My Buttkicker Install and Review

Evaluation of the ButtKicker LFE Kit by Rob Parkhurst

Reading blogs on the internet one evening, while half watching TV, I came across some comments about tactile transducers and how effective they were at immersing one into a movie. Well, that is how I felt about the addition of my subwoofer to my audio system years ago. I read a few more blogs on these tactile transducers and found many positive comments.

At first I thought they were for those that didn’t have a good subwoofer to handle the LFE of a movie. But several commented that they had a big subwoofer and that these tactile transducers really augment what the subwoofer does but in a way they can’t. This had me intrigued. I had to learn more.

I had seen tactile transducers before and really just past them by as something that might be a good add for a simulator, but for a sound system? Na. I never really thought much about them for anything else.
That is until I read so many comments from users that wouldn’t live without them now that they have them.

I started reading everything I could on these transducers. Found several manufactures and many reviews. Some confusion, but for the most part, agreement that they are very much worth adding to any good Home Theater System. They complete the job that the subwoofer started for the LFE.

The majority of the reviews pointed to the ButtKicker LFE Kit as the best way to go. Having zero experience with these tactile transducers, I will take the advice of those that provided their experience.

Looking at prices and what you get, it was easy to agree with the majority. I found that the ButtKicker LFE kit contained not only the tactile transducer, but a power amp with 1000 watts to power it, plus all the mounting hardware for less than other manufactures charge for just the transducer. A lot less! And the ButtKicker had the best transducer for LFE. Others seem to be for higher frequencies, for other than Home Theater use.

I found the best price I could for the ButtKicker LFE Kit and purchased it online the same night. I continued reading about mounting the transducers different ways and different results obtained. It seems that the mounting kit provided works fine and is very simple and quick to use. However, superior results are obtained by mounting the transducer directly to your couch. This is what I plan to do.
One of the blogs had a comment by an employee of the company that manufactures the ButtKicker products. He included his email address and invited question about the product. I asked him questions about mounting and he replied with answers and suggested that I document my mounting with pictures and experience. That is what this write-up is.

When the ButtKicker LFE kit arrives, I plan to test it using the mounting kit included. Then mount the transducer directly to the couch as explained in the blogs. Here are my findings:

My couch has its foundation on a rectangular shape angle iron frame with 8 hard rubber feet. This foundation is about 8 inches inside the parameter of the couch making it so you cannot use the mounting kit with the transducer outside the parameter of the couch. The couch has recliners on each end of the couch and a middle seat that does not recline. This middle seat has plenty of room under it to have the Buttkicker transducer fit there. So I put the mounting kit with transducer mounted toward the center of the couch in the middle seat area with the angle iron frame resting on the mounting kit on the round rubber mat provided.