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I've been on the search for quite some time for a good amplifier to use for powering tactile transducers. (also called bass shakers) I needed raw power, preferably 250W per channel or more, but didn't need exceptional audio fidelity due to me driving tactile transducers, not efficient audible speakers.
I was looking at verious products from many different types of companies, trying to get a lot of power at a low cost. Several products from professional audio companies were possibilities, giving several channels of amplification in one unit. However, cost never matched up, and many models had less than ideal connections for a home audio setup, using items like 1/4" headphone-style plugs. After a long search, I came up with the perfect solution--the "5 Series" amplifiers from Audio Source.
These individual amplifiers come in three sizes, the 5.1, 5.2, and 5.3. Since the 5.3's are rated for 250W each into 4 Ohms, that became my model of choice. They are modular in nature, built long and slender, each one designed to control a single mono channel. You can then stack amplifiers next to and on top of each other as needed, even mixing and matching models as needed, including a modular pre-amp that Audio Source also offers. Both unbalanced RCA and balanced XLR connections are available on each one.
Several additional aspects of these amps make them perfect for my tactile transducers:
1. With the modular design, I'm able to fit six units into 19" audio rack mount chassis also sold by Audio Source, making a powerful but still fairly compact setup that looks fantastic.
2. Since each amp has its own output level (volume) control knob, I can now control the tactile shaking level of each seat individually. This is very convenient, since with other amps I was considering I would have had to fiddle with multiple balance and level knobs each time an individual seat needed to be adjusted. Many amplifiers have no adjustments at all.
3. The 5 Series amps also include an unbalanced RCA output. This allows me to "daisy-chain" the six amps together, one to the next, instead of splitting the output signal from my system pre/processor six times, using multiple Y-cords. Much cleaner on the back connections. On that note, the same principle is available for the unit power cords, daisy-chaining all the amps together and then running only one cord to a power outlet instead of running 6 individual cords.
Right off the bat, I was impressed with the construction of the units. Each amplifier has a solid black metal casing, with a nice black machined metal faceplate. The volume knob has a nice feel to it, with many intermediate mini-detents to routinely select a consistent output level. Two buttons on the faceplate, for a selectable low-frequency cutoff and phase selection, have a solid feel and operation, although they can be difficult to tell which position they're in by look or even touch. It takes a push or two to differentiate which position is which.
Front operation lights look nice, with one for the power switch, and an LED each for power protection, peak output clipping, and signal presence. The signal LED will flicker with the output, which could be distracting in some installations. For me, it will work fine in a sealed cabinet. A front headphone "monitor" jack and rear panel connectors have gold-colored plating with a nice construction. On the rear panel is also a voltage selector for worldwide use and a "auto/manual" power switch that can even make the unit turn on automatically when a signal is sensed, then turn off to save power when one is not. Once mounted together in the rack chassis, units are held in place with multiple screws, making one solid piece of equipment.
Since I don't yet have my actual tactile transducers, I tested out the amplifiers on a set of Klipsch speakers I had out for demonstration. They produced a nice, solid sound through the speakers, although not quite as full as my reference-quality theater audio amplifier I normally use to drive them. Interestingly enough, I found that a slight audible buzz started in the speakers when I selected the 180 degree phase change button. But since I don't anticipate using this feature for transducers, this should be a moot point for me.
I found power to be very satisfactory, driving the output volume on both my pre/processor and the Audio Source amplifiers to almost maximum capacity on the Digital Video Essentials DVD video demonstrations before maxing out amplifier power, causing intermittent "peak" LED illumination. The RCA signal output feature worked with no noticeable signal loss or distortion, allowing me to reproduce the same signal in multiple channels without having to run multiple additional interconnects.
For now, I'm very happy with these units, and don't think I could have asked for amplifiers that are more perfectly designed for my particular purposes. I'll post more information as I use these units more in the future.
CHRIS
Luke: "Hey, I'm not such a bad pilot myself, you know"
I was looking at verious products from many different types of companies, trying to get a lot of power at a low cost. Several products from professional audio companies were possibilities, giving several channels of amplification in one unit. However, cost never matched up, and many models had less than ideal connections for a home audio setup, using items like 1/4" headphone-style plugs. After a long search, I came up with the perfect solution--the "5 Series" amplifiers from Audio Source.
These individual amplifiers come in three sizes, the 5.1, 5.2, and 5.3. Since the 5.3's are rated for 250W each into 4 Ohms, that became my model of choice. They are modular in nature, built long and slender, each one designed to control a single mono channel. You can then stack amplifiers next to and on top of each other as needed, even mixing and matching models as needed, including a modular pre-amp that Audio Source also offers. Both unbalanced RCA and balanced XLR connections are available on each one.
Several additional aspects of these amps make them perfect for my tactile transducers:
1. With the modular design, I'm able to fit six units into 19" audio rack mount chassis also sold by Audio Source, making a powerful but still fairly compact setup that looks fantastic.
2. Since each amp has its own output level (volume) control knob, I can now control the tactile shaking level of each seat individually. This is very convenient, since with other amps I was considering I would have had to fiddle with multiple balance and level knobs each time an individual seat needed to be adjusted. Many amplifiers have no adjustments at all.
3. The 5 Series amps also include an unbalanced RCA output. This allows me to "daisy-chain" the six amps together, one to the next, instead of splitting the output signal from my system pre/processor six times, using multiple Y-cords. Much cleaner on the back connections. On that note, the same principle is available for the unit power cords, daisy-chaining all the amps together and then running only one cord to a power outlet instead of running 6 individual cords.
Right off the bat, I was impressed with the construction of the units. Each amplifier has a solid black metal casing, with a nice black machined metal faceplate. The volume knob has a nice feel to it, with many intermediate mini-detents to routinely select a consistent output level. Two buttons on the faceplate, for a selectable low-frequency cutoff and phase selection, have a solid feel and operation, although they can be difficult to tell which position they're in by look or even touch. It takes a push or two to differentiate which position is which.
Front operation lights look nice, with one for the power switch, and an LED each for power protection, peak output clipping, and signal presence. The signal LED will flicker with the output, which could be distracting in some installations. For me, it will work fine in a sealed cabinet. A front headphone "monitor" jack and rear panel connectors have gold-colored plating with a nice construction. On the rear panel is also a voltage selector for worldwide use and a "auto/manual" power switch that can even make the unit turn on automatically when a signal is sensed, then turn off to save power when one is not. Once mounted together in the rack chassis, units are held in place with multiple screws, making one solid piece of equipment.
Since I don't yet have my actual tactile transducers, I tested out the amplifiers on a set of Klipsch speakers I had out for demonstration. They produced a nice, solid sound through the speakers, although not quite as full as my reference-quality theater audio amplifier I normally use to drive them. Interestingly enough, I found that a slight audible buzz started in the speakers when I selected the 180 degree phase change button. But since I don't anticipate using this feature for transducers, this should be a moot point for me.
I found power to be very satisfactory, driving the output volume on both my pre/processor and the Audio Source amplifiers to almost maximum capacity on the Digital Video Essentials DVD video demonstrations before maxing out amplifier power, causing intermittent "peak" LED illumination. The RCA signal output feature worked with no noticeable signal loss or distortion, allowing me to reproduce the same signal in multiple channels without having to run multiple additional interconnects.
For now, I'm very happy with these units, and don't think I could have asked for amplifiers that are more perfectly designed for my particular purposes. I'll post more information as I use these units more in the future.
CHRIS
Luke: "Hey, I'm not such a bad pilot myself, you know"
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