I have decided that my next enhancment to my humble little home theater is going to be Aura Bass Shakers. For those who don't know what a bass shaker is, it is a tactile transducer specifically designed to emit low frequency waves to essentially shake whatever it is attached to whenever bass is sounded from your sound system (at least thats what I'm told). Now am a bit confused as to how to set up something like this, and by that I mean the how the shakers actually connect to my sound system not how to connect them to my couch (which is where I plan to place them). I have heard that it is a good idea to buy a seperate subwoofer amplifier to run the shakers that way they have their on independent volume and you can adjust it to taste and keep from overloading the rest of the system. Now here is where I think I'm going to run into a problem, my surround sound system is one of those ones from walmart where the existing subwoofer is where all the other speakers connect to, this is also where you point the remote at to change the audio channel or to adjust volume. My question is, is it possible to connect a seperate sub amplifier to that type of surround system or do I need to invest in a component surround sound system, reciever, speakers and all. Any help would be appreciated also any reviews on bass shakers would be appreciated as well.
indeed. i'd suggest stepping up that amp due to the fact the bass shakers you get may have their own amp built in, but you will not be able to connect a powered sub to your existing unit. i assume your sub now is a now powered one, right? that unit alone will not have the 'drive' to power what you have, thus, you will be dissapointed. now is the time to buy a new AVR, due to the holidays and price reductions.... just out of curiousity, what exactly do you have, (avr wise and speakers) room size, and what do you prefer to listen to.. music/movies, and whats your budget like for an upgrade, if any?
Well as of now my theater is my bedroom which is about 11x12 but has the potential to be moved into a larger room (at least thats my master plan). I have an Acer PD116P projector (2100 lumens, 2000:1 contrast) which projects to a screen goo painted drywall panel that is roughy 5x6. I use Regent HT-2004 home theater system with (as far as I can tell) generic speakers (2 front, 1 center, 2 rear standard surround setup) plus a few other things (ie: dvd player, ps2, etc..). If you havent noticed yet I'm a big movie fan and theater style is mainly the sound I'm shooting for however I do like to listen the occasional cd (concert dvd's are awesome too). As for budget I'd say between $200-$1000 all said and done.I really don't want to get too crazy, however if the features are worth the price I'm not opposed to saving for it.I realize that a surround system isn't cheap, I just want a system I can replace mine with that will allow me to use the bass shakers, keep all the features I have now and maybe add few more. Thanks for the reply and hope you have more answers.
is this what you have ??? http://www.ztradingpost.com/product/16254D54-0C90-4320-B118-2A8A772FAB9F/2099169.aspx if so, i'd suggest looking into an actual home theater receiver, like now.. i'm not saying what i have is in the quadtrillions of $$$ but i have spent time, researched, $$$, and lots of opinions to get where i am today in home theater. here is my unit.. http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/receivers/RXV1500.htm got if for s really good deal, paid 600 bucks for it due to close out model. if your budget is between 200 - 1000 bucks, i'd say use about half of that for a receiver and for some budget priced speakers... that sound great for that price and won't break the bank, look here.. http://www.fluance.com/index.html i personally have not tried these speakers, but from the reviews and reads, they are very good for the price and sound well. you'll just need a good sub. with the rest, i'd say you've got about 250 - 300 bucks left, spend that on cables, surge protection, speaker wires and possible an all in one remote (touch screen) you should be set......... but i stress this.... do your homework, research, test, demo, ask, do, and listen... after all, it comes down to what you like and want..., all ican do is offer advice and give an opinion.
Howdy guys (how are you , Gear?)! I hope you don't mind my throwing my two cents in here. (Gear's heard this from me before)...Gear is right in that there are some good holiday deals out there but should you need a little time to save and have an income tax return coming, I'd suggest waiting until March and April when the new models come out and retailers are trying to rid themselves of old stock. I learnt from others here that they don't have Tweeters on the west coast and I'm not terribly fond of them otherwise, but at least in their Philadelphia store, they sell the old stock at bargain prices when new models come out. They're an overpriced high-end retailer but, at least here, people who shop there are wealthier yuppie types who don't want last year's models. I've got to imagine that a lot of the high end stores are the same. I've bought a lot of equipment this way and saved some 50%-60% off the previous retail prices...that's important to me, anyway, as I'm one of those guys with expensive taste in equipment...and no money to speak of!! Just thought I'd mention my miserly ways. Gear, have you heard those Fluence speakers? Those are some great prices. Hope you're both well...Gerry
no, i have not heard them personally, but my sister may get some, i gave her my old receiver and she is thrilled, but her current speakers suck, she has the HTIB with the speakers that came with it, i think panasonic cubes (which sound horrible i told her) but she is interested cuz the price is low. but, i am looking into those bi-polars they have... i can virtually eliminate 2 speakers that way.. oh, and by the way Gerry, you missed it, my b-day just passed this past saturday.. i made a thread in safety valve, hoping i'd get some pay pal payments sent my way..
