CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

lostmandan

How much experience have you had with 'bass shakers'? I am curious if they are a waste of cash or if they have a place in HT.
I have seen cheaper devices listed on eBay, but I think the "right" ones would be the Clark Synthesis transducers. Unfortunately they are a bit on the expensive side to get just for testing.

Please post your thoughts and opinions on these devices Smile

I'm curious!

bbfarmht · Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 1:13 am Post subject:

My neighbor put them on his sofa in the multipurpose room!! I think it works fine but they should be used in conjunction with a sub.

Have you looked here ?

lostmandan · Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 1:16 am Post subject:

Thanks for the pointer Adam! Do you know which ones he used in his sofa? I have the same thought in mind. I have a few ideas to isolate the sofa from the floor as well.

I notice the "Silver" model is on sale -- sweet! I wonder if it is capable enough for a decent 3-seater couch experience.

I've always thought of mounting one of the high-end devices to the underside of my deck out back. It would be pretty cool to have music playing from the deck Smile

bbfarmht · Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 1:30 am Post subject:

I think he used the gold series! He only has the shakers themselves no sub. Every time I'm over there, I keep having this "there's something missing" feeling.

wallace123456 · Joined: 14 Aug 2006 Posts: 2236 Location: Northwest VA area

I still have 4 of the Aura Pro Bass Shakers. Haven't installed them.

The rear seats in our ht are on a riser that is vented (ported) and sitting on feet that raise the entire riser up about 3/16". The seats on that have a very natural "shaking" effect from the subwoofer.

The front seats could use them, I guess. But, I plan on making a sub like Arli (boomrat) has built. If I could get around to building one of those, I wont need any type external devices. Wink

Cliff's ht is a good example of true effect when the subs are powerful enough and there is enough subs to "move the earth"! Ask his neighbor. Mr. Green

wallace

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 2:21 am Post subject:

My previous comfey chair had one between the back cusions. It was excellent! I was using a cheap Aura interactor back pack and a $10 car cross over on a 12volt power supply.

I remember watching Metalica's Cunning Stunts. I had headphones on. I stood up to go to the head and suddenly the bass was gone! It really works well. Also more isn't always better. two in teh chair didn't work at all. Guess the vibrations were canceling each other out. I even tired them out of phase. No difference. One per chair is the way to go.

Wallace, you can mill down the fiberglass suspensions on the Auras and they will produce lower frequencies. I read that somewhere ages ago. Just don't cut too much off or you'll kill it.

ecrabb · Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 3:25 am Post subject:

I've heard great things about the Clarks, but they're too expensive (for me) just for fun. For the price of one Clark Gold, I can put an Aura on each and every one of my six recliners. Then, there's the amp(s) to drive them... mo money!

From sitting in several other people's equipped with transducers, I prefer it when they're set up to be more on the subtle side. I like it when the chairs feel like they rumble only on the loud/deep effects - not when they shake and rattle with every little door slam and gunshot.

SC

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 3:29 am Post subject:

greg_mitch · Joined: 03 May 2006 Posts: 5320

I've got a few buttkickers and I really like them. It takes a bit to dial in the "strength" of them but they add an effect that everyone seems to enjoy. I always do A B comparisons for our guests so they can feel the difference. It is pretty major.

I have a 15" ported sub for reference.

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 1:53 pm Post subject:

What I don't get is the DBox transducers/chairs. I've tried them three times now at CES, and while they are a fun 'theme park' type experience, to have the seats shake continuously for every movie would be annoying as heck.

$20K or so a seat or system? Nahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

whats6x7 · Joined: 04 Oct 2006 Posts: 5924

I bought 8 with 2 amps and put them pn the couches in the family room. I thought they were great but my wife didn't care for them. She said "It must be a guy thing." Anyway,I sold all but 2 and 1 amp and put them on the recliner in my office. I think they rock. The kids like to listen to music in "Daddy's cool chair".

MikeEby · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Posts: 5237 Location: Osceola, Indiana

I'm really dumb on audio stuff...What kind of amp do you use with the Auras? Do you need a separate amp for each transducer?

Mike

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 2:44 pm Post subject:

You don't need a power amp, under 50 watts per transducer is plenty. What I found in the car though is that the transducers really made the amp run hot and cut out, so I put two in series, and that worked fine. I'd do the same at home, and use an older vintage amp, one without the output chips, one that uses actual transistors in the output stage. I've had output chips smoke with strange loads.

MikeEby · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Posts: 5237 Location: Osceola, Indiana

Zebu Fellenz · Joined: 21 Dec 2006 Posts: 2567

I don't have any shakers but do want to get some to put in my couch. I have an extra Pioneer stereo reciever that I believe is 100w per channel, would this work to drive the shakers, the reciever is from 1995 so not really vintage.

Thanks

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 3:01 pm Post subject:

'Zactly!

As for installation, trial and error. I butchered mine due to the weird curve of the bottom of the seats. To get them to fit, I had to break all the heat sink fins off the transducers and used speaker T Bar support rails from my pro installation stuff to mount them.

From what I heard from Aura back a bunch of years ago, the more mass that the transducers bolt to, the better. In other words, solid mass between your butt and the transducer will work better than a lightweight wood frame that they could be bolted to. It also depends on how much bass/shaking you want. Buy a pair or two from Parts Express and play with it.

Spanky Ham · Joined: 22 Mar 2006 Posts: 5643 Location: Comedy Central

lostmandan · Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2009 12:51 am Post subject:

I have been looking at PE and they have a Clark Silver for $99 which I am really tempted to pick up. From a bunch of reading at AVS I am wondering if I should pick up some Aura Pro devices as well. In theory I have one couch and two chairs (crappy non-HT chairs) that could do with some transducer action. I would put like to put the couch on a riser at some point.

Has anyone used a Clark device on a deck? They market one of their device for that but I am wondering how effective it would be at causing a structure that size to vibrate at the higher frequencies. It would definitely have come cool factor though.. music without speakers Wink

MikeEby · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Posts: 5237 Location: Osceola, Indiana

Gino · Posted: Fri May 22, 2009 1:53 am Post subject: