly strong, but it seems to work well nonetheless.

For wiring to a single channel amp, you want to wire two of them in series and then connect those two series pairs in parallel. If you have an ohmmeter, each shaker measures 4 ohms on their own, so it's a good to double check the resistance after you've done the parallel/serial wiring with the ohmmeter before you connect it to the amp -- it should read 4 ohms with that setup.

thanks for the reply. Did you happen to get any pics of your mounting?

You may also need more than one per seating position.
I had to have two to even out the sensation of butt and back.

You may also need more than one per seating position.
I had to have two to even out the sensation of butt and back.

I was under the impression that they need to be horizontally mounted to function correctly

I was under the impression that they need to be horizontally mounted to function correctly

I have most of mine vertically mounted and they do fine.
I have tried them in just about every position and it does not seem to affect performance at all.

good to know--thanks

thanks for the reply. Did you happen to get any pics of your mounting?

Actually, now that I look at the photos, it's mounted to the back brace of the bottom seat cushion. I am very happy with the way the work with that mounting.

Just for info

As quoted by pjp

I don't know if the Berklines have them, but the Palliser Pacifico has a 1x4 wood brace going across the back of the chair to each side at the bottom of the seat. Mounting the Aura Shakers at the center of this works very well both from ease of mounting and shaking effect.

My Berklines have no wood brace, only metal frames. I went with the chair/couch mounting accssory kit just for the ease of use.

Than again I am a Newbie when it come to these Transducer.

PLEASE correct ME if I'm wrong. But from my understanding for any Transducer. You need some of these little rubber thingy under your couch/chair/sofa, to make the shaker/transducer to work properly.

On a side note. I'm going with 2 Buttkicker driven by 2 Outlaw M2200 power amp and using a Velodyne SMS-1 for Volume Control (over kill but better than collecting dust).

Ray

One more question or two,

On page 1 of this forum Kevin D sugested the following

How you attach the shakers also have a great impact on their performance and efficiency. Springs will probably absorb as much energy as the transmit, and it would most likely take a lot of power to move relatively thin springs at lower frequencies. Try running a piece of wood between the cushion and the springs where you won't feel it, and attach the shaker to the wood.

Also

As far as attaching the shakers, in recliners you don't have much option. I'd have to see under the chair to really think about it, but I bet you could fit a strip of 1/4" ply between the foam and springs.. I'm thinking about 4-5 springs running front to back..

What would be the best option? Do as above or use the Buttkicker mounting kit (http://www.thebuttkicker.com/home_theater/accessories/cmak.htm).

I have already order 2 kits but if direct mounting is better, I don't mind the extra work.

Also if direct mounting is better, do I really need to purchase those rubber feet?
Berklin home theater recliner on carpet over concrete.

Thanks

Ray

To all of those requesting input on the rubber isolation feet, I have a suggestion for you.

Try these... http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=260-772

They are exactly the dimensions of the Clark's and less than half the price.

I have four under the feet of my loveseat for my Clark and they do make a difference.

In my case the loveseat is on carpet over a concrete slab. I really lost a good bit of the tactile feedback when I was coupled to the foundation.

Also, it gave a bit more height to the loveseat, which in turn gave me a bit more clearance for the Clark. I'm not sure if this is absolutely necessary, but a little extra breathing room can't be too bad a thing.

Thank You Sir

quote from Green Chemist

To all of those requesting input on the rubber isolation feet, I have a suggestion for you.

Try these... http://www.parts-express.com/pe/show...number=260-772

They are exactly the dimensions of the Clark's and less than half the price.

I have four under the feet of my loveseat for my Clark and they do make a difference.

In my case the loveseat is on carpet over a concrete slab. I really lost a good bit of the tactile feedback when I was coupled to the foundation.

Also, it gave a bit more height to the loveseat, which in turn gave me a bit more clearance for the Clark. I'm not sure if this is absolutely necessary, but a little extra breathing room can't be too bad a thing.


Now, I need to know is to mount those two Buttkicker directly on the seats (as per my above) or use the mounting kit!

Thanks

Ray
__________________

Now, I need to know is to mount those two Buttkicker directly on the seats (as per my above) or use the mounting kit!

Thanks

Ray
__________________

I've tried both methods with the Buttkickers and the direct mount to the seat is MUCH more effective.

Thanks d m1010

As you previously quoted to me

"I bought the LFE kit from Buttkicker Direct, but I found a Canadian distributor for my second transducer. The address is www.hd.ca . They are great to work with and the shipping is very fast. Here is the LFE kit: http://www.hd.ca/buttkicker/bklfekit.php"

If I read your last correctly, it sound like You no longer use the chair/couch mounting kit that came with your amp and Buttkicker?

If that's the case, I will try to cancel my order for my two mounting kit on monday.

On a side note, I saw on a previouse post that you got two SVS dual Pluses. That use to be my set-up. Great subs, I still got mine but no longer use them since I have upgraded them to two Ultra.

Thanks

Ray

Thanks d m1010

As you previously quoted to me

"I bought the LFE kit from Buttkicker Direct, but I found a Canadian distributor for my second transducer. The address is www.hd.ca . They are great to work with and the shipping is very fast. Here is the LFE kit: http://www.hd.ca/buttkicker/bklfekit.php"

If I read your last correctly, it sound like You no longer use the chair/couch mounting kit that came with your amp and Buttkicker?

If that's the case, I will try to cancel my order for my two mounting kit on monday.

On a side note, I saw on a previouse post that you got two SVS dual Pluses. That use to be my set-up. Great subs, I still got mine but no longer use them since I have upgraded them to two Ultra.

Thanks

Ray

You're right Ray, I mounted them directly so I don't use the mounting kit.

I bought the 2 Pluses because I have a 12x12 sealed room and the Ultras would have been way too much.

And with the 2 Buttkickers I've turned the subs down anyway, because the LFEs add the 'oomph' so the subs aren't working that hard any longer.

Thanks d m1010

As you previously quoted to me

"I bought the LFE kit from Buttkicker Direct, but I found a Canadian distributor for my second transducer. The address is www.hd.ca . They are great to work with and the shipping is very fast. Here is the LFE kit: http://www.hd.ca/buttkicker/bklfekit.php"

If I read your last correctly, it sound like You no longer use the chair/couch mounting kit that came with your amp and Buttkicker?

If that's the case, I will try to cancel my order for my two mounting kit on monday.

On a side note, I saw on a previouse post that you got two SVS dual Pluses. That use to be my set-up. Great subs, I still got mine but no longer use them since I have upgraded them to two Ultra.

Thanks

Ray

if you use buttkicker amp with buttkicker . i think the kit will be cheaper

Thanks d m1010

You're right Ray, I mounted them directly so I don't use the mounting kit.


I will try to cancel order for the 2 mounting kit.

My 2 Ultra are plenty for the Bass. I just miss the feeling of my previouse home theater, since it was on hardwood floor. Carpet over cement slab is nice for for sound but socks for tactile feeling.

Ray

My 2 Ultra are plenty for the Bass. I just miss the feeling of my previouse home theater, since it was on hardwood floor. Carpet over cement slab is nice for for sound but socks for tactile feeling.

Ray

My HT is on a floating floor so the subs move it plus they pressurize the room (and the entire house - they were rattling windows in another part of the house so violently that I thought they might break). The buttkickers are simply amazing for the tactile visceral slam. I still cannot believe how incredible these Buttkickers are. They are the best addition I've made to my HT so far.

Thank robber616

if you use buttkicker amp with buttkicker . i think the kit will be cheaper

I don't need the amp since I will use 2 Outlaw M2200 that are just collecting dust. And I will use my SMS-1 for Volume control.

Ray

Hello again d m1010

They are the best addition I've made to my HT so far.

Can't wait to get mine.

Ray

just added a couple of the aura pros to a loveseat, powering them with an old 80W per channel sony prologic reciever.

pretty damn sweet, I think two of these might be the best $100 you can spend.

I want to try and dip my toe in the world of Tactile Transducers.:)

Here is what I have for an amp:

A 1990 Pioneer VSX-9700S Dolby Pro Logic Receiver with the following specs:
Output Power Front of 125 watts @ 8 ohms per channel.
Dynamic Power (2 ohms/4 ohms/8ohms) of 280W/260W/185W.

I am interested in two (to start with) of the Clark Synthesis TST209 from Parts-Express.

I am planning to use my LFE out on my Onkyo 805 AVR with a Y-split to my sub and the CD input on the Pioneer. Then, run speaker wire front Front L to one transducer and Front R to other transducer. I have a two person leather couch in my theater room.

My head is spinning from almost reading this entire thread...:eek: Will this work? Am I missing something?

Thank you for any and all advice!

laugsbach,

That seems fine given that it seems they can handle a 4 ohm load. You'll also be able to direct (via balance control) the power proportional to each transducer. You may also want to add an additional FMOD inline low-pass crossover after the Y-splitter and before the CD input so it will further cut the mid/high frequencies. Something like 50Hz is ideal, IMO.

You may also want to add an additional FMOD inline low-pass crossover after the Y-splitter and before the CD input so it will further cut the mid/high frequencies. Something like 50Hz is ideal, IMO.

Thanks miltimj...I will add the FMOD to my list!

You'd be better off using one of these http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=300-784 You can vary the xover and level to taste. 70 watts into 4 ohms, not too shabby. I'm using the larger plate amp with my bass shakers and it worked out great!

^^
Thanks floridapoolboy! That is not much more than the FMOD...

floridapoolboy, which shakers do you have? 35W per shaker when they take 100W is probably not going to do much. Though I suppose if laugsbach just wants a vibrating couch (rather than platform), it could be okay.

I'm using Aura Pros, along with the 240 watt version of the plate amp. Laugsbach stated he was looking at 2 Clark transducers, which should give a whole lot of shaking even with the lower powered amp. Of course, I would rather use this one http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=300-805, it occasionally goes on sale for $99. My main point is that you shouldn't get tied down using F-mods, etc. just to use some old receiver for power. A sub plate amp works much better, giving total control over the effect. You'd be surprised how much shake 2 bass shakers can give when tweaked correctly.

^^
Thanks to both of you for this discussion...I have very limited funds this year for the theater room and I appreciate all the different options to get me started down this path.

I thought I recognized you! You have 4 Outlaw subs already, right? LOL, I'm sure the Clark shakers will blend in well.

The Clarks demand twice the power as the Aura pros.. the 240W is a much more reasonable pairing for them. Some people don't want to use plate amps, either (I wouldn't.. where would you put it? on the floor?)

In any case, I'd argue that an FMOD (minus the lack of adjustibility) paired with his current old receiver is better than the 70W plate amp, no contest. The 240W would be better overall, but is a lot more than $15 for one FMOD (can split the pair w/someone else). It'd be a different story if he didn't already have a decent older receiver.

