Bass shakers for an apartment vs bigger sub?

[BD2003]

I've been slowly upgrading my HT piece by piece - currently:

Klipsch RF-35 x 4 (Front/Surround) - Dual 8 in woofers
Klipsch RC-35 Center
Denon AVR-1609
Athena AS-P400 sub (leftover from older system)

I listen 50 games/25 HT/25 Music.

I love the floorstanders - they sound great and go deep, even better than the holdover sub.

I'll be moving to a house in a few months. A "real" sub is definitely going to happen no matter what once that happens. But I'd really like more bass until then - or at least something that can let me feel the bass without letting my neighbors feel it. Because while I dont get many complaints now even though I absolutely deserve it, a monster Hsu or SVS sub is going to be the straw that breaks the camel's back.

Also, there is almost literally no room for it here. WAF usually isnt an issue, but it's become one in this situation because I'd have to take a piece of furniture out of the apt to make room for it.

So what do people think about the shakers such as the buttkicker? If it's vibrating the couch, isnt that going to irritate the neighbors possibly even more than a sub? Or do they really effectively isolate the vibrations to just the couch?

And once I do move and get a proper sub, does it even have a place in the system anymore? Basically, are they just a gimmick, or do they properly add to the experience.

 

[darkswordsman17]

It will actually work complimentary to the sub, not be a replacement in the sense you seem to think. So, while it will help with being able to replace some of the feel from the sub, its going to be different.

It should be localized to the couch, and unless you get some massively powerful ones and turn them up, it shouldn't be an issue for your neighbors. Well provided you install them properly and don't just set them on the floor. If they're not complaining now, they shouldn't complain with them.

Absolutely it will have a place when you move. Tactile feedback is something that can enhance every situation, although you may find its not that big of a deal. Think of it like the rumble feature in gaming, its not really that important, but you do kinda notice when its not there once you've gotten used to it.

 

[BD2003]

It will actually work complimentary to the sub, not be a replacement in the sense you seem to think. So, while it will help with being able to replace some of the feel from the sub, its going to be different.

It should be localized to the couch, and unless you get some massively powerful ones and turn them up, it shouldn't be an issue for your neighbors. Well provided you install them properly and don't just set them on the floor. If they're not complaining now, they shouldn't complain with them.

Absolutely it will have a place when you move. Tactile feedback is something that can enhance every situation, although you may find its not that big of a deal. Think of it like the rumble feature in gaming, its not really that important, but you do kinda notice when its not there once you've gotten used to it.

Hmm...well I dont expect a replacement (I plan on keeping the Athena sub for the time being), but I'm hoping that it could fill in the blanks below 40hz or so where stuff is more felt that heard.

Any particular brands that are good? The only one I'm familiar with is the buttkicker.

 

[darkswordsman17]

Hmm...well I dont expect a replacement (I plan on keeping the Athena sub for the time being), but I'm hoping that it could fill in the blanks below 40hz or so where stuff is more felt that heard.

Any particular brands that are good? The only one I'm familiar with is the buttkicker.

Ok, just wanted to be sure that you understand, as some people think it can outright replace a sub (which you weren't even really intending it to do).

Sorry, I don't know what brands to go for. Yoyo would likely be much more knowledgeable. You might also check out AVSForum, as they should have a lot of info and tips.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

I just have the uber-cheap Aura Bass Shakers the I got on closeout from PartsExpress. I wasn't sure I was going to like the effect, so I wanted costs to be very low. Shakers + amplification + mounting was around $100 for two couches.

I haven't been looking for a replacement options though, so I'm not going to be much help for that

 

[BD2003]

Well, are you not looking for replacements because you're satisfied with what you have, or because you don't like the effect at all?

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Well, are you not looking for replacements because you're satisfied with what you have, or because you don't like the effect at all?

It's good for movies.

I think I need some better seating actually before it's worth it to invest in any more for this sort of thing

I have a cheap metal futon for one row of seating, and it doesn't have the structural integrity to handle anything substantial

 

[BD2003]

How does it handle music? Do you more directly feel stuff like kick drums, or does it just do low hz rumbling?

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

How does it handle music? Do you more directly feel stuff like kick drums, or does it just do low hz rumbling?

Well, it depends on how you have it set up.

Originally, I just split the LFE signal. With my crossover set to 80Hz, that meant that the shakers came on quite a bit, including whenever Morgan Freeman said anything in a movie.

Since that was really too much, I got a couple in-line low-pass filters to put in the signal path. They're 50Hz low-pass, so that took care of quite a bit of the distracting bass frequencies.

I haven't used them much for music, mainly because I honestly don't sit in my HT room and listen to music.

For the bit when I have used them for music, it's seemed a bit odd.

I had to do the low-pass filter thing because I used a really cheap used stereo receiver with phono input to power them. If you get a non-DIY sort of setup, hopefully they have that figured out. If you get a subwoofer amp to power them, you should also have control over this through the amp's adjustments.

 

[electroju]

Bass Shakers are slow. Good for bass that is a slow thump.

Use a subwoofer platform to soften the rumbling.