ButtKicker Wireless Home Theater Kit

One of the things that most impresses home theater enthusiasts is the big subwoofer. You know, the one that digs down deep and rattles the dishes in the kitchen. The problem is that it rattles the dishes in the kitchen. More likely, it rattles the dishes in the kitchen in the apartment next door. So what do you do when you want that big subwoofer sound without risking the wrath of your neighbors? Call Buttkicker!

Bass shakers have been on the market in one form or another for a while. The idea is that you split the subwoofer output sending one feed to your sub and the other to the bass shaker. The bass shaker attaches to your couch and when that low frequency hit happens, it transfers the vibrations to your couch (and thus, to you) much like that big subwoofer would. All the bass, none of the neighbors.

One of the historical problems with bass shakers has been wires. The subwoofer output has to be routed to an amp which in turn powers the shaker. This means running wires back to your couch. With people having enough problems running wires for speakers, bass shakers have had a hard time finding widespread acceptance. Buttkicker is looking to cut the wires in hopes of getting you and others to take closer look at this technology.

The Buttkicker Wireless Home Theater Kit comes with a wireless RF transmitter to send the signal from your receiver (or other source) to the Buttkicker BKA300-4 amplifier, an IR remote, a universal mounting plate plus an under-leg chair/couch pad with five additional rubber isolators for the other legs, and a slew of wires including an RCA “Y” adapter, 1 m RCA male to male cable and a Speaker Level Interface Adapter for connecting to your home theater or gaming system (whether “pre-out” powered subwoofer out, “passive” subwoofer out or simply a “line-out”) and 20’ of 14 gauge speaker wire with banana connectors. This is a one stop kit that has everything you need and a few extra things you probably don't.

Also on the horizon is the new Buttkicker Live! service which will integrate into television broadcasts. This specifically integrates the Buttkicker effects into your favorite shows and sporting events. As anyone that has experienced the difference between a ProLogic and Dobly Digital can attest, specifically encoded material is a significant step up from derived or calculated.

It should be noted that "wireless" means that you don't have to run wires from the receiver to the Buttkicker amp. It does not mean completely wireless. The amp still needs power and is generally pictured behind the couch though there is no reason it couldn't be placed somewhere else (like under depending on the clearance). The transducer can either be mounted to the frame of the chair or couch with the universal mounting plate or placed under the leg. The nice thing about the additional rubber isolators is that it allows the couch to shake without transmitting those vibrations to the floor (and to your neighbor's dishes).

So if you are looking for that big bass sound without all the bass, the ButtKicker Wireless Home Theater Kit might be just what the doctor ordered. Dr. Audiohoic that is!

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.