I thought I recognized you! You have 4 Outlaw subs already, right? LOL, I'm sure the Clark shakers will blend in well.

Hi'ya floridapoolboy...yep, that is me!:) I thought your name looked familiar as well...:o

In any case, I'd argue that an FMOD (minus the lack of adjustibility) paired with his current old receiver is better than the 70W plate amp, no contest. The 240W would be better overall, but is a lot more than $15 for one FMOD (can split the pair w/someone else). It'd be a different story if he didn't already have a decent older receiver.

I am definitely leaning this way miltimj...I can appreciate where floridapoolboy is coming from, but I want to try using my old receiver first and see how it goes. I can always purchase the 240W plate amp in the future.

Thanks, once again, to both of you and your insight...

Once last question:

My theater room is on a poured concrete floor with a .5" high density carpet pad and .5" pile thick carpet....do I need to isolate the couch with the rubber feet I see on the various web-sites?

The problem with F-mods is it's a guess, how do you really know where your ideal x-over will be? With my amp I set up a favorite scene on a blu-ray disc, and played it over and over until I had the x-over and the gain set up to my liking. Try that with f-mods! Anyway, the plate amp is the way to go, and yes, it's on the floor, behind my couch out of site. In my experience most people who are unhappy with tactile transducers haven't dialed them in right, a separate sub amp is really the only way to do it right. Good luck!

Of course, I would rather use this one http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=300-805, it occasionally goes on sale for $99. My main point is that you shouldn't get tied down using F-mods, etc. just to use some old receiver for power. A sub plate amp works much better, giving total control over the effect. You'd be surprised how much shake 2 bass shakers can give when tweaked correctly.


MCM is another place to look for a subwoofer plate amp, in the $100 range. Right now they have a 200w for $111, but sometimes they have buy-out sales like parts express does.

http://www.mcmelectronics.com/

A sub plate amp works much better, giving total control over the effect. You'd be surprised how much shake 2 bass shakers can give when tweaked correctly.

In my experience most people who are unhappy with tactile transducers haven't dialed them in right, a separate sub amp is really the only way to do it right. Good luck!

floridapoolboy, you have me thinking this through again...:o

We both have the same subs and I would really appreciate it if you can expand on your thoughts above. What did you do in your space to "dialed them in"? Did you change any settings on your Outlaw subs?

@Johnla, thanks for the link!:)

It's important with any shaker to get it dialed in properly, so the effect isn't overblown and distracting. For example, if the x-over is too high and/or the gain too high you'll have the couch shaking everytime a car drives by or a door is closed in the movie, not good. I set my subs up without the shakers engaged, using Audyssey and my SMS-1. For the shakers I played favorite scenes while adjusting the gain and x-over, to provide what I think is the right level of shake. My favorite scenes are in Terminator 2. In the hallway gunfight scene the Cop cyborg shoots his pistol, and my couch responds with an appropriate shake. When Arnold fires his shotgun, the couch jumps! Likewise in the bar scene, when the bartender follows Arnold out. His shotgun blast rocks the couch, but the motorcycle just gives a mild rumble. For my tastes an x-over of a bit over 40 hz worked well, and the gain was set by "feel", literally! One nice thing about the 240 watt plate amp is the x-over is 24db, which gives a steep rolloff. This helps the explosions to feel real, while keeping the majority of shaking out of car doors, etc.

It's important with any shaker to get it dialed in properly, so the effect isn't overblown and distracting. For example, if the x-over is too high and/or the gain too high you'll have the couch shaking everytime a car drives by or a door is closed in the movie, not good. This helps the explosions to feel real, while keeping the majority of shaking out of car doors, etc.

I disagree. I have my buttkicker amp set at 100hz and the volume overblown. This is with two transducers in a loveseat. The midbass impact is fabulous. I love the visceral impact of machine guns, doors closing, etc - that's the reason I bought them. This would come down to subjective taste.

I disagree. I have my buttkicker amp set at 100hz and the volume overblown. This is with two transducers in a loveseat. The midbass impact is fabulous. I love the visceral impact of machine guns, doors closing, etc - that's the reason I bought them. This would come down to subjective taste.

True enough, it's all subjective in the end. I have a pair of LFM-1EX subs up front for LFE, and a pair of sealed subs directly behind my couch for midbass. My shakers add too the mix, but don't dominate. In fact, when I play music I don't have to shut them off, as their adjustment makes them unobtrusive. At 100HZ my couch would shake during music, even during a low pitched voice, which isn't why I bought them. To each their own, enjoy!

One nice thing about the 240 watt plate amp is the x-over is 24db, which gives a steep rolloff. This helps the explosions to feel real, while keeping the majority of shaking out of car doors, etc.

This is a good point as the FMOD is a 12 dB per octave crossover slope at a fixed frequency of 50Hz or 70Hz...part of me wants to bring in the FMOD and the 240W plate amp and set-up each system.

This would come down to subjective taste.

So true...

True enough, it's all subjective in the end. I have a pair of LFM-1EX subs up front for LFE, and a pair of sealed subs directly behind my couch for midbass. My shakers add too the mix, but don't dominate. In fact, when I play music I don't have to shut them off, as their adjustment makes them unobtrusive. At 100HZ my couch would shake during music, even during a low pitched voice, which isn't why I bought them. To each their own, enjoy!

Hey I'm totally with you. I have dual SVS PB12 Pluses in a 12x12 sealed room with the buttkickers and for some programming I have it all running flat. But for added 'oomph' and spectacle, I sometimes run them all hot for that 'over the top effect'. I enjoy the 'right' setting, but also the 'over-indulgent' setting for a little extra fun as well.

...and a pair of sealed subs directly behind my couch for midbass.

WOW...you have 4 subs too! What do you have for the sealed subs?

It looks like we have a very similar set-up and goals for the shakers. Thanks again for elaborating floridapoolboy...you have really, really helped me understand what I want. :cool:

I'm using a pair of CSW P-1000 subs for midbass modules. They have twin 10" woofers in each sub, along with a 1000 watt Bash amp. They provide plenty of midbass impact, especially located right behind the couch.

One of my friends has one Buttkicker LFE per couch and wants to add one more to each for more slam (2 per).

Unfortunately, there is only one 12 gauge speaker wire going to each seating level (no way to run any others). The other problem is that his current Buttkicker amp stopped working not long ago and he wants one amp per pair of transducers.

Any suggestions? Should he just suck it up and get two more Buttkicker amps and hope they don't conk out (I read there's a newer BKA1000-N, are these any better?), or is there a better quality amp/adjustable crossover solution with enough volume gain without breaking the bank?

How would you recommend wiring these in this situation from the amps? There is already one RCA Y-Split for the sub pre-amp output of the receiver to the powered subwoofer and the Buttkicker amp. Would adding a second Y-split attenuate the signal too much for the two transducer amps?

Suggestions and tips would be most appreciated! THX!

Probably the best case is a stereo amp (or two mono blocks) with 2-ohm capability and connect a pair in parallel to each channel/amp. Alternatively, he could wire each pair in series which would work on any amp/receiver, but result in less power (relative to the same amp).

A second Y-splitter would be fine given the relatively high distortion that's common in that low of the frequency spectrum anyway.

I got some new seats recently so i took the shakers out of my old ones and gave them away (the old seats)

Tonight i hooked them up in my new seats, i havnt used them for about 3-4 months. Im noticing a problem now.

Before when i didnt know alot about HT stuff i ran all my speakers set to "large" then i was in the speaker forum and a post came up about "large or small" i was told that its not good to run your speakers set to large because there could be low frequencies that could damage them.

Now after ive set my speakers to small i notice the shakers working more often rather then just during LFE times.

The effect doesnt quit seem the same now.

Have a quick shaker question -

If I took the amp out of a powered subwoofer, is this equivalent to those "plate amps" they sell on parts express??

I can probably find a busted sub for $10 local and if I could pull the amp out of it that would be great.

I'm just not sure if the two speakers outs allow for sending low signals since usually those speaker outs are to connect small speakers not sub type speakers. But this seams to be the same case with the plate amps I see, the speaker outs say 'high level out' next to them.

Thanks, have been looking for a cheap old HT amp to run them but not really seeing many for the price I want.

I'd like to get people's feedback on rubber isolation feet. As a test, I added rubber isolation feet to one chair -- these are about 1/3" thick, so not as thick as the 1" ones from PartExpress/Clark because I didn't want to raise the seat.

After adding them, I'm not sure the effect is better. Without the rubber feet (Palliser chairs that have hard plastic feet on wood floor), it felt like the whole room was shaking. Now with the rubber feet, the chair probably shakes a bit more but if feels less realistic (like the chair is shaking rather than the room).

I'm curious if anybody else has had this experience.

It's important with any shaker to get it dialed in properly, so the effect isn't overblown and distracting. For example, if the x-over is too high and/or the gain too high you'll have the couch shaking everytime a car drives by or a door is closed in the movie, not good. I set my subs up without the shakers engaged, using Audyssey and my SMS-1. For the shakers I played favorite scenes while adjusting the gain and x-over, to provide what I think is the right level of shake. My favorite scenes are in Terminator 2. In the hallway gunfight scene the Cop cyborg shoots his pistol, and my couch responds with an appropriate shake. When Arnold fires his shotgun, the couch jumps! Likewise in the bar scene, when the bartender follows Arnold out. His shotgun blast rocks the couch, but the motorcycle just gives a mild rumble. For my tastes an x-over of a bit over 40 hz worked well, and the gain was set by "feel", literally! One nice thing about the 240 watt plate amp is the x-over is 24db, which gives a steep rolloff. This helps the explosions to feel real, while keeping the majority of shaking out of car doors, etc.

This is a really good point that I didn't realize when I was running straight from an amp to the shakers. Being able to tune the crossover point makes a big difference. I wanted to keep using the existing amp, so I looked for an external subwoofer controller and settled on the Atlantic Technology SP-8000 (http://news.ecoustics.com/bbs/messages/10381/12724.html). It has fairly powerful cross-over tuning (overkill for shakers but pretty outdated for subs as compared to an SMS-1). With this I could tune the crossover and tweak the shaker level on the fly by remote. Works great -- except that the IR code for the sub volume level happens to conflict with the monoprice HDMI switch, so turning down the shaker level shuts off the switch. Nonetheless, pretty happy to have added crossover. Seems like you basically get the same controls in the plate amps.

I'd like to get people's feedback on rubber isolation feet. As a test, I added rubber isolation feet to one chair -- these are about 1/3" thick, so not as thick as the 1" ones from PartExpress/Clark because I didn't want to raise the seat.

After adding them, I'm not sure the effect is better. Without the rubber feet (Palliser chairs that have hard plastic feet on wood floor), it felt like the whole room was shaking. Now with the rubber feet, the chair probably shakes a bit more but if feels less realistic (like the chair is shaking rather than the room).

I'm curious if anybody else has had this experience.

I think it's beneficial for risers to decouple them from the floor, but probably not much for actual chairs where your feet are on the floor (due to what you experienced). I have them under my riser.

hi all, this seemed like the best place to start so here goes -

my powered sub recently died (like, hara kiri died. opened it up and the board had fried. it was from an old HTIAB so it's not much of a loss). my theater still sounds decent without it though so I'm thinking, rather than sink money into a new sub at this juncture, that I would try out some shakers. however, I know next to nothing about them so I have some questions.

I've seen some people here talking about the Aura Pro and for the price, that seems like a good choice. my questions start with:

1) how many? you can see pictures of my seating from the link in my sig. It's essentially a 3-4 person couch in the front, three theater seats in the middle and two leather swivels in the back. I'll probably skip the way back seats and just do the first two rows. if I do one each for the theater seats should I do 2 for the couch? 3?

2) how to connect. the theater seats specifically are plastic bottom on metal stanchions. would I bolt them to the bottoms of the seats? the backs? even possible with seating like this? would it do anything to bolt them to the riser just below each seat?

3) wiring and amp. lots of great info here regarding wiring diagrams and the like but I'm still not sure what I would do regarding an amp. what's a good amp for these shakers in the number I'm talking about using? I have an onkyo 605 with a sub out and, as mentioned, this would not be used for a sub in this setup, only for the shakers.

thanks in advance!

Well if you could find/borrow almost any amp, you could go the DIY route.

I pulled apart my buddies old 10" sub which worked fine. Used it's amp and followed one of the seemingly easier diy transducer guides, and was done for under $10 and about an hour. It depends what you have laying around your house, but if you had to buy every part I'm sure it wouldn't be over $20.

I love the effect, so now I'm curious about commercial ones. I'm just saying before you spend any money, you might be able to answer some of your own questions, even using the speaker from your blown sub. Maybe you can find a sub that has a speaker problem and the plate amp is still fine. Chances are good that nearly any plate amp you find will power several aura shakers just fine. You can move it around your theatre or even just find out if you enjoy the effect.

However you might end up where I am now... I'm torn between what to upgrade to. Do I spend $200 on 4-5 aura's, or do I spend $200 for 1 buttkicker. I have more than enough power from my EP4000 amp that runs the sub I built to go with multiples of any transducer. I'm a little hesitant to go the 4-5 aura's route... just seems like a pain to wire and maintain and get sorted out... without having add another 4-5 or more and end up with 10-20 transducers wired for a few rows of seating. I'm just not sure where it's going to end to get a decent effect.

I would much rather have 2-4 buttkickers ahead of 10-20 aura's even for a bit more cost.

Sorry I don't have any solid advice, I was just more explaining my problem, maybe it helped you decide a bit.

quick q about hooking up my buttkicker amp guys

I currently have an RCA going from my single sub pre-out on my Onkyo AVR to my EQ and from my EQ to my sub's LFE In. How do I go about integrating my buttkicker amp in this scenario?

Is the only way to really go is adding a y splitter at the AVR and the Sub's LFE IN?

Thanks!

quick q about hooking up my buttkicker amp guys

I currently have an RCA going from my single sub pre-out on my Onkyo AVR to my EQ and from my EQ to my sub's LFE In. How do I go about integrating my buttkicker amp in this scenario?

Is the only way to really go is adding a y splitter at the AVR and the Sub's LFE IN?

Thanks!

Anyone?

quick q about hooking up my buttkicker amp guys

I currently have an RCA going from my single sub pre-out on my Onkyo AVR to my EQ and from my EQ to my sub's LFE In. How do I go about integrating my buttkicker amp in this scenario?

Is the only way to really go is adding a y splitter at the AVR and the Sub's LFE IN?

Thanks!

Yes, a Y-splitter on the sub out I think is the only option. Even if your AVR had multiple sub outs, they are typically just wired together internally (unless the AVR has separate controls for each).

That being said, I'm seeing some issues with this with a Sunfire TGIV that is looked to 1 sub and a sub control unit (Atlantic Technology SP-8000) that I'm using in front of the dedicated amp going to the shakers. When both units are connected to the TGIV, the LFE test tone sounds warbled -- it goes +/- 10db kind of randomly. It doesn't happen if I connect only the sub. Apparently there is some kind of interaction from connecting both -- I have no idea why yet. This happens whether I use separate LFE 1 and LFE 2 outs on the TGIV or using a Y cable on LFE 1.

Yes, a Y-splitter on the sub out I think is the only option. Even if your AVR had multiple sub outs, they are typically just wired together internally (unless the AVR has separate controls for each).

That being said, I'm seeing some issues with this with a Sunfire TGIV that is looked to 1 sub and a sub control unit (Atlantic Technology SP-8000) that I'm using in front of the dedicated amp going to the shakers. When both units are connected to the TGIV, the LFE test tone sounds warbled -- it goes +/- 10db kind of randomly. It doesn't happen if I connect only the sub. Apparently there is some kind of interaction from connecting both -- I have no idea why yet. This happens whether I use separate LFE 1 and LFE 2 outs on the TGIV or using a Y cable on LFE 1.

Thanks pjp. Will experiment.

ok so if I've resolved myself to installing my second row shakers directly to the riser, but the riser is already carpeted, what are my options?

should I bolt them directly down over the carpet or will that dampen the effects too much?

should I cut out holes in the carpet to let the shakers contact the wood below?

anyone have any ideas?

So you can't pick up the riser and mount underneath? If it's because it's essentially coupled to the floor or walls, then there won't be much shaking anyway..

it's just floated over the existed carpeting but it is ALSO now carpeted to match. and no, it's way to big to pick up. maybe with a backhoe. but it's essentially 12'x12'x9" carpeted, insulated, with theater seats bolted to it, and a snack table bolted to it. even if it were possible to "lift" it, I can't say I would.

and I already installed a couple directly through the carpeting and it shakes enough to be noticeable and pretty cool. I'm just wondering if i'll get better effects if I do some permanent damage to the carpet to allow them to contact wood. if it won't be much more noticeable than what I've already tried, I'll probably just leave them over the carpet.

ok, another question.

if I'm using this 100W subwoofer amp to power 8 of the aura pros, which wiring would be the optimum choice and is my math right:
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=300-802

option 1-
2 parallel series of 4 - 8ohms total

option 2-
4 parallel series of 2 - 2ohms? total (or is it 1 ohm total? I get tripped up with more than 2 things in parallel)

the amp is rated for 75 watts RMS @ 8 ohms, 100 watts RMS @ 4 ohms. would the 4x2, lower resistance one risk frying the amp?

Do you have double-layer subfloor on the joists of the riser? That's got to be some ridiculous power vibrating the plywood to move that kind of mass. Mine is about 4'x8'x12" with double-layer 3/4" subfloor and weighs probably 350 lbs. You'd have to take everything off yours and use a floor jack.. (or backhoe as you said..) :)

If it were me (but I have a history of overkill), and I were going to live there for a while (5+ years), I would take everything off and lift it with a jack (one end set on something solid for safety) and attach it underneath.. no different than lifting a car.

However, since that's a good deal of work, if you don't want to go down that path, here'd be my secondary recommendation: If the permanent damage to the carpet is not visible (e.g. hidden under a chair with sides/back), I'd probably attach directly to the floor. If it'd be visible, I'd leave it, and add more if you want more shaking.

i think the main reason I'm getting the vibration that I am, even through the carpet, is that I currently have one aura bolted to the floor directly behind each stanchion of the theater seating so a lot of the vibration is transferring directly up the metal stanchions.

http://www.thehandelsite.com/The_Fenwick_Theater/The_Fenwick_Theater_files/SL740278.jpg

you can maybe see in that photo how the seating is set up. there's about an 8-10" gap between the back of the second row theater seats and the tiny 3rd row riser. it's in that gap, one behind each leg, that I'm installing the shakers. I'm actually still waiting on my monoprice speaker wire to come in so nothing is really "permanent" yet. once that comes in, I'll prob run all the wiring so that I can have all 8 running at once (which I haven't yet done) to get a feel for how it all comes together as is. if it's not enough, then I'll explore cutting into the carpet.

I really don't think you have a powerful enough amp for much more than 4 shakers (which works out well for the resistance part of it.. make two pairs of series-connected loads, then connect those together in parallel to make it 4 ohms.

Calculating parallel loads is:
1/(1/A + 1/B + 1/C + 1/D...etc..) where each variable is one of the loads (in this case all variables will be 4)

So 4 in parallel is: 1/4 x 4 = 1 ohm. Connect two of those sets of 4 in series and you have 2 ohms. I wouldn't put that on your amp for two reasons.. one is it's not rated to handle it (the obvious reason), and it's also trying to drive loads that are ideally receiving 50W each.. (x8 = 400W).

for sake of argument then, if I ran the 8ohm load of 2 sets of 4, would that simply mean that shakers will be grossly underpowered or would it actually risk damage to the amp (or shakers)?

initially, i was going to get a 240 or 250W amp with 8 shakers, but parts express was out of them so I second guessed myself and got a 100w amp with 4, then decided I wanted another 4 but didn't get another amp for them. (yes, I know, I need to plan better :p )

I figured I would just try it out with 8 running off the 100w just to see how it goes. the main reason behind adding shakers at all is to supplement the low end without adding volume (2 toddlers in the house so adding "loud" bass is less than ideal)

I'm right there with you on the purpose of the shakers.. except you can add my wife into the equation of her considering "loud" bass less than ideal.. :(

Anyway, higher resistance/ohms won't damage the amp.. just make it even more underpowered. It can still work, but you'll have to be the judge of it. Attaching it directly to the chair is one thing, but trying to move a riser is an entirely different (bigger) power and shaker requirement.

yeah, like I said, I haven't yet had all 8 running at once so I'm not sure how well this amp could drive all 8. at a typical listening volume, I had it running 4, as you described in the first line of your above reply (4 ohm load) and it was more than enough shake at around half gain. I'll do a test once the wiring gets here and see I guess. if I have to shell out for a 240w (once parts express gets them in) then I'm only out the $85 for the 100w amp.

I should mention also that the full setup is:

2 shakers in the couch (front row)
4 shakers on the main riser (second row, behind stanchions)
2 shakers on small rear riser (third row, swivel chairs.)

Well, if you're at half gain, then theoretically when you double the load and the resistance, with your amp (75W instead of 100W @ 8 ohms), you should get 75% of the effect you currently have, if you turn up to highest gain, except it would be more dispersed.

