The Bottom Line
With the combination of the TES100 Transducer and the A200 Amplifier, the user is able turn his/her own chair into a home theater component that adds the sensory experience of touch to your viewing and listening enjoyment. Simply fantastic!
Pros
- Great Vibration and tactile sensations.
- Wide dynamic range - produces both subtle and extreme vibration effects quickly with little effort.
- Easy to setup and use - Instruction manual is well illustrated.
- Can be used in both Movie and music applications.
- No fatiguing effect on body after long periods of use.
Cons
- No remote control for the A200 amplifier.
- Optimum gain settings may need to be changed, depending on source material.
- Although reasonably priced, my still be expensive for budget-minded consumers.
Description
- TES100 Tactile Transducer Features:
- Transducer Plate w/speaker terminals, 3 Vibration Isolators for attaching to furniture support feet.
- Transducer weight: 3.5 lbs. Max load the TES100 Chair or Couch Kit can be placed under is 1,000lbs.
- Nominal impedance is 6 ohms and is connected to amplifier via standard 18-to-10 gauge speaker wire.
- Minimum amplifier power recommended is 50 Watts RMS, Maximum power recommended is 500 watts RMS.
- The frequency response of TES100 goes from 500HZ down to 1Hz.
- A200 Amplifier Features:
- Power Output: 2Channel Operation - 85 Watts RMS/Channel - Bridged/1Channel Operation - 170 Watts.
- Inputs connectors on the A200 amplifier include both RCA and 1/4" phone plug connection options.
- The frequency response of the A200 goes from 1HZ to 500HZ (+/- 1db), with a 200HZ Low Pass Filter.
Guide Review - Crowson - TES100 Tactile Transducer and A200 Amplifier
The key technology employed in the TES100 is Linear Direct-Drive. Instead of vibrating air, like a subwoofer, or employing a piston that vibrates inside a housing that indirectly transfers the shaking sensation, such as a bass shaker, Linear Direct Drive transfers sonic vibrations directly through the chair itself via its feet, which is similar to techniques used in direct hearing via human bone conduction. Thus, if someone is sitting in the chair, they will feel the direct effect of the linear drive process on their body.
Linear Direct Drive requires much less energy to produce vibration effects than other methods, such as pistons in bass shakers, enabling a more dynamic effect with faster response times. The TES100 can easily capture both the subtle vibrations of a car driving on a country road to the big boom of an atomic bomb explosion.
In tests with both movie and music material, I was very impressed with the vibration textures that the TES100/A200 was able to produce, and, without experiencing fatigue from long term use. FIVE STARS!
