Aura Pro Bass Shakers... - Blu-ray Forum

Driver_King · 08-21-2009, 05:21 AM

Gah. Upgraditis is back from vacation!

I haven't put too much thought into bass shakers as I never really thought I had a place to attach them for my bedroom home theater. I started thinking and wondered how much of an effect I can get adding a couple to my bed. That in of itself sounds awesome.

So I did a bit of research and found that you don't need much to get it setup other than an amp, screws, glue, time, and a good, supportive area to place the shakers. I think I have the amp covered. I have the two Onkyo subwoofers with their plate-amps and everything still intact. I think what I'll do is just run speaker wire through the port of the subwoofer to the shakers underneath my bed.

I will daisy-chain one of my subwoofers to the Onkyo plate-amp and will have the LFE input covered that way. The only issue is that the Onkyo amps don't have a crossover and depend on the receiver's crossover (which is set way too high for the shakers). I would need to make a modification to something to get the crossover down to around 50-70hz.

Otherwise, the plan seems smart to me. I hear that the shakers add another dimension to the LFE and bass of your system. I'm pretty sold on the idea but wanted to see if anyone had any suggestions or anything else to say. I don't think I'll buy new shakers but I may purchase them used. If anyone would like to sell me theirs or point me to someone selling them for cheap, let me know!

PoorSignal · 08-21-2009, 06:26 AM

from some of reviews I have read the Auras don't have accurate shakes to them more like vibrate on or off.... the buttkicker maybe a better choice..

Fors* · 08-21-2009, 09:32 AM

I can't say alot about aura bass shakers Driver King, but I do know I love my buttkicker. Not sure about using the amps on the subs to daisy chain them and the power it will provide, but I do know that my buttkicker amp provides 1100 watts of power at 4 ohms to the LFE, so it provides some serious juice. My amp also allows me to turn off or on the high and low frequency cutoff. I have the low cutoff off and high cutoff on. With the high cutoff on at 40Hz (I can adjust between 40Hz to 120Hz) I get only the good LFE below 40Hz. This way it does rattle the couch just because a door closed or things of that nature. Having one of these sure does add a new dimension to your Ht experience, you are right about that.

brokenthumb · 08-21-2009, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by forsberg21

I can't say alot about aura bass shakers Driver King, but I do know I love my buttkicker. Not sure about using the amps on the subs to daisy chain them and the power it will provide, but I do know that my buttkicker amp provides 1100 watts of power at 4 ohms to the LFE, so it provides some serious juice. My amp also allows me to turn off or on the high and low frequency cutoff. I have the low cutoff off and high cutoff on. With the high cutoff on at 40Hz (I can adjust between 40Hz to 120Hz) I get only the good LFE below 40Hz. This way it does rattle the couch just because a door closed or things of that nature. Having one of these sure does add a new dimension to your Ht experience, you are right about that.

+1 Simply amazing. Everyone should have a Buttkicker, makes every movie a whole new experience.

I'm liking the 40hz high cutoff, Fors.

Fors* · 08-21-2009, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brokenthumb

+1 Simply amazing. Everyone should have a Buttkicker, makes every movie a whole new experience.

I'm liking the 40hz high cutoff, Fors.

Cool. It seems to seperate the LFE so that it shakes what you want to shake versus what is simply just solid bass you want your sub to do. The cool thing is with Buttkicker Quick Connect, that freakin' amp can power 4 at once!

Steve · 08-21-2009, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by forsberg21

I can't say alot about aura bass shakers Driver King, but I do know I love my buttkicker. Not sure about using the amps on the subs to daisy chain them and the power it will provide, but I do know that my buttkicker amp provides 1100 watts of power at 4 ohms to the LFE, so it provides some serious juice. My amp also allows me to turn off or on the high and low frequency cutoff. I have the low cutoff off and high cutoff on. With the high cutoff on at 40Hz (I can adjust between 40Hz to 120Hz) I get only the good LFE below 40Hz. This way it does rattle the couch just because a door closed or things of that nature. Having one of these sure does add a new dimension to your Ht experience, you are right about that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by brokenthumb

+1 Simply amazing. Everyone should have a Buttkicker, makes every movie a whole new experience.