In other words, instead of 4 running at "200 strength" (800 total), you have 8 running at "75 strength" (600 total) (....#s picked for easy math)

speaker wire finally arrived. I'll wire everything up tonight and see if this will fit the bill. if not, I guess I'll wait another week for the 240s to come in at parts express.

separate question in the wrong thread but you seem to know what you're talking about ;) - is there any reasonable way to run my 8ohm sub (from a HTIAB) and 4ohm sub (from a completely separate HTIAB) at the same time off an amp like this? if I series them, it would be 12ohm which would prob take it down to something like 50w right? and would one speaker be over powered and the other under?

You're absolutely right about your two subs if connected to the same amp. The 4 ohm sub will get twice as much power as the 8 ohm sub (because it has 1/2 the resistance). Your only option (for the sake of your amp) is in series.. parallel would be 2.67 ohms! But that's only if you're fine with twice the power to one of them..

Do you have an equipment rack? I'd recommend getting a multi-channel amp, even a pro amp, that will give you much more flexibility in your setup.. you can adjust the gain as needed, possibly bridge channels if needed, and wire various loads (e.g. shakers) as needed. And it's in a nicer box than a plate (for most situations). Pro ones are cheaper than consumer, too - even try Craigslist - you'll probably need XLR to RCA adapters from your receiver, though.

ok, another "sake of argument" question:

in terms of power output, what would be the difference if it were, say, 3 parallels series of 3? It seems counterintuitive to ADD another driver to the chain but I'm still a little turned around with the math of impedance, series and parallel stuff.

in 3x3, each series would be 12, and paralleling them would take the whole thing down to 4 again. right? (that's based on an online calculator here: http://www.bcae1.com/spkrmlti.htm)

Yep, that'd work, actually. The series/parallel combination math works such that all of the following have the same impedance:

1
2x2
3x3
4x4
5x5... etc

Happy to report that the 100w amp is driving all 8 perfecty fine, and at half gain to boot. Not really sure how that happened. Over the last few days, ive tried two at once on the couch in series for 8ohms, 4 in 2 parallel series of 2 for 4 ohms on the riser and now all 8 in 2 parallel series of 4 for 8 ohms and I've been able to get a decent amount of shake in all 3 configs.

So psyched right now. I love my new setup!

You're absolutely right about your two subs if connected to the same amp. The 4 ohm sub will get twice as much power as the 8 ohm sub (because it has 1/2 the resistance). Your only option (for the sake of your amp) is in series..

Actually, if the two speakers/shakers are in series, then the voltage drop across each is proportional to their portion of the total resistance.

As an example, assume the amplifier is outputting 36 volts AC.

In a series connection, the 8 ohm sub would have 24 volts across it, an the 4 ohm sub would have 12 volts across it. Together they would have the full 36 volts supplied by the amplifier.

The total current can be determined by the total voltage divided by the resistance
Current = 36 volts / 12 ohms = 3 Amperes.

Power in Watts = volts * amps, so the 8 ohm speaker has 24 volts across it and 3 amperes through it for a total power of 72 watts.

The 4 ohm speaker has 12 volts across it and 3 amperes of current through it and will dissipate a total power of 36 watts.

The 4 Ohm speaker therefore is therefore getting LESS wattage, not more as you stated.

Joe L.

Looking to get maybe 1 or 2 of the Aura Pro's.

What I'm looking to do is use these for the PC and iracing.

How would I go about hooking this up?

I have a old Sony Dolby Pro Logic Receiver. Could I use this as the amp or am I better off getting a newer amp?

I have been on the Bass shaker Thread for 3 days now trying to figure out if i can run 9 Aura Pros to my setup... everytime i think i have the answer i read a little further in the thread and then get totally confused again.

i have called PE tech for help and they keep saying they are going to send me out a diagram of how they should be wired.. by email and nothing..

i dont know if you are still active on this site but you seemed to make the most sense out of all the blogs that i read.

can anyone HELP !!!

here is what i have

Dayton 240 Watt Subwoofer Amplifier

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=300-804

i have 10 Aura Pro bass shakers( only 9 Mounted to seats)

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=299-028

and the Sony 7.1 STR-DH810 Receiver

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ImageGallery.aspx?CurImage=82-105-434-Z02&ISList=82-105-434-Z01%2c82-105-434-Z02%2c82-105-434-Z03%2c82-105-434-Z04%2c82-105-434-Z05&S7ImageFlag=1&Item=N82E16882105434&Depa=0&WaterMark=1&Description=SONY%207.1-Channel%20Home%20Theater%20A%2fV%20Receiver%20STR-DH810

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921666077694&SR=sony_search_seo&SQS=Sony%207.1%20STR-DH810%20Receiver

along with bluray from Magnavox..

what am i doing wrong

have been told to wire the 3 rows of three in series
and then parallel the three rows together
(1.3 Ohms per row \total 3.9 when each row paralled)
is that correct?

and then out to the sub amp

which is what i have done
but only the last row of shakers rumble the best..

no rumble from the middle and slight from the front


please help if you can.


P.S.

i can use the 10th shaker if that will make the output easier
Max

Max,

The method / wiring setup you're using will be 4 ohms, so just fine. Are you sure they're wired properly, though? You may want to double-check that - and post a diagram of how they're connected, wire-by-wire.

Max,

The method / wiring setup you're using will be 4 ohms, so just fine. Are you sure they're wired properly, though? You may want to double-check that - and post a diagram of how they're connected, wire-by-wire.

i will do just that ... anxious to get these working correctly

i will do just that ... anxious to get these working correctly

here is my setup.. I think I see where I went wrong... look at all the wires..LOL

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t241/hlomax/SteelCityComplex/mysetup.jpg

the thick dark dotted line is the wire connecting the front row to the middle ..the middle to the back ..

i think that i canceled out some of the shakers with the wiring i have here...

here is my setup.. I think I see where I went wrong... look at all the wires..LOL

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t241/hlomax/SteelCityComplex/mysetup.jpg

the thick dark dotted line is the wire connecting the front row to the middle ..the middle to the back ..

i think that i canceled out some of the shakers with the wiring i have here...

this is what i need to have done i believe...
with the way my wires are now in the risers...

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t241/hlomax/SteelCityComplex/whatineed2.jpg

if i can change the wires in the riser

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t241/hlomax/SteelCityComplex/whatineed3.jpg

Yikes, Max! It should look like the attached image..

edit: I see you did the same thing in your last post.. I'm still confused with the 2nd to last image.. just make it electrically the same as the last one and you'll be fine.

Yikes, Max! It should look like the attached image..

edit: I see you did the same thing in your last post.. I'm still confused with the 2nd to last image.. just make it electrically the same as the last one and you'll be fine.

LOL.... I know ... when I flipped over the seats and saw what I had there .. I had the same reaction......


The second to last is the same as the last one or the one you sent.. it is just that the wires comming from the amp are running through my two tier riser, instead of as your picture shows running down the right side.

(starts on the front row, goes underneath the middle row, then a second wire starts at the middle row and goes underneath to the rear row. )



but i will definately use yours as my plan..


THANKS a TON!!!

Tim,
a big thanks .. all 9 are working just fine...

i think i am going to look at using the LFE and not have the sound come from the L/R from a seperate AVR hooked up to the Bluray via the phono jack...

i seem to be getting a lot more vibe even when background music is playing ..

so i will see if spliting the LFE from the main AVR out to the Sub Amp clears this up..

but all shakers are working at the same level...

Thanks again.

Great to hear.

Definitely go the route of splitting off the sub out, and go to the amp. You can also put an inline lowpass FMOD to further cut the higher frequencies and give you more realistic shaking.

Definitely go the route of splitting off the sub out, and go to the amp. You can also put an inline lowpass FMOD to further cut the higher frequencies and give you more realistic shaking.

Definitely agree with Tim that adding an FMOD helps a lot to make it feel more realistic -- otherwise you feel the shakers creeping into other areas where it seems out of place. I used a sub EQ (which is overkill for shakers but wanted to be able to change shake level from remote control in addition to tuning the crossover point since I was driving them with dedicated amp channel with no controls). I have the cross-over set at 50hz with a steep slope, which seems to be a pretty good setting. An FMOD would be just as good since it's a "set it and forget it" deal once you have it right. Tuning shakers is much less complex than tuning a sub, but is important to keep the higher frequencies out.

Hi Guy's,

I have the Buttkicker Amp + ButtKicker LFE + Isolation feet rigged up under my chair. I feel like I need just a little more kick.:D
When I turn up the Amp, I get the dreaded banging sound.:mad:

Has anyone gone from 1 Buttkicker LFE to 2 x Buttkicker LFE's under 1 chair?
Did it produce more kick?

I plan to put 2 under 1 chair and not drive them as hard, but give me that little more kick without the banging noise. :)

Ta

Dono:)

I just wanted to chime in and say I found an awesome amp for running bass shakers. Check out the Crown Drivecore series.

http://www.crownaudio.com/amp_htm/xls_drivecore.htm

I tried the 1000 model, and its awesome for this task. Previously I was trying to run 8 shakers with an older Onkyo AVR, and while some of them were fine, they would peter out during the movie. Right now I'm running 8 shakers off of this thing and its awesome and accurate.

The best thing about this amp is it has a INTEGRATED CROSSOVER. I set mine at 50, and its about right. Previously I was using the inline FMOD passive crossovers, and this is clearly WAY more accurate.

Just tickled I finally got this all working how I want and wanted to share.

Hi Guy's,

I have the Buttkicker Amp + ButtKicker LFE + Isolation feet rigged up under my chair. I feel like I need just a little more kick.:D
When I turn up the Amp, I get the dreaded banging sound.:mad:

Has anyone gone from 1 Buttkicker LFE to 2 x Buttkicker LFE's under 1 chair?
Did it produce more kick?

I plan to put 2 under 1 chair and not drive them as hard, but give me that little more kick without the banging noise. :)

Ta

Dono:)

I'm surprised you need more than 1 -- I get plenty of shaking out of 1 Aura Pro per theater chair. I would guess the Buttkicker is more powerful the Aura's, but it's just a guess because I've never tried Buttkickers.

One easy suggestion to try might be to remove the isolation feet and see if that increases the effect. The reason I suggest this is that I put thin rubber isolation feet (from Home Depot) under one chair as a test and think it reduced the shaking effect and made it feel less realistic than when it was sitting on the floor. The difference might be even more pronounced with thicker true isolation feet.

I like having the rubber feet to keep the chairs in place however, so I'm probably going to put 2 thin feet in the rear and leave the front feet on the floor (these feet are thin enough that it won't tilt the chair appreciably).

I'm surprised you need more than 1 -- I get plenty of shaking out of 1 Aura Pro per theater chair. I would guess the Buttkicker is more powerful the Aura's, but it's just a guess because I've never tried Buttkickers.

