S2 Tactile Bass System (2019 Edition)

Note: I originally wrote this review of the SubPac S2 for a computer audiophile forum.Sound Quality:I have now sampled my whole music library with the SubPac. It really rounds out what I think is by far the closest approximation to what I was looking for, for anything remotely close to the total cost I've invested. The bass experience is highly versatile. It is equally good for Trance, Jazz, Classical, and other genres. It is both full and punchy, it's not like having a subwoofer that's designed to deliver one kind of bass over another.I have the SubPac connected to the monitor outs on my interface, and the headphones connected to the headphone out, with independent level controls. I leave the SubPac's own level control at the halfway point (where the curve transitions from linear to logarithmic), and my interface gives me fine control over the balance. I can boost the bass pretty darned high just by turning up the SubPac level, without audibly (or palpably) distorting the sound, or turn it down so it offers a realistic level of body resonance that you would get from experiencing music live. The only caveat in the realism is that your spine is what typically vibrates most with a SubPac, as opposed to, say, your chest. That said, I am made very aware of where in my body specific frequencies resonate with the SubPac: some in my butt, some in my lower back, and others in my head. The 16 Hz Bombarde on my favorite pipe organ recording is delivered through my spine and head with absolutely earth-shattering glory, and yet the clarity remains intact like I've never heard from a subwoofer (granted, I've never heard an audiophile-level subwoofer in a proper listening room). Just the fact that no bass at any level causes any objects to rattle in my room is itself a godsend.Design/Comfort/Convenience:The SubPac is not a perfect product, but the complaints I have are all relatively minor. It feels like a solid product made of quality materials. The comfort is about as good as I can reasonably expect. The SubPac is slightly padded, but it does stick out and is not as physically comfortable for long periods as is sitting in my ergonomic computer chair without it. Between the SubPac and my HD380 headphones, the SubPac is the limiting factor in comfort for long sessions.The SubPac S2 comes with an x-shaped arrangement of adjustable straps to fit over various shapes and sizes of computer chairs. It also comes with an additional strap that's supposed to go over the top of your chair. This additional strap is not nearly long enough to go over my computer chair. The good news is this additional strap is not really needed. Without it, I've achieved a very snug and stable fit to my computer chair that has stayed in place for the hours I have used the SubPac so far.Some people have complained that they weren't warned about the control box. Well, you audiophiles understand the need for such a thing, to properly power it, and to provide an input and output some distance away from the epicenter of the vibrations. This control box comes with a strap to conveniently attach it to the underside of a computer chair arm rest. My only complaint with this part of the design is that the control box can fairly easily slide off the strap. The cables should keep it from falling to the floor, though, and I imagine an easy fix would be to stick some additional piece of cloth into the clip.Conclusion:The SubPac is definitely not a cheap gimmick, but a serious product of high quality to cost ratio, and what I believe is the best (and possibly only) way to hear and feel every possible frequency on a sub-$1,000 budget. The comfort of the seated (S2) version is decent relative to reasonable expectations, but it will probably make your ergonomic computer chair significantly less comfortable for long listening sessions. I'm tempted to compare it to the backpack (M2) version, particularly to see which is more comfortable, but I have to be careful about throwing around money to compare products given my budget. The only other complaints I have about the SubPac I mentioned above for completeness' sake, but they probably wouldn't be significant enough to affect most peoples' buying decisions.The SubPac offers a fundamentally different experience from listening to music on headphones alone. Whether feeling music the way the SubPac allows is for you is a personal decision. I don't know what level of headphones the SubPac would be able to compliment well in terms of quality, but I find it an impressive compliment to my HD380s, delivering a truly augmented experience without sacrificing quality.

What can I say about this? I saved for this for quite awhile, as things like this are not a top priority in my budget. It was well worth the wait. It does what it is supposed to do for me, and definitely allows me to feel the bass in my mixes as I produce. Unfortunately, I am forced to produce with studio headphones most of the time, and can only reference on monitors on occasion. This often makes it difficult to tell how much bass is in the mix until I have the chance to reference on speakers, and even then, my room and sub are far from optimal. Apart from helping me with my production workflow, it's just a joy to experience so much music in a much fuller manner. I don't get to get out in front of the bass bins like I used to in my 90's rave era, so this helps me get a bit of that bone rattling experience I am missing out on.

The Subpac S2 is definitely a great concept that I still feel needs a bit of refinement for average consumers like me that only want it for enhanced entertainment and not critical listening. While the unit itself covers my entire lower back, it never felt quite ergonomic enough to integrate comfortably with my IKEA Markus chair. This is mostly due to its thickness for me. Both my original unit and its replacement also seemed to never pause its auto shut-off feature and would turn itself off regardless of how loud the signal was. I asked Subpac directly and they offered to flash the firmware to remove the shutoff feature if I wished, however I ended up just returning them due to the previous ergonomic issues.Maybe they could make a lower profile model that doesn't pack as much punch but would put comfort a little higher on the priority list? Either way, this is a device that I think anyone who has even the slightest interest in should try as it really did make music and games much more dynamic, but you'll have to remember this is still a niche product that you'll most likely have to work around rather than it slipping silently into your setup!

Well. I serached online for a while and had some mixed feelings about these unit.s There was one guy told that after several hours it was completely broken and just rattles. I rolled the dice and bought it, installed on my chair, listened some music and it was soo good, then played a little elide dangerous and damn it was a wonderful experience to feel that engines and all. But after just a couple of usage, the unit completely dead and just makes rattling sounds thats all. The electronics section seems like dead or malfunctioning. The on off button still works and cut off or restores sound output to headphone jack, but thats all, the unit is completely dead and just rattles a little if I turn the knob, SO just 5-6 hours of usage and the unit is completely dead! And 300usd??? I am actually talking with the amazon customer care r,ght now and asking for a full refund actually. So dont buy, or take a chance but know that there are sometrue horror stories like mine out there...

So my wife just opened her gift and she loves her new toy. I just tried it and its pretty awesome. Many will think its just another gimmick but hey as long as you enjoy it why not? We are bass music lovers specifically dubstep. If it says anything we attend a lot of Bassrush Events. We tested listening to Never Say Die 100 by Skism set on soundcloud and the bass was doooooope. I cranked it up and could feel it in my neck and teeth lol. Felt like i was in the club or a festival =). I also listened to Kendrick Lamar and skrillex which didn't disappoint. I tried System of a Down and didn't feel it as much though. I can't say anything about battery life yet. Stay tune.On the next model, can you make it stronger so my eyes vibrate in the socket?