Bass Shakers on the cheap!

[Mike Schramm]

I’ve always wondered what Dirac or even Audyssey would do for my system. I’ve never had either, so I have no frame of reference as to how good what I’m hearing is or isn’t. Ignorance is bliss, I suppose.

 

[Sonnie Parker]

Well, it is more than just EQ filters... it fixes phase-related issues as well, or tries to. It takes care of phase alignment, speaker alignment (with the multi-output systems), room resonance reduction, and early reflection reduction... to an extent. I believe it does a remarkable job, and I won't have a system without it, but now I've been using it since its onset... the early guinea pig days. However, not everyone cares for it for whatever reason.

We also tested Dirac up to 500Hz and full Dirac at one of our evaluation events, where I believe we had ten or so speakers. I had Wayne and Dennis playback no Dirac, part Dirac, and full Dirac, although they did not know which preset I used for each. They had to tell me on each one, which preset they preferred. I believe it was 100% full Dirac that they preferred, although a couple of times, it was close between partial and full. The majority was full Dirac.

My first true discovery for better music was not Audyssey or Dirac. They both did wonders for me, but the most significant, most prolific learning session for me was pure speaker placement (speaking of two-channel - the two front speakers). After experimenting with the Cardas Room Setup Guide, it all started to come to light for me. We all learned that week, many years ago, that the end of the triangle was not the best listening position, but pulling those two speakers on out from the wall and placing the listening position inside the triangle, closer to the speakers... amazing soundstage, imaging, and serious depth acuity... we immersed into the music like never before. Now add Dirac... it's truly AV NIRVANA!

 

[Mike Schramm]

Alright, bass shakers purchased! I will report back with my impressions once they arrive and I get them installed. I’m pretty excited!

 

[Sonnie Parker]

Alright, bass shakers purchased! I will report back with my impressions once they arrive and I get them installed. I’m pretty excited!

What did you end up ordering?

 

[Sonnie Parker]

I order the Dayton kit from Parts Express: https://www.parts-express.com/Dayton-Audio-BSK2-Dual-Bass-Shaker-Couch-Kit-300-9025?quantity=1

They had it marked down to $374.98 with free shipping, but JANCART25 coupon code got me another $45 off.

 

[Mike Schramm]

I ordered two BST-1 bass shakers. I already have the old Sony laying around and the miniDSP up and running for the low pass filter and time alignment.

 

[Todd Anderson]

Mike, definitely take the time to make sure you have them firing up into the seat. You can see here, this person has affixed a board to the bottom of their seat.

 

[Sonnie Parker]

We got the same shakers. I just paid an extra 240 bucks for the amp, but I do like that little remote to easily turn it off if I want to take a nap while listening to music... don't want it waking me up.

The amp is also small enough that I can place it on the bottom rack of my coffee table next to my recliner. I wouldn't have room for anything larger like an AVR.

I looked under my recliner and not sure I have a way to mount a board low enough to allow the shakers to clear. There is a board going across the back, just below the seat, at a slight angle up. I guess I'll try that location first and see what happens. There's another board attached to the seat back, but I'm afraid that would just make the back vibrate too much. The board down lower is attached to the bottom frame. I read where another enthusiast installed his in the arm pockets and he was happy with his, but my pockets are plastic... not sure if they are attached to any wood on the sides.

 

[Todd Anderson]

You could set them on your seat cushion and sit directly on them... that will give you some direct shake!

 

[Sonnie Parker]

 

[Mike Schramm]

I have some clearance under my seat where I can mount them either closer to the floor or closer to my butt. I assuming closer to by butt would be the better choice???

 

[Mike Schramm]

Mike, definitely take the time to make sure you have them firing up into the seat. You can see here, this person has affixed a board to the bottom of their seat.View attachment 77325

Yeah, I flipped my sectional over this morning to take some measurements. I going to use a board large enough that I can add two more shakers down the road if I need to. I have some extra plywood out in the garage as well, so I think I already have the supplies needed for that as well. I love projects that are really cheap to pull off!