One easy suggestion to try might be to remove the isolation feet and see if that increases the effect. The reason I suggest this is that I put thin rubber isolation feet (from Home Depot) under one chair as a test and think it reduced the shaking effect and made it feel less realistic than when it was sitting on the floor. The difference might be even more pronounced with thicker true isolation feet.

I like having the rubber feet to keep the chairs in place however, so I'm probably going to put 2 thin feet in the rear and leave the front feet on the floor (these feet are thin enough that it won't tilt the chair appreciably).

I think I like too much bass / shakers. I have four 12" Polk Subs in my room + the Buttkicker system. I have gone ahead and purchase another Buttkicker LFE.

The isolation feet worked really well for me. They made the buttkicker work better. Mine is bolted on a MDF board on the bottom of my chair. The chair is on carpet and the feet made a big difference. See photo attached.

Ta

Dono

Hi Guy's,

I have the Buttkicker Amp + ButtKicker LFE + Isolation feet rigged up under my chair. I feel like I need just a little more kick.:D
When I turn up the Amp, I get the dreaded banging sound.:mad:

Has anyone gone from 1 Buttkicker LFE to 2 x Buttkicker LFE's under 1 chair?
Did it produce more kick?

I plan to put 2 under 1 chair and not drive them as hard, but give me that little more kick without the banging noise. :)

Ta

Dono:)

I have. I had one mounted in my loveseat but it didn't have the impact I was looking for so I bought another transducer (and 6 SVS Ultras lol). The two buttkickers are now absolutely fantastic and I very rarely bottom them.

I have. I had one mounted in my loveseat but it didn't have the impact I was looking for so I bought another transducer (and 6 SVS Ultras lol). The two buttkickers are now absolutely fantastic and I very rarely bottom them.

I think I like too much bass / shakers. I have four 12" Polk Subs in my room + the Buttkicker system. I have gone ahead and purchase another Buttkicker LFE.

The isolation feet worked really well for me. They made the buttkicker work better. Mine is bolted on a MDF board on the bottom of my chair. The chair is on carpet and the feet made a big difference. See photo attached.

Ta

Dono

With 4 and 6 subs and now 2 shakers per chair, there's no question that you both like serious bass -- so it's definitely a difference of varying perspectives on bass levels.

Dono -- it's good to hear your feedback on isolation feet. My chairs are on a wood floor versus carpet/MDF -- not sure if that makes a difference of what I feel with the isolation feet. I've left one chair on the feet and the other 3 for last month or 2 so I can hop back and forth and am still preferring it without for chairs sitting on a wood floor.

I have. I had one mounted in my loveseat but it didn't have the impact I was looking for so I bought another transducer (and 6 SVS Ultras lol). The two buttkickers are now absolutely fantastic and I very rarely bottom them.

Hi, Are you using the Buttkicker Amp?

1 has enougth impact for me. I just don't like the bottoming out:mad:

I have ordered another to elimanate that (share the load).

What level do you have the buttkicker amp on? (mine is just under the 3rd line).

how did you wire it? Series or parrallel.

The Loveseat? Is it a single or a couch?

I hope you don't mind the questions:rolleyes:

Ta

Dono:)

Hi, Are you using the Buttkicker Amp?

1 has enougth impact for me. I just don't like the bottoming out:mad:

I have ordered another to elimanate that (share the load).

What level do you have the buttkicker amp on? (mine is just under the 3rd line).

how did you wire it? Series or parrallel.

The Loveseat? Is it a single or a couch?

I hope you don't mind the questions:rolleyes:

Ta

Dono:)


I have two transducers hooked up to one amp. It took care of the bottoming out problems I was having. Now there is much more headroom. The second transducer was totally worth it. I wired them in parallel like the digram shows that came with it. The loveseat is a two-seater with one transducer under each seating position. I don't mind the questions at all!

I have two transducers hooked up to one amp. It took care of the bottoming out problems I was having. Now there is much more headroom. The second transducer was totally worth it. I wired them in parallel like the digram shows that came with it. The loveseat is a two-seater with one transducer under each seating position. I don't mind the questions at all!

Coooool:cool:

That's what I want to here. I'm getting tiered of having my amp turned down a bit. I want to boost it up a bit. I've ordered my second Buttkicker LFE. I am in New Zealand so I have to wait until it comes from Australia:rolleyes:

So I will be putting two under 1 chair. Should work good.

In parallel. Is that with one wire going to + on 1 buttkicker, Then 1 wire going to - on the other and then a wire going to - and + between them?

Ta

Dono:):)

I have two transducers hooked up to one amp. It took care of the bottoming out problems I was having. Now there is much more headroom. The second transducer was totally worth it. I wired them in parallel like the digram shows that came with it. The loveseat is a two-seater with one transducer under each seating position. I don't mind the questions at all!

Cool,:cool:

That's what I want to here. So two under 1 chair should work well.

In Parallel? Is that when you have one wire from the amp going from + to + on 1 buttkicker and then one wire going - to - on the second buttkicker and then a wire going + to - between the two?

Ta

Dono:)

Sorry I didn't think the first post worked so I wrote it again:eek::eek:

In parallel meaning that there are two sets of identical speaker wire runs from the amp to the 2 transducers.

In parallel meaning that there are two sets of identical speaker wire runs from the amp to the 2 transducers.

I have been told by buttkicker Tech to wire it up in Series. Just like I explained.:rolleyes:

Guess I will try both ways;)

Ta

Dono:)

I have been told by buttkicker Tech to wire it up in Series. Just like I explained.:rolleyes:

Guess I will try both ways;)

Ta

Dono:)

Whatever works for you dude. :rolleyes:

I want to try and dip my toe in the world of Tactile Transducers.:)

Here is what I have for an amp:

A 1990 Pioneer VSX-9700S Dolby Pro Logic Receiver with the following specs:
Output Power Front of 125 watts @ 8 ohms per channel.
Dynamic Power (2 ohms/4 ohms/8ohms) of 280W/260W/185W.

Thank you for any and all advice!

I love quoting myself...:rolleyes:

I have just purchased 6 used/new Aura Pro Shakers (50 watts RMS / 100 watts max @ 4 ohms) and plan on installing 3 in each sofa. Am I correct in thinking to wire the first three in series to the Left Channel and the other three in series to the Right Channel on my Pioneer receiver?

Sort of like this except that I would wire Row #1 to the Left Channel and Row #2 to the Right Channel:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=132701&d=1234020048


Would this be the best way for me to wire the six shakers?

Thank you...

Hey all, I had a question regarding my shaker setup - they seem to not vibrate unless volume on receiver is cranked nearly to the max. Would really appreciate some input if you have any time. Thread here. (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=18849916#post18849916)

I bought a Buttkicker LFE kit off eBay the other day. It works great.

My question is how do I send an unaltered LFE signal to it when I have Audyssey engaged in my AVR?

Sorry if this question has already been asked/answered 50,000 times already.

Can't be done as far as i know. Audyssesy affects all your outputs.

I bought a Buttkicker LFE kit off eBay the other day. It works great.

My question is how do I send an unaltered LFE signal to it when I have Audyssey engaged in my AVR?

Sorry if this question has already been asked/answered 50,000 times already.

I have the Denon AVR3808 with Audyssey engaged. I have all speakers crossed over at 80Hz. So the LFE and signals under 80Hz are sent to the Buttkicker Amp. I have High frequency off so it can reproduce all signals up to 200Hz. Works well for me:)

Ta

Dono:)

Hi Guy's

I came accross a good one the other night.
I felt music that could'nt be reproduced by speakers/Subs.

New Moon on Blu-ray. Go to the muse song in the middle (when Victoria is taking on the wolf).

It was bloody brilliant. The music was playing, however there is a different pulse comming from the buttkicker (one that the speakers and subs were not reproducing). Obviously it is on the disc at probably less than 20HZ.

Shows the added benifit of having shakers.:)

Anyone come accross other ones like that.

Check out my double buttkicker system now.:eek:

Awsome

Ta

Dono:)

Hi All,

I have two Rockford Fosgate I-Beam IB-200 & one Earthquake Q10B tactile transducers. I also have a Buttkicker BKA-1000-4/A power amplifier(1000w @4 Ohms) to which I wish to connect all three transducers to. However, the I-Beams are rated at 4-Ohms & the Q10B at 8-Ohms - I would like to ask if this will cause any issues or might be a problem in some way?

What is the best way to connect the transducers to the power amp in such a way that they all get equal power & without the power amp getting too hot or suffer any overheating issues? I have read somewhere that running things at 2-Ohms is nit advisable as the equipment can get way too hot & cause a fire risk so is it that the higher the Ohm number, the cooler things run & the less stress they have on them?

Many Thanks,

Bazzy!

Hi All,

I have two Rockford Fosgate I-Beam IB-200 & one Earthquake Q10B tactile transducers. I also have a Buttkicker BKA-1000-4/A power amplifier(1000w @4 Ohms) to which I wish to connect all three transducers to. However, the I-Beams are rated at 4-Ohms & the Q10B at 8-Ohms - I would like to ask if this will cause any issues or might be a problem in some way?

What is the best way to connect the transducers to the power amp in such a way that they all get equal power & without the power amp getting too hot or suffer any overheating issues? I have read somewhere that running things at 2-Ohms is nit advisable as the equipment can get way too hot & cause a fire risk so is it that the higher the Ohm number, the cooler things run & the less stress they have on them?

Many Thanks,

Bazzy!

Connect the 2 I-Beams in series, then parallel the Earthquake with them. This will present a 4 ohm load to the amp, & is the safest way to hook them up.

Connect the 2 I-Beams in series, then parallel the Earthquake with them. This will present a 4 ohm load to the amp, & is the safest way to hook them up.

Hi!

Many thanks most kindly for the input - greatly appreciated! I have no idea at the moment on how to tell the difference between wiring in series or parallel but it looks like I will be googling a fair bit trying to find out & learn!!

May I ask, wiring this way give equal power to all three transducers?

Many Thanks!

Bazzy!

I currently have 6 Aura Pro transducers wired in 2 parallel sets of 3 in series, driven by a Dayton 240 W plate amp. So far it's all worked great. See current layout.

However, I purchased a couple of small "ottoman into small chair" conversions to use for "overflow" seating. My 8 year old has decided these little chairs are cute, but she wants a shaker in these as well. see chair pics as ottoman and as chair.

I bought 2 of the "older" Aura non-pro shakers (25W) for these chairs on Ebay. These are also 4 ohm.

I tried them out wired as 3 parallel groups with 2,3,3 in series. I THINK that would have been a 5.3 ohm load presented...

It worked for a while, but on the first big load it tripped the amp. After reset all was fine.

The amp will handle 7, but not all 8 shakers...

Do I get a bigger single amp, say 500W, or do I get ANOTHER smaller amp, say 100W, and use just for these 2 "occasional"chairs??? I need to be able to connect and disconnect these chairs as they are not used all the time...