I'm liking the 40hz high cutoff, Fors.

Do you guys mind me asking what it cost you to get a bass shaker set up. I would need the bass shaker itself, plus an amp, and I don't know what else. This is an idea I've toyed with off and on, but never did anything with it because I wasn't sure of the cost. Thanks.

Fors* · 08-21-2009, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fireman325

Do you guys mind me asking what it cost you to get a bass shaker set up. I would need the bass shaker itself, plus an amp, and I don't know what else. This is an idea I've toyed with off and on, but never did anything with it because I wasn't sure of the cost. Thanks.

Firemen, they are not cheap, at around $400. I think when people see that price, they decide they could just get a sub instead. It is a novelty item, but a really cool one at that.

Buttkicker

This kit has everything you would need. You don't even need an RCA audio cable, unless you want to place the amp near to where you sit. Then you would need something like a 20-25 ft cable.

Steve · 08-21-2009, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by forsberg21

Firemen, they are not cheap, at around $400. I think when people see that price, they decide they could just get a sub instead. It is a novelty item, but a really cool one at that.

This kit has everything you would need. You don't even need an RCA audio cable, unless you want to place the amp near to where you sit. Then you would need something like a 20-25 ft cable.

Thanks for the response and the link Fors. With the way I have an RG6 cable ran up the inside of the front wall wall, across the attic, and down inside the back wall to a wall plate that my sub cable plugs into, the amp would be right there by the sofa anyway. I would just use the splitter at the rear wall plate and run a cable to the sub and another cable to the amp for the bass shaker. Unfortunatly that's a little more $$$ than I'm looking to spend right now. I'm going to keep focusing on my receiver upgrade for the time being. My sofa vibrates quite a bit as it is just from my subwoofer sitting a couple of feet away, but I doubt it's the same as having one of these. This is something I'll look more into down the road. I just wish there was someone close to me who had one where I could go see what all the fuss is about for myself before I forked out any money on one.

Fors* · 08-21-2009, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fireman325

Thanks for the response and the link Fors. With the way I have an RG6 cable ran up the inside of the front wall wall, across the attic, and down inside the back wall to a wall plate that my sub cable plugs into, the amp would be right there by the sofa anyway. I would just use the splitter at the rear wall plate and run a cable to the sub and another cable to the amp for the bass shaker. Unfortunatly that's a little more $$$ than I'm looking to spend right now. I'm going to keep focusing on my receiver upgrade for the time being. My sofa vibrates quite a bit as it is just from my subwoofer sitting a couple of feet away, but I doubt it's the same as having one of these. This is something I'll look more into down the road. I just wish there was someone close to me who had one where I could go see what all the fuss is about for myself before I forked out any money on one.

No problem. I know the Aura Bass Shakers are less expensive, so there is still hope if you are on a tight budget. I don't know how they work or if there is a "kit", but I attached a link for one. I would look into these then, it might run you around $100 or a bit more I think for the transducer below and the amp and cables. But you would need to look into that to be certain on the price of everything.

Aura Bass Shaker

Steve · 08-21-2009, 03:31 PM

[QUOTE=forsberg21;2235935]No problem. I know the Aura Bass Shakers are less expensive, so there is still hope if you are on a tight budget. I don't know how they work or if there is a "kit", but I attached a link for one. I would look into these then, it might run you around $100 or a bit more I think for the transducer below and the amp and cables. But you would need to look into that to be certain on the price of everything.

Thanks again man. I'll look into it some more.

