Buttkicker audio transducers?

[Iguana Man]

Post your thoughts on these units please. I'd always believed them to be nothing more than a gimmick. I don't know why I've felt that way so lets hear from owners, if we have any, and what you all think of these "seat shakers".

[Ruined]

I have two setup on my couch. They are awesome. You can come over and check them out if you'd like. While you're here you can see the RB-1090 also hehe

When pushed with deep LFE at high volume, they seriously beat the crap out of you in a good way.

[Iguana Man]

Wow, Ok. Maybe I'll have to venture over Ruined. Not like I'm working these days.

Anyone else? For the life of me I always seemed to compare these transducers to little clay pots that hold your cabling up. Oh wait...

Crap


/runs and hides from Zeph'

[zepherman]

Originally Posted by Iguana Man

For the life of me I always seemed to compare these transducers to little clay pots that hold your cabling up. Oh wait...

Crap


/runs and hides from Zeph'

You're too much Iggy!

[zepherman]

Originally Posted by Ruined

I have two setup on my couch. They are awesome. You can come over and check them out if you'd like. While you're here you can see the RB-1090 also hehe

When pushed with deep LFE at high volume, they seriously beat the crap out of you in a good way.

Now I'm really looking forward to them. The ones I'm getting have an option for feeding them the LFE signal wirelessly. Have you tried this method?


Seth

[chlngr1970]

U571 with Buttkickers was all I need to convince me

Hmm...that sounds familiar

j

[zepherman]

Originally Posted by chlngr1970

U571 with Buttkickers was all I need to convince me

Hmm...that sounds familiar

j

That's definitely worth repeating.

[Ruined]

Originally Posted by zepherman

Now I'm really looking forward to them. The ones I'm getting have an option for feeding them the LFE signal wirelessly. Have you tried this method?


Seth

No, what I did was put the amp in my amp rack (connected to LFE output of DTC-9.8 via Y cable) and ran a 45ft white-jacketed 10-gauge Belden 5000 speaker cable from the amp along the path of my surround speaker cables around the room and down to behind the couch. I then spliced three 10-gauge speaker wires (amp to splice, and splice to each buttkicker) for each lead together using Ideal Twister Model 342 Wire-Nuts in order to wire the two Buttkickers in parallel. As a result, it works well, can plug into my primary surge strips/automation devices and does not require an amp to be sitting near my couch. If you use the "wireless" route then you have to put the amp next to the seating area which isn't as functional and doesn't look as nice IMO; and on top of that, its not truly wireless because you still need to have a cable going from the amp to an AC outlet near your couch.

I have found setting the Buttkicker amp's volume to one notch to the left of center with the LFE cutoff set to only respond to 40hz and below is the ideal compliment to my subwoofer.

[Ruined]

Originally Posted by Iguana Man

Anyone else? For the life of me I always seemed to compare these transducers to little clay pots that hold your cabling up. Oh wait...

You will eat your words once you experience it

[zepherman]

Originally Posted by Ruined

No, what I did was put the amp in my amp rack (connected to LFE output of DTC-9.8 via Y cable) and ran a 45ft white-jacketed 10-gauge Belden 5000 speaker cable from the amp along the path of my surround speaker cables around the room and down to behind the couch. I then spliced three 10-gauge speaker wires (amp to splice, and splice to each buttkicker) for each lead together using Ideal Twister Model 342 Wire-Nuts in order to wire the two Buttkickers in parallel. As a result, it works well, can plug into my primary surge strips/automation devices and does not require an amp to be sitting near my couch. If you use the "wireless" route then you have to put the amp next to the seating area which isn't as functional and doesn't look as nice IMO; and on top of that, its not truly wireless because you still need to have a cable going from the amp to an AC outlet near your couch.

I have found setting the Buttkicker amp's volume to one notch to the left of center with the LFE cutoff set to only respond to 40hz and below is the ideal compliment to my subwoofer.

Since I am getting the wireless kit, I think I'm going to try that method first. I'm either going to love the way it works or hate it. If I love it, then naturally I will continue to use the wireless option. If however it doesn't work the way I want, then I will most likely go the same route you did with yours.

The whole reason I was liking going wireless was because of the convenience factor. Of course like you said I will need to have the amp next to the HT seats, so I will see how that goes. This is all new to me with using bass transducers, but it should be pretty straight forward.

Question, I know that the Buttkickers have different x-over settings, does one just set it like the rest of the speakers? And do the ButtKickers have a sensitivity adjustment for how much bass effect you get?



Seth

[Ruined]

Originally Posted by zepherman

Question, I know that the Buttkickers have different x-over settings, does one just set it like the rest of the speakers? And do the ButtKickers have a sensitivity adjustment for how much bass effect you get?

The Buttkicker LFE kit lets you set the cutoff from 40hz-160hz if I recall. It also has a volume knob to determine how much juice you give them. I like it with 40hz cutoff (only 0hz-40hz will set them off) and volume one notch to the left of center. Also for best effect get 1 buttkicker per 2-seats. i.e. a loveseat could do with one buttkicker but a 3-person couch should have two. The amp can handle four.

[zepherman]

Originally Posted by Ruined

The Buttkicker LFE kit lets you set the cutoff from 40hz-160hz if I recall. It also has a volume knob to determine how much juice you give them. I like it with 40hz cutoff (only 0hz-40hz will set them off) and volume one notch to the left of center. Also for best effect get 1 buttkicker per 2-seats. i.e. a loveseat could do with one buttkicker but a 3-person couch should have two.

Excellent! Thanks for the info! On the ones ordered, each seat will have its very own ButtKicker factory installed.

Now is every unit adjustable or is it just a global setting?


Seth

[Ruined]

Originally Posted by zepherman

Now is every unit adjustable or is it just a global setting?

Global. But you could get around that with multiple Buttkicker amplifiers...

[zepherman]

Thanks Ruined.