Thanks in advance....

DPN

Either I can't read very well or it hasnt' been discussed, haha.

I have the Buttkicker LFE kit that comes with their 1000watt amp. Can I use that amp to drive the buttkicker LFE and auro bass pro shakers? ... Is it bad or not recommended to mix and match?

Thanks!

Just purchased 8 Aura Pros for my future HT-room. Have read the forum and see people using multiple kinds of amplification from old AVRs to Dayton plate amps.

I have a Triad Powersub 250w rack amp laying around not getting any use right now.

Picture: http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll230/tbraden32/250Amp.jpg

Wondering if you guys think that this would work to power the Aura's. I believe its setup for 4ohm.

PS: I have two of these if needed to run them. Any suggestions?

Just be careful. I have two of the Triad rack subs driving my Traid subs and they are very powerful and overkill for the Aura Pros. I'm driving 6 Aura Pros from an old 60W NAD amplifier I had lying around. If you try using that amp keep the gain dialed way down.

i have 8 pros running off a 100w plate amp and it's always been more than enough oomph.

best configuration for setting the 8 aura's up with using this Triad Rack amp?

Just something I have found Guys,

I asked Buttkicker if there is anything you can do if you get the death rattle.
(buttkicker owners will know).

I was told to put White lithien grease down the 4 holes located on top.
I have tried this for a while now and it does help (doesn't fix tho). I think it lubricates the rod.:)

However I ran out of the grease and used CRC (I think in the US it's called WD40). This worked even better.:) Way better. It also helps response time.

I found the grease I would do once a month however the CRC stayed for ages (6 months). CRC wouldn't be advised by Buttkicker because it is a Flammable product (grease is not). My buttkickers don't get hot tho.:rolleyes:

It's there for your info if you have the death rattle problem.

Ta

Dono:)

Just something I have found Guys,

I asked Buttkicker if there is anything you can do if you get the death rattle.
(buttkicker owners will know).

I was told to put White lithien grease down the 4 holes located on top.
I have tried this for a while now and it does help (doesn't fix tho). I think it lubricates the rod.:)

However I ran out of the grease and used CRC (I think in the US it's called WD40). This worked even better.:) Way better. It also helps response time.

I found the grease I would do once a month however the CRC stayed for ages (6 months). CRC wouldn't be advised by Buttkicker because it is a Flammable product (grease is not). My buttkickers don't get hot tho.:rolleyes:

It's there for your info if you have the death rattle problem.

Ta

Dono:)

I had the rattle until I added a second transducer. Also, hanging them upside down minimizes it as well. Solved the problem.

Ta

Can't be done as far as i know. Audyssesy affects all your outputs.

Yup. I use the ASEQ1 and it has to be sent out from there in my setup.

I want to use the shaker for gaming on the PC. Right now I have the PC hooked up to a Sony 5.1 HTIB via optical. How would I add the shaker into this type of setup?

I have a old Sony Dolby Surround Receiver if needed.

OK, I've read a lot of this thread and everyone seems to have even numbers of shakers. I have 7 mini buttkickers installed in my chairs and an old yamaha amp laying about that I would like to repurpose for this. The amp is a Yamaha AVX100U and puts out dynamic power as follows: 85 watts @ 8 ohms, and 105 watts @ 6 ohms.

Two questions, will the amp properly power the shakers until my backordered Buttkicker amps come in, and how do I wire these up?

CJ

Quick question. With the buttkicker that is placed underneath the seating area, I know you can use a wireless RF link to be able to send an audio signal to it. But is there a way to POWER up that unit under the couch wirelessly? My nearest wall outlet is like 10 feet away :(

Quick question. With the buttkicker that is placed underneath the seating area, I know you can use a wireless RF link to be able to send an audio signal to it. But is there a way to POWER up that unit under the couch wirelessly? My nearest wall outlet is like 10 feet away :(
If you can invent a portable, consumer-grade, affordable wireless power distribution method, you'll be a billionaire. There's a reason why you have to plug in your cell phone and laptop to charge it.

Much easier to just run one speaker wire from the amp which will take care of signal and power.

If you can invent a portable, consumer-grade, affordable wireless power distribution method, you'll be a billionaire. There's a reason why you have to plug in your cell phone and laptop to charge it.

Much easier to just run one speaker wire from the amp which will take care of signal and power.

Yea but there's a reason why you don't have to have your cell phone plugged into a wall 24/7, it's because it has a battery. :D

So I guess I should have rephrased my question to ask if there are battery powered buttkickers? Or if 1 can be powered up via a battery? It'd be really kind of cool if it had a standby feature like most powered subs.

We can probably count on one hand the # of people who would buy what you're asking for. Not when speaker cable is so easily run, especially in a setup that includes something like tacticle transducers (sorry). This seems like a lot of effort compared with hiding a very small wire.. :confused:

So I guess I should have rephrased my question to ask if there are battery powered buttkickers? Or if 1 can be powered up via a battery? It'd be really kind of cool if it had a standby feature like most powered subs.

No, no battery powered buttkickers. And if there was, you would still need to run a power cable of some sort to it to charge the battery anyway. So instead of trying to do things the hard way or in ways that are not possible, just do it the easy way and run speaker wires from the amp to the buttkickers.

Question concerning a passive sub I have lying around.

My big picture question is here
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1278001


But specific to shakers...
I have a seperate Sony avr running 3 shakers. I have an EQ that I used to tweak it to taste since each seat had its own dynamic. 2 on L channel..1 on R channel.

NOW.

Is there anyway to inroduce the passive sub ((sub with no amp just speaker in/out)) to this setup without throwing anything off ?
Id like to set the sub up under the seats.

Ex. Left channel 2-3 shakers....Right channel my passive sub ?

Or would I need an AMP for the passive sub in order to pair them with the shakers properly ?

What are the optimal frequencies that should be fed into a shaker?


I just bought two aura pro shakers. I'm going to use an old 5.1 receiver to power the things. I'll put a Y splitter on the main (best) amp that will feed the old receiver. That way the old receiver will get get only the frequencies that are in the sub range. However, I'm worried that this may not cut the signals low enough.

Any advices will help.

Thanks!

Look up F Mod low pass filters...try Parts Express...I think I got 2 for about $25...

There should be a thread in this forum...


DPN

What are the optimal frequencies that should be fed into a shaker?


I just bought two aura pro shakers. I'm going to use an old 5.1 receiver to power the things. I'll put a Y splitter on the main (best) amp that will feed the old receiver. That way the old receiver will get get only the frequencies that are in the sub range. However, I'm worried that this may not cut the signals low enough.

Any advices will help.

Thanks!

I'm having a hard time finding an answer to this. Is the Buttkicker LFE kit worth the extra $100 over the BKA300 kit? It's going to be used for a loveseat and gaming mostly.

I'd get the LFE. I have a loveseat with 2 transducers in it and I just bought a third. I wouldn't get the less powerful ones that's for sure.

I'm having a hard time finding an answer to this. Is the Buttkicker LFE kit worth the extra $100 over the BKA300 kit? It's going to be used for a loveseat and gaming mostly.

I have three different Buttkicker setups, An LFE system, A wireless setup with the BKA300 and the Gamer kit.

The LFE is the clear winner. The wireless and gamer setups are fine for what I do with them BUT the LFE system is far far more powerful and the way to go for home theater.

Well, thanks to AVS, I found out about the Bass Shakers and after 40 pages of reading and $80 later, I was ready to install 2 shakers into my sofa. :)

Ordered the splitters, 2 shakers, and a pair of 50hz low pass fmods from p-e.com. Wires from monoprice.com.

Luckily I had an OLD old yamaha stereo receiver so I didn't have to spend any money there. Best of all, it's 4ohm stable so I simply wired 1 shaker to each the L and R channels.

Took me about 35 minutes to remove enough staples from the bottom of my sofa (My wife had a heart attack seeing the sofa flipped and me w/ a drill) to access a pair of promising cross beams. Screwed a bass shaker to each side. The crossbeams were too narrow so they're held on by 2 screwes each. Seemed pretty stable though.

Flipped the sofa back on its feet and wired it up to test. Sub pre-out to stereo splitter into CD in. VERY VERY quiet. Had to turn the volume on the shaker up way up just to get anything out of it. Switched it to the Phono in… Perfect. I actually have to turn the bass knob down because there was way too much shaking at even ~-70's dB.

I did a few quick tests with some games and movies (none that are great for bass) but I'm quite happy with the results. No rumbles w/ voices but some nice feedback from the sofa during select moments. I found it really adds to the experience. I prefer that it only goes off every once in a while rather than shake at every gunshot.

I'm hoping now to revisit some movies with strong LFE (LOTR:FOTR) and get a better feel for the whole bass shaker experience.

If I hook up two 4 Ohm 50 watt shakers in series that will give me 8 watts of resistance.
What I don't know is if they can handle 100 or only 50 watts. Anyone know?

Thanks,

-Jon

Alright the new Buttkicker transducer just showed up. So that's 6 SVS subs, 3 Buttkicker LFEs now in the loveseat, 2 Buttkicker amps, and a partridge in a pear tree. :D

I'm thinking of adding one more shaker for a gaming (driving simulator) seat. I already have 4 Aura Pro's on the theater seats, but will probably drive this one from a separate amp to allow separate control. Has anybody tried this amp (http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=300-812) with an Aura pro. It looks perfect - small with 50hz cross-over and the reviews are good but one review says the gain is not quite high enough, especially on the sub output so I'm wondering whether it will work with Aura Pro shakers (since they seem to require higher gain).

can someone tell me the difference between the two Buttkickers-


Wireless-$299

http://www.amazon.com/ButtKicker-Wireless-Theater-Advance-Amplifier/dp/B001HBH1B2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1293083769&sr=8-2



Wired-$399

http://www.amazon.com/ButtKicker-BK-LFEKit-Frequency-Amplifier-Theater/dp/B0006FK42S/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1293083769&sr=8-4


(no experience with shakers)

Shouldn't the Wireless version be more expensive? Is there a difference other than wireless/wired?

Why is the wired kit more money, because it has quite a bit more powerful amplifier.

The wired one has a 1000w amplifier. http://thebuttkicker.com/home_theater/products/bk_lfe_kit.htm

The wireless one has only a 300w amplifier. http://thebuttkicker.com/home_theater/products/bk-kit-4.htm

Why is the wired kit more money, because it has quite a bit more powerful amplifier.

The wired one has a 1000w amplifier. http://thebuttkicker.com/home_theater/products/bk_lfe_kit.htm

The wireless one has only a 300w amplifier. http://thebuttkicker.com/home_theater/products/bk-kit-4.htm



thanks



is the wired 1000w version enough to shake three connected chairs?