Driver_King · 08-21-2009, 04:23 PM

Thanks for the replies guys. As much as I would love to get a Buttkicker right now, I think I'd rather start off small. I've heard some great things about the Auras too. I also looked for what some people had to say about comparing Buttkickers to the Aura's and saw someone who said that the Aura's provide around 80% of the experience when used in pairs while Buttkickers provide around 95% of the experience. If for whatever reason the Aura's needed to be removed from the bed, I could always move them elsewhere. I see the Aura's as a great starter package. When I get dedicated seating or when I am ready, Buttkickers will be the next upgrade. I thought there was a thread about Aura owners awhile back here... Any owners of Aura's out there willing to share their advice and thoughts?

Fors* · 08-21-2009, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Driver_King

Thanks for the replies guys. As much as I would love to get a Buttkicker right now, I think I'd rather start off small. I've heard some great things about the Auras too. I also looked for what some people had to say about comparing Buttkickers to the Aura's and saw someone who said that the Aura's provide around 80% of the experience when used in pairs while Buttkickers provide around 95% of the experience. If for whatever reason the Aura's needed to be removed from the bed, I could always move them elsewhere. I see the Aura's as a great starter package. When I get dedicated seating or when I am ready, Buttkickers will be the next upgrade. I thought there was a thread about Aura owners awhile back here... Any owners of Aura's out there willing to share their advice and thoughts?

I am pretty sure robinandtami has them Driver King.....

Uniquely · 08-21-2009, 06:07 PM

Hi.. yes I do have them, and I like them a lot; but I've never had Buttkickers for comparison.

I have my aura bass shakers mounted on the underside of a sofa specifically designed for HT. The sofa itself is well constructed but still extremely lightweight, and the underside is built almost like a speaker box. I feel strongly that it was probably designed with frequency resonance in mind, because even before installing shakers; I immediately noticed how much better the low frequencies flowed through the new seating, in comparison to my old seating.

I used a cheap amp ($50) designed to be used in a DIY subwoofer. I just split the LFE from my receiver and ran it to this amp... and then ran speaker wire from this amp to the shakers. It works very well in my case, but if one were attaching their bass shakers to heavier furniture, a more powerful amp would probably be desirable. In total my set up was about $160 for the amp, two shakers, and a long LFE cable to run to the sofa. I already had a LFE splitter and some speaker wire.

I feel strongly that it is important for your buttkickers to have their own crossover controls. You don't want them using the same settings as your audible subwoofer because you really don't want to feel every little door slam or Isaac Hayes voice vibrating your butt. I prefer for my shakers to only activate for the explosions, and the trains, and such... so the crossover is set very low on mine. I like my little set up a lot, because I mounted the amp for my shakers right into my couch... so I am able to easily make fine tune adjustments for each film if needed. (see photo in my gallery for mounting of shaker amp in sofa)

Fors* · 08-21-2009, 06:11 PM

I always remember you and your set-up because of that ingenious idea you did with your amp. I think that is way cool.

Uniquely · 08-21-2009, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by forsberg21

I always remember you and your set-up because of that ingenious idea you did with your amp. I think that is way cool.

Thanks..... I really appreciate that! My wife was pretty nervous about me taking a saws all to our brand new leather sofa... but it turned out almost like it was made to be there.

Fors* · 08-21-2009, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robinandtami

Thanks..... I really appreciate that! My wife was pretty nervous about me taking a saws all to our brand new leather sofa... but it turned out almost like it was made to be there.

I went so far as to take off the cushions and measure the couch with a measuring tape in an effort to do the same thing you did after seeing that, but it wouldn't work.

So, it is next to me on the side of the couch, and out of sight. So it worked out in the end anyway.

Driver_King · 08-21-2009, 06:43 PM

I was looking online about modifying the shakers to reduce the resonance frequency to around 30hz and getting an external crossover. I went to go to Parts Express when I found this. I think we have a winner!

Fors* · 08-21-2009, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Driver_King

I was looking online about modifying the shakers to reduce the resonance frequency to around 30hz and getting an external crossover. I went to go to Parts Express when I found this. I think we have a winner!

