Aura AST-IB4 Floorstanding Speakers

Aura AST-IB4 Floorstanding Speakers 

USER REVIEWS

Showing 1-9 of 9  
[Apr 03, 2002]
jamistarr
AudioPhile

Strength:

affordable way to spice up the movie experience.

Weakness:

size

Let me first tell you that I am a huge Home theater nutt! I expect the best out of my system, wich is all thx certified, and I was looking for a little extra kick to my system, I hooked up the aura pro bass shakers off the LFE (sub)channel and ran that to another amplifier, to controll the level of bass and the power to push em. It isnt the best amp, but does the job great to run the shakers. I decided to install them onto my couch (wich is a heavy duty wrap around) and it had no problem feeling it at all. To tell you the truth I tried them at next to full volume and they almost made me sick! But after a few minutes of adjusting them to match the level of the sub, so that one feels the same balance as the other, they are WONDERFUL!!!! I watched several movies including saving private ryan, Episode 1, Jurrasic Park, and they all felt and sounded great. Although at first i kept waiting to FEEL the bass. After that "I cant wait to FEEL them wore off" I couldnt imagine going back to NOT having them. I just adds so much to the experience. I''ve read reviews where people say not to use them on other movies besides ation titles, but i usem mine for almost everything MOVIE and VIDEOGAME oriented! Sorry to ramble on but I Am Very Happy with them, very affordable way to add such a huge difference to the movie experience

Similar Products Used:

none

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jul 30, 2001]
Mike
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Adds impact to frequencies from 40-100 hz.

Weakness:

Little output below 40 hz.

As an experiment, I have added a pair of these bass shakers hooked in series to each of two rows of home theater seats. The series arrangement provides a nominal 8 ohm impedance. An old 40 watt stereo receiver drives two transducers per channel easily. The signal used to drive the bass shakers is from the LFE output of my home theater receiver.
These tactile transducers have added a new dimension to my home theater. While these drivers do not reach the low frequencies of a true subwoofer, seeing the looks on friends faces when the seat resonates with action on the TV is well worth the modest investment.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Sep 29, 2001]
Rick P
Audiophile

Strength:

They Shake Your BOOTY!!

Weakness:

Not Much: You need to buy an Amp to run these

WOW! These are a must have for any Home Theater(gives you that extra KICK with out having to get a bigger subwoofer!.

I have four(2 pairs) of them hooked up to my couch and love the look on peoples faces when the couch comes to life. I got a good deal a few months back at Ubid when they were being sold for 9$ (bought 3 pairs)then found a 100watt AMP to drive them for 125$.
I just wish i new about these sooner.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Sep 05, 2001]
Keith
Audio Enthusiast

Nearly any home theater setup would benefit from a few of these mounted in strategic locations. At first, I purchased one pair to try them out in my sofa, mounting them to the 3/4" plywood frame at the bottom rear. They work beautifully, noting the caveats of the reviews above. While sitting on the couch, the effect could be felt in the body but not the feet. I immediately purchased two more, mounting them in the basement, to the floorboards directly in front of the sofa. 4 of these, coupled with my 10" 150 watt JBL sub gives me almost everything I want my bass to do! They are no substitute for real moving air, but unless you have a serious high-dollar sub these puppies will put a smile on your face, especially considering the modest cost.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[May 03, 2001]
Aaron
Casual Listener

Bought two pairs of these. Hooked them up under my living room floor. Mounted them directly to the floorboards. They are awesome. Now instead of watching Private Ryan storm the beach at Normandy, you feel like you are right there on the beach with him!! I can turn off the main speakers, crank up the shakers, and watch the remotes bounce across the coffee table, with NO sound coming from the system. Best bang-for-the-buck!!

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jul 25, 2001]
Robert
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

price (when got for a deal, retail is a little much), size, weight, build quality, output

Weakness:

connectors (preference)

at first i was a little skeptical of these. but i figured for $24 it wasnt a big risk. after i got them, i hooked them up to an old mini-system to power them (40-watt/channel). this is a temporary solution, but i figured i would just try em out.

they work VERY well. after i got them completely wired up, i turned on some bassy music. they just started vibrating across the carpet. i picked one up and noticed it was like holding a little earthquake! i placed it firmly against the wall and the ROOM just shook like crazy! now that i was convinced, i decided to mount them permanently. i used 3/4" wood screws and rubber washers i got from a local hardware store to mount them to the slats in my futon. (the rubber washers stop rattling).

they work GREAT. i do have one small complaint, but its more just a threoretical problem than a design issue. they are very "boomy" if you crank them up. they do not reproduce "tight, clean bass" all the time. you really need to keep them at a moderate volume. dont expect to have them at full blast and still have it clean and tight. but this is to be expected.

i dont use them for regular music listening because my tower speakers reproduce bass superb, and i dont want any more bass with them. but for movies, you cant go wrong. they make explosions, gunshots, car doors slamming,, etc.... just sound so much more real. if you keep them at a moderate level trhough your amp, they will be subtle, yet effective, and you really wont notice them (they dont seem out of place i mean...) but if you crank em, they can become a little overpowering and they kinda stand out.

all in all, they are a GREAT buy considering the cheapest you can buy a quality (velodyne, infinity, etc...) is around $200 if you get a great deal. these are good if you dont have space (or money) for a sub. or for small rooms that dont really need a HUGE sub. they add the little "thump" that is needed for home theatre.

Similar Products Used:

none

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[May 12, 1999]
Mike
an Audiophile

I got the AST-2B-04 for $158. Its dirt cheap! Hook up these babies to your home theater and you'll never feel your bass is lacking.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
[Oct 01, 1998]
Carlos Giron
an Audio Enthusiast

These little bass shakers really work great in home theater. They are tactile transducers.They resonate at low frequencies, simulating hard hitting bass notes.
I got them of the internet for $30 (ebay.com) and screwed them to the inside frame of my couch.
They are fed the line level sub signal from my receiver and driven with a small amplifier.
When properly balance with my powered sub I can't differentiate between the vibrations
of the couch and the sounds from the sub. The result = AWESOME BASS. Action movies
sound/feel incredible. They are the least expensive and the most effective addition to my home theater.
Because of the bank for the buck difference, I give them five stars.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
[Apr 22, 1999]
Jared
an Audio Enthusiast

I just purchased two sets of these transducers and feel that they have excited my happy button as much as my Marantz RC2000 remote! Using a rigged up set up (soon to be replaced by an AC amp) I mounted these puppies in the side bottom frames of my couch, and lo and behold the T-REX put vibrations in the glass of water I was drinking! I have read on the Clark transducers but did not want to dent the "new receiver" fund so I went with these $30 "expendable" bass shakers- WELL WORTH THE MONEY!!!! I think that many people are missing the boat if they do not know of these wonder pods! A-

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
Showing 1-9 of 9  

(C) Copyright 1996-2018. All Rights Reserved.

audioreview.com and the ConsumerReview Network are business units of Invenda Corporation

Other Web Sites in the ConsumerReview Network:

mtbr.com | roadbikereview.com | carreview.com | photographyreview.com | audioreview.com