Yes, but if you want the shaking/feeling to be distributed evenly among the chairs, shaking 3 chairs even though they are connected, is possibly also going to take 3 transducers to do it so, although maybe 2 will work well enough for you. Wired properly, it should have no problem at all with running 3 or even 4 of the bigger BK-LFE shaker transducers like the one that come with the wired kit. If you want to hook up multiple chairs with shakers, the extra power of the 1000w amp with the wired kit is probably the best way to go. The 300w amp in the wireless kit, is rated for powering up only 1 of the bigger BK-LFE shakers.

anyone know why I can't find the Buttkicker LFE kit in stock anywhere? Its been sold out for a while. Only one in stock is the wireless version.


maybe a new model for CES?
:confused:

Question, I am borrowing a buttkicker LFE kit and I wonder how much of the experience I am missing by not having the the other poly bushings underneath the other legs of my couch. (The one not sitting on the buttkicker platform)

Does this make much of a difference?

anyone know why I can't find the Buttkicker LFE kit in stock anywhere? Its been sold out for a while. Only one in stock is the wireless version.


maybe a new model for CES?
:confused:

I've bought most of my Buttkicker gear on eBay, including my most recent LFE transducer.

Buttkicker emailed me today. Aparently all the Buttkicker LFE kits are sold out until late Jan :(



going to order the wireless version for now to see if it will suffice.

couldn't wait for the more expensive LFE kit

decided to pick up two BIC subs+the wireless Buttkicker kit

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x166/MRSTROKER/IMAG0048.jpg




Glad I did. In a small theater room this set up is amazing. The wireless Buttkicker kit is enough to shake 3 connected theater seats(heavy Berkline chairs)

set up the shaker on the middle chair and it shakes so much I had to dial it down a couple notches. I can only imagine some of the other set ups listed here with 3 and 4 shakers connected :eek:

I have 4 Aura bass shakers and I will be getting this (http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=252-125)receiver to connect them. What can I do so that only 30 Hz and below plays through the bass shakers?

Thanks

Edit: Figured out how stupid this question was since I am using a receiver, please ignore.

can only imagine some of the other set ups listed here with 3 and 4 shakers connected :eek:

I have all three buttkicker transducers (in one loveseat) and the two amps turned up just below clipping. The three finally produce the amount of visceral slam I'm looking for since the six SVS subs couldn't do it themselves.

I have all three buttkicker transducers (in one loveseat) and the two amps turned up just below clipping. The three finally produce the amount of visceral slam I'm looking for since the six SVS subs couldn't do it themselves.


:eek:

LOL


it must be an earthquake on your chair. SIX subs+those Buttkickers must blur your vision during bass heavy scenes? Is that much bass+shaking ever too much that you dial it down/turn off?

Once in a while when the moon is just right...I turn it down lol.

Im looking at getting one of these shakers for my recliner and maybe the couch.

I have a few extra a/v receivers in storage. Im thinking a A/V receiver work for this?

I have the following receivers to use

Yamaha RX-V640
Sony STR-DA777ES
Denon AVR-2400
Sony STR-DE135

Im thinking the 777es would be best as i can set crossover hz per channel on it?

So this is what Im thinking in my head.

I split receiver 1's (VSX-32) LFE thats going to my psw505

feed that to receiver 2 video 1 input

Set the crossover on the left front channel output on receiver 2 to 80hz? (Maybe 120hz? I'm confused on this part) Or do i just disable the sub option in the speaker setup menu and set the left front to large? The 777es allows crossover to be set differently for the front, rear and center anywhere from 40hz-200hz.

put receiver 2 on video 1 and mono mode with no eq settings enabled.

Hook the shaker up to the left front channel speaker output.

Adjust the volume of receiver 2 till it blends in with the system.

Does this sound correct?

I am trying to run 3 Dayton audio Puck transducers TT25-16 rated at 16ohms each:

PUCKS= http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=300-388

KENWOOD VRS_N8100 = http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000278RZ6/ref=asc_df_B000278RZ61325691?creative=395261&creativeASIN=B000278RZ6&linkCode=asn&tag=5336653703-20

one puck for each of my 3 HT seats. I have a spare Kenwood VRS-N8100 receiver rated at 100W of DIGITAL amplification. Will digital amping cause any problems?

My setup is complicated because I am pushing 2 Infinity RSIIa towers. My preout for L and R channel go to another amp for the highs and mids so they are already taken, can I pull signal from my main R and L Channel as inputs on the Kenwood then filter the signal with it? I suspect that the amped signal might damage the amp, but my sub preout is also taken. (EDIT: Pretty sure this will cook the kenwood. I just saw that I have the Center channel preout that is available so I will most likely try and take the center channel preout to the kenwood )

How can I wire 3 of these so I can get a solid 6 or 8 ohm load?

Thanks for inspiring me once again beyond my abilities AVS! That's why I love this place haha. Any help or ideas would be appreciated

I am trying to run 3 Dayton audio Puck transducers TT25-16 rated at 16ohms each:

How can I wire 3 of these so I can get a solid 6 or 8 ohm load?

You can't get exactly a 6 or 8 ohm load with three of them.

To get them to shake equally when connected to a single channel of an amplifier the three would need to either be all in series, or all in parallel

All in series would give you are a 48 ohm load. (16 x 3 = 48)
All in parallel would give you a 5.83 ohm load (and about as close to your goal as possible with three devices) (16 ohms divided by 3 = 5.83)

Thanks, J. L.

I dont think running them in parallel 5.8 ohm will be too hard on this receiver, I doubt I will be cranking them too much and the pucks are only rated 30W max. The HT room is small and we already got 50" + of bass so I'm just looking to get more of the bass feel without more SPL.


How much of a difference do the rubber feet make? Are they mostly isolation or do they improve the effects of the transducers a lot?

B

Thanks, J. L.

I dont think running them in parallel 5.8 ohm will be too hard on this receiver, I doubt I will be cranking them too much and the pucks are only rated 30W max. The HT room is small and we already got 50" + of bass so I'm just looking to get more of the bass feel without more SPL.
BI understand... I have a pair of 18" drivers fed with about 750 Watts each in a pair of sealed 12.5 cubic-foot enclosures, and I still have a shaker in every seat in my theater. See here for the fair sized subwoofer I built:
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/forum/thread/216369/diy-proscenium-subwoofer/90#post_2742254

Forgive me if the answer to my question is contained elsewhere in the thread, but I didn't search the whole 66 pages, etc.

I am going to attach 8 Aura Bass Shaker Pro's (4 ohm, 50 watts) to 8 Berkline theater recliners (one/chair); I have an older Onkyo amp (A RV-401) to power them. The amp specs are 100 watts/ch; I'd like to connect the shakers as "A" and "B" 'speakers', so I can turn off one bank (front 4 chairs = A vs rear four on riser = B) selectively with the A/B/A+B switch on the amp.

I've also got an 50 Hz low pass FMOD for the input for the amp, and one of the inputs (VCR2) allows me to input signal into either L or R channel and use a "Mono" setting to output to both sides.

Here's the question: The amp specs also recommend 8 ohm speaker loads for A or B, but 16 ohm speakers for A+B. What's the best option for wiring these?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I've thought of two options;

1.) Wire all four shakers (= four chairs) in a row as series and call it "left speaker for the 'A' speakers" with other row as "right speaker (also 'A')". Only then use the "A" option for the amp and balance L vs R if I want to defeat one row from shaking. This would give me a 16 ohm load, but only 25 watts/shaker, right?

2.) Wire two shakers (= two chairs) in a row in series as "left/A" and the other two in that row also in series as "right/A". Similarly, the back row pair are "left/B" and "right/B". This gives me control of two chairs in a row balanced against the other two in the same row, with A or B selected for front or back row. Two shakers in series = 8 ohms for each channel (which the amp should handle) and 50 w/shaker (better!). The only issue is if I want to use all 8 shakers (i.e., "A+B") which is a lower impedance than the amp suggests (16 ohm for A+B, as above).

My preference would be for #2 if the amp would handle it…in truth, we usually don't have all 8 chairs occupied at once, and if we did, I wonder if the limited frequency of 50 Hz would somehow be "protective" by limiting the input signal, as long as I didn't turn the volume of the amp up too high.

Any suggestions as to flexibility vs. burning up the amp :(??

Harry

PS: If you're wondering why I'd want to turn some shakers off…it's a WAF issue. There's some concern about "someone" ;) not liking the shaking in the chair, so I offered to try to wire it so that it could be defeated if desired. This all might be moot if she likes it, but I just wanted to know my options otherwise, etc. Thanks in advance for your help!!

Harry, you should not connect as in #2, as it will present a 4 ohm load to the amplifier. The A+B is a parallel connection, so an 8 ohm load on Left-A and 8 ohm on Left-B will be 4 ohms. Same on the right side, but obviously that's a different channel.

You'll have to present a 16 ohm load (as in your #1 above) on each channel. Unfortunately, the amp will provide less power to a more resistive load (16 ohm instead of 8 in this case), so you'll likely get maybe 60 WPC over 16 ohms. Divide that across the four shakers and you have about 15 watts/shaker.

If I were you, I'd hook it up as in #1, and see if the amp can provide enough shaking power. If so, fine - you can leave it as is. If not, then you could either get an additional old receiver, or buy a 2 or 4 channel amp that can handle a 4 or 8 ohm load, respectively.

Thanks, Tim.

That's helpful…kind of what I expected.

I'll likely try the first option, but are there any problems with option #2 if I don't use A+B, and just keep it to A or B?

(I may pull out another older amp, which is only 60 WPC, for the back row…)

Harry

No problems as long as you do an either or (so you obviously wouldn't be able to use both rows simultaneously in that configuration). The additional amp is another solid idea.

Thanks, Tim…I appreciate the quick replies (and for sifting through the initial longish post!)

Harry

My chairs have all metal frames and I cant really find a place to mount the auras.

I was thinking of getting a piece of hardwood and placing that below the chairs on the floor and mounting the bass shakers to the wood near the back. The chairs are wide enough and the feet far enough in that I dont think you will see the board.

Will this provide enough shake? This is in the basement concrete under carpet if that matters.

You're basically making a very thin riser for the chairs then, but it needs to be decoupled from the floor. Your best alternative is probably finding a solid part of the metal frame, as low as possible (but not touching the floor), and bolt the wood to it, then the shakers to that.

You're basically making a very thin riser for the chairs then, but it needs to be decoupled from the floor. Your best alternative is probably finding a solid part of the metal frame, as low as possible (but not touching the floor), and bolt the wood to it, then the shakers to that.

Maybe I could glue some furniture pucks on the bottom of the wood. I don't want it to far off the ground. I'm thinking one in each corner and one in the middle.

I'm guessing that if its not decoupled that it would dissipate to much of the shake into the floor?

Without drilling i don't see a way to mount them to the chairs.

Oh yes, you'd need to drill into the frame most likely, but it's only going to make it stronger with the wood adding additional bracing.

You'll need to put the pucks under the places where the frame touched the floor, so it can support the weight of the chair properly.

You're correct about the decoupling dissipating into the floor (it would be trying to shake a concrete slab).

Well I was actually able to get one mounted up the one of the chairs. Pics sometime tomorrow.

As far as input on the receiver that is powering them goes. Do I run it into the 5.1 sub input? Just a left on a audio input. Put a 2nd splitter to split left and right on a audio input?

Which input you use is directly related to what speaker channel(s) you use to power the shakers. And that relates to how many shakers you install (to get proper resistance, ideally 8 ohms). This is probably a question worth looking at past "how to" posts in this thread, as it's the most basic yet important part of connecting it up.

Something to ask you guys who are using multiple shakers per seat/sofa.

I currently have 2 shaker pro's mounted to my 3 seater sofa. Each is powered by either the L or R channel off an old Yamaha stereo receiver since it happens to be 4ohm stable.

Q: Why are you guys mounting so many shakers your seats?

At 25% volume, my sofa has plenty of thump for 3 of us on top of the sofa. At 35% my house whole living room starts to shake. I haven't gone higher than that since I share a wall w/ my neighbour and i'm afraid at 50+% both our houses will shake...

Am I just sensitive to the shakes or is there something fundamentally very different between our setups?

The more shakers you have, the more evenly you can disperse the thumping. Imagine one shaker large enough to shake the whole sofa. You put it in the middle, and the middle person gets 80% of it and the other two get 10%. Or you could put six in it at 1/6 the power, and have more even dispersion. That's one reason, at least.

Which input you use is directly related to what speaker channel(s) you use to power the shakers. And that relates to how many shakers you install (to get proper resistance, ideally 8 ohms). This is probably a question worth looking at past "how to" posts in this thread, as it's the most basic yet important part of connecting it up.

My 777es has a 4 ohm 8 ohm switch. So its on 4 ohm. Bout to fire this up for the first time. I guess Jurassic Park T-rex scene will be a good test.

Here is how I mounted a aura bass shaker pro to one of my barka loungers.

There where 6 holes along two of the bottom support beams

I got a 3/4 ply wood cut to 9x13
6 2 inch 1/4 bolts
6 hex nuts
12 washers
#8 1 inch wood screws

Drilled 1/4 holes into the wood using a brad tiped 1/4 bit and bolted that up to the chair. Screwed in the aura to the wood. And aimed the wires at the back of the chair.

http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/5792/dscf2416a.jpg
http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/1786/dscf2411e.jpg
http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/8640/dscf2413n.jpg
http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/7821/dscf2414.jpg

Clark Synthesis TST239 Transducer---Suitable Amp?
I was wondering if one of these can be powered by a Harman Kardon 3490? Since my HK 3600 doesn't have two sub-outs I would have to get a Y-splitter to seperate the LFE signals. One to my subwoofer the other to the CD input of the HK 3490. Then I would connect the transducer to the left or right connection of my HK 3490 and all would be set.

I'm also I'm assmuing I would need an FMOD. Perhaps 70 Hz low pass?

I had started a thread but it got no replies.

I need help with my shaker. Hope I get some useful info here. I have an aura pro bass shaker and I don't know how to hook it up to my receiver. because the sub and receiver connection for the sub doesn't have +/- connections on it. It has a single prong plugin wire. My receiver is an Insignia NS-HTIB51A. I have the shaker hooked up to my center speaker wires but it doesn't work very well. How do I hook it up to my sub?

I need help with my shaker. Hope I get some useful info here. I have an aura pro bass shaker and I don't know how to hook it up to my receiver. because the sub and receiver connection for the sub doesn't have +/- connections on it. It has a single prong plugin wire. My receiver is an Insignia NS-HTIB51A. I have the shaker hooked up to my center speaker wires but it doesn't work very well. How do I hook it up to my sub?

First, I think you need at least 2 shakers or even numbers of more shakers for the wiring to work. Do some searching on this thread to find out how to wire them to a separate amp... see below.

The shakers need to be be powered by a separate amplifier/receiver. Your primary receiver cannot power the shakers. Some people use an old receiver to power the shakers or a dedicated amplifier such as these subwoofer amps from Parts Express http://www.parts-express.com/wizards/searchResults.cfm?searchFilter=&srchExt=CAT&perPage=25&sortBy=3&layout=list&page=1&srchPrice=&srchCat=505&srchMfg=&srchPromo=&srchAttr=.

The Parts Express 25 watt plate amp is probably enough for 2 shakers, and the 70 watt amp would power 2-4 shakers.

To send the signal to the amp/shakers you will need a Y-splitter from the subwoofer out on the back of your receiver. One subwoofer cable to your subwoofer as normal, and the other subwoofer cable to the amp/receiver that is powering the shakers.

When I got 2 shakers and a PE amp 9 months ago, I did a lot of reading in this thread to understand how to hook up everything.

Here is another thread on Bass Shakers: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=392656

Hope that helps.
Gary

Great thread! I'm going to jump in with my set-up details and maybe garner some feedback too.
My room is designed to actually be a home gym, and to convert to a 6-seat home theatre within 15 minutes. I'm using these inflatable (http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_10104_089W018816000001P?vName=Fitness%20&%20Sports&cName=Camping&Hiking&sName=Air%20Mattresses&sid=KDx20090423x00001&srccode=cii_10043468&cpncode=23-128005986-2) recliners - very comfortable indeed! This allows me to move all equipment into a storage room (where it's normally kept anyway), and bring seating into the area, inflate it and off we go to 120" screen and 9.2/11.2 speaker goodness.
However, ever since I tried a buttkicker in my media room, I've been hooked on tactile transduction! I decided I needed something similar in the home theatre. The challenge is that I will need to bass-shake from one to six seats in single seat increments. i.e. if I only have three guests, I will only bring out three seats. etc. Here's the plan:

I'm building six, small, lightweight platforms, one for each seat, made of plywood and 2x3 for a frame. These will have rubber isolators on each corner, and will be sitting on a dense foam tiled floor too. I have a mixture of 4 Aura bass shakers (non-pro) and 4 K-Woon bass shakers, each approximately twice as powerful as the Aura ones. Onto two of the platforms, I will be hooking up a pair of Aura shakers for an 8 Ohm load on each. These will be a fair bit taller than the other four platforms, since they will act as a "back row". The four low-profile platforms will contain one 4 Ohm K-Woon shaker each. The K-Woons are lower profile than the Auras, so they're suited for this. Each of the platforms will have a banana-plug wall plate affixed to it, and I will be constructing a number of custom-made cables that will allow various seating permutations.

The K-Woons platforms will always be hooked up in series pairs to present an 8 Ohm load. Hence I could configure any number of seats from one to six, and always have between one and four 8 Ohm loads. The amplification will be done by a Yamaha RX-V663 7.1 receiver, which is capable of all-channel stereo, supposedly up to 90W RMS. The main AV receiver providing the signal is an Onkyo TX-NR5007 9.2 receiver.

The two sub outputs from the Onkyo will be split, each going to one sub and one channel of a stereo input on the Yamaha. My room's speakers go down to 50 Hz, and I'll probably crossover to the sub output at 60 Hz on the Onkyo. Thus, the Yamaha will never see anything higher than 60 Hz. I will use the Yamaha in "All channel stereo" mode, as both input channels will be receiving the same signal anyway. This will allow me to use up to 7 channels - for up to another 6 seats (in the future?) using 4 Ohm shakers. I've run 7 speaker cables from the media cabinet under the floor to a vertical support beam near the seating. This contains wall plates with banana plug connectors. The custom made cables will connect between this beam and the platforms. Thus, I should be able to quickly set up between one and six seats, with bass shaking thrown in.

I hope this makes sense without diagrams, which I could add later. I'd love to hear any feedback, good or bad, about what I plan to do. The first prototype single-seat platform will be made on Friday. I hope it'll work as well as I think it does in theory!


[EDIT] Since this post, many plas have changed and I went buttkicker crazy, buying multiple LFEs, BKA-1000A amps and another BK Advance wireless kit. New set-ups described in a post a few down from this one.

I am looking to add these to my set up. So if I'm understanding everything correctly... could I just simply buy the Dayton 70W Subwoofer Amplifier and connect it to my NR-1008s second Subwoofer out connection. Then simply connect the Aura pro bass shakers? How specifically do I need to connect the shakers to the Dayton amp?

Thanks!

I am looking to add these to my set up. So if I'm understanding everything correctly... could I just simply buy the Dayton 70W Subwoofer Amplifier and connect it to my NR-1008s second Subwoofer out connection. Then simply connect the Aura pro bass shakers? How specifically do I need to connect the shakers to the Dayton amp?

Thanks!

You just use regular speaker wire to connect the shakers to the Dayton amp.

You just use regular speaker wire to connect the shakers to the Dayton amp.

Cool! So I guess I'll be able to control the volume from the amp... awesome! Will I be able to get 3 running with that set up? I have 3 seats on my couch. So 3 would be perfect!

Just make sure to wire them in series to present a 12 ohm load to the amp.

Cool! So I guess I'll be able to control the volume from the amp... awesome! Will I be able to get 3 running with that set up? I have 3 seats on my couch. So 3 would be perfect!

If you wire two in series and then those in parallel with the third, the total impedance seen at the amp will be 2.67 Ohms, which should be okay - check that the Dayton amp can go down to 2 Ohms first though.
Alternatively, get four shakers and put two under the centre chair; you can then wire them in series-parallel and be able to present a perfect 4 Ohm impedence to the amp.
And yes, you'll be able to control the volume from your Onkyo receiver for all your regular speakers, of course, and also the intensity of the transduction by the shakers. You'll have to play around to get the right balance of default sub output and Dayton Amp setting to give you great, distortion free shaking!

Ah! So 4 would be better than 3?! Cool. Would it be safe to say that the Dayton 100w would be better to get than the 70w one? I'm ready to pull the trigger on this. Just wanted to get into on these questions I had. :D

4 in a series /parallel configuration would be best, along with the 100 watt amp.

Great! Just placed my order with Parts Express. Hopefully they come this week. It can become my weekend project. Only ordered 2 for now. I'll get 2 more later. Thanks for the info guys! :)

Personally, I'd go with the $99 240w model to make sure the peak power is there. Plus you never know when you want to go with a mire powerful transducer in the future.

Btw, I've compared the non-pro aura shakers to the eBay k-Woons. The K-Woons are much better by far, and can be had for $140 for four.

Great! Just placed my order with Parts Express. Hopefully they come this week. It can become my weekend project. Only ordered 2 for now. I'll get 2 more later. Thanks for the info guys! :)

Oops my post was just a few mins too late.