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Bass shakers or sub


vnzbd

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Hello all,

I am currently running a 5.0 for home theater with Chorus IIs for mains. It sounds great but is missing the bottom end. I have used a velodyne sub in the past with good results but now am in a townhouse and want to keep good relations with the neighbors. I would like to fill in the bottom end and am considering some type of bass shakers installed on the seating vs. a sub.

Opinions and Advice please!

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The bass shakers wont replace your sub or feel in the bottom in. They are mainly meant to be used with your sub...that way you can hear the bass and feel it without going deaf....so with the bass shakers you still won't be able to hear the bottom end but you will be able to feel it....I think it would be better to get a good sub and keep it turned down....or get a sub and use it in tandem with the shakers....that way even when the sub is turned down you will still be able to feel the bass. But I personally wouldn't recommend using the shakers alone if you're looking for something to fill in the bottom end.

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Subs often have rubber feet on the bottom. If you can replace those feet with spikes, that will help reduce the transference of the bass from the sub cabinet to the floor and walls. Spikes also are usually more stable than rubber feet which results in tighter, cleaner bass in the room.

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Subs often have rubber feet on the bottom. If you can replace those feet with spikes, that will help reduce the transference of the bass from the sub cabinet to the floor and walls. Spikes also are usually more stable than rubber feet which results in tighter, cleaner bass in the room.

Don't you have this backwards? Spikes help transfer vibrations into the subfloor, while rubber feet would help isolate the sub from the floor. An Auralex Subdude would REALLY help keep the vibrations from the sub from transferring into the floor.

My vote would be the subwoofer on an auralex subdude in conjunction with bass shakers.

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Subs often have rubber feet on the bottom. If you can replace those feet with spikes, that will help reduce the transference of the bass from the sub cabinet to the floor and walls. Spikes also are usually more stable than rubber feet which results in tighter, cleaner bass in the room.

I'm not sure which is better but I don't think I have ever seen a manufacturer use spikes on the bottom of their sub, only rubber feet. Don't know if that says something or not.

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One of the best bang-for-the-buck tweaks can be found by stopping acoustic feedback from your speakers and separating your amp or other audio components from vibration.

By installing spikes onto speakers you find a result of much better sound with a more tight bass and a clearer middle. By use of spikes under your speakers you stop much of the vibrations in the speaker from transferring to the floor and this results in much less noise to be transferred to other rooms. Put your music in the air, not the floor.

Spiking a speaker does two things:

Holds the speaker stationary. This is done by the spike penetrating the carpet and then sticking into the sub floor slightly. This holds the speaker rigidly in place. You can get a similar effect using rubber feet, but it's not as rigid and can flex. By holding a speaker stationary you stop the speaker from using its energy to move the enclosure. Sound ridiculous? If you place a micrometer against the side of an enclosure you can measure the back and forth movement. It is very slight and the largest swing I have measured is .0006" at the base. When you consider the amount of energy (HP) required to move this 45 lb speaker .0006" it is significant. This measurement was taken from a speaker without feet and on carpet. This is robbing the speaker of sound potential.

Reduces base to floor contact vibration. Spiking a speaker also reduces the contact surface of the speaker with the floor. Thus reducing the amount of vibration that can pass into the floor. Once the energy from a speaker is transferred into the floor it becomes non-directional. This means is will go wherever it wants, usually into another room or apartment where everyone can enjoy the little thumps thumps. These vibrations also have a negative impact on surrounding components.

There is a reason the high end speaker manufactures use speaker spikes; they add value to the speakers performance. The tones will be more focused and tighter and you will have more useable power.

Brass is considered the best material type to make spikes from because of it's very high specific gravity (density).

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Subs often have rubber feet on the bottom. If you can replace those feet with spikes, that will help reduce the transference of the bass from the sub cabinet to the floor and walls. Spikes also are usually more stable than rubber feet which results in tighter, cleaner bass in the room.

I'm not sure which is better but I don't think I have ever seen a manufacturer use spikes on the bottom of their sub, only rubber feet. Don't know if that says something or not.

Rubber feet are used because the'll work on virtually all floors. Spikes can ruin hardwood or laminate floors and will scoot on tile.

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True, I've just never seen a sub that even came with the option of spikes. Speakers do but subs typically do not and we place speakers on the same floors we place our sub on. Just wondered if there was a reason for that.

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While some/most may come with rubber feet, "after market" spikes can usually be installed in the same hole that used a screw to hold the rubber foot on. The manufacturer should be able to give you the diameter and thread size. Again, this will help with your problem.

You can find spikes here: http://www.oregondv.com/spikes.htm.

MFR. thread sizes here : http://www.oregondv.com/threads.htm

post-13790-13819659638634_thumb.jpg

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Well I am going with the sub, I ordered a HSU VTF Mk4. Alot of good reviews(on the Mk 3) and it is very tunable with the plugable ports. One of my favorite subs in the past was a M&K with a sealed design. Clean, tight and punchy. I currently run a set of JL Audio in the car, sealed and love the sound-feel. This sub offers a design with the ports on one side and the woofer located on the panel 90 degree to the side, offering a clean look in the corner. I will first try locating very nearfield, aprox 5' away. I will also have the option to put it directly behind my seating position with the sub firing directly into the couch.

The sub does come with rubber feet, although HSU does ship there down fiing subs with spikes. I have a marble tile floor so the rubber feet are prefered. If it does transfer to much energy to the floor/neighbors the "subdude" may be the way to go.

My quick thoughts on rubber feet or spikes would be spikes for music, maybe a tighter sound. The rubber feet could transfer more vibration to the ground for more of the room shaking effect for ht.

Thanks for all the input!

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