It does get down to 15Hz. I also see it has an audio application, so I assume it will shake when an actual volume level is achieved, which is pretty neat. The thin shape gives you plent of possibilities too. The only thing I wonder about is will there be an audibal noise to it when it works under you and just how powerful it is with a recommended amp of 150-250 watts, as my amp to my buttkicker is 1,100 watts. However, this looks to be pretty new, and a good find Driver King!

Driver_King · 08-21-2009, 06:53 PM

This is essentially my ideal product and price point. Plus, it will work great with my subwoofer amp and my bed!

I'm also going back and forth in a live chat learning about the product at Parts Express.

Fors* · 08-21-2009, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Driver_King

This is essentially my ideal product and price point. Plus, it will work great with my subwoofer amp and my bed!

I'm also going back and forth in a live chat learning about the product at Parts Express.

Just be careful, if this is for the bed and you leave it on the audibal application, the possibilities are endless with this thing......

08-21-2009, 05:21 AM	#1
Driver_King Blu-ray Ninja Top contributor Member since:Jan 2008 Location:Tampa Bay, Florida Home Theater Gallery:96 Blu-ray collection:28 Trading Score:10	Aura Pro Bass Shakers... Gah. Upgraditis is back from vacation! I haven't put too much thought into bass shakers as I never really thought I had a place to attach them for my bedroom home theater. I started thinking and wondered how much of an effect I can get adding a couple to my bed. That in of itself sounds awesome. So I did a bit of research and found that you don't need much to get it setup other than an amp, screws, glue, time, and a good, supportive area to place the shakers. I think I have the amp covered. I have the two Onkyo subwoofers with their plate-amps and everything still intact. I think what I'll do is just run speaker wire through the port of the subwoofer to the shakers underneath my bed. I will daisy-chain one of my subwoofers to the Onkyo plate-amp and will have the LFE input covered that way. The only issue is that the Onkyo amps don't have a crossover and depend on the receiver's crossover (which is set way too high for the shakers). I would need to make a modification to something to get the crossover down to around 50-70hz. Otherwise, the plan seems smart to me. I hear that the shakers add another dimension to the LFE and bass of your system. I'm pretty sold on the idea but wanted to see if anyone had any suggestions or anything else to say. I don't think I'll buy new shakers but I may purchase them used. If anyone would like to sell me theirs or point me to someone selling them for cheap, let me know!

08-21-2009, 09:32 AM	#3
Fors* Moderator Top ranked HT gallery Top contributor Member since:Jan 2009 Location:Pottstown, PA Home Theater Gallery:160 4K collection:12 Blu-ray collection:142 Trading Score:11	I can't say alot about aura bass shakers Driver King, but I do know I love my buttkicker. Not sure about using the amps on the subs to daisy chain them and the power it will provide, but I do know that my buttkicker amp provides 1100 watts of power at 4 ohms to the LFE, so it provides some serious juice. My amp also allows me to turn off or on the high and low frequency cutoff. I have the low cutoff off and high cutoff on. With the high cutoff on at 40Hz (I can adjust between 40Hz to 120Hz) I get only the good LFE below 40Hz. This way it does rattle the couch just because a door closed or things of that nature. Having one of these sure does add a new dimension to your Ht experience, you are right about that. Last edited by Fors; 08-21-2009 at 11:19 AM.*

08-21-2009, 06:43 PM	#17
Driver_King Blu-ray Ninja Top contributor Member since:Jan 2008 Location:Tampa Bay, Florida Home Theater Gallery:96 Blu-ray collection:28 Trading Score:10	Whoa! Wait a minute! I was looking online about modifying the shakers to reduce the resonance frequency to around 30hz and getting an external crossover. I went to go to Parts Express when I found this. I think we have a winner!

