Buttkicker LFE Kit Conclusion

Performance of the Buttkicker LFE
My initial testing started with watching one of my favorite DVDs - Matrix Reloaded. After double-checking that all of the cable connections were secure, and making sure my receiver had the correct LFE subwoofer settings, I turned the BKA1000 amplifier volume to about 1/3 power and fired up the DVD player. I chose the car-chase scene (again, one of my favorites). As the cars sped down the freeway and the bullets started flying, my couch began to quake and tremble with each impact. The vibrations became even more powerful when the cars impacted the concrete median. The sense was not as though I was actually in the car when it ran into the median, but rather that I was actually in the scene watching the car run into the median - and I could feel the ground shake from the impact. It heightened the effect and made the experience more visceral. As I watched the remainder of the movie, the vibrations from the Buttkicker LFE remained strong throughout. I did not notice them as much as the movie went on, but I believe that s due to the fact that initially I was specifically listening and seeking out the effects of the Buttkicker LFE.

With the setup of my couch, it was easiest for me to install the Buttkicker LFE on one of the corner legs of the couch. The ideal setup is to place the unit in the middle of the couch to allow the vibrations to disperse evenly to both the left and right seats. With my setup, the vibrations were more pronounced on the side closest to the unit. They could definitely still be felt on the opposite end of the couch, but it was slightly less powerful. I recommend installation in the center of your couch, if at all possible.

Next, I threw in another one of my favorites - Lord of the Rings: Twin Towers. I wanted to test out the power of the amp and the LFE shaker, so I turned up the amp volume to about 2/3 power. I was again impressed with how much more powerful the low frequency effects were with the Buttkicker LFE. With the addition of the bass produced by my Polk Audio PSW12 subwoofer, the effects really drew me into the movie and made the scenes that much more realistic. I did find that I needed to turn the power back down to about 1/3, because at over ? volume level the vibrations really became overwhelming and did more to distract from the movie watching experience rather than add to it.

Over the next few days I watched a comedy and a romantic-comedy on DVD, as well as playing some games on my PS2. Watching the comedy and romantic-comedy movies was not all that much different with the Buttkicker LFE, which is not real surprising. The Buttkicker LFE really shines when it comes to action movies and epic movies, but doesn t add nearly as much to the experience when watching comedies and romance movies.

The PS2 games I played were definitely a new experience with the Buttkicker LFE. Engine sounds in Gran Turismo 4 felt more realistic with the addition of vibrations, and it was more fun to floor it and feel the rumble of my Viper s V-10 as I accelerated down a straightaway. While there are already types of controllers that provide vibration feedback, the Buttkicker LFE is on a totally different level and there is no way to compare the two. The controllers provide a small amount of vibration that you only feel through your hands, while the Buttkicker LFE provides a massive amount of vibration that you feel through your entire body.

Top View of Buttkicker LFE	Buttkicker LFE Installed

Performance of the Buttkicker LFE
Overall, the Buttkicker LFE adds an exciting new dimension to any home theater or gaming system. It really packs a wallop that enhances the experience of watching movies and playing games - much more so than spending the same amount of money to upgrade your speakers or A/V receiver. It s an entirely different experience to actually feel the low frequency effects versus just hearing them.

Build quality and installation materials are all top-notch. Including all of the needed materials for installing the kit was a real nice touch that made the install process painless. I would have liked to have a remote control in order to adjust the power of the amplifier, but that was not a major point.

Despite a few minor quibbles, the Buttkicker LFE is an outstanding value that I highly recommend for those looking to take their home theater / gaming system up to a new level. For the price, you just can t find a better way to enhance your movie watching and game playing experience.

Pro'sExtremely powerful low frequency effects, excellent build quality, all necessary wiring and installation materials included

Con's
No remote control included, too many user manuals

Top Review Shop would like to thank The Guitammer Company for providing the sample for this review.

www.guitammer.com