Happy belated b-day guy!! I'll have to go back and check the thread. Believe it or not, I've been without a phone in my apartment for nearly a week so I can't get on the net. There is some contruction going on and phone service went; they say they can't find the problem but I think they're just dragging their feet. No one calls me anyway but I do miss my internet service! Anyway...happy birthday! ... Gerry P.S. Just read the thread; Jeez, at 53, I must be the oldest fart in AD! I should run a thread to find out and then change my username to Grandpa!
hmmmm, never imagined you to be that age... oh well, i say, good for you. glad to see that i can teach someone my wisdom and knowledge!! hehe i will always be here Gerry to assist you..
Thanks for all the help guys I appreciate it. Gear79 even though that sound system link you sent has the same model number on it that isn't what I have. Imagine the center portion of the 3 piece system you saw as the sub and 5 small surround speakers. I intend to take a look at the link you sent and a couple of other sites in a bit when the boss goes away (yeah I'm at work).I'll probably post my finding on here to get your opinions seeing as how you guys seem to really know your stuff. Thanks again. S7
Ok well I got in late last night so I didnt have too much time to comparison shop but a few items caught my eye. For speakers the Fluance surround sound home theater 5 speaker system AV-HTB+ seems pretty good and in the price range, and as for reciever I saw a JVC RX-D202B I like this one because it also features a usb hookup for digital music. Now forgive my ignorance but how many watts should I be looking for? I noticed that even though the features on a lot of the recievers I looked at changed a bit the watts stayed relatively constant (between 75-120 or so). I took my findings to Calibex.com a price comparison site and found the JVC reciever new for about $165.00 and I also saw the yamaha rx-v1500 refurbished with a 90 day guarantee for about $420.00 and new one for about 517.00. Also (and most importantly) can the bass shakers be hooked up to either reciever? Any thoughts? Thanks in advance. S7
Howdy Sinister! Speakers seem nice and you sure can't beat the price; they might be fine for the JVC but I'd save and bump up a bit if you're going to get the Yamaha ... the JVC and the Yamaha aren't even closely in the same class though; if the refurbished Yamaha comes with a solid guarantee, I'd go for that over the JVC any day of the week hands down. You could connect your bass shakers to either unit but I'll leave that one for Gear as they seem like rather peculiar devices to me ... that Yamaha with a good sub will vibrate you out of your chair anyway. Anyway, gear will give you a better two cents worth here...I don't know what to make of those things. But go with the Yammie guy if it has a good guarantee...no comparison...Gerry
i agree with gerry, save and get a better then that receiver JVC.. for your wattage issue... it all depends on what or how lous you want it. todays receivers are good, but some of the older ones were better.... most now a days have about 500 watts per channel. but my yammy is like 120 per channel, so about 840 watts... high current. that being said, it does not lose power at higher volumes like ones that are not rated at high current. also, take a peek at onkyo's txsr702 its at circuit city for about 5 bills from 8 bills. good unit, i was gonna buy that one, but found the yammy for a better deal. the onkyo puts out 100 watts per channel, plus is high current, multi room capable, and THX certified, not that it means a whole lot to me. as far as your bass shakers, they should wire right up. but i'd spend my money on a good sub instead. look for a down firing or front firing sub instead of a side fire or rear fire. and by all means, look for a sub built by speaker people, not one that they make all kinds of stuff like wires, oil, engines, tires, you catch my drift?? look to polk, klipsch, mirage, paradigm, there are many others, but i dont know your exact budget. gerry and i will walk you through this and get you the best deals for your money. i need to pm MovieDud and get him in here for some more opinions.... i have not seen him in a while...