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08-21-2009, 06:26 AM	#2
PoorSignal Senior Member Member since:Jul 2009 Trading Score:24	from some of reviews I have read the Auras don't have accurate shakes to them more like vibrate on or off.... the buttkicker maybe a better choice..

08-21-2009, 03:31 PM	#10
Steve Blu-ray Knight Top ranked HT gallery Top contributor Member since:May 2008 Location:Anna, TX 4K collection:128 Blu-ray collection:416 Trading Score:41	[QUOTE=forsberg21;2235935]No problem. I know the Aura Bass Shakers are less expensive, so there is still hope if you are on a tight budget. I don't know how they work or if there is a "kit", but I attached a link for one. I would look into these then, it might run you around $100 or a bit more I think for the transducer below and the amp and cables. But you would need to look into that to be certain on the price of everything. Thanks again man. I'll look into it some more.

08-21-2009, 04:23 PM	#11
Driver_King Blu-ray Ninja Top contributor Member since:Jan 2008 Location:Tampa Bay, Florida Home Theater Gallery:96 Blu-ray collection:28 Trading Score:10	Thanks for the replies guys. As much as I would love to get a Buttkicker right now, I think I'd rather start off small. I've heard some great things about the Auras too. I also looked for what some people had to say about comparing Buttkickers to the Aura's and saw someone who said that the Aura's provide around 80% of the experience when used in pairs while Buttkickers provide around 95% of the experience. If for whatever reason the Aura's needed to be removed from the bed, I could always move them elsewhere. I see the Aura's as a great starter package. When I get dedicated seating or when I am ready, Buttkickers will be the next upgrade. I thought there was a thread about Aura owners awhile back here... Any owners of Aura's out there willing to share their advice and thoughts?

08-21-2009, 06:07 PM	#13
Uniquely Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Sep 2008 Location:Mobile, AL Home Theater Gallery:14 Blu-ray collection:171	Hi.. yes I do have them, and I like them a lot; but I've never had Buttkickers for comparison. I have my aura bass shakers mounted on the underside of a sofa specifically designed for HT. The sofa itself is well constructed but still extremely lightweight, and the underside is built almost like a speaker box. I feel strongly that it was probably designed with frequency resonance in mind, because even before installing shakers; I immediately noticed how much better the low frequencies flowed through the new seating, in comparison to my old seating. I used a cheap amp ($50) designed to be used in a DIY subwoofer. I just split the LFE from my receiver and ran it to this amp... and then ran speaker wire from this amp to the shakers. It works very well in my case, but if one were attaching their bass shakers to heavier furniture, a more powerful amp would probably be desirable. In total my set up was about $160 for the amp, two shakers, and a long LFE cable to run to the sofa. I already had a LFE splitter and some speaker wire. I feel strongly that it is important for your buttkickers to have their own crossover controls. You don't want them using the same settings as your audible subwoofer because you really don't want to feel every little door slam or Isaac Hayes voice vibrating your butt. I prefer for my shakers to only activate for the explosions, and the trains, and such... so the crossover is set very low on mine. I like my little set up a lot, because I mounted the amp for my shakers right into my couch... so I am able to easily make fine tune adjustments for each film if needed. (see photo in my gallery for mounting of shaker amp in sofa)

08-21-2009, 06:11 PM	#14
Fors* Moderator Top ranked HT gallery Top contributor Member since:Jan 2009 Location:Pottstown, PA Home Theater Gallery:160 4K collection:12 Blu-ray collection:142 Trading Score:11	I always remember you and your set-up because of that ingenious idea you did with your amp. I think that is way cool.

08-21-2009, 06:53 PM	#19
Driver_King Blu-ray Ninja Top contributor Member since:Jan 2008 Location:Tampa Bay, Florida Home Theater Gallery:96 Blu-ray collection:28 Trading Score:10	This is essentially my ideal product and price point. Plus, it will work great with my subwoofer amp and my bed! I'm also going back and forth in a live chat learning about the product at Parts Express.

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