Buttkicker gear in the HT

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zybar

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Buttkicker gear in the HT
« on: 1 May 2009, 05:43 pm »
Does anybody have experience with this product?

http://www.buttkickergear.com/product_p/bk-kit-4.htm



It is on sale for $297 shipped and I really like the wireless capability.

Thanks,

George

Bob in St. Louis

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Re: Buttkicker gear in the HT
« Reply #1 on: 1 May 2009, 06:01 pm »
Hey George,
I don't have any experience with the Buttkicker brand, but I do have three Aura Tactile Transducers in their original boxes I'll sell ya' for $100+ shipping.
I'll even eat the Paypal fee.

Thanks for allowing me the shameless plug.  aa :wink:

Bob

Bob in St. Louis

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Re: Buttkicker gear in the HT
« Reply #2 on: 1 May 2009, 06:02 pm »
On second thought, I'll pay the shipping. I'm desperate.  :lol:

Philistine

Re: Buttkicker gear in the HT
« Reply #3 on: 1 May 2009, 06:04 pm »
George, I had 4 of the wired versions in my family room system but it became more of a gimick and I dismantled them after a couple of years.  It's a lot of fun when visitors try it the first time, the look on their faces when the buttkickers fire off is priceless also kids find them a lot of fun.  Ultimately I came to the conclusion it was just a fun project to do but ultimately prefered just to rely on a regular sub.
Phil

Bob in St. Louis

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Re: Buttkicker gear in the HT
« Reply #4 on: 1 May 2009, 06:07 pm »
Yip, ditto here too Phil.
But I really think George would be very happy with my Aura's.  aa :icon_twisted:

Bob - Shameless

Mariusz

Re: Buttkicker gear in the HT
« Reply #5 on: 1 May 2009, 06:39 pm »
Yip, ditto here too Phil.
But I really think George would be very happy with my Aura's.  aa :icon_twisted:

Bob - Shameless
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Rashiki

Re: Buttkicker gear in the HT
« Reply #6 on: 1 May 2009, 07:23 pm »
I bought one a few years back as part of a kit with a 1000 Watt amplifier. I had it set up under a small couch (loveseat, actually) and I felt it added quite a bit to the movie experience. Occasionally there would be a movie with too much LFE in the mix and I'd have to go turn down the amp; however, I kept it on most of the time. It may have done some minor structural damage to the couch -- it developed a squeak, although that could be from normal wear and tear.

I disconnected the Buttkicker when I rearranged my home theater room and haven't had a chance to reconnect it. It's mostly due to laziness, though -- I haven't even hooked up my rear surround speakers, and I'll need to find a way to attach it to the new furniture.

 -Rob

Philistine

Re: Buttkicker gear in the HT
« Reply #7 on: 1 May 2009, 08:47 pm »
I think George should try your Aura's Bob - worth it just for the fun factor  :evil:
It's given me an idea to reconnect and try with an XBox 360 :thumb:

Bob in St. Louis

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Re: Buttkicker gear in the HT
« Reply #8 on: 1 May 2009, 08:55 pm »
Yea, they are quite a bit of fun for gaming. You know, those times when you're not being overly critical of sound quality and you're just wanting "your world rocked". 

Where's George?  aa

Bob

launche

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Re: Buttkicker gear in the HT
« Reply #9 on: 1 May 2009, 09:04 pm »
I use the wired version mounted in a platform/riser and enjoy them. Depending on how potent your bass system is it may not be needed.  But used properly and with restraint they can be a nice addition.  I was able to get a good blend and turn the subs down a bit for late night viewing and I still felt the building crumbling.

launche

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Re: Buttkicker gear in the HT
« Reply #10 on: 1 May 2009, 09:11 pm »
Oh yeah, they have an auto version as well.  Wish I could pimp some rides so we don't have to keep listening to that boom boom, rattle rattle drowning out my Katie Melua.

zybar

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Re: Buttkicker gear in the HT
« Reply #11 on: 1 May 2009, 09:25 pm »
Yea, they are quite a bit of fun for gaming. You know, those times when you're not being overly critical of sound quality and you're just wanting "your world rocked". 

Where's George?  aa

Bob

I am right here.

Probably going to pass Bob, but thanks.

George

dweekie

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Re: Buttkicker gear in the HT
« Reply #12 on: 1 May 2009, 09:29 pm »
If you're wanting to try out the more powerful wired version, Musician's Friend (http://www.musiciansfriend.com/giftcertificate) is offering a 20% off gift certificate purchase.  You could end up getting the $399 bundle for $320 shipped.  A wireless addition is available if you like what it does.  Otherwise, you could be out just a little bit of money should you choose to resell.  I haven't tried the new wireless version you linked though; I was just throwing this other option out there since the pricing is similar.  

I do like what the Buttkicker does overall.  You have to be careful to balance the output with the subwoofers though.  The impact of a proper subwoofer can be overwhelmed (in a not so good way) if the kickers are turned too high.  Otherwise, they are a nice addition to my pair of 12" SVS Ultra subwoofers, which weren't big slouches when I got them a couple years ago  :oops:

Bob in St. Louis

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Re: Buttkicker gear in the HT
« Reply #13 on: 1 May 2009, 09:38 pm »
No problem George.  :wink:

In addition to what dweekie said, be careful where you place them. I had mine located in the bottom seat cushion where they focused their energy "due north".

Not a good thing if you get my drift.  :nono:

Bob

nathanm

Re: Buttkicker gear in the HT
« Reply #14 on: 1 May 2009, 10:04 pm »
Awesome devices, although getting them to blend properly with the audio is tricky.  It's an odd thing to balance feeling with sound.  Calling them a "silent subwoofer" is somewhat misleading.  There's no free lunch; your brain tells you something is weird when you're feeling all this punchy bass, but the sound itself isn't that loud.  Ideally you want both so it makes sense. 

I had the most fun with mine mounting it to an old office chair and playing my drum machine with headphones.  That makes you feel like a god of bass.  I would assume mounting it to a drum stool would have the same effect.  When not sitting on it I could make the whole chair jump.

Quote
In addition to what dweekie said, be careful where you place them. I had mine located in the bottom seat cushion where they focused their energy "due north".

I bet the marketing people said that "The Nut Slammer" didn't have the same ring to it. :P

Bob in St. Louis

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Re: Buttkicker gear in the HT
« Reply #15 on: 2 May 2009, 03:10 am »
A little further rearward than that Nathan.

PLMONROE

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Re: Buttkicker gear in the HT
« Reply #16 on: 3 May 2009, 01:08 am »
I ordered the wired version a few years back for HT. Oddly enough I ended up using it more for audio. This is a product that is certainly not for everybody. It is capable of vibrating the heck out of your seating area when bass notes are struck and the vibrations are of the frequency of the resounding note. The problem I found with it is that a lot of recording engineers go nuts in mixing bass tracks of popular and jazz works, so you can get some unexpected and surprising  "buzzes under your behind".  :o Having said that, I find that such mixing excesses rarely are found on classical recordings. Here the buttkicker if turned up just enough to be barely felt adds a significant degree of realism. As with many things you just have to use it judiciously.

Paul