 

[Todd Anderson]

I have some clearance under my seat where I can mount them either closer to the floor or closer to my butt. I assuming closer to by butt would be the better choice???

Good question. Ultimately, you want the entire area you're sitting in to shake... perhaps mounting them too close to the seat surface would cause the vibration to feel a bit too point-source (or localized)?

Main thing I found was securing them as tightly as possible, firing up. If you secure the board across the width of the seat, you should be good to go

 

[Mike Schramm]

Still waiting on delivery. Last update was they arrived at the USPS distribution facility in Bedford Park, IL on the 17th. However, that's where packages go to die. It's about 45 minutes from my house and mail constantly gets lost once it arrives at that facility...

Anyhoo, should I split the signal from the miniDSP into the old Sony receiver? Right now I have an RCA cable going from the miniDSP into the right channel of the CD input on the Sony. I then have only one speaker cable coming from the front right channel waiting to be wired in series to the bass shakers. Is this correct?

 

[Sonnie Parker]

I think you would enable one of the unused miniDSP outputs, set the crossover accordingly for the shakers, and run that output to the Sony CD input.

I'm still waiting on mine, too... it's at the post office, but they did not deliver yesterday and won't today due to snow and road closures. I might get it tomorrow.

 

[Mike Schramm]

So I don't need to Y-split it into both the left and right CD inputs on the Sony, correct? Just put it in the right input and leave the left open since I don't have a left speaker connected anyway?

 

[Sonnie Parker]

Yeah... that mono sub signal just needs to get to the amp and then out to the shakers.

You could split to the L and R inputs and use L + R outputs if you have two shakers, or use just one input and output and wire the shakers in parallel or series.

 

[Mike Schramm]

Perfect. That answered my question. Now it these things would just arrive already!

 

[Todd Anderson]

Package holdups are the worst!

 

[Mike Schramm]

They're at my local post office! I'm grabbing them right after school today. I actually called the post office and asked if I could just go grab them instead of waiting for USPS to deliver them tomorrow. I have the patience of a small child.

 

[Todd Anderson]

lol.

Don’t we all! Amazing they even answered the phone and offered that as an option… no way I could pull that off in my town!

 

[Sonnie Parker]

It's Christmas time at the Schramm house, and the kid's name is Mike...

While my package is at our local post office, I couldn't get it today because the roads are closed due to snow. I don't think they will open the roads back up until tomorrow afternoon, so the post office may not deliver tomorrow either. Maybe I'll get mine on Friday and have time to fiddle with it over the weekend.

 

[Todd Anderson]

It's Christmas time at the Schramm house, and the kid's name is Mike...

While my package is at our local post office, I couldn't get it today because the roads are closed due to snow. I don't think they will open the roads back up until tomorrow afternoon, so the post office may not deliver tomorrow either. Maybe I'll get mine on Friday and have time to fiddle with it over the weekend.

Doesn’t the post office in LA know the motto: Rain, sleet, or Snow!?!

 

[Sonnie Parker]

Apparently not... that portion of the slogan is only meant for northerners. The rain and heat is meant for us southerners.

 

[Mike Schramm]

So I got them installed last night. I have attached some pics to show my process. I have a relatively open space under my seat, so I cut some plywood to size and securely attached it to the bottom of the seat. I then secured the bass shakers on the plywood, wired them in series, and I was off and running.

Underwhelmed. I have the miniDSP set to add 12dB of gain with the Sony maxed out I could barely feel anything. At first I felt nothing, then I remembered that the Sony was still set to my old Take Classic speakers, so they were crossing at like 100Hz. Fixing that and setting the speakers to large with no crossover did wake the bass shakers up, but it wasn't what I was expecting.

I think I am going to remove the plywood and attach the shakers directly on the front panel of the seat (still under my seat, they won't be visible). Basically on the back side of the board by your shins. Hopefully that helps but I'm wondering if the Sony just doesn't give enough juice...