Got a chuckle out that...you're a mechanic, isn't that treason of some sort? Mopar doesn't make good speakers?
tis true gerry, i am a master certified technician, been doing this as a career for 17 years now and i am only 31 to boot.. i started early, it was in the family, my dad was one, his brothers, and their dad too... so naturally, i became one.
Hey guys, sorry for such a late reply, and I appreciate the pm from gear79...read through the thread and found myself being pulled to the Yammy side...I have an older model (RXV 995) but if I ever need to upgrade I will most likely continue to follow Yamaha...I believe the new ones also incorporate the ability to connect your didgital music, I could be wrong...I know some of the New Pioneers can be hooked to IPods and others...Many times we want to spend less on speakers, yet I have spent $2300.00 of Definitive Technology (Front Left and Right are Bipolar)...I still enjoy the separate sub, yet I know the new towers (include bipolar and a sub...sounds great, but I just enjoy the separate sub.)...Cables are critical (you don't see a Ferrari with cables from a VW Bug...cables add a big difference...including surround.) The bass shakers typically are wired through I believe the speakers lines of the front speakers. Mine are set to small, with bass and LFE being directed to Sub, I know that THX and even Dvd-Audio and SACD prefer full range speakers all around (all set large) then the .1 directed to sub...I tried this in my Theater and I found the sound more pleasing the other way...Harmon Kardon is a company that provides great gear, people don't like the small wattages for output, but in tests the HK Receivers could handle anything. I definitely encourage anyone getting into HT to invest in great line conditioners and protection..I had used Panamx for years then upgraded to Monster Power Reference and does a great job. @sinister7, the question about separate amp for the Bass Shakers is a good one at that, the way I have seen these hooked up has been through the speaker line outputs, it is essentially a bass enhancer that you feel in a couch or chair. Did it come with a guide for hook-up in HT? Just asking. You know sinister7, after reading more I want to suggest something to you...I had to install and purchase a system for my brother-in-law...he said I can spend 1000.00 period...I went to Best Buy, purchased a $300.00 pioneer 7.1 (100 watts per channel) (which means he needed a surround system with 7 speakers and 1 sub...I found at best buy a Yamaha 7.1 speaker system for $400.00.. I swapped out the enclosed speaker wire, and grabbed a role of Monster 50ft. spools and hooked the system up...it didn't have all the bells and whistles (ipod connection, xm or sirius radio, HDMI inputs and outputs, but it did have Component in and out (which saved money), and he has a $80.00 Sony Progressive scan player (not ready for that yet, but he will in the future) and after setting it up and calibrating it it sounds great (on much of the test disks I used , including movie clips) the sub was reaching it's limits with a normal setup but I just backed off the sub volumn and it's fine. I told him that when he moves up to HDTV and finishes the basement with the actual HT that he will need to upgrade the speaker system, as to fill the volumn of the room...another thing worth mentioning speakers have sensitivity ratings (Higher the sensitivity the better it is for the receiver in pushing the volumn of sound needed) my def techs are like 91 and 92, and at reference level the system doen't get as hot as you would think and the speakers never sound as if they are strained. The left and Rights handle 400 watts,. center...300 watts and the surrounds (which are B&W's) handle 200...my receiver puts out 100 watts (5 channels) and I have yet to reach the limit with the receiver...don't want to because the sound would be crushing on my ears. Between gear and gerry they have given a nice lists of receivers and speakers to look at...One thing to relize is that ittakes a while to see your HT come to completion (money, and many times the items you want may not be on a receiver that you want, yet be patient and you will begin to see them on consumer models that meet many budgets (including mine). You know Best Buy has a cheaper Yammy line called HTR (Home Theater Receiver) based on tests these do exceptionally well and a little cheaper than the RXV line. Hope this helps and at least gives some other avenues. I love HT and I enjoy talking with other fans...my wife gets kind of tired of hearing about it...so I come here. sorry again for the delay in reply...thanks gear and gerry for your guidance as well. MovieDud
you know your input is always welcomed here MovieDud... yet another reason i asked you to join us here !
Thanx gear I appreciate that and truly enjoy being at ad as much as possible...I just hope I can help. Have a good day my friend. MovieDud
