Crowson Bass Transducer

[jpm11]

Well, I am not sure if this is the right forum to write about a bass transducer. But, since it covers the same range as a sub, I thought I would post it here.

I was quite impressed with the unit. I was demoed the unit on/off viewing the same scenes. What I found incredible is the fact that you can watch movies at low volumes and still have your couch shake!

It seemed to be quite accurate and did seem to improve the sound in the low end of the spectrum. It seemed to make things deeper and more accurate.

I am told that it can be used all the way down to 1hz!

I am now wondering if I really need a big sub, or can this be used instead?

[Sonnie]

This sounds similar to the Bass Shakers and the Buttkickers. It is in fact rated to 1Hz.

Crowson to Deliver Bass Management Pre-Amp & Stereo Effects

Santa Barbara CA, Apr, 2004/Crowson Technology -- California home entertainment innovator proudly announces the release of the TES 100 Tactile Effects System and the hotly anticipated upcoming release of the BMP-3 Bass Management/Pre-Amplifier - 3 Channel.

Crowson's patent-pending Linear-Direct-DriveTM technology transfers vibrational motion to home theater seating in a uniquely direct and powerful manner. The amazingly compact TES 100 tactile transducer harnesses the low frequency energy of an existing home theater audio system to dramatically bridge the gap between cinema and reality.

See, hear and FEEL the gut-wrenching punch of a fiery explosion, the bone-jarring crack of a gunshot, the deep, rhythmic vibrations of a powerful muscle car, or the warm, soothing resonance of a contrabass. Paired with Crowson's upcoming BMP-3, Bass Management/Pre-Amplifier - 3 Channel, (MSRP TBD) two or more TES 100 transducers and a dedicated power amplifier* deliver unprecedented steering capabilities for "stereo" tactile effects.

Watching a powerful stock car zoom from left to right across your screen now means FEELING the ground-quaking engine, racing from left to right in your seat! The BMP-3 will also deliver effective bass management for multi-channel bass summing (a necessity for capturing more bass than just the LFE channel), independent gain control across 3 input channels, integrated low-pass filtering and pre-amplification.

The TES 100 is offered in two convenient packages: Couch Kit (2 shakers MSRP $649) or Chair Kit (MSRP $349). Crowson Technology tactile products require no intrusion into existing furniture and are compatible with virtually any audio source and seating. *Power Amplifiers sold separately.

TES 100
Dimensions: W 5.5", L 6.1", H 1.1"
Recommended power: 50-500 Watts RMS
Frequency response: 1-500Hz
Kit max load: 1000 lbs.
Nominal Impedance: 6 ohms
Weight: 3.5lbs

[BigPines]

jpm11 wrote:

Well, I am not sure if this is the right forum to write about a bass transducer. But, since it covers the same range as a sub, I thought I would post it here.

I was quite impressed with the unit. I was demoed the unit on/off viewing the same scenes. What I found incredible is the fact that you can watch movies at low volumes and still have your couch shake!

It seemed to be quite accurate and did seem to improve the sound in the low end of the spectrum. It seemed to make things deeper and more accurate.

I am told that it can be used all the way down to 1hz!

I am now wondering if I really need a big sub, or can this be used instead?

I think you really need the largest subwoofer you can afford and have room for. Once you have tried to get as much legitimate bass as you can, I think you can add these to your system for some amazing results. They are not a complete replacement for a large and powerful sub but they are a welcome supplement. They are also much more accurate than buttkickers.

Does anyone know what the difference between the TES-100 and the Shadow? The only difference I can see is the color. That is a lot of extra money to get black. Kind of reminds me of What Apple did with their notebook computers. Oh, you want black? $100 more please!

Mike

[Mike P.]

I was curious as to the cost, 2 transducers and an amp for $1500. Pretty pricy!

[BigPines]

Mike P. wrote:

I was curious as to the cost, 2 transducers and an amp for $1500. Pretty pricy!

I agree. There is really nothing special about their amps that I can see. In fact, if anything, they may be considered underpowered. There is some argument for stereo tactile effects but I think the value of that is greatly overstated by Crowson. Personally, I think I would get the stereo pair of TES-100's for $599 and run them in mono with a Behringer EP1500 or EP2500. After the cost of the amp, this setup would come to approximately $850-$900. Although even that is still expensive, I think it would probably be worth it to feel everything down to 1Hz.

The other question is, will the EP1500 or EP2500 filter out any frequencies at the far low end? Possibly. I wonder how a person could figure out what amp will deliver all frequencies without filtering. I guess testing would be needed. Maybe someone has already done this?

Mike

[ham]

Any followup?

[BigPines]

ham wrote:

Any followup?

I haven't been able to justify the cost of adding these to my system yet but I am still interested in them. I would definitely like to hear any experiences from owners.

Mike