This is a non-scientific newbie comparison but this is what I found.
I have been comparing 1 Buttkicker ("BK") vs 2 Aura Pro Bass Shakers ("shakers") in a riser about the size of a couch with an overstuffed couch (that reclines) sitting on top. I mounted all 3 of them under the riser and used six 120# isolators to get the riser off the floor. I had them set so they would give a sensation that seemed balanced with the movie but not jar your vision. It would take more than 1 BK or two shakers to make that happen in my set up. The BK used its corresponding Buttkicker amp (sold as a set) and I ran the Shakers off a 100 Watt per channel amp using one channel for the two shakers, wiring run in series (8 ohms).
Both worked well with the BK hitting a little harder and reacting more to lower frequencies although the shakers did a good job and in some ways seemed better (beside the fact they are cheaper) when set up in a similar manner to the BK. I think the reason the shakers seemed better was because the BK would vibrate to very low frequencies, so low that I couldn't even hear what they were vibrating to. This made the BK seem to vibrate when there wasn't a corresponding sound to go along with it which made it seem a little out of synch with the movie. I am not sure if this makes sense. The shakers on the other hand may not react to frequencies as low but did seem more in sync with the movie. Both were good with CounterStrike on Xbox(shoot-em-up type game). When a grenade would go off or a weapon fire it was very realistic. My teenage boys loved it.
I think the trick to getting the shakers to be their best is in the set up. By mounting them to the underside of the riser and not directly to the recliners, I got a more spread out and realistic feel. When mounted inside the recliner I could tell exactly where they were, especially when strapped to the springs right under the seat. This was not the way to use them because it would only shake your butt and seemed very unrealistic. Sure, fun for a while but got old fast. They also got in the way of using the recliner mechanism. I would think they could be hooked up under a couch that didn't recline, and produce more even results, if there was a support or board added that went the width of the couch and the couch feet were on isolators but then your feet wouldn't get the effect. I tried it several ways and the riser method worked best and really made it seem more realistic in my opinion. I even created a low riser which consisted of a thick piece of plywood with isolators as feet and the shakers top mounted at each end and it did great for the matching loveseat although not as nice looking. The biggest difference is using the isolators. The difference was huge. The effectiveness of the vibration was very much more realistic and stronger when the isolators separated either riser from the floor.
The cost of 1 BK and the Buttkicker amp is around $850. The cost of 2 Aura Pro Bass Shakers and an amp is around $250. The isolators are recommended for either setup and vary in price (more information on them on the Buttkicker site or do a search for buttkicker to get internet sites selling both) but are in the $13 each range so around $100 for a couch size platform. They are expensive and there may be other make shift ways to isolate the vibrations but I know the isolators work well and I can't imagine anything else coming close.
Both setups were great and added an effect to movies and games that was addictive over time. I expected the BK to really be a lot better but my personal preference was with the shakers. Setup could be a factor and with more time perhaps I would feel differently and have noticed the BK advantage some rave about but for now I am going with the less expensive shaker setup and use the money I save toward buying a better sub. It appears more companies are coming out with new products to do the same thing and I expect something better may be not too far down the road. The shakers are an inexpensive way to get your feet wet and they really do work well if set up correctly.
I have been comparing 1 Buttkicker ("BK") vs 2 Aura Pro Bass Shakers ("shakers") in a riser about the size of a couch with an overstuffed couch (that reclines) sitting on top. I mounted all 3 of them under the riser and used six 120# isolators to get the riser off the floor. I had them set so they would give a sensation that seemed balanced with the movie but not jar your vision. It would take more than 1 BK or two shakers to make that happen in my set up. The BK used its corresponding Buttkicker amp (sold as a set) and I ran the Shakers off a 100 Watt per channel amp using one channel for the two shakers, wiring run in series (8 ohms).
Both worked well with the BK hitting a little harder and reacting more to lower frequencies although the shakers did a good job and in some ways seemed better (beside the fact they are cheaper) when set up in a similar manner to the BK. I think the reason the shakers seemed better was because the BK would vibrate to very low frequencies, so low that I couldn't even hear what they were vibrating to. This made the BK seem to vibrate when there wasn't a corresponding sound to go along with it which made it seem a little out of synch with the movie. I am not sure if this makes sense. The shakers on the other hand may not react to frequencies as low but did seem more in sync with the movie. Both were good with CounterStrike on Xbox(shoot-em-up type game). When a grenade would go off or a weapon fire it was very realistic. My teenage boys loved it.
I think the trick to getting the shakers to be their best is in the set up. By mounting them to the underside of the riser and not directly to the recliners, I got a more spread out and realistic feel. When mounted inside the recliner I could tell exactly where they were, especially when strapped to the springs right under the seat. This was not the way to use them because it would only shake your butt and seemed very unrealistic. Sure, fun for a while but got old fast. They also got in the way of using the recliner mechanism. I would think they could be hooked up under a couch that didn't recline, and produce more even results, if there was a support or board added that went the width of the couch and the couch feet were on isolators but then your feet wouldn't get the effect. I tried it several ways and the riser method worked best and really made it seem more realistic in my opinion. I even created a low riser which consisted of a thick piece of plywood with isolators as feet and the shakers top mounted at each end and it did great for the matching loveseat although not as nice looking. The biggest difference is using the isolators. The difference was huge. The effectiveness of the vibration was very much more realistic and stronger when the isolators separated either riser from the floor.
The cost of 1 BK and the Buttkicker amp is around $850. The cost of 2 Aura Pro Bass Shakers and an amp is around $250. The isolators are recommended for either setup and vary in price (more information on them on the Buttkicker site or do a search for buttkicker to get internet sites selling both) but are in the $13 each range so around $100 for a couch size platform. They are expensive and there may be other make shift ways to isolate the vibrations but I know the isolators work well and I can't imagine anything else coming close.
Both setups were great and added an effect to movies and games that was addictive over time. I expected the BK to really be a lot better but my personal preference was with the shakers. Setup could be a factor and with more time perhaps I would feel differently and have noticed the BK advantage some rave about but for now I am going with the less expensive shaker setup and use the money I save toward buying a better sub. It appears more companies are coming out with new products to do the same thing and I expect something better may be not too far down the road. The shakers are an inexpensive way to get your feet wet and they really do work well if